I imagine clubbing in Las Vegas is intimidating. Fancy ladies and dapper high-rollers looking down their noses at my worn sneakers. A land filled with quick rebuffs. What honey? Dance with you? You’ve got to be joking.

Luckily, the Bridge Nightclub located inside of Tacoma’s Emerald Queen Casino is nothing to be scared of.

The first thing I notice about the Bridge isn’t the plethora of bartenders or the row upon row of seating, but the small orange ashtrays positioned around the club. Yes, The Bridge is a last bastion of indoor smoking, where a man returns from a night out smelling like he ... spent a night out. But for those wary of cigarettes, know that the sheer size of the Bridge helps diminish the smoke. And the place, even though it’s roughly the size of an airplane hangar, is packed. Patrons of all ages and income brackets order drinks, dance and flirt. Soccer moms, gray-haired professionals, rock-and-roll enthusiasts and even young hipster types all move about, enjoying their Saturday night.

I take a seat at a table and watch the band. Stir Crazy, a practiced group of middle-aged rockers, wail out lively renditions of Livin’ on a Prayer and Brick House. The booze-filled crowd is whipped into a frenzy. The dance floor quickly becomes an energetic mess of limbs and hair. Before long, I’ve finished my drink and am sucked into the ruckus, pumping my fist in the air like I’m at an ‘80s arena rock show.

Maybe it’s the gambler’s come-down (I lost $50 downstairs) tweaking my brain, but the party atmosphere of the Bridge has me believing hook up chances are high. Everywhere I look, smiling, intoxicated people seem to beckon for a dance. Or at the very least, an invite for a drink. Nobody’s intimidating; nobody looks down their nose.

Of course, I bet on the wrong brown-eyed hipster girl. But even though I crap out in the romantic department, I leave the Bridge happy with the live music, and thinking it’s just a matter of time until I get lucky.

[The Bridge Lounge and Nightclub, 2102 E. Alexander Ave., Tacoma, 253.594. 7777]