FARGO:
Registration:
Tournaments:
Lodging:
Food and Drink:
Directions:
Casino Information:
Nearby Attractions:
FARGO - Frequently Asked Questions
What is FARGO?
Is there a mail list?
When and where is it held?
Who is eligible? How do I sign up?
I have registered for FARGO and sent in my registration fee, but how do I sign in and pay for the tournaments?
What is a Momentum Card, why do I need one, and how do I get one?
What is the Bill Hafey Memorial Pairs Event?
What is the No Limit Hold’em Bounty Event?
What is Midnight Madness?
What is the Sunday Mixed Event?
OK, I signed up for FARGO, now, how do I get there?
Hotels, why is one less expensive? Where should I stay; what's the difference?
At what time does the casino stop serving alcohol?
At what time does the Poker Room close?
What's the weather like in October?
Foxwoods - how far away is it, and how do I get there?
Fall Annual Recreational Gambling Outing (FARGO), founded in 1997 by Bill Alan Hafey, is a regional poker-based event, loosely patterned after BARGE and ATLARGE. "Regional" meaning FARGO takes place in the Northeast region. We welcome people from anywhere on the planet.
To sign up for the mail list go to FARGO Mail List.
An Autumn weekend (typically the weekend after Columbus Day) at Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Connecticut.
Who is eligible? How do I sign up?
Anyone 21 years of age or older that has an email address is eligible to attend. To register, visit Fargopoker.org for more information. Registration is online via computer only. No on-site registration is allowed.
Although you sign up for the tournaments online on the registration form, payment and seat assignments for each on-site tournament are handled by Mohegan Sun, at the tournament registration desk. The desk opens one hour prior to the start of each tournament. Bring cash and your Momentum Card. Registration closes after the second level, so don’t be late.
What is a Momentum Card, why do I need one, and how do I get one?
A Momentum Card is Mohegan Sun’s method for tracking casino/poker play. Mohegan Sun requires a Momentum Card to register for *all* poker tournaments, including FARGO tournaments. Registration is easy and free. There are numerous booths in the complex from which to obtain the card. You must be at least 21 years of age and provide some form of legal identification to register for a card. Previously issued Momentum Cards are still valid. It looks similar to a credit card with your name, an ID number and a magnetic strip. It also works as a comp card so use it whenever you play poker or any other table or slot game. Points are accumulated which can be use/spent at any business (food, hotel, merchandise) within the complex. Once you are seated, give your Momentum Card to the dealer who will then swipe you in at the table. Poker room points are credited automatically. You will be “timed out” when you leave the table, so keep that in mind when leaving for restroom breaks and food breaks.
What is the Bill Hafey Memorial Pairs Event?
This event is played on Friday with Limit Hold’em and Limit Omaha8 in rotation. Each pair of players will share one stack of chips, with one partner playing the Hold’em portion and one partner playing the Omaha8 portion. Each level is 40 minutes long, with each game played for 20 minutes. Omaha8 will be played first, then a switch will be made 20 minutes later, with the Hold’em partner taking the seat. Partners share the same stack of chips and the same seat throughout the event. There are no breaks built into this event, as every 20 minutes you will have a 20-minute break. FARGO founder Bill Hafey designed this event as an icebreaker. You are encouraged to sign up and play in this event – even if you don’t know a soul. You will know many souls by the end of the event. If you have a partner, enter the name on the registration form. If you do not have a partner, choose that option on your registration form. We will make every attempt to pair you with someone before the event starts. If all else fails, show up at the registration desk and last-minute pairings will be made.
What is the No Limit Hold’em Bounty Event?
The No Limit Hold’em Event is played with bounties. You will receive a $10 casino poker chip for each player you knock out. When a player is all in, that player must place his $10 chip in the pot. Each bounty is separate, so if you make it deep in the tournament, the only bounty chip you will throw into the pot when you move all in is your own $10 chip. All the chips you have previously won stay with you.
This is a "throw-back" event when you couldn't play no-limit cash games in the casino. It is a NLHE Tournament played with LIVE CASH CHIPS. All levels are 15 minutes. There are no breaks. Each player will go to the cage to register for the tournament for $20 and then go to the cashier and buy 50 $1 chips and 10 $5 chips (=$100). Please arrive at your table with $100 in chips in a chip tray. There are no rebuys. There is no toking with your chips!! There are no straddles. There is NO PAYOUT FORMULA. The game ends when either:
- There is one winner who has all of the chips OR
- ALL of the players remaining decide to end the game OR
- At the end of Level 10 – 2 ½ hours around 2:30am.
When the game ends, each player remaining takes the chips that are in front of them as their payout. Deals are definitely allowed.
What is the Sunday Mixed Event?
The Sunday Mixed Event is a mixed game tournament which changes each year. In the past, we have played HORSE, HOSE, HORSEDugi, HOSER, Triple Stud, Stud/Stud8, Badugi/Big O, and HOSE Shoot-Out to PLO Final Table. Visit the registration page to see what the Mixed Event will be for this year.
OK, I signed up for FARGO, now, how do I get there?
Hotels, why is one less expensive? Where should I stay; what's the difference?
Both Earth Tower and Sky Tower are nice, comfortable, clean hotels within the complex. Earth is closer to the Poker Room. Sky is located closer to the Casino of the Sky. Here is the property map of the complex to give you some perspective.
At what time does the casino stop serving alcohol?
Drinks have to be off the tables by 2 AM. In general, this means "last call" is at 1:30 AM, and they'll come around shortly before 2 AM and remove the drinks from the table. Other aspects of the alcohol policy include the following:
- You can only have one alcoholic drink in front of you at any one time. This isn't generally a problem (if you tip well, the waitresses come around frequently enough), but what is annoying, is that if you order a shot and a chaser, your chaser is considered to be "contaminated”, and counts as a drink. So, you order a JD up, coke back. You slam the JD, and are sipping the coke. Waitress makes another pass through the area, you order just a JD, since you have a coke. Waitress returns with JD, but won't give it to you unless she can take the coke away first, since it's considered alcoholic. Yes, they serve chasers in a different colored glass from regular cokes, so they can track this. So, every time around, you have to order a new chaser. It's just stupid.
- As a side note to (1), since you can only have a drink at a time, you can't order a shot and a beer, and you can't order two or more drinks at last call. This means you need to become friends with people around you (preferably non-drinkers, of course), so that when 1:30 AM arrives, you can get people to order you some backups.
- They don't start serving again until 10 AM Saturday morning, and noon on Sunday.
- Local package stores close at 9 PM.
At what time does the Poker Room close?
Now wait just a minute. I can’t drink and play poker 24/7? Am I sure I want to come to FARGO?? The answers to those questions are no and yes of course. COVID has changed many aspects of life, and that includes understaffing at our favorite casino. Because of this, the hours of operation for the Poker Room are:
Sunday - Thursday, 10:00am - 2:00am. Last hands called at 1:30am.
Friday - Saturday, 10:00am - 4:00am. Last hands called at 3:30am.
What's the weather like in October?
Typical New England fall weather. Bring a jacket or sweater. The temperature in the poker room varies as well. Remember that layers can be your best friends.
Foxwoods - how far away is it, and how do I get there?
Foxwoods Casino Resort is approximately a 15-minute drive from Mohegan Sun.