Road Trip - Houston to Tunica

[Big Bend]

In early January I'm gona drive roundtrip from Houston to Tunica for a week of poker. I figure on the way there I'll stop for a night at Coushatta and on the way back I'll spend a night in Shreveport. Any other places I should consider playing at during the road trip?

Also any suggestions on where to stay in Tunica appreciated. Budget hotels close to the casino stuff.

Thanks... BB

[zuluking]

Paragon casino in Marksville if you like money.

http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showfl...e=0#Post4099735 (http://forumserver.twoplustwo.com/showflat.php?Cat=0&Number=4099735&an=0&page=0#Post 4099735)

Let me know when and I'll try and join you. I also play at Kinder.

[steamboatin]

Horseshoe, get the poker room rate $35 on the weekend, call a head and register through the poker room.

[wonderwes]

Coushatta is no jem. Plus you would have to sleep in Kinder, LA a very small town. I would just take the time and drive straight through to Tunica.

[zuluking]

[ QUOTE ]
Coushatta is no jem. Plus you would have to sleep in Kinder, LA a very small town. I would just take the time and drive straight through to Tunica.

[/ QUOTE ]

In Marksville you can get a $19.99 poker rate Sun-Thur night with only 5 hours of play required. That, coupled with an $8 food comp, makes it a sweet deal.

[Big Bend]

I haven't been to Coushatta since they opened their new poker room... and I made friends with one of the dealers there on a recent Alaska cruise so I want to say Hi to her. So ya first night out in Kinder should be fun. I think I'll head to Tunica from there then plan on hitting Marksville on the way back, then Shreveport, then back to Houston.

Thanks Steam for Horseshoe room rate tip and ya zulu would love to meet up with you somewhere (and other 2+2ers too)!

Take care.... BB

[wonderwes]

Do not speed on Hwy 165. Its a horrid 2 lane road, but there are cops everywhere. 55mph limit. Pretty much stick to the limit anywhere driving in the swamps of Louisiana. If you continue north and hit Alexandria, LA, congrats you have made it to nowhere central LA.

[MicroBob]

"Horseshoe, get the poker room rate $35 on the weekend, call a head and register through the poker room. "



Normally good advice...but depending on when he's coming in January this may be impossible.

Get your room NOW.
There are two big tournaments coming to Tunica in january and there will be almost non-stop smaller tournaments and side-game action.

There is the $10k WPT event at the Gold Strike that I think is Jan 18-22.
And then the $10k WSOP-circuit event at the Grand that I think is Jan 23-28.

But usually the poker crazyness starts around Jan 10 or so (haven't looked at the schedule of the prelim events this year).

The Gold Strike convention room will be about 80 tables I think.
And the Grand will probably set up 50 tables or so (like they did for the WSOPC event in August).

Lots of big-name famous players should be around (Brunson, Hellmuth, Greenstein, Ferguson, etc etc).

It's pretty crazy and the hotels are positively packed during this time.


I don't have to worry about it because I live 35 mins away.
But anyone who is planning on coming to the WPO and WSOPC action this January from out of town should be booking their hotel-room now.



Tips:
The Sheraton has very nice rooms if you can get them. Not horribly cheap though. It's right in that section with the Gold Strike and Horseshoe though and is pretty much just as good as staying right there in the casino with the nice poker-room.


There's a Holiday Inn Express or something in Robinsonville (this is the town where all the casinos are...Tunica is the name of the county...and is also the name of a different town about 20 minutes to the south....).
Also an America's Best or something like that which is probably pretty cheap.


Fitzgerald's and Bally's would have the cheapest rooms of the near-by casinos within driving distance imo.

And if you want to...you could stay 20 minutes up I-55 on Goodman Road in Olive Branch / Horn Lake.



Now that I think about it...it's really not too early to start thinking about a 2+2 gathering next month.

[CCass]

[ QUOTE ]
Now that I think about it...it's really not too early to start thinking about a 2+2 gathering next month.

[/ QUOTE ]

MB - There are several of us that will be there from the 12th thru the 15th.

[Big Bend]

Hi Bob and thanks for the info! I called this morning and got a room at the Grand Veranda from Jan 4 thru Jan 8, $49 / night. 4 nights in Tunica playing poker, maybe meeting some 2+2ers, should be fun can't wait...

I don't plan to enter any of the big turneys starting then, just looking for limit 3/6 - 10/20 stuff.

Thanks again... BB

[Happydaz]

[ QUOTE ]
Now that I think about it...it's really not too early to start thinking about a 2+2 gathering next month.

[/ QUOTE ]

I will totally make the drive down from Arkansas if there's a 2+2 meetup. If I still have a bankroll after this whirlwind which is shorthanded poker. /images/graemlins/frown.gif

[BCl]

With all due respect to Zulu...2 places not worth your time along the road to Tunica are Baton Rouge and Marksville. BR is so small its not worth your time and frankly id rather have a root canal and a vasectomy in downtown falluja than step foot in marksville again....the Worst run poker room on the planet, the rudest dealers and staff, they play with cards that are months old and i never saw a spread or a card count in over 5 hrs of play there 1 night.....the dealers gather the cards shuffle twice and deal...old bent wore out cards at that.. they almost threw me out for asking the dealer to count em! if you have to stop anywhere make it lake charles, otherwise straight to Tunica is your best route..

