No question that the Water Club in Atlantic City has some cool amenities. The infinity pool at the spa is lovely as is the view from the Penthouse Gym which by the way is a good place to grab some free bottles of water. And of course the hotel shares the poker room with sister hotel The Borgata which is by far the biggest poker room in AC. But overall the hotel did not live up to our expectations. The rooms, while nice and new, felt smaller than the rooms at the Borgata. They were also noisy with music coming from the pool and from our neighbors. No really luxurious amenities, not even a pair of slippers. But what was most unusual was the small size of the pool area. We would expect the Water Club to have a nice big outdoor pool and deck but in reality the space is very tight The area is miniscule and the chairs are on top of each other. To prevent overflow they expel you from the pool area by 11am the day you check out so don’t plan on lounging if you have lost your money at the poker table and just feel like hanging out and relaxing. And since it is off the boardwalk you can’t hop over to the beach and even if you could we would not recommend it. The beach in AC needs a major overhaul. So over all a nice place, but did not meet the high expectations we had for it based on all the hype and certainly not worth $500 on a Saturday night. If you want to go choose a Sunday –Thursday night and see if you can get a deal. Rating 3 out of 5

PokerWoman: Applying the Strategies of Poker to Real Life
Nov 27 | by cprpoker | Poker News How often do you find books that promise to teach you everything there is to know about playing poker? Too often, that’s how. So, when another “how to play� book comes along, the poker world barely rears its head in acknowledgement. But, when something entirely new comes along, the entire poker world practically stands at attention. And this time, with “PokerWoman� gracing the shelves, it seems as if the whole world will be standing alongside the poker enthusiasts. You see, this book isn’t about winning at poker – it’s about winning at work, love, and life through poker
Read full review at :
http://www.completepokerrules.com/poker-news/pokerwoman-applying-the-strategies-of-poker-to-real-life/

You know that the Wynn Hotel is one of my favorite places on earth so I couldn’t have been more excited to be staying at the latest Wynn property the Encore. When you walk into the Wynn the energy is intoxicating and you feel like you are in another dimension in a good way. You don’t get the same feeling at the Encore. It is elegant but more reserved. All the rooms are suites but they are more like large rooms with partitions in the middle. The bathrooms are great but they are no longer giving out slippers , you have to ask housekeeping. I had some issues with no show housekeeping and a missing bag of clothes that were never found. Everything is new and clean and pristine and the Wynn poker room is just a quick walk from the lobby past some outstanding shopping. Maybe my expectations were too high but this time I did not fall in love with the hotel. It’s nice, but it’s not the Wynn.

I am not a cold weather person, so when I found out I was going to Canyon Ranch in the Berkshires all I could think about was how I was going to survive 5 days in the the cold. I typically head south or west for the holiday but this year I’m glad I stayed on the East Coast.

New years weekend a Canyon ranch was a real treat. To begin with, when you check in you feel like you are the only person at the spa. It is very customized and personal. I am a big room snob but the accomadations were great. 2 bathrooms, washer, dryer (which i never used). Big screen TV and my favorite Logoed dental floss. The great thing is that you never have to leave the facility. Everything is connected indoors surrounded by oversized windows, so you can see the beauty of winter with out feeling the cold should you choose.

The spa is beautiful and the food was good. maybe too good., Do not miss puree of squash with maple suryp or the homemade ice cream with chocolate sauce which you can get at lunch and dinner. I think I tried every flavor.

The staff was great and everone had a great time at the Casino Night on New Years eve which included a great Poker tournment.

Canyon Ranch Berkshires is a Royal Flush.

A female friend and I recently went to Smith and Wollensky and wound up walking out.
The host at the door who is typically not very nice was nastier than usual. I have eaten at Smith and Wollensky on 3rd avenue many times for business reasons (taken by others) and never understood why anyone wante to eat mediocre steak in such a noisy room. One thing I have always noticed is that it is NOT a female friendly place to eat. In fact everytime I eat there I feel the same way. But I digress.

