Foxwoods Resort and Casino, located off I-95 in Mashantucket, CT is the largest casino in the United States. It is home to the World Poker Tour and offers one of the grandest poker rooms anywhere. With over 100 tables, players have ample opportunity to play their favorite games against many competitors. And with Foxwoods conveniently located between New York and Boston (each about a 90 minute drive), there is a lot of money to be won in these games.

While offering many popular games, such as Limit Hold'em, 7-Card Stud, and Omaha 8+, the largest area in the room is designated for today's glamour game, No Limit Texas Hold-em. Crowds of people enter Foxwoods daily and are treated to an assortment of options for No Limit Hold'em. Tournaments are offered almost every day, at 10am and 6pm, and typically draw well over 100 people. In addition, Sit-and-Go's are offered constantly, needing only 10 people to sign up for a new one to begin. The top 3 at every table finish in the money, with the largest percentage awarded to the winner.

But cash games are where the real money is at. High stakes games are offered with limits of 2-5, 5-10, 10-20, and up. And from experience, I find that the higher the limit, the stronger the players. When visiting Foxwoods, I usually play either 1-2 No Limit or 2-5 No Limit. The differences are substantial.

The 2-5 game is usually very competitive, with only a rare fish who is very easy to spot. Players can buy-in for as little as $200 and as much as $500. Most players are solid and intelligent, and display a real understanding of the game. Many of the same people can be found playing daily or semi-daily. But while most take their poker seriously, the majority of people are friendly enough so that the games do not feel stiff. Big-screen t.v.'s are located all over the room (muted of course), and help create a comradery among players if a baseball or football game is on. The pots can become very large at a 2-5 table, especially if raised once or twice pre-flop. It's not uncommon to see a player raking in a pot of $800 or $900 or sometimes more.

The 1-2 No-Limit game is the most frequented at Foxwoods and is available at the most tables. It is also by far the most inconsistent game, because of the wide variety of people who play at this level. Players who are new to the game or less experienced play here. Players who may not have a large bankroll play here. Sometimes players who are very wealthy play here, looking to exploit those with smaller bankrolls than themselves. Some play very tight, while others are extremely loose, throwing chips around like confetti. The max entry at this game is $300, though many choose to sit with $100 or less. Personally, I believe it wisest to sit with the table max whenever possible, so that you aren't starting as a small stack, because those who do are generally easier to target by those with larger stacks. Additionally, the dealer collects "time" every 30 minutes, typically $5 from each player for the casino. If one sits with under $100 and is playing tight, you may lose 20% of your money just by paying to play, so keep this in mind.

As is true of No-Limit in general, you want to mix up your own game while studying the tendencies of your opponents. If I am sitting at a table full of tight players who rarely raise and fold quickly to a raise, I might position myself as the aggressor. If I am playing with loose players who plan to splash their money around and are raising every other pot, I will play a little slower and wait for the right opportunity to seize a big pot from them.

The Foxwoods Poker Room itself is open and spacious. Located in the designated "Smoke-Free" casino, the air is as fresh as you will find in a casino, and it isn't stuffy, unlike some other rooms located near-by. The staff is generally polite and helpful, though their patience tends to wear thin on holidays or unusually crowded weekends. There is an electronic sign-up board where they will record your initials and put you on the list for whichever game you choose to play. Television screens are available for monitoring your progress on busy days, though if one goes during the week, there is usually no wait at all.

Overall, Foxwoods provides a pleasant place to get into the action. The dealers are experienced and keep the games moving at a speedy pace. While some complain about the house payment every 30 minutes, I feel this is a much better and cheaper system than taking a rake of each pot, which many poker rooms do. Competition is strong, with lots of good to great players looking to out-smart one another, making for compelling games. Of course, it's wisest to play lower limits as a beginner, and work your way up to higher levels are you become more experienced and comfortable doing so.

So if you're bored in a small New England town and looking for some fierce poker action, Foxwoods is the place to be. See you soon, at the "Wonder of it all."