Managing Editor
Poker players turned out in droves to line up for Foxwoods Casino’s new poker room, easily surpassing the room’s capacity on opening day. CEO Jason Guyot thanked the “300 players” lined up, referring to the 30-table room’s maximum seating. However, a long line remained outside the room even after all seats inside had been filled.
Foxwoods announced the overhaul in August, along with the promotions that would accompany the opening. These include a $1,000 giveaway every 30 minutes, which may be part of the reason for the lineup. The draws will culminate in a grand prize of $5,000 at 10 p.m. tonight.
Ryan Wilner, a PokerScout contact who was on site on unrelated business, supplied photos and first-hand reporting on the crowd. He describes it as having stretched “all the way around the casino” before the doors opened at 11 a.m. That was preceded by a tribal ceremony and remarks by Guyot and Mashantucket Pequot Chief Rodney Butler.
Despite being a visual upgrade, the new room has a lower default capacity than the old one, which had 54 tables before the move. Foxwoods has a longstanding reputation as an East Coast poker destination, but local poker players reported that traffic hadn’t fully recovered after the pandemic.
Cash games begin at a $1/$2 minimum as they did in the previous space. Opening day games included $1/$2 and $2/$5 Hold’em, plus a table dealing Seven-Card Stud.
First Look at the New Foxwoods Poker Room
The new room is airy and spacious, with high ceilings and ample room to walk between tables. The tables feature peach-colored felt that pairs with accents in the orange-and-cyan carpeting.
It’s also much more brightly-lit than the old room. Despite the smaller number of permanent tables, there appears to be ample room to fit in additional tables for tournaments.
Speeches and a Tribal Ceremony Preceded the Opening
Rodney Butler delivers a speech before the room’s opening.
A Spacious Venue
Our photographer was one of the first into the room. Players were admitted only ten at a time, providing a good view of the room’s decor before it filled.
Tables Quickly Filled Up
The new Foxwoods poker room operating at full capacity.
