Driving I-40 from NC to Vegas

[namaste]

I have to drive from North Carolina back home to Vegas and am looking for poker rooms along the route. I don't have a lot of time for detours so maybe an hour away from I-40 would be the limit to my detour. Any Suggestions. I know about the newer casino south of Norman, OK (don't know how good the room is though). Thanks

[sean c]

namaste,

There is a brand new casino in Shawnee, OK right of of I40 called Fire Lake Grand Casino i think. The Riverwind in Norman has a pretty lame room IMO for such a nice casino.

[ATrebek]

I-40 passes right thru memphis - you will be ~30 - 40 min away from tunica if you stay on the south loop (I-240) thru memphis.

[MicroBob]

What a freaking long trip.

Yes, Tunica will be the best poker-room area on your way back.

Take I-40 to the I-240 south loop.
Or it will just be I-55 south. I haven't come from that direction before but I think it will just say I-55 for you.

You take I-55 into Mississippi and at Exit 284 or 283 you take I-69 to Tunica.

Please note that the I-69 conncetor from I-55 to Tunica is only a couple months old. So it probably doesn't appear on most maps. But it's the faster and easier way to get there imo.


The Horseshoe has the best poker-room in Tunica.
Gold Strike is a distant 2nd.
The Grand's is okay but if you are only staying for a day or so I don't see any reason why you shouldn't go to the best one.

If you play at the Horseshoe make sure to get a players' card.
Just for playing you can get table-side food service (the Philly Cheese-Steak is recommended) or get a buffet-comp.
there is no "$1/hr in comps" nonsense. Play any amount at all...get a buffet comp if you want.
But they are asking for players-cards now to credit you with a buffet.


When you get back on I-40 and get through Memphis you will be passing by my place around Exit 16. Be sure to wave hello.

[jeffnc]

[ QUOTE ]
The Horseshoe has the best poker-room in Tunica.
Gold Strike is a distant 2nd.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was not my experience - depends on limit and day I guess. Regardless, it doesn't matter much. They are literally next door to each other - walk of about a hundred yards.

[ScottieK]

When you get to Albuquerque, you'll be surrounded by casinos, all with poker rooms. If you keep going west on I-40, you'll hit Route 66 Casino, which is the newest casino around the city. If you turn south on I-25, which intersects with I-40 in the middle of Albuquerque, you'll find Isleta Casino about twenty minutes away. If you turn north on I-25, you'll hit Sandia Casino in about twenty minutes. Most players agree that Sandia is the best cardroom in the state. It's pretty good.

You can't drink at the tables, but each casino has a bar area that you can get a drink at. Sandia and Isleta have golf courses, and all three have amphitheatres.

I don't play a lot of poker lately, but PM me if you're gonna hit up Sandia. If I can make it out, I'll meet up with you.

ScottieK

[Black Aces 518]

MicroBob hit the high points of Tunica. Riverwind in Norman is about 15 minutes each way off of I-40. Lucky Star Casino in El Reno, OK is a bit closer to I-40, but not as nice as Riverwind. The casino in Shawnee, OK I have heard good things about, but have not visited yet.

Have fun and GL!

[namaste]

http://www.rt66casino.com/map.php

I found this just off I-40 and remember driving by last year or so and the room looked ok but was empty as it was around 9:00 a.m. on sunday. Anyone played this room?

[AKQJ10]

[ QUOTE ]
Please note that the I-69 connector from I-55 to Tunica is only a couple months old. So it probably doesn't appear on most maps.

[/ QUOTE ]

It really caught me by surprise when I first headed there. Don't anyone try to take it all the way from Indianapolis, though. [img]/images/graemlins/smile.gif[/img]

I haven't yet tried MS-302 all the way to US-61. I'm coming from Huntsville, AL, and take 302 across DeSoto County. But the other day there was enough traffic between US-78 and I-55 at 3 in the afternoon to convince me that I wanted no part of that, and that 55 to 69 was probably far preferable.

[ScottieK]

[ QUOTE ]
http://www.rt66casino.com/map.php

I found this just off I-40 and remember driving by last year or so and the room looked ok but was empty as it was around 9:00 a.m. on sunday. Anyone played this room?

[/ QUOTE ]

Haven't played it, but it's a fairly new casino. One of my friends has played there a few times, he said it was all right. Sandia Casino's room is never empty during the weekends...so much so that now they're running out of $1 chips on Saturdays. Sandia is about 15-20 minutes north of I-40 in Albuquerque.

ScottieK