Mohegan Sun Trip Report

• Posted by Anthony Martino April 6, 2010 - 959 views
  Living in Massachusetts I couldn't wait for the day I turned 21.  On that very day, I drove all the way down to check out my first Casino ever.......Mohegan Sun.
  
  I didn't have much time that day, as I had to hurry back for a scheduled time, so I dropped $50 in the slot machine and wound up never venturing back.  Selecting Foxwoods to play their poker room since it was connected with the WPT and that was huge at the time.
  
  Well, it's been over a decade and a return trip was long overdue.  With the announcement that Mohegan Sun was now a stop on the PokerStars North American Poker Tour, I couldn't wait to see what they had to offer.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The fine folks at Mohegan were gracious enough to comp my room this past Easter weekend and here is my review:
  
  
  HOTEL
  
  
  
  
  Unlike its direct competitor Foxwoods, Mohegan maintains only one hotel, which is a massive structure with 1200 rooms.
  
  Because of this, generally room rates are higher (supply vs demand) at Mohegan.  I have stayed at Foxwoods before (Great Cedar and Grand Pequot, I have not tried the new MGM rooms yet) so will provide you with the good and bad here for Mohegan:
  
  The first thing that stuck out for me was the cleanliness of newness of the hotel.  It just felt like it was in much better shape as far as the flooring and walls went than the hotels at Foxwoods.
  
  Another nice feature is that for some reason we always get the room at the absolute end of one hall no matter where we stay, so it's the maximum distance to get to the elevators and onto the casino floor.
  
  At Foxwoods the hotel design makes that walk significantly greater than the leisurely stroll at Mohegan, so kudos for making elevator access very easy even if you're at the "far" end of a hall.
  
  The room itself was very nice, although noticebely smaller than a comparable room at Foxwoods.  The bathroom featured annoying heavy sliding doors that were too easy to overpush on, causing them to slam loudly closed.
  
  At Foxwoods you have swinging doors in your room, because they give you more square footage to work with.
  
  The bathroom also only had one sink, while at Foxwoods you get two (which is really useful when you have a female companion that likes to take up a good chunk of sink real estate for makeup)
  
  In addition, the bathroom at Foxwoods features multiple switches for various lights while at Mohegan there is just one central switch that turns on ALL the lights (which you may not want late at night)
  
  The water pressure in the shower was extremely low, resulting in a less satisfying (and necessarily longer) shower.
  
  Ok, enough griping about the bathroom.  The bedroom had a lot more going for it.  The pillow-top bed was ridiculously comfortable and way better than any bed I've had at Foxwoods (although realize I haven't been to the new MGM property which may compete on this level).
  
  Guests also get four pillows on the bed plus spare in the closet, while at Foxwoods you only start with two on the bed.
  
  It's been awhile since I stayed over at Foxwoods, but last time I was there I recall they still had those huge honking CRT style televisions and not new, upgraded flat-panels.  The flat panel at Mohegan was made by LG and was good quality, although we didn't use it much.
  
  The cooling in the room didn't seem to be as strong or as quick as the units at Foxwoods, which is surprising considering it's less square footage and environmentals should change more rapidly in a smaller space.
  
  In addition, the King sized bed came across more like it was queen sized to us.  The King size bed at Foxwoods had us swimming in it, while the Mohegan bed, albiet more comfortable, wasn't as roomy.
  
  There was also only one fridge in the room, located beneath the television set.  It's weight-sensed and you can't use it to store your own items, you will get instantly charged when it detects weight changes.
  
  We were able to request a mini-fridge by pressing the Priority Services button on the phone, and the fridge arrived promptly.  It wasn't very attractive, looking like the outside had gone a few rounds with Mike Tyson (when he was in his heyday) but it functioned just fine, including a small freezer section that worked to keep items frozen well.
  
  What was really great is that we even received a follow-up call from Priority Services to ensure we had received our requested item, which I don't recall Foxwoods ever doing.  Actually, the staff at Mohegan were miles ahead in their friendliness than those at Foxwoods.  The staff at Mohegan really went out of their way to smile and assist guests, from doormen to floor staff, etc.  everyone was top notch and it reminded me of some properties in Vegas where they really treat you well and appreciate your business.
  
  We really enjoyed that outside your room there is a doorbell.  This means you won't be woken up late at night by someone banging on another persons door.  Inside there is also a button system so you can light-up your doorbell outside with a "do not disturb" display, rather than resorting to the old door-knob hangers which can get knocked off or stolen by hooligans 
  
  Foxwoods is massive and as such the layout isn't always the greatest.  The hotel properties are spread out and thus not everything is easy access and as ideal to reach as you'd find at Mohegan.
  
  With the central location of their one main hotel tower, you can easily access your shopping, dining and gaming needs without too much hoofing it.
  
  
  
  Pros
  

  • Flat Panel LCD TV
  • Pillow-Top Mattress
  • Room Doorbells
  • Do Not Disturb Button/Light
  • Central Location - Easy Access to Casino, Shops & Dining
  • Less Walking To Get To Elevators
  • Cleaner/Newer Than Foxwoods
  • Priority Service Followup
  • Staff Is Top Notch

  
  Cons
  

  • Price
  • Single Switch for Lights in Bathroom
  • Bathroom Sliding Doors
  • Only One Bathroom Sink
  • Low Water Pressure
  • Must Request Mini-Fridge Without Weight-Sensing
  • Room Cooling
  • King Bed Might Have Been Queen

  
  DINING
  
  
   
  
  
  
  Again Mohegan bests Foxwoods with their dining layout.  Everything seemed much easier to access as far as dining options went than the jumbled layout you'll encounter at Foxwoods.
  
