Melissa Arseniuk
7:30 p.m.: The Palms casino floor was abuzz with bets and bettors on New Year's Eve.
The night got off to a slow start but still managed to finish strong.
The casino floor was surprisingly calm throughout the day and into the early evening. As the clock struck 5 p.m. it was hard to imagine the high-energy parties that were just hours away as gamblers sat quietly and methodically plunked quarters into slot machines.
Two hours later, however, the anticipation was building. Well-dressed crowds of people gathered to play cards and congregating at the craps tables. The casino floor was alive with dice, cards and chips of all colors.