Posted Tuesday May 15th, 2007 at 1:00A

W Done

While rumors circled like vultures the last several months, Edge Group executives have always bravely insisted that the W Hotel Casino Residences project was going to happen, as it turns out, the whispers were right and the executives were not. On Friday, the Edge Group officially announced that the project was a dud, noting that the project, "could not overcome numerous significant challenges." The property, which was initially to include 3,000 hotel-condominiums, 10 restaurants and nightclubs, a large casino, over 300,000 square feet of convention space and a Fred Segal boutique, seemed to grow in size and scope around every turn. When the Clooney/Gerber Las Ramblas pipedream turned into a nightmare, it was Edge who stepped in scooping up another 25 acres of land next door to the W site. Ironically, Las Ramblas realistically died when it went from a 400 room boutique, up-scale property into a 4,000 room mega-resort. With 47 acres of combined land, spiraling construction costs and construction crews tied up around the city; Edge was left with a project that may have quite simply been too big to chew on. This doesn't mean that Edge is necessarily left out in the cold altogether, the 47 acres they possess is right in the middle of the bally-hoed Harmon Corridor and still holds real value. Having doled out $310 million for the land, they are certainly looking at making a profit whether they sell it as one parcel or break it up and sell it separately. Edge says that they have already refunded all monies accepted for condominium sales and would not comment on any plans to sell the land. It will certainly be interesting to see who comes calling for the prime real estate, and what they are willing to pay forit.

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Beard Bumbles

We've already aired our disappointment towards the James Beard Foundation and their lack of Vegas representation included in this year's nominees for the highly sought after James Beard Awards. We're not going to repeat our grievances, you can read the original story here, but last week's award ceremony in New York City had even more bizarre disappointments. The only major Las Vegas restaurant eligible for an award was Restaurant Guy Savoy, the luxurious haute cuisine hideout tucked away in a quiet corner of Caesars Palace and the famed Savoy's first restaurant outside of Paris, was up for an award in the Best New Restaurant category. A testament of the Savoy team's hard work and dedication, the award would have been the second for chef de cuisine Adam Sobel (who won the same award at Bradley Ogden in 2004) and a rewarding payoff for Parisian transplants Damien Dulas, who serves as executive chef, and Guy's son, Franck Savoy, who runs the front of the house. Now here is where things get interesting, or actually, pretty ridiculous; taking home the Best New Restaurant title this year was L'Atelier de Joel Robuchon which recently opened its second stateside outlet in the Big Apple, of course, the first opened at MGM Grand last year. Robuchon was up for the same title last year for his more up-scale, ultra-luxurious Joel Robuchon at The Mansion (MGM Grand) but lost to NYC restaurateur Danny Meyer. So let's get this straight; Robuchon cannot win for his original, ode to the tasting menu masterpiece in Las Vegas, but he can win for a casual, counter dining replica located in New York. Hmmm, that's interesting indeed. To the folks at Restaurant Guy Savoy, we want to congratulate you for all of the hard work and excellence you have achieved in this past year. You have changed the face of fine dining in Las Vegas and we thank you for it. Other winners with Las Vegas ties included Thomas Keller (Bouchon – Venetian) winning his bazillionth Beard award, this one for Restaurateur of the Year. In our previous rant against East Coast voter bias, we had also questioned the Beard Foundation's practice of letting chefs sit in the nomination box until they win, this was proved with last week's ceremony when talented and deserving Traci Des Jardins of Jardinière won her Best Chef – Pacific region after seven years as a nominee and Frank McClelland of L'Espalier in Boston took home Best Chef – Northeastern after a long, decade wait as a nominee adding, "It took me a long time to get here, I think 10 years." Curiously, no Las Vegas chef was nominated in the Best Chef – Southwest category, previous nominees, Valentino (Venetian) top chef Luciano Pellegrini won it three years back in his first opportunity, and last year's praised chef, Carlos Guia, is temporarily without kitchen after the closing of Commander's Palace.

On the plus side, acclaimed Wynn Las Vegas executive pastry chef Frederic Robert took home a Beard Award in the Best Cookbook category for his book co-written with Alain Ducasse, "Baking and Dessert for Alain Ducasse: Desserts and Pastries". In the book, Robert shared with readers over 250 dessert recipes he has created during his illustrious career that includes many awards and accolades. Robert and Ducasse have a long history together going back to 1987 when the pair opened the 3-Michelin star outlet, Le Louis XV in Monte Carlo. Robert currently has a signature line of chocolates available throughout Wynn, while overseeing all pastry duties within the property. Congratulations to Frederic Robert on this fantastic honor. 

