Well, I finally made it down to the Smoke for a game of cards in a real casino, with real dealers, real felt tables, a cashiers cage etc etc. Visited the G Casino just off Leicester Square. Thought I'd post this is a notice to anyone else planning a trip to London regarding this place.
Late Saturday afternoon - had to queue for almost ten minutes for the priviledge of becoming a member. No interest in grabbing details for marketing or promotional purposes, just the requisite name, address, photo ID and "look into the camera please". No welcome pack, comps or other freebies as a new member.
"And? . . ."
"The entrance is over there".
Typical British service with a smile - not.
So we're in, a friend and I. Worth the wait? Not really. It's a glitzy plastic-chrome slot arcade with four roulette tables and six blackjack tables all serviced by shufflemasters. Despite that most of the BJ tables were full and people were waiting to grab a place when one came free. "Let's see what else they've got on offer" - as it's all CSM thought I'd play some bacarrat. They don't. So what you're left with is a bricks and mortar version of an online casino, but with the added inconvenience of crowds and a fair number of hangers-on who aren't playing but just hanging around - known as "fleas" in US casino speak?
It wasn't a complete waste of time though. Rather than just walk out, we changed a score into plastic and found two seats at a roulette table. When it's gone it's gone. But, the good fairies were smiling on us, and within five minutes we'd trebbled our £20 buy in. Time to go. This is as good as it gets at this place.
Summary. Don't bother with this place if you're planning a trip to London and including some BJ on the itinerary.
Late Saturday afternoon - had to queue for almost ten minutes for the priviledge of becoming a member. No interest in grabbing details for marketing or promotional purposes, just the requisite name, address, photo ID and "look into the camera please". No welcome pack, comps or other freebies as a new member.
"And? . . ."
"The entrance is over there".
Typical British service with a smile - not.
So we're in, a friend and I. Worth the wait? Not really. It's a glitzy plastic-chrome slot arcade with four roulette tables and six blackjack tables all serviced by shufflemasters. Despite that most of the BJ tables were full and people were waiting to grab a place when one came free. "Let's see what else they've got on offer" - as it's all CSM thought I'd play some bacarrat. They don't. So what you're left with is a bricks and mortar version of an online casino, but with the added inconvenience of crowds and a fair number of hangers-on who aren't playing but just hanging around - known as "fleas" in US casino speak?
It wasn't a complete waste of time though. Rather than just walk out, we changed a score into plastic and found two seats at a roulette table. When it's gone it's gone. But, the good fairies were smiling on us, and within five minutes we'd trebbled our £20 buy in. Time to go. This is as good as it gets at this place.
Summary. Don't bother with this place if you're planning a trip to London and including some BJ on the itinerary.