[phiphika1453]

Hey Guys, I'm a local Tunica player along with a couple other guys on here, and I will reiterate the advice already given....

BOOK YOUR ROOM NOW!!!! I have listed some phone numbers below.

I am partial to the Gold Strike Hotel, it is very nice and cheap. I think they are advertising rates at $45 per night during the events. I usually pay $27.50 when I dont feel like driving back to my house 25 min away.

A 2+2 gathering is a must. I play mostly 2/5 and 5/10 NL, so it would be great to find someone to sit next to and hammer a game with. I find that I learn the most in these situations also. Quietly discussing hands as they are played out in real time.

If anyone else has any questions feel free to ask, I might be able to get a couple of rooms at my $27.50 rate and then turn them over to some out of towners if anyone is interested. Good Luck Fellas and Safe Travels.

Ben McDaniel

Gold Strike Casino 1-888-24K-PLAY
Grand Casino 1-800-39GRAND
Horshoe Casino 1-800-303-7463

[zuluking]

[ QUOTE ]

With all due respect to Zulu...2 places not worth your time along the road to Tunica are Baton Rouge and Marksville. BR is so small its not worth your time and frankly id rather have a root canal and a vasectomy in downtown falluja than step foot in marksville again....the Worst run poker room on the planet, the rudest dealers and staff, they play with cards that are months old and i never saw a spread or a card count in over 5 hrs of play there 1 night.....the dealers gather the cards shuffle twice and deal...old bent wore out cards at that.. they almost threw me out for asking the dealer to count em! if you have to stop anywhere make it lake charles, otherwise straight to Tunica is your best route..

[/ QUOTE ]

All very true, in the past. They've since added shuffle machines and hired the best poker room manager (Kelly) back from Kinder. He's fired the rude ones, but I'll admit some still suck at dealing.

Again, if you like money, play Marksville when you can. I'm there every Saturday night.

[Jimmyjohn]

Big Bend---If you will, post another notice just before you go. I would at least like to try to make the Kinder part of the trip, as well as Marksville, as I have friends in Jonesville, La. Tunica is too many days away from job.

JJ

[BCl]

"I'm there every Saturday night."
I'm willing to give em another shot..i may see you up there....you dont play the tourny on friday? that thing the night i went was as easy as picking pecans..lol

[MicroBob]

CCass - I might make it down sometime that weekend you mentioned (Jan 12-15).
Haven't been playing there much lately. We didn't have very many for our little 2+2 meet-up last year but it was still nice to meet you guys.



They're already running TV and radio ads for the WSOPC event at the Grand.
The radio ad was kind of amusing...something like,
"Hey all you Wednesday night poker-players. Now it's time to take your shot for REAL at the World Series of Poker Circuit event coming to the Grand Casino. This isn't your home-game though...you'll have to work on some things...like that little twitch you get when you're bluffing."



As always...I expect the cash-games to be insanely juicy during this time...and the various rooms to be positively packed with poker-players. The wait-lists will be quite long on the weekends.
And it will probably take an hour or more of standing in line to register for the first event (whenever that is) and there's probably a good chance it will get sold-out ahead of time and they'll be taking a zillion alternates.


Just my predicitions. Doesn't mean they'll be accurate.



The WPO in 2003 was where I first got told that I could learn how to play poker on the internet. I was counting-cards at blackjack and some poker-player was killing time at the BJ table with me while waiting for a 100/200 game to open up and we were chatting.

Back in Jan, 2003 there was already a reputation that it was a crazy month with sold-out hotels and poker-players everywhere....and this was BEFORE the WPT and before the Moneymaker boom.
Now...even the kind of big crowd of poker-players everywhere that they got in 2003 pales compared to what they had in 2005 and what they'll get in 2006.

[d10]

I could probably come up for the weekend on the 13-15. I haven't been in a few months and I was looking for a good time to go back, but I'm busy this weekend and I'll be at home for the next 3. If something gets set up on this weekend I'll try to be there.

Also, if the Horseshoe isn't sold out of rooms until at least February I'll be surprised. It's easier to get rooms at the Gold Strike.

[MicroBob]

Yeah. I think this weekend is probably good for me too.

[Big Bend]

Bump

Ok I'm excited about heading to Tunica. I'm leaving Houston Tuesday Jan 3 and will drive to the Paragon casino in Marksville Louisiana that night. Then I'll be in Tunica at the Grand ($49 night woohoo) on Wed the 4th thru Sun the 8th before heading back to Houston.

I'm hoping to play satellites into the $500 turneys they're having Thursday, Friday and Saturday if those are available... and low limit cash ring games too. Should be fun will report back on interesting happenings.

TTFN... BB

[steamboatin]

Good Luck, I wish I could go!

WORK is a four letter word and should be added to the censored list.