Fore

Our regular readers should know that we continually strive to produce cutting edge events and concepts that have never been seen before, and on Tuesday, May 15th, our newest original concept launches when the 1st annual The Good, The Bad and The F-Ugly Golf Tournament takes place at the Siena Golf Club in Summerlin. We know golf tournaments are hardly unique, however, this tournament dares participants to (in our best Clint Eastwood voice), 'Go Ahead, Make Your Day!' where luck might just play a larger role in choosing the winner than a player's handicap. The best ball format tournament, presents a dilemma at each hole; choose from three cards and follow the stated action, whether it be good, bad or just plain ole f-ugly. At the Cabo Wabo Tequila hole, for example, players drawing the f-ugly card must do a Cabo Wobble – essentially, a practice that will force players to do a shot, spin around their driver like a drunken sailor seven times before hitting their tee shot! Other sponsors of the 1st annual The Good, The Bad and The F-Ugly Golf Tournament include PURE Nightclub (Caesars Palace), Ketel One Vodka, Corralejo Tequila, Montecristo Rum, Lucky Strike Lanes (Rio), Sapphire Gentlemen's Club, Budweiser, Social House Restaurant (TI), Planet Hollywood Hotel & Casino, Hypnotiq Liquor, Perrier Water, Tangerine Nightclub (TI) and Coors Lite. Stay tune for pictures in next week's Eye, there will be some good ones!

Going Visual

Visual Eyes, a visually enticing element, is being introduced to rumjungle Nightclub (Mandalay Bay) to enhance their buoyant music atmosphere. Every Friday night, Kris P., Pioneer Electronics' hottest DVJ will tantalize the crowd by synchronizing his custom blend of exclusive remixed videos to every melodic beat. Kris P. has been rockin' crowds for more than 15 years from the nation's hottest clubs and events like the X-Games and ESPY Awards, to headlining parties at the Playboy Mansion and opening for artists like Fat Joe and Busta Rhymes. The evenings will be hosted with a live remote by KLUC 98.5's Mr. B.O.B, and DJ Revise spinning 80's rock, re-mix mash-ups, R&B, and hip–hop. Enjoy the entertainment as provocative percussionist's fuel the exotic aerialists and sultry go-go dancers overhead dancing until the early hours of the morning, during a new and exciting video, music and light show. All local ladies are free and groups of 10 or more sexy women receive a free bottle of liquor.

Summer Vacation

As another semester ends at the University of Nevada Las Vegas, the next legion of industry professionals is about to be unleashed on an industry hungry for new management talent. That includes the dozen plus students that partook in the third semester of Bryan Bass' growing Nightclub Management course that offers students the unparalleled opportunity to meet and learn from the city's top nightlife minds. Part of the course curriculum requires the students of the class to create and carry out an original nightclub event, which took place a few weeks back. The students submit event concept ideas and then vote on which one to undertake as a class. Final Exam, the class's event, took place at MOON Nightclub (Palms Resort) a few weeks back and while the class had hoped for a turnout of around 800 guests, everyone was blown away when over 1,800 UNLV students turned out, many of the females dressed in school girl attire. "It was a tremendous turnout," said N9NE's marketing maven Mike Fuller, "The students really went over and above to throw a great party." Part of the students' promotional pitch was that the success of the party had an impact on their final grade. "It's very important for the students to take the lessons they are learning and apply them in a working situation," added N9NE's marketing coordinator David Gutierrez, who worked with the students in making the event a reality, before adding, "I really wish that this course had been available when I was in school." As students continue to rave about the course, it has been quick to pick up momentum on campus, even landing a two-page story in the school's Rebel Yell newspaper (click here to read the story). Nightclub Management F&B 366 will take a break for the summer before resuming in the Fall Semester, any UNLV students interested in learning more about the class can email Bass here.

Off Strip Spotlight

This week's locals spotting at chef Susan Rispoli's delicious off-strip, casual Italian eatery JR's Place (Durango and 215) included longtime local entertainer Earl Turner filling up on Rispoli's great fare before hitting the road for a series of shows.

