Foxwoods Resort Casino is to collaborate with the World Poker Tour (WPT) to create a new WPT branded poker room at the casino.

The poker room, scheduled to open next month, will be the first at a casino to have the WPT name attached. Foxwoods already hosts two of the WPT's major events.

Kathy Raymond, director of poker operations at Foxwoods, said: "It makes sense for the two giants in the industry to come together and do something."

The new WPT branded poker room at Foxwoods will move to a more expansive space for 116 tables, compared to its current 76.

New poker technology is also being introduced to enhance the player experience, including use of LED table components and a state-of-the-art seating system. The poker room will be smoke-free and will offer a new 100 seat restaurant, adjacent to the poker area.

These innovations are designed to reduce the waiting times for games, as well as make use of cutting edge technology to enable players to sign up more easily.

Automatic shufflers will also mean that more games can be played, with Ms Raymond saying: "It's what the players have been asking for."

Meanwhile, poker aficionados who have been lamenting the dearth of televised poker need not fret, as season four of the tour makes its debut on the Travel Channel on March 8th.