We were told there was a 15 minute wait for a table even though the room was 1/2 empty. We were then taken to a table the size of a matchbook which we immediately asked to be moved from. The 2nd table faced the kitchen, we then asked for a third table which just had another view of the kitchen nbut with banquette seating. All this when 1/2 the tables were empty and it would have been very easy to make us comfortable. We finally got up and walked out careful not to kill ourselves on what is probably the most slippery floor in New York. If you are in heels beware. We wound up at Sparks where we had a big table pleasant service and a great steak.

Smith and Wollensky in manhattan is not female friendly and has mediocre food and I would recommend you not eat there. Ever.

We give it a big fat zero. It’s the 7 2 offsuit in poker. The worst hand you can get.

If you are tired of the tables and want a break from most of civilization, travel over to the Ventana Inn in Big Sur California. The drive from the south is prettier than from San Francisco but once you get there you will be happy. The place does not look like much from the outside but once you get into the property it is really beautiful. It has a rustic feel but with very high end amenities. Go for a room with a fireplace and an outdoor hammock on your balcony that looks out into the sunset. They bring fresh wood to your room every day so a fire is just a moment away at any time. All high end furnishings , bathroom finishes , linens and robes. They have an outstanding “buffet” breakfast  (although 1/100th the size of the WYNN buffet) everyday with homemade juices and granola and a very delicious but caloric egg souffle pan quiche. The only complaints: no door by the shower and no lockers in the spa. Overall you have to love it. Light a fire, have a massage and relax until your next tournment. Rating 4.5

The Borgata is the closest thing Atlantic City comes to having a Vegas feel. It is well appointed and the rooms are nice. They added a Wofgangs restaurant with a great menu. Most importantly they have a massive 85 table poker room with very comfortable chairs and a lovely painted senic mural on the back wall so you can at least pretend to see the light of day.

The service in the casino was very disappointing. A friend and I went on Sunday to play in a 4pm tournment. We confirmed via, phone, internet and phone voice system at the Borgata the time of the event. When we got there we were told it was canceled due to a bigger $1500 buy-in event that was going on. Needless to say we were pissed. When we complained to the shift manager he was not very appologetic . We rented a car, paid for a room and basically came for nothing although we did wind up doing well in  cash game. For all our troubles and after much pestering he compensated out inconvience witha $5.00 parking pass and a $20 food comp. That makes up for the $300 room, 3 hour drive and inconvience.  We were not happy .

The good news is that it is now easier to get a table to play and the tables are far enough apart to give you some nice breathing room. I was disappointed that they took away the mini snack bar they had with the best shrimp cocktail and no longer allow food in the poker room.

We give the poker room a glowing rating but an F to the staff. We will write the CEO tomorrow . The rooms are nice but somehow I feel stupid paying that much in Atlantic city

I love the Wynn Hotel. The rooms are clean, big, modern and have a fabulous view. I never stay in the first room I am shown at a hotel, EXCEPT at the WYNN. Even the worst room is good. The lobby smells delicious. The Mosaic floor is breathtaking. The elevators are fast. I love the way the mini bar cookies and nuts are displayed so much I forget the price. Room service is divine and usually on time although you are going to have to except the fact that to experience the luxury you are going to have to shell out $30 for eggs.  But I digress. The poker room is great and very female friendly. You will feel very comfortable. The shops are great, they even have a Manolo. Unfortunately my FAVORITE event at the WYNN is no longer- breakfast outside by the golfcourse over looking the waterfall, but you can still experience lunch and dinner. This is a great place to go when you feel like taking a break from all that is Las Vegas as it is quite serene.

I highly recommend you give the Wynn a try next time you are in town

Rating - 5

I had a crazy experience when I was there last month. Somehow my door jammed and I was locked out of my room at 2 in the morning. They finally had to cut off the door so I could get my stuff. In spite of the inconvience , I am going back in 2 weeks.