Half-Shell Seafood Restaurant is celebrating its 1 year anniversary in Las Vegas. The celebration will include food and drink specials during the entire month of May including $1.00 shucked oysters and $3.00 margaritas. Created by Chef Steven Iida and Managing Partner Trevett Williams, the menu is designed for your taste buds to float the Pacifc Rim with infused American Seafood cuisine. Half-Shell is located at 30 East Horizon Ridge Parkway and is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, serving breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

Tahiti Joe's, located at 7200 Las Vegas Blvd South has just opened and already they have some great events and promotions going on. Tahiti Joe's is an exciting new restaurant and Tiki lounge with twenty-four hour gaming and an exotic array of specialty drinks. Enjoy the temping selection of internationally inspired cuisine, along with luscious desserts served from 11am-2am daily. From the entertainment to the massive carved Tiki gods to bamboo accents and authentic Tiki lights, Tahiti Joe's will transport you to the ultimate tropical setting where cool drinks and rhythm await. The menu at Tahiti Joe's includes mouth watering appetizers and entrees like the Tiki Torch Sampler, or Tahiti Village Lobster Stir-Fry and Mahi Mahi King's Catch. Save room for their unique desserts like Joe's Fire Mountain S'mores and their homemade Tahitian Vanilla Bean Ice Cream. Tahiti Joe's is a great place for gaming with exceptional promotions and giveaways.

Where You Living?

The latest ultra-stylish mid-rise condominium project to hit the streets of Sin City is the masterfully designed Promenada At Rainbow. Setting a new standard for excellence in urban resort-style living, this sun-drenched desert oasis boasts a two story state-of-the-art fitness center with pool view, community amphitheater, two sparkling pools with private Balinese daybeds, a putting green, sports deck with tennis and 1/2 court basketball, a deluxe business center, retail shopping, fine dining options and other convenient amenities. The big buzz is that, unlike other condominiums around town, the standard features offered at Promenada are upgrade elsewhere. Everything you could ever want is included in your base price. None of those pesky hidden charges to get the "good" stuff, at Promenada it's already part of the deal. What you see is what you get, such as: European-style custom cabinetry, high-end stainless steel appliances, bamboo floors, dual master bath sinks, spacious closets, ample patio space and a lot more. Just under 10 minutes to the airport, Promenada is ideally situated to suit any A-lister's jet-set lifestyle. For more information, call 702. 260.0125 or visit their website here.

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Friday night was extraordinary at Aura Nightclub inside Atlantis as celebrities packed the house and partied until the early morning hours.  After performing a concert for The Cove guests, Janet Jackson and her entourage which included Jermaine Dupri, Whitney Houston, Usher, Ashanti, John Legend, Natalie Cole, Chris Tucker, Anthony Anderson, sister Latoya Jackson, producer Jimmy Jam, manager Johnny Wright, Tyra Banks and Benny Medina among many others, took over one of the VIP sections and danced all night to the beats of Aura resident, DJ Irie.  Celebrating Jackson's birthday and with Stevie Wonder's song Happy Birthday playing, she was presented with a massive birthday cake and custom oversized champagne glass filled with a case of champagne. At the same time, the packed house went crazy as young Hollywood starlet Lindsay Lohan arrived with new boyfriend, British TV personality Calem Best.  Lohan who will celebrate her 21st birthday at Aura's sister property PURE Nightclub in Las Vegas on July 2 was having a blast, dancing all night and singing along to every song while.  Loving the Caribbean nightlife, Lohan then made her way over to the DJ booth where she spent a portion of the night hanging out with DJ Irie and emcee AJ of the BET hit show 106 & Park.  After returning to her VIP table, Lohan was chatting it up with NBA all-time great Michael Jordan as the two shared several laughs.  Also taking in the wild scene at Aura were Tyrese, Spike Lee, Quincy Jones, Big Boi of Outkast, Michelle Rodriguez, Kenneth "Babyface" Edmonds, L.A. Reid, Jeremy Piven, Charles Oakley, Shannon Elizabeth, Ivanka Trump, Alan Thicke, Laura Prepon, Claire Danes, Gayle King, Jason Taylor of the Miami Dolphins

Thursday night, Ozzy Osbourne's daughter Kelly Osbourne hung out at TAO Nightclub with a few friends in the VIP section. Chef Todd English was also seen hanging out, partying with friends. Superstar Pamela Anderson hit up TAO Las Vegas on Friday night with some friends as well as the rockers from Nickelback. Kevin Federline made an appearance at TAO Beach earlier in the day with friends, and then returned to TAO for a late night dinner.

