The Battle of Connecticut: Part 2 - FIGHT!

For those folks living in the north east, there are few options for getting in some casino gaming. One basically has to choose between two Connecticut casinos: Foxwoods and Mohegan Sun. But the question persists, which one to go to? Where should we spend our valuable free time? Which casino will give us more of what we want?

Fear not readers! We here at Casino Snob have placed these two casinos head to head, in a series we are calling "The Battle of Connecticut". In part 1 of our series, we took a look at the raw numbers surrounding these two behemoths. And while Foxwoods was clearly the larger of the two mega-complexes, there was actually alot of parity in the two casinos.

Today we are going to look at the overall experience and feel of the two, and we will try to see who will come out on top in the battle for the gamblers!

Gaming

You know that here at the Casino Snob, we LOVE our gaming. And neither casino has a lack of variety or class. At both places, we were able to parake in nearly every casino game you can imagine: slots, craps, blackjack, pai gow poker, caribbean stud poker, even casino war. Yep, both casinos had PLENTY of gaming to go around.

Mohegan had its gaming set out in two large areas, the Casino of the Earth, and the Casino of the Sky. Both were very clean, and gorgeously decorated. The feel of these places was spectacular, like an adult Disney World. Everywhere you look the theme of the earth or the sky was embued in the walls, the carpet, the lighting...etc. The games were clearly marked, and easy to find. Interested in the 5 cent slots? No problem, you could find them quick.

Foxwoods was also a very clean place. And it was big. REALLY big. The casinos were broken down into the Festival Slots Casino, the Grand Pequot Casino, the Great Cedar Casino, and the two - level Rainmaker Casino. The top level of the Rainmaker Casino was devoted to mostly table games with some slots, the lower level on the other hand, has become a world-class poker room. Its simply massive, and even on a busy Saturday, we had no trouble getting into some low stakes games. The room is so impressive, the World Poker Tour makes it a regular stop. In addition to those already large and full casinos, you also happen to have at Foxwoods, the largest bingo hall you have ever seen. And dont shake your head and scoff at Bingo friends, this bingo is high stakes, and a ton of fun.

Resturaunts and Shops
Connecting the two main casinos at Mohegan Sun is a main shopping mall that has countless restauraunts and stores. And drawing your eye to its very center is a massive cliff wall and waterfall, encapsulating Todd English's Tuscany resturaunt. We had a fantasitc lunch there of braised pork. It was simply exquisite. Across the walk from Tuscany, there was Michael Jordan's Steakhouse, which everyone we spoke to had raves for, as well as "simpler" fare from Jhonny Rockets burgers, to Jasper White's Summer Shack seafood, to Big Bubba's BBQ. There was even a little pizza joint if you were looking for the cheap lunch or dinner.

The shops in the area were as you would expect, mostly high end, things like Godiva, Coach, Citizen Watch, Brookstone, and the like. But thy were punctuated with fascinating stores like Odysea, a store that is themed with shipwreck treasures, right down to giant aquariums, and even some small sharks! Its deffinitely worth a stop in there, especially with kids in tow. Upstairs from the main area of the mall is the Mohegan Sun Hotel. A massive open lobby provides a place to stop and lounge for a drink as you traverse the mall and its treasures. There was even the Wolf's Den back in the casino of the Earth, to provide a place to sit down and have a drink with some free entertainment.

Back at foxwoods, the shops and restauraunts are arranged mostly around the edges of the main walkways of the casino. The majority of them are along the edges of the "Pequot Trail" and the "Rainmaker Trail". These shops were much fewer, than at Mohegan, but they had a decent selection of apparel, jewlery, and souveniers you might want to pick up while staying at the 'woods.

We had a delicious steak dinner at Cedar's Steakhouse, and a quick and relatively cheap lunch at their Au Bon Pain. The favorite of course, is the Festival Buffet, but you'd better reserve your place early, as the buffet gets packed, and you don't want to be left out when its time for dinner.

Conclusions
All in all both of these places are VERY good casinos. The gaming is ample, the food is good, and the shopping is diverse. But which to declare a winner? Our anser: Both. The key to deciding which is worth your day's visit is to decide what mood your are in.

Foxwoods is a gambler's casino. There are clearly more games to play, and with Poker and Bingo thrown in the mix, you can gamble all day, and all night, and all the next day, and not do something twice. You can stop to get some food, or stroll in a shop, but your main focus is going to be on gaming. At night there are a few entertainment venues, and several decent clubs, but again, your main focus will be on gaming.

Mohegan Sun on the other hand, has ample gaming to keep you happy, but its focus is more on style. It really captures that Old Vegas Style feel, with a New Vegas Look. Its heavily themed, which adds to the atmosphere, and it has more clubs, resturaunts, and shops than you can handle in a weekend. If you are looking for that Vegas feel, with the food, the clubs, and the shops, then Mohegan has it.

So there it is. If your looking to gamble more than ghill, then head to Foxwoods. If you're looking to ghill more than gamble, then head to Mohegan Sun. Or.. if you're like us, have your cake and eat it too. Start the day at Foxwoods, and get your game on. Play some poker, shoot some dice, and even get in some bingo if thats your fancy. Then as evening starts to roll around, head the fifteen minutes over to Mohegan Sun, and grab yourself a fine dinner, stroll the shops, and lounge or club the night away. What more could a Casino Snob ask for?

Foxwoods: About Us
Mohegan Sun: About Us

November 19, 2006

The Battle of Connecticut: Part 2 - FIGHT!