Description: Did you ever play cards for pennies when you were a little kid? Well, maybe you didn't, but since I grew up in the shadow of Atlantic City when casino gambling was legalized, I did. We played blackjack and poker, mostly made the rules up as we went, and had fun. Years later, I played blackjack in Atlantic City and discovered that it wasn't any fun at all. Everybody at the table was quiet, unless you deviated from "standard" blackjack strategy, when everyone at the table yelled at you. I decided that I was not going to waste my time at the blackjack tables in Atlantic City.
What does this have to do with the Golden Gate Casino and you? The Golden Gate is a small but comfortable casino located at one end of the Freemont Street Experience, across from the Las Vegas Club. When you need a break from the crowds and the long odds on the Strip, spend a few hours at Freemont, where the casinos all seem to have better odds and cheap eats abound. At the Golden Gate in particular, you can actually have fun playing blackjack and knock back some free drinks and joke with the other players at your table. I played for the first time in years and had a great time - in fact, I didn't go home until the sun was beginning to come up! Very late at night seems to be the best time to play; the casino is busy but not overcrowded, you can meet interesting people from around the country at your table, and the dealers and floor people are very friendly.
And although they aren't as liberal with the rules as I used to be as a kid playing for pennies, the blackjack is very liberal by casino standards - allowing you to split any pair with or without doubling down, for example.
In addition to gambling, you can get a great margarita on the rocks at the bar, and the bartender who came on after midnight made them especially good in a glass the size of a fishbowl. Play video poker at the bar and it might not even cost you anything.
The piano player also adds to the fun, and you can hear him over the din from any of the gaming tables. It's fun to play "name that tune" as he plays; I was able to identify Billy Joel, Elton John, and a very upbeat version of "Hotel California", among others.
And if you start to get hungry after hours of blackjack and margaritas, grab a snack at the deli, which serves a very good 99-cent shrimp cocktail.
To make the deal even sweeter, there are coupons in the Las Vegas Advisor coupon book for a 2-for-1 food item and one hour of bonus payouts for every blackjack you are dealt. Park at the Las Vegas Club on Ogden street, validate your ticket at that casino, and your parking is free.
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