Saturday night, champion Floyd Mayweather partied with friends and club-goers as he got on  the stage and the mic, as the crowd cheered him on and then "made it rain" as he threw a wad of cash out into the crowd. LL COOL J, Method Man, and backstreet boy Kevin Richardson were also in the club to party with Mayweather. This Sunday (5/20), TAO Beach kicks off its first sunset session's party from 5:30 – close.

Friday night Dennis Rodman came to Scores Las Vegas to celebrate his birthday. Dennis not only arrived in fine fashion, but with nationally renowned Drag Diva, Lady Bunny. With Lady Bunny as his date for the evening, Dennis quickly proved he is still a party animal as he danced around the club while doing his typical shots of Jagermeister. On Sunday it was a full house at the Scores Las Vegas nightclub & cabaret, with over 200 entertainers and cocktail servers partying with the lucky participants of the 2nd Annual Scores Las Vegas Golf Tournament. The girls were being auctioned off as caddies for the tournament which took place Monday (5/14). To add to the commotion at the club Sunday night, Kevin Federline showed up with friends to celebrate Mother's Day. While ex-wife Britney Spears was home with his children, K-Fed took over the ultra swank Grand Havana Room at Scores Las Vegas for hours. Over a hundred girls were in the room throughout the night entertaining K Fed and his friends in an attempt to help him properly celebrate the holiday. 

After enjoying dinner at Stack Restaurant & Bar, legendary pro skateboarder Tony Hawk, his wife and an entourage of skater groupies made their way to Jet Nightclub to celebrate his 39th birthday on Monday night.

David Spade was seen at the top-optional Bare pool lounge with Playboy cover model Taryn Terrell, shooting scenes for an upcoming episode of Comedy Central's "The Showbiz Show."  Friday night, Hollywood actress Amber Tamblyn celebrated her birthday at Light Nightclub after having dinner with friends at Fix Restaurant & Bar where they enjoyed executive Chef Brian Massie's delicious and fun appetizers. Meanwhile, Joey Fatone, former N'SYNC band member and top contender on ABC's "Dancing with the Stars," and Kym Johnson, his dance partner from the show, shook their groove at Jet Nightclub. Also in attendance were Alfonso Riberio and Taryn Terrell. Also in the house was David Spade, Joseph R. Gannascoli ("Vito" from The Sopranos), Jonathan Walker, bassist for Panic at the Disco, and Orlando Magic's JJ Redick.

On Saturday night after the VH1 Rock Honors event Hollywood hotties Drew Barrymore and Cameron Diaz hit Sin City with a vengeance. They first dined at Stack Restaurant & Bar before heading over to Jet where they were joined by Colin Hanks and Criss Angel. On Sunday, Light honored all Mothers and all future mothers with the Fifth annual M.I.L.F. party – the original party honoring hot moms in Las Vegas. While the cocktail servers were wearing white tank-tops that read Future M.I.L.F. the packed house was celebrating the birthday of Light's VIP host extraordinaire Scot McKinley.  The nightlife presence and several other nightlife figures helped celebrate this great party. The Spearmint Rhino had a large presence in the house, and other notables including Laine Fust, Tabu's lovely GM, and the beautiful ladies of the Red Modeling Agency.

Laughter was heard all along The Strip on Monday night as some of television's funniest comedians came out for some fine dining and fun at Social House and Lucky Strike Lanes including stand up comedian and talk show host Byron Allen and Carlos "Spanky" Hayes of MTV's Wild 'N Out who showed off his striking skills as he joined in on the high-energy and wacky Beacher's Unprofessional Bowling Association (B.U.B.A.) tournament. Tuesday, at PURE Nightclub, the beautiful ladies of Fashion TV hosted the evening and helped to celebrate mixed martial arts fighter, Frank "Twinkle Toes" Trigg's birthday with fellow MMA fighter Dan Henderson and the Prince of Darkness' daughter, Kelly Osbourne.

On Wednesday night, former Full House star, Bob Saget, made himself at home at Tangerine where he enjoyed the company of quite a few gorgeous ladies. Also in the house and celebrating his birthday with a burlesque twist was magician Nathan Burton. Burton kicked back to an amazing mix spun by DJ Spider and was joined by pals and fellow strip headliners Anthony Cools and Carrot Top. Thursday night at Tangerine began with an exciting twist as Saturday Night Live alum David Spade was spotted catching the Siren's of T.I. show with a perfect view from his spot on the club's patio. Upstairs at Social House, celebrity chefs Todd English and Mario Maccioni enjoyed the fabulous food prepared by Chef Joe Elevado. Las Vegas was in a frenzy.

