The $960 million MGM casino and resort in downtown Springfield finished out its first weekend pretty much as it started -- with thousands of people clambering to get in.

Friday morning when the facility first opened, long lines of people waited to get in the door. By Sunday evening, while it was somewhat easier to enter, the gaming floor was still packed with gamblers of all stripes.

Traffic turned out to be far less a problem than expected, perhaps because the city worked with the casino to address potential issues in advance, and MGM extended its free parking at the Big E. Instead of shutting down the program after the first night, MGM extended the free shuttle service back and forth to the West Springfield parking lots through the weekend.

"The traffic plan worked incredibly well and we now know it can be replicated for any surge events in the future," Springfield Police spokesman Ryan Walsh said. "Friday morning's traffic flow was smooth and when there was a Friday night blitz, MGM helped ease any potential extended congestion by re-upping their agreement with the Big E through the weekend."

The venue offered a variety of entertainment opportunities through the weekend.  Concerts included Blue Man Group and Darik and the Fun Bags in the Armory Plaza stage.  

The weekend culminated with Boston's Dropkick Murphys performing a benefit concert for the Gunnery Sergeant Thomas J. Sullivan Foundation. The concert raised about $8,600, but the band members themselves matched the take dollar for dollar, meaning the foundation benefited to the tune of $17,200 from the event, MGM Communications Director Saverio Mancini said.  

While thousands took advantage of the entertainment, still thousands more crowded the gaming floor to wager on a myriad of games of chance, from traditional table games to the slot machines.

Traditional table games require more gambling savvy, more finesse. A good Black Jack player understands strategy as well as the complex and sometimes arcane rules. Poker once seemed straightforward, but now comes in six or seven varieties. But not all games require gaming sophistication. Enter a table game for those whose card-playing education stopped in the third-grade: Casino War.  Yes, just like you remembered as a kid, a card is dealt to each player. If your card is higher than the dealer's, you win. It's that easy.  

While there is no question that gambling is the business of the casino, MGM management has taken an expansive view of the resort portion of its name to include amenities that make the casino a venue for many occasions.

Food and Beverage Manager, David Bennett said the casino offers fine dining with The Chandler steak and chop house, and Cal Mare, offering traditional Italian cuisine.

Bennett said The Chandler was named for the Chandler Hotel that stood at that very location on Main Street in Springfield's South End years ago. In addition to the fine dining offered by the two restaurants, a pizzeria sits periphery of the gaming floor and the South End Market offers more than half-a-dozen restaurants offering everything from hardy American food to Asian to seafood.

After dinner, the casino offers several bars and lounges, from Taps sports bar, with bowling alleys and an arcade, to the Commonwealth Bar and Lounge, with dark wood and leather furniture. For the high-roller there could be only one bar- The Knox, of course.

It stands within easy reach of a special room for high limit tables. Bennett said the old Armory building, which faces the MGM courtyard, will be open for special functions and banquets.