The Wall Street Journal's lead Las Vegas reporter Christina Binkley has written one of the best business narratives in years. Winner Takes All is a story about Las Vegas' emergence as something other than a kitschy gambling trap for seniors. Binkley writes fluidly and entertainingly about IPOs, mergers and acquisitions, and all the transactions that results in Las Vegas' greatest resorts like Belagio and Wynn Las Vegas.

What makes this book so interesting is the cast of egos, I mean characters. There's Steve Wynn, the megalomaniacal visionary who oversees everything from financing to the color of the carpets in rooms -- while he's going blind. Kirk Kerkorian is the most mysterious of the group, running his empire from an office in California, rarely visiting his properties. Gary Loveman is to Las Vegas what Oakland A's manager Billy Beane is to baseball: a former Harvard professor, he left to enter an industry that was at the time dominated by far less sophisticated people. Employing an army of "propeller heads," Loveman brought a mathematical approach to marketing, transforming Harrah's into the Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. (NYSE: WMT) of casinos.

By keeping the focus on the people, and moving back and forth between empires, Ms. Binkley keeps this book from degenerating into an endless series of meetings and phone calls, as so many books like this do. If you're interested in looking at the rebirth of Las Vegas from a business perspective, you'll want to buy this one.

First a confession: I dislike Donald Trump with intensity and, whenever possible, I will do a post for the sole purpose of slamming him. Full disclosure: This is one of those posts.

Shares of Steve Wynn's Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ: WYNN) have been on a roll for years (even allowing for the recent pullback), in sharp contrast with better-known casino mogul Donald Trump's Trump Entertainment Resorts (NASDAQ: TRMP), which is suffocating under the weight of a heavy debt load, engaging in a so far fruitless search for a buyer.

A piece in Smart Money tells of Wynn's meteoric rise from humble roots -- which also contrasts nicely with Trump's privileged upbringing and reckless investments that nearly destroyed his inherited fortune. He also spoke about his ambitious plans for Macau, and complains about the pizza at his resort.

In the world of flamboyant casino icons, Donald Trump gets all the headlines. But Steve Wynn is smarter, more successful, more interesting, and has better hair -- and a fondness for Picasso, although he accidentally poked a hole in a $40 million piece.

Wynn's star is on the rise -- The Donald's time as a star is over because of overexposure. Witness the declining ratings of his Apprentice series.

Maybe Steve Wynn should write a book or host a TV show to get his star up to snuff. Oh wait, he's too busy being an actual mogul, rather than just playing one on TV.

Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) volatility Elevated into Macao Resort Hotel opening. LVS opened the Venetian Macao Resort Hotel today. Sheldon Adelson, chairman & chief executive officer, said "it is no overstatement to say that the opening of Venetian Macao represents a massive paradigm shift for Macao and the future of tourism development in Asia." Goldman Sachs (NYSE: GS) says "the scale is enormous and the detail impressive." LVS over all option implied volatility of 44 is above its 26-week average of 39 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price fluctuations.

Ameristar Casinos (NASDAQ: ASCA) implied volatility Elevated at 43. ASCA, a Las Vegas based gaming and Entertainment Company, is recently down $0.55 to $28.39. ASCA has a market cap of $1.6 billion with long term debt of $878 million. ACSA over all option implied volatility of 43 is above its 26-week average of 37 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price risks.

Daily options Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com.

Steve Wynn's accidental ripping of Picasso's Le Reve ("The Dream") is the year's most expensive errant elbow. Fellow collector and hedge fund billionaire Steve Cohen has a bit more space for Damien Hirst's refreshed shark since the deal to sell him the Picasso for $139 million abruptly ended as Wynn stuck his elbow into the painting.

Wynn suffers from an eye disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which impairs his peripheral vision, and this may have contributed to the unfortunate poke as he showed off the painting to a group of friends in September.

Wynn paid $48.4 million for the painting in 1997, so a two-inch tear is a $90.6 million loss. Nora Ephron quotes Wynn saying "This has nothing to do with money. The money means nothing to me," moments after putting his elbow through the famous painting. I guess you can file that under 'H': for 'How the rich are different.'

But it's probably true. So no tears for Mr. Vegas.

Wynn's been a billionaire since 2004. And it's a good thing since the repair is estimated to cost $85,000. Pocket change! His wife Elaine has been quoted as saying she considers this "a sign" that they should keep the painting, so keep it they will. In addition, Wynn Resorts (NASDAQ:WYNN) recently announced a $6 per share dividend. The extra $8 million or so should help ease the pain of not selling the most expensive painting ever.

Steve Wynn has at least acquired some great nicknames: "Cubist Killer "(NY Post) and "billionaire goofball "(BoingBoing.net). This is also a cautionary note to those of us who tend to talk with our hands -- it could end up costing you.