Friday night as everyone's favorite girl from next door, Kendra Wilkinson hosted an unforgettable night at the club dubbed "America's hippest hotspot" by E! Entertainment, PURE Nightclub. Wilkinson, Hugh Hefner's youngest girlfriend and reality star of the hit TV show Girls Next Door, celebrated the announcement of her new clothing line K Dub with the help of friends and Kansas City Chiefs running back Larry Johnson. Earlier in the evening, mixed martial arts fighter and former UFC heavyweight champion Kevin "The Monster" Randleman rolled into Lucky Strike Lanes at the Rio. Kelly Osbourne, daughter of rock legend Ozzy Ozbourne, stepped into PURE on Saturday night with fellow MTV reality rebel Bam Margera. Dancing to the fabulous concoction of hits mixed by DJ Hollywood, the two enjoyed a night full of excitement.

Pamela Anderson was spotted hanging out with friends at a table in the Fireplace Lounge at the Playboy Club before moving on to a dance floor table in MOON to finish the night.  

Known for its quaint design, The Reading Room inside Mandalay Place, is exactly where you would expect to see Paul Allen. Mr. Allen, co-founder of Microsoft and owner of Seattle Seahawks and the Portland Trail Blazers, was spotted there last Tuesday checking out the unique collection of books at the store.

The VH1 Rock Honors After-Party, which took place last Saturday at the House Of Blues in Las Vegas, raising over $110,000 to benefit the VH1 Save The Music Foundation. Kelly Osbourne, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks of Genesis, Gretchen Wilson, Carrot Top, Zakk Wylde, Jason Bonham, Criss Angel, Hal Sparks and Tom Calderone (General Manager of VH1) were in attendance at the after-party, as was VH1 Rock Honors host Bam Margera, along with his family. In addition, from May 17th – 27th four Gibson Guitars, each signed by the respective four honorary bands will be put on an online auction to benefit the Foundation.

Eddie Murphy and Tracey Edmunds were seen at the performance of Mystère by Cirque du Soleil on Sunday evening.

**** Quick Bites *****

Congratulations are due to Wynn Las Vegas executive Steve Weitman, who has been promoted to Vice President of Food & Beverage for the luxurious property. Weitman had been serving as the property's Executive Director of Food & Beverage. "The opportunity to grow with such a prestigious company as an integral part of the team of talented professionals has been tremendously rewarding for me, both personally and professionally," Weitman noted regarding his promotion. Before joining the Wynn team, Weitman had served the mouse for over nine years at Disney, including a stop as Director of Operations for Mickey's ESPN Zone brand.  Weitman's promotion was made possible when former VP Maurice Wooden was promoted to Chief Operating Officer of the property.

Local DJ and founding member of The House Society, Carlos Sanchez, has made his phenomenal new CD release, Pink 1, available for purchase on Amazon.com. The CD, which BPM Magazine declared, "Luxurious Deep House, expertly selected and mixed to perfection," can be purchased for $10.97. As they say, the ticket is well worth the price of admission …

Perhaps scarier than the homemade bomb that detonated in the Luxor parking garage killing one man, an employee of a hot dog stand within the property, apparently the victim of a co-worker love triangle turned violent, was that all three love triangle participants were illegal immigrants. Apparently, one of the men was working on property using a fake identification.  

Jackie Collins, one of the world's top-selling novelists, will launch her latest book tour in support of Drop Dead Beautiful, her 25th sizzling novel that centers on the glamour of Sin City, with a book signing and reading at Harrah's Las Vegas. Set for Saturday, June 23rd from 1pm – 3pm, the event will be held in The Range Steakhouse at Harrah's Las Vegas and is open to the public.

Fergie will perform vocal sounds from rap to rock and reggae at The Pearl at The Palms Saturday, July 28th at 8pm. Tickets for Fergie are $75.00 and $125.00 and go on-sale Saturday, May 19th at noon. Please visit any Ticketmaster location or call 702-474-4000 to purchase tickets. For more information on upcoming concerts; please call 702-942-6888.

