Poker History: Las Vegas.

[Johnny Hughes]

Mormons were the first white settlers to come to the valley in 1853. Las Vegas means "the Meadows" in Spanish. They came to stop the Paiute Indians from gambling on foot races, throwing rocks, and rolling bones. The Mormons gave up in five years only to re-surface working for Howard Hughes in the post mob days. The desert rats, silver miners, Mafia boys, and the Teamster’s were all known to be a little soft when it came to a bee-you-ti-full dame with a well rehearsed and acted out sad story. Samson, Hamlet, King David, Bugsy Seigel, Eddie Fisher, Ghengis Khan, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and the old guy who married Anna Nicole Smith all listened to some lyrical lady’s song of woe.

Poker is about as real as it gets in Las Vegas where most everything is a replica, an impersonator, or fake. Dig deep under the glitter and tinsel and you find more layers of glitter and tinsel. There are replicas of King Tut's Tomb, the Eiffel Tower, the Empire State Building, the Statue of Liberty, a beach, a pyramid, gondolas, and canals. You have Madam Tussard's wax museum, jousting matches, rain forests, pirate's ships, an exploding volcano, dolphin habitat, lion habitat, shark habitat, Italian gardens and fountains that perform to music. Now Steve Wynn has created a fake forest with waterfalls. There are round-the-clock marriage licenses, quickie marriage chapels, tattoo joints, lap dances, and pawn shops everywhere. Las Vegas caters to the impulsive. There are fake breasts, rhinestones, 100% synthetic fabrics, dyed hair, toupees, Wayne Newton, and Don Rickels. Long fake nails are an art form. Female impersonators look just like Judy Garland, Barbara Streisand, and Joan Rivers. Buddy Holly, Garth Brooks, and Dolly Parton all have impersonators AKA tribute artists. Fake sincerity and cover bands that don't really know all the words compete with illusionists, magicians, and a near army of Elvis impersonators. There's Elvis-A-Rama. The signature dish at Toby Keith's Bar and Grill inside Harrah's is the fried bologna sandwich. How red-necked can it get? Casino employees are dressed like Roman soldiers, Greek Goddesses, Old West dance hall whores, and French maids. Every joint claims the loosest slots, the most elaborate buffet, and that Paris Hilton is a regular.

Guy McAfee built the Golden Nugget in 1946. Previously, he had owned a string of whore houses and gambling joints in Los Angeles where he served for years as the commander of the Los Angeles Police Department vice squad. When the political climate changed, he moved to Las Vegas. Benny Binion had a very similar experience. He had been the boss gambler around Dallas until his Sheriff lost. Guy and Benny were neighbors and pals. Without Benny, we would not have poker as it is today.

Johnny Hughes

[Sarahanj]

I really enjoy your reflections

[VBCardinal]

Keep 'em coming JOhnny. This is priceless stuff.

[JohnAndersen]

I look for this every day

[Cactus Jack]

I love Vegas. Vegas is Disneyland for grownups. The difference between Disneyworld and Vegas is we put our cynicism right out front. Vegas exists to make money, lots of money, in any way, any shape and any form.

Puggy Pearson, I believe, had a sign on his RV: "I'll play any man, any time, any place, for any amount, in any game, providing I like it." That's the Vegas motto. "A town built on bad math," Penn Gillette says.

"Second marriages are the triumph or hope over experience," said Oscar Wilde.

He'd never been to Vegas.

I love this place.

[img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Great stuff, Johnny.

CJ

[DanJ.]

Quality [censored].

[Johnny Hughes]

Thanks, Cactus Jack. It's gonna take you a decade to explore every nook and cranny of Las Vegas. I envy you. I know Cactus Jack is ready for Las Vegas, but is Las Vegas ready for Cactus Jack?

[BigBuffet]

[ QUOTE ]
I love Vegas. Vegas is Disneyland for grownups.

[/ QUOTE ]

Taking kids to Vegas is like taking a hooker to Disneyland [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Cactus Jack]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
I love Vegas. Vegas is Disneyland for grownups.

[/ QUOTE ]

Taking kids to Vegas is like taking a hooker to Disneyland [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[/ QUOTE ]

I'd have more fun with the hooker in Disneyland, but then, I'm living in Vegas so my sense of propriety is warped. [img]/images/graemlins/wink.gif[/img]

[Cactus Jack]

[ QUOTE ]
Thanks, Cactus Jack. It's gonna take you a decade to explore every nook and cranny of Las Vegas. I envy you. I know Cactus Jack is ready for Las Vegas, but is Las Vegas ready for Cactus Jack?

[/ QUOTE ]

Vegas doesn't know I'm here nor cares, and I like it that way. Vegas is a city that gives you a second (or third or fourth) chance. It's for people who may not fit in other places. It's for people who don't like to get up early. Vegas is not like any other place I've ever been.

Johnny, a friend of ours said, "You don't drink, you don't go to strip clubs, what the hell are you doing in Vegas?"

"Playing poker," I replied. I've played in 34 rooms out here, and every one of them is different.

As for exploring every nook and cranny, it will definitely take some time. I'm still waiting to get to the Natural History Museum, the Nuclear Testing Museum and the Shark Reef. I'm trying to find someone who can get me into the Neon Museum, definitely. And I wish I'd gone up in the Strat before I found out it's the Leaning Tower of Vegas and locals like me don't go up in it. [img]/images/graemlins/grin.gif[/img]

I just got back from a week in Texas, and while it was nice to be back home...TREES???...it was better getting back to the desert.

Keep writing, Johnny. It's great stuff.