Slummin' It Up on Fremont Street

Last night I ventured downtown to the Golden Nugget with Katkin and a needing-to-blow-off-steam CK. We were on a mission in search of cowboys.

The rodeo is in full swing now which means the cowboys are here in Vegas. The problem -- if you're an aficionado of cowboys and/or their money -- is that the cowboys steer clear of my usual haunts like the Venetian. That kind of casino is a bit too upscale for these guys. You're more apt to find them in low-key surroundings like the Imperial Palace, Harrah's or downtown.

The Nugget was Katkin's suggestion and it was a great one. Not only was the place crawling with cowboys, but we also spotted Eskimo Clark playing a slot machine. It seems right to see Eskimo in a downtown casino, even if it is the nicest one there.

The poker... eh, not much to say there. I got donk-lucky against a Crazian (who knew he would actually have a set there?) and otherwise enjoyed watching people sit down and buy in for $1,000. At one point our little $1-$2 game had more than $5,000 on the table. Ah, the beauty(?) of the uncapped buy-in game.

CK and I ended the night with her at a video poker machine and me sweating the action while eavesdropping as a drunk cowboy flirted with a hooker. The cowboy eventually got the drift of what the hooker's profession was, but it was pure comedy listening to him chat her up before he figured it out. What finally clued him in was when he asked what her occupation was. She replied, "Pleasure provider".

I thought she might have gone with the classier "relaxation therapist" but we *were* downtown, after all.