Although the product is only available in Las Vegas for approximately three more months, Right Gin is already starting to get some national publicity for their attempt at reinvention of the Gin category and exclusive lifestyle branding. Already it has popped up in both Life & Style and InTouch Weekly magazines.

Speaking of the world of drinks, we wanted to congratulate our friends at Corralejo Tequila and Montecristo Rum. At the 7th annual San Francisco World Spirits Competition the two spirits were amongst over 700 fighting for recognition. The ultra-smooth, and office favorite, Corralejo Tequila was awarded a Double Gold Medal for their insanely delicious Corralejo Reposado Tequila. The boys from Montecristo Rum were also honored by landing a Gold Medal for their fantastic Montecristo Spiced Rum. Congratulations to you both! For more information, or to purchase Corralejo Tequila contact 'Tequila' Tore Kragerud at 702.328.7921. For more information or to purchase Montecristo Rum, please contact Tim Hauginberry at 702.249.6669.

Last week we wrote about Sapphire Gentlemen's Club charity fundraising poker event benefitting the Sapphire Foundation for Prostate Cancer where big name poker pros and title-hungry amateurs battled it out over the poker felt. When all was said and done, poker pro Michael 'The Grinder' Mizrachi was the one left with all the chips. The next day, a collection of players hit the links for the golf tournament version of the event. At the end of the two-day occasion, Sapphire owner Peter Feinstein, who is a prostate cancer survivor, had raised over $115,000 for the foundation. Way to go guys!

This Saturday, May 19th The Social Register of Las Vegas invites members and their guests to a private showing of The Dolores Hope Masi Marilyn Collection featuring never-before-seen Marilyn Monroe memorabilia such as limited edition prints, art, and jewelry. The event takes place from 1pm – 4pm at Ventano Italian Grill & Seafood located at 191 S. Arroyo Grande Blvd. in Henderson. To RSVP, please call (702) 256-0123 no later than noon on Friday, May 18th.

We finally stopped by Paris' new burger joint, Le Burger Brasserie, after multiple pleas from the Harrah's Entertainment PR team and we were pleasantly surprised. To be honest, we had resisted the urge because of similarities with LVFBM Advisory Board Member Hubert Keller's trendsetting Burger Bar (Mandalay Place), but in the end, we're glad we caved. Le Burger Brasserie takes a different approach to the burger palace concept, with more pre-made selections of beef, chicken, lamb and even salmon burger options. It's a good lunch spot and no doubt will do tremendous business in the pathway between Paris and Bally's. With Thomas Keller eyeing plans for a burger concept of his own at the Venetian, it's time to acknowledge the French Keller for his insight and inspiration, while understanding that he can't own such a profitable concept without competition popping up. Try them both and you tell us who owns the rights to burger supremacy in Las Vegas.

Blue Star Mothers of Southern Nevada (BSMSN) partnered up with The Culinary Institute of Las Vegas in honoring hospitalized troops and veterans on Mother's Day at Nellis Air Force Base with a taste of "Mom's warm apple pie." In honor of Mother's Day, the group delivered apple pies to hospitalized troops on the base, many of whom are far from home and could not be with their own mothers on the special day.

A collection of female poker players is going all in for charity at this upcoming World Series of Poker. Entitled the Queen of Hearts, an all female team lead by co-captains Mimi Rodgers and Lisa Tenner have committed that themselves and their team, which includes some notable female poker names like Jennifer Tilly (the '05 winner), J.J. Liu, Vanessa Rousso, Jennifer Leigh, Clonie Gowen, Isabelle Mercier, Mary Jones (the '06 winner) and Susie Isaacs (the '96 and '97 winner), will donate their winnings in the Ladies No Limit Hold'em event to the Las Vegas office of the American Heart Institute and Nevada Cancer Institute. "Getting into the money in order to make a financial contribution is important, but even more critical is putting the spotlight on America's health," said co-captain and Hollywood star Rodgers before adding, "Heart disease and cancer are for the most part preventable and we can all do something to reduce the risk. Risk is essential in poker. It isn't in health."

On Wednesday, May 16th, Sean Christie and the fine folks over at LURE Ultra Lounge will keep the ball rolling with a special Boutique Party that will be giving loaded gift bags from C Level Boutique to industry locals. To share the love, LURE will also NOT be charging a cover for locals who stop by Wednesday night and show local identification. We also hear that LURE Ultra Lounge will be expanding their sphere of influence by adding a Sunday night to their calendar starting May 20th.