UP FRONT

CIGAR HIGHLIGHTS

EDITORS' NOTE

OUT OF THE HUMIDOR -- Your letters.

THE GOOD LIFE GUIDE

1. ELECTRONICS A camera that dives from Canon.
2. STYLE: Sneakers vault into high fashion.
3. TIME: Omega commemorates its moon mission.
4. PLACES: Rustic meets luxe at the King Pacific Lodge.
5. DRINK: The lighter side of rum.
6. WHEELS: Lexus RX still leading the crossover niche.
7. SPORT: This Rawling glove is Primo, dude.
8. FUN: Riding the rails in elegance.
9. CIGARS: Savinelli lighters that have you torching double.
10. GOURMET: Hamburger as haute cuisine.

COVER: "Entourage Arrives" — Hug it out! It’s a new season for “Entourage,” the HBO hit series that celebrates male bonding Hollywood style. We’ve got a sneak peek at what’s coming up and the inside scoop on Vince and the crew.

SPORTS: Superstar Flakes — You know the players and you shake your head. Their titanic abilities are overshadowed by their outsized egos and absurd antics. Now, sports management is taking notice and deciding that the problems with some egregious stars outweigh their abilities.

GAMBLING: Poker's Hottest Hands — As the World Series of Poker heats up, we pick the Top 10 players in the world. Big bluffs, spectacular reads and good old-fashioned solid play are all in a day’s work for the game’s shrewdest practitioners.

GOLF: The Game's Next (Little) Big Thing — At five foot, seven inches, Northern Ireland’s Rory McIlroy is touted as golf’s next Tiger Woods. At 20 years old he combines unlikely power, a deadly short game and a work ethic that spells success.

The Upgrade Question — Tantalizing new goody gadgets are forever dangled in our faces, but which ones provide substantive improvements, not mere bells and whistles? We look at new tech, from cameras and HDTV to computers and Blu-ray, and tell you if it is time to trade up.

TASTING — We rate 81 cigars in six sizes: Churchills, coronas, corona gordas, double coronas, figurados and robustos, plus Connoisseur’s Corner, our vintage cigar tasting.

INTERVIEW: Charlie Toraño — The president of Toraño Cigars speaks to David Savona about the future of his brand in the wake of the sale of its factories, the state of the cigar market and his belief that any opening of Cuba should be a two-way street.

PROFILE: Tiant's Next Pitch — The accomplished Cuban pitcher with the ever-present stogie is promoting a cigar brand of his own. We caught up with Luis Tiant at the Big Smoke in Connecticut and talked about his greatest games, the documentary about his return to Cuba and his chances of entering the Hall of Fame.

CIGAR DIARY: TRAVELING WITH JAMES SUCKLING — Our man in Havana, James Suckling, shares his joy on the opening of Cuba and his hope that it results in a greater understanding of the island’s rich culture.

BIG SMOKE FOXWOODS - A look at all the fun at MGM Grand at Foxwoods, our first Big Smoke in Connecticut.

MADE FOR YOU — In a special Made for You, we choose items for grads and dads: a starter custom suit, personalized spirits labels, fishing lures for bonding, a grill for real barbecue, classic khakis and traditional shaving gear.