  There's just a lot less walking and much quicker access to a wide variety of choices.  One of our first meals was at the 50's-inspired diner Johnny Rockets, where wait staff was friendly and attentive, and prices were reasonable.  The waitress even gave us a couple of nickels for the little jukebox selector at your table.
  
  Todd English's Tuscany restaurant is one of the first you'll encounter when you depart the hotel and take the escalators down into the main casino area.  It's located right near the massive waterfall which dominates the main floor.
  
  Featuring an "outdoor" dining area, it's a very relaxing location to dine.  We didn't have the opportunity to try out dinner here, only breakfast.  I found breakfast to be so-so, but would assume that dinner meals would be of a much better quality.  The atmosphere was top notch though.
  
  
  GAMING
  
  
  
  Mohegan Sun features The Casino of the Wind........Earth........and Sky.  So three separate gaming locations all with a different architectural style that makes them stand out from one another.
  
  Unfortunately their rules prevent us from taking pics while on any of the gaming floors (we were able to get the above "far away" shot) and we also couldn't take pictures in the poker room.
  
  The poker room was amazing when compared with the one at Foxwoods.  The tables feature ultra plush seating that is phenomenally more comfortable than the chairs at Foxwoods.  The Mohegan chairs are even wheeled, making moving around in your seat much easier.
  
  The poker room features high ceilings and an open and inviting layout, unlike Foxwoods which has you in a low-ceilinged basement style area that feels cramped and depressing. 
  
  Tables, unlike Foxwoods, are not on top of one another, making getting up and back into your seat a breeze.
  
  An elevated area hosts the higher stakes action, unlike the Foxwoods layout where everyone is lumped together.
  
  With over 40 poker tables this is no small poker room, even though Foxwoods is larger. 
  
  At Foxwoods dealers pool their tips, which means there's little incentive for any one dealer to put in a lot of effort to make your experience enjoyable.  They'd just be doing extra work to supplement the tip income of weaker dealers.
  
  At Mohegan the dealers keep their own tips, and I didn't encounter a single grumpy dealer.  That's very unlike Foxwoods, where it's hit or miss (sometimes you get a friendly dealer, but many times you can encounter dealers who grumble about their job right at the table in front of customers)
  
  For the hold em fans there is plenty of action going at a variety of limits.  For those like myself, that enjoy games outside of Hold Em, you'll be hard pressed to find much to offer here.
  
  It was very difficult to get even a 2/4 limit HORSE game going, and keeping it running was a chore as well.  But the competition in the game was very soft.
  
  We managed to have Mike C, Mike S and Tess showup to hangout as members of PokerNations.
  
  Unfortunately variance can be a cruel mistress even if you're one of the better players at the table.  I had a number of big hands cracked throughout the day that turned me into a whining, grumbling Phil Hellmuth Jr. by the end of the evening.
  
  I pickup two Kings and raise in Hold Em after a few limpers.  The flop comes 334 and Toro has pocket 4's.  Meh, ok, it happens, not the end of the world.
  
  Then in 7-card stud hi/lo I start with rolled up 3's and there's a moron ramming & jamming with QQ/J into all the low/straight/flush draws.  My board is showing 346 but unfortunately I don't have the low or straight draw and never am able to improve my trip's.  
  
  There are a number of folks chasing their hands but all of them manage to completely miss and the guy who started with two outs against me manages to spike his Q and scoop a monster pot.
  
  But the kicker for my evening was a hand where an old lady at the table limps UTG with 28 and there's one other limper.  I find TT and raise it up.  Mike (EatingAnOreo) is next to act with AK and he just calls (he should be 3-betting to narrow the field, imo)
  
  So anyway, there's like SIX people seeing a flop of:
  
  224
  
  Looks like a great flop for my hand considering the preflop limp-callers.  So anyway, not only is the UTG lady in there with 28 but this guy in the BB came along with 24 so both of these idiots have just hit f'ing gin on me.
  
  Checked to me, I bet, Oreo floats with his overs and both players with trips cold-call, nobody raises.  Turn is K, we all check to Oreo who bets and everyone calls.  River is A and it's checked down (I think that was the action) because nobody had a heart but the 24 guy had a full house and scooped a massive pot.
  
  Right after that pot, and having played all day and gotten my ass-handed to me is when I finally go on full-blow monkey-tilt Hellmuth style.  I start muttering and swearing to myself, pacing around the room, kicking puppies, etc.
  
  
  
  It wasn't exactly my proudest moment.  But I mean, I've got jackasses limp-calling me with fucking 28 AND getting there, it was just an absolutely sick, soul-crushing day at the tables for me.
  
  Fortunately I was able to salvage a bit in the Razz round.  Had a guy two to my left that would have a board of AK9 against my board of A36 and he was calling me all the way down and then on the river announces "I have a Jack" and since I had a 7  I crushed his face! and took some nice pots to finish my session.
  
  I can handle losing to an extent.  But when you're up against some of the worst players on the planet (damn idiot northern europeans!) and they're putting their money in with 28 s00ted and crushing your pocket 10's all freaking day it begins to wear thin after awhile.
  
  
  
  Still, I was thoroughly impressed with the staff and property at Mohegan Sun.  They realize they have to compete with the big dog of Foxwoods, and are putting forth the effort to remain competitive in this economy.
  
  A big thank you to Bruce and Rich from the poker room management for their help in setting this up.  Be sure to check out my Mohegan Sun Casino Photos for more from the trip.
  
  And don't miss the coverage of the PokerStars North American Poker Tour which will feature videos and pictures directly from their $5,000 Main Event which starts tomorrow!