Spa Casino by Ciambella
The Spa Casino looks a lot like a Cheesecake Factory from the outside. No, really! :-) It has the same coloring, the same pillars, the same general layout and shape, and the same sterile-yet-vaguely-Italian theme.Inside, there are approximately a dozen gaming tables (none with especially low limits), one buffet restaurant, and many machines. Excessively smoke-filled, with no provisions for a non-smoking gaming area. And very, very crowded -- the aisles are too narrow, so jostling is inevitable.
That said, you couldn't find friendlier staff anywhere. The dealers are patient and genuinely warm, especially with newbies. The roaming cashiers are knowledgeable, helpful, and cheerful. Even the security guards smile at you. (Have you ever been to a casino with a smiling security guard? It's odd, I tell you! Nice, but odd.)
The crowd is also relatively friendly, given the amount of money being won and (mostly) lost. Players make room for you at the table, cheer for you, and even hand a few chips now and then to a low-stack fellow gambler.
The penny video machines are the cutest and simplest I've seen. Plus, they have video blackjack (a perennial, personal favorite).
As a final selling point, The Spa is conveniently located. If you're downtown, you're only a block away from it. Why not spend a few minutes at a baccarat table and set yourself up for early retirement?
Mind that you shower after you leave. That smoke smell clings to everything!
