What's it like in the casino room?
Seven tables, three games and one very old ceiling. Here's how the long room works, from the foyer to the back row.
Seven tables in the old stalls
Walk past the ticket booth, up through the foyer and into the old auditorium, and you'll find the long room. The stalls floor slopes gently upward, so the tables are arranged on three terraces: roulette at the stage end, blackjack in the middle and poker at the back, where it's quietest.
There are two roulette wheels, two blackjack tables and three poker tables. Each is dealt by hand by a dealer who's happy to explain as they go. You'll find no screens and no electronics, and certainly no pokies or gaming machines. The only thing that glows is the lamp over each table.
Everything is played on chips. They're heavy clay counters with no money value, so you can't buy them, sell them, swap them or take them home. When you stand up, the dealer counts them back into the rack. The evening's over, and nobody owes anybody anything.
The room is for adults only, aged 18 and over. We check photo ID at the old ticket booth on every visit, and the dining room downstairs is open to everyone.
If you'd rather watch than play, there's a rail on each terrace. A surprising number of our regulars started by standing at it for an evening or two, working up the nerve.
The stage end
Two roulette wheels, dealt slowly.
The middle terrace
Two blackjack tables, six seats each.
The back row
Three poker tables, all four games.
The rails
A place to watch, chat and drink tea.
Roulette, blackjack and poker, explained quickly
Roulette is the easiest to start with. The dealer spins the wheel, calls the number and clears the table. You pick where to put your chips from a layout of numbers and colours. Adam McDonald explains the whole thing in about a minute and loves it when you ask what a particular spot means.
Blackjack's a card game against the dealer. You want a hand close to twenty-one without going over. You decide whether to take another card, stay put or split a pair, and the dealer walks you through each choice while the table cheers you on. It's the most talkative game in the room.
Poker is played in four ways: Texas Hold'em and Omaha on most nights, Seven Card Stud and Five Card Draw on Wednesdays. A dealer shuffles and deals every hand, and the tables are small enough that you can chat without raising your voice. Beginners are seated with patient regulars.
There is nothing at stake except pride, and the pride is mostly friendly. On a tournament night, the last player seated gets their name on the honour board by the old stage door and the title of Champion of the night. There's no money and no other reward.
Things people ask once they're inside
Is it noisy in there?
Not at all. The old plaster ceiling soaks up sound, the carpet does the rest, and there's no music upstairs. You'll hear cards, clay chips and people chatting in low voices.
Can I take photos?
Of the room, yes, when it's quiet. Of other guests, only if they say it's fine. Phones stay in pockets at the tables, so snap the ceiling and then put it away.
What if I've never played anything?
Then you're exactly who the dealers want. Say so when you sit down, and the dealer will go slowly and explain every move. Nobody minds, and several regulars started just this way.
Can I leave in the middle of a hand?
Best to finish the hand if you can, but if you can't, tell the dealer and they'll sort it. Nobody ever asks why, and your chips go back in the rack.