MASHANTUCKET--The American poker craze is far from over. Just ask Foxwoods Resort Casino.

Foxwoods officials announced Wednesday the casino will expand and upgrade its poker room with a nearly 50 percent increase in poker tables. The expansion, which will bring the table total to 114, is scheduled to open next spring.

The announcement comes as the casino begins hosting the World Poker Finals today, where diehard gamblers and hopeful poker players already have begun signing up for buy-in satellite tournaments. Foxwoods hosts televised poker tournament events with million-dollar stakes each year, in addition to its smaller weekly tournaments.

Kathy Raymond, director of poker operations, said Foxwoods has been discussing a poker expansion for "a while," after observing the growth of the poker industry. The poker room will increase by one-third after it trades floor space with 650 slot machines directly below it.

On weekends, the poker room's 76, 10-seat tables are at about 100 percent capacity, Mark Rathbun, pokerroom day shift manager , said. Weekday capacity runs about 85 percent. In a typical 8-hour work shift, Rathbun sees about 2,000 players at the poker tables .

The new smoke-free room and tables will be designed to accommodate more players and ease game sign-up lines. New poker tables will include technological upgrades such as LED table components, automatic card shufflers and electronic seat monitoring system to speed the seat turnover rate.

Foxwoods is now the only poker venue in New England, casino officials said. Mohegan Sun replaced its 39 poker tables with slot machines in 2003.