Gold Coast poker room and the rodeo

I'm trying eventually to get around to every poker room in town. After finally trying the Gold Coast yesterday, I'm up to 46 out of (as close as I can tell) 54 currently open rooms. (Yet to go: O'Shea's, Plaza, Hacienda, Rampart, Rio, and Poker Palace).

The Gold Coast is a crummy little room with little going for it. It's just an area in the middle of the casino, with full penetration of the noise and cigarette smoke from the surrounding slot machines. I've called there a few times hoping to catch a no-limit game, and they have never had one going. Yesterday there was one $4-8 table and two $2-4 tables. It's no worse than a lot of other places (e.g., Bally's, Tuscany, Texas Station), but no better, either. I just can't think of much reason I'd go back again.

The big annual rodeo is in town this week. Cowboy hats are everywhere. As I was leaving Gold Coast, I passed the bar and saw this group of six black hats standing together. They weren't very cooperative in arranging themselves so that they'd all fit in a cell-phone photo, so the blurry one above was the best I could manage. I'm not sure I'll ever understand the point of wearing cowboy hat and cowboy boots indoors. If you're going out on a cattle roundup, OK. But in a bar? What's the point?