Sneak Peek into the Future of the Mohegan Sun

The Construction Site of the Sun’s New Poker Room (Currently a Pit of Sand)

When you walk into Mohegan Sun there is an immediate feeling of ease. The decor is calming, the colors subdued. As one patron put it, “there is shade here in the Sun.” Many casinos these days have a harsh atmosphere. They tend towards flash, providing you with the overwhelming notion that you are just another row of cherries spinning around the reels of a slot machine. Unfortunately for poker players venturing into the Northeast, the Sun currently does not have a fully functioning poker room.

Dealing in a sand pit isn’t an altogether pleasing experience; thus Mohegan is expected to build a new northern annex that will accommodate a forty-two-table poker pit, due to open on the 29th of August. Mohegan has, once again, sought the creative exploitations of the Rockwell Design Company; the same company that helped soften a normally over-stimulated environment to create a relaxing atmosphere for the casino. This, coupled with the recent addition of the new Poker Room Director, Bruce Dixon, gives players a sense of relief that the room will be kicked off in the right direction. The Sun has cut no corners with the new poker room, and it is Dixon’s opinion that, “Things [at the Mohegan Sun] are done correctly.”

Having come from the budding poker scene of Atlantic City, Dixon carries with him an impressive background and equivocal knowledge in poker room openings. His career—along side poker’s general popularity—has blossomed during the last decade. It is this experience that will undoubtedly provide an excellent platform for a world-class poker room.

With rake and rewards structures concurrent with U.S. industry standards, the room is sure to please a wide range of players. Daily tournaments will most likely consist of $100+$20 buy-ins and a twenty-minute standard blind structure. These plans are not yet set in stone and the tournaments will not be available for approximately one month after opening. Players can also expect to enjoy fast-paced dealers, spurred on by the Sun’s decision to allow them to retain their own tips. This will also improve on the overall attitude and attention of the dealer; making for a more pleasurable poker experience.

Most poker players feel that casino management has continually left them unattended on the backburner. Lucky for us players, Dixon intends on creating a positive relationship between casino management and players at Mohegan Sun saying that, “Even though poker may not generate as much revenue [as games played against the house], it’s another thing we have to offer – it completes us.”

nathaniel@thepokeratlas.com

patt@thepokeratlas.com