Santa Ana Star Casino is one of the smaller casinos in the Albuquerque area. It is technically in Bernalillo, about a ten-minute drive on I-25 north from the Albuquerque line. Somewhat difficult to find, it generally has fewer patrons at any given time than the closer Sandia Casino. The casino itself is pretty nice (low limits, fewer players, good service) but the room needs work. It is possible that it has expanded since I was last there about a year ago, but unless they built an entirely new room it's probably the small area it was in March of 2006. The casino itself also has made it easier to get there without a car, especially coming from Albuquerque. With some work (so it's really a better option for people in live in Albuquerque and know the city) it is possible to get to the casino using public transit (the Albuquerque bus system to downtown Albuquerque, followed by a ride on the local rail system to Bernalillo) and then using the free casino-provided shuttle from the train station to the door of the casino. However, it is not available on the weekends, as the local rail system does not run then. Driving is still easier for the visitor to the Albuquerque area who just wants to play some poker.

Like most casinos in the area, the Santa Ana Star Casino is a small area not really segregated from the casino floor. There is a dividing wall about five feet high and a little door, all on one side of the casino. It's in the middle of the casino, so there are no hallways to figure out, but it's not immediately obvious. Santa Ana Star crams about six tables into this small area, so it's rather crowded. There is room to move and the chairs are still comfortable, but the poker room feels like an afterthought. The lack of tables limits the amount of games possible at any time, even more so if the casino is running a tournament.

Just because the room is small doesn't mean that the dealers and the other people running the room are bad. If anything, they're even better because the room is small and thus any potential problems can be easily communicated either to the floor management or get around to other players. The dealers are good at what they do and have always gotten everything right when I was playing there.

You can get food and drinks in the room, but it's not easy. A cart can't really fit in the room so the wandering service doesn't come by. When you can get service, non-alcoholic drinks are free. Alcoholic drinks and food are available for a price. A better option is to go to one of the restaurants close by. There is a buffet (which can be pretty good, but overpriced) and a grill next to that, which is sit down as well. A Blimpie is also available in the same general area. Santa Ana Star actually has a 36-lane bowling alley on a second floor and so food, with a pretty good selection, is available there as well. There are a couple bars/lounges in the casino as well.

I have never played a ring game in the poker room. However, signing up for their fairly common tournaments was always easy. There are few places to sit and wait. I cannot comment on how the player is informed that a seat is available, though there is a PA system which is pretty good. It is truly a locals' casino as there is no hotel.

The casino does have a rewards program, but it's really geared to slots players. I am not sure if it really works for poker players. In any case, it's only worth signing up for if you're a local and are going to play there a lot.