The photo above captures the logo on the floor leading up to the poker room at the new Horseshoe Casino in downtown Cleveland. The new casino opened several weeks ago, and the poker room has been very busy.

Cleveland is a poker town. And this place is proof.

The Horseshoe’s 24-hour-a-day poker room has ranked among the busiest in the country since the casino opened May 14, according to Bravo Poker Live, a software application that tracks tables in use, the kinds of games available and the size of waiting lists at casinos nationwide.

Information for the Horseshoe poker room, found through the app, has received more than 85,000 hits, according to the software’s provider, Genesis Gaming.

A check of Bravo Poker Live at midafternoon Wednesday showed that the Horseshoe had 16 tables going, eighth among 100 that supplied data; early afternoon Thursday, the number was down to 11, but that was still good for a four-way tie for ninth out of 90 venues.

It’s been so busy that they haven’t been hosting tournaments since the cash games are more profitable for the casino.

Here’s a photo of the new VIP lounge at the new Horseshoe Casino in Cleveland. Bullz-Eye.com has a review of the new Cleveland casino that is located in the heart of downtown. There are plenty of perks for high rollers, so if you’re in Cleveland make sure to check it out!

Fortunately, Rock Ventures LLC intends to treat Higbee with respect. It has partnered with Caesars Horseshoe, a brand of Caesars Entertainment Inc. in Las Vegas, to open the casino in early 2012.

Early architectural renderings, unveiled Thursday at a press conference by Rock Ohio Caesars Cleveland LLC, show that the company wants to highlight the Higbee Building’s elegant architecture in a classy, understated way.

Exterior signs promoting the Horseshoe brand look subtle in the renderings, not vulgar. Lighting fixtures will beam exclamatory wands of light up the facades to accentuate cornices and pilasters.

Translucent screens will be installed behind windows on the first and second floors to obscure slot machines and gaming tables from outside view. The screens will give passersby a sense of motion and activity inside, but without being too obvious about it.

Casino gambling, made possible in Cleveland and three other Ohio cities by voters in 2009, will have a presence on Public Square, but it won’t be in your face.

It looks like it will fit in nicely in downtown Cleveland, and the North Coast will finally have a casino in Ohio.