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About me: The only reason I go to Cherokee is to play poker. My wife does not like to gamble. When I go its just me or a few friends there to play cards. A few times I have ventured in to the Smokey National Park to take pictures. Photography is my other hobby.The good: With the renovations the casino is turning in to a very nice place. The décor is the match of any casino in Las Vegas. The rooms are also top notch. The hotel staff is very helpful. So is the casino staff (for the most part). The bad: Other then the casino there is very little to do in Cherokee. The Smoky National Park is there if you enjoy hiking or photography. The food in the casino among the worst I have ever had. It was also very expensive. The best food I have had in Cherokee was at the Wendy’s about ½ mile from the casino. The buffet usually has a very long line, and is sub-par at best. The long line is due to slow cashiers, not demand. The last trip I packed a lunch and ate in the room. The new rooms are far from the casino. It is almost a mile walk from the new rooms to the gaming floor. (There is construction on a walkway which will shorten the distance.) There are no comped alcohol drinks.The iffy: The tables are all electronic. There are no cards, even for poker and blackjack. I mostly play poker and have gotten used to the tables. In some ways the electronic poker tables are better than real cards. (but that is a different discussion) For blackjack I still like the real cards. Having craps or roullette would be very nice and help round out the casino. They still allow smoking in the casino. The air filters are getting better that is not as annoying as it was a few years ago. The comps are also iffy. I can get better room comps at Las Vegas than at Cherokee. But since Cherokee is only 3 hours away, that still wins out for weekend trips.The only staff issue I have had was with one of the Poker Room managers. He stopped all play to tell the players that it was not his job to pick up trash after someone left a soda can. Not the most professional behavior. Other than him (I've seen him with a few remarks like that) the rest of the poker room staff is great.Summary. Nice casino complex and rooms are very nice. Staff very helpful. Food sucks. Not much to do other then gamble. Getting a weekend room is near impossible and expensive if you can get one without a comp. Read the full Casino Review