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#1
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5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
I just spent 5 days in Tunica at the Horseshoe playing cards, and thought I’d share:
Cliff Notes: Had a blast, made about $2K, didn’t pay for one meal, was disappointed in the hotel (Veranda), captivated and amused by various locals, and thoroughly enjoyed myself. Long version: (Warning: Those seeking reports of gratuitous sex and violence will be disappointed, as was I). Thursday night: I arrived at the Grand Hotel at about 6, only to be told that all poker room rate rooms are now across the street at the Veranda. Annoying, but for $30 a night, I can’t really complain too much. I think of my fellow poker players, and decide to grab a shower before heading to the ‘shoe. I take a moment to truly confuse hotel front desk and security by asking where I can check my pistol, since they have no room safe, and I don’t want to carry in the casino. After some calls, I’m told it’s okay to leave it in my room. I just sigh and secure it in my vehicle when I’m at the casino. I went in, and didn’t want to play heavy, so I jumped on a 4/8 LHE game and met a few locals. No hands worth noting, and I wasted $200 playing too loose (I blame the all-day drive). I enjoy my time, and notice a cocktail server named Stacey whose smile will captivate me all weekend. Ask very nicely, get a buffet comp for breakfast. Back to my room, and snooze ‘til morning. Friday: I get up, drive over to yonder ‘shoe, and break my fast at the buffet. Damn good omelet, made to order. I get on the 1/3 and 2/5 list, and quickly get a 1/3 seat. Now, I normally play in AC, and I’m expecting that this plays like 1/2, and I will want to move to the grown-up table at 2/5 when I get a chance. To my very pleasant surprise, this game plays a lot like the AC 2/5 I am used to, and I relax and enjoy it. I’m playing okay, up and down as usual, and after 12 hours and a tasty comped tableside dinner, I’m up about $250. I continue to be captivated by the smile of the lovely (and married) Stacey, and a lovely redhead named Noel. What made this table fun (for me) was the guy on my left for most of the day. He straddled 90% of the hands where he wasn’t a blind. (Apparently in Miss you can straddle at any seat). This made the table play like a higher table most of the time, and really made a lot of action happen. It was not fun for the succession of 5 or 6 players who sat to his left, and discovered they would be under the gun for almost every hand. The guy did eventually lose all of his ~$700 stack, about ~$200 to me. I did apparently run afoul of a local named John (who wears a visor and always puts a newspaper on his seat. Avoids cooties, I guess). I was watching one hand, where the board ended up KK44A, and everyone was turning up their hands to chop the pot after two rounds of checking. I said, sotte voce I thought, “Is there anyone not chopping this?” Local John, on my right, proceeded to berate me, claiming that if anyone had heard me, it might have cost him money in the chop. I just kind of looked at him for a second, and then to avoid the ensuing fight about nitpicking over a $4 share of the pot, I apologize for my actions and told him he was right. He continued on about it, and I again, this time more forcefully, agreed that I was wrong, he was right, and I apologize and wouldn’t do it again. He finally just looked back at the mountain of 4 $1 chips the dealer pushed him and I heard him mutter “I guess that means shut the f#$% up.” Correct. Yes, I was wrong, and I apologized. I guess for my second offense I’ll see if the brush can arrange to have crucified. Again, I ask very nicely, get a buffet comp for breakfast. Back to my room, and snooze ‘til morning. Saturday: This was pretty much a vanilla day. Buffet for breakfast, 12 hours of ABC TAG play on the 1/3, didn’t incur the wrath of any locals, and left up just over $600. As I leave with Sunday’s breakfast comp in hand, I’m thinking, “I really like this room.” Sunday: I decide to give the 2/5 a shot, and while I hold my own in the game, this is not the AC 2/5 game. The lack of a buy-in cap makes it a much deeper game, and if I had the bankroll for it, I would have been more comfortable. I’m not really down, though, and part of the reason for the trip was to stretch a little. I’m convinced you can’t improve your game unless you play against some players who are better than you, and several players at the table qualify. I win some hands, lose others, and am down about $250 when I pick up AKclubs in late position. A short stack in early position raises, and everyone except me folds. Flop comes Q 8 10 of clubs, which gives me the nut flush. Raiser thinks for a moment, then pushes all-in for about $100 more. I call, and show him the bad news. He flips over his pockets aces and stands up. The turn is the J clubs, giving me the royal flush, only my second one in live play. It also nets me the every-two-hour $250 high-hand jackpot. My play leaves me down $100 from my buyin, but the $250 from the jackpot makes it a positive day cashwise. The other entertaining point was a local named Jody who decided that everyone at the table was targeting him and his pal, cause they were the best players at the table (they weren’t). It made for some fun watching him trashtalk and play LAGy. Near the end, I actually picked up a decent tell on him, but I was way too tired to stay for a few more hours and play. I don’t normally look for and try to use tells in low-limit play, but it was personally rewarding to know I had spotted one and could use it. Again, I ask very nicely, get a buffet comp for breakfast. Back to my room, and snooze ‘til morning. Monday Monday was an optional day for me. I hadn’t made up my mind to stay until Tuesday or not, since I didn’t have to be back to work until Thursday. So, one more day of poker it was. And it was good. I sat down at the 1/3 I had come to know and love, and played some great poker. I got good cards, played great TAG, and pretty much owned the table for most of the day. I also spent a good time talking to a dealer who was playing, named Doc. Real nice guy. He even stayed nice after my pocket aces picked off his Ax on a Axx flop. He was so sure I had KK he called my $800 all in bet (he only had about $375). He took it really well, and simply bought in again, buying his chips back from me. If this had been AC, the losing player would be much more likely to stand up and scream like Hellmuth. About 8pm, I called it a night, as I had to drive back to Virginia the next day. Cashed out up $1154. Overall, I really had a great time. The staff at the Horseshoe was great, the comps liberal (I didn’t pay for one meal), the locals very friendly and occasionally amusing, and the hotel was mediocre at best. |
#2
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
Great trip report! Nicely organized and I really enjoyed reading it.
I wish AC was that juicy with the poker comps. It makes me want to ditch the two hour commute to AC, and instead drive 16 hours south. People are more laid back in the South - which probably means it is less likely you will have your life threaten after putting a bad beat on someone. |
#3
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
Glad to see you had a good time. I enjoyed the trip report. Never thought I would hear the games in Tunica are harder than AC...
Tunica = gamblers paradise |
#4
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
Glad you enjoyed yourself in our little corner of the world. Come back in January... absolutely sick action w/2 major tourneys in town.
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#5
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
[ QUOTE ]
Glad you enjoyed yourself in our little corner of the world. Come back in January... absolutely sick action w/2 major tourneys in town. [/ QUOTE ] I'll second this. 3 of us made the trip Jan '06 and enjoyed it thoroughly. Plenty of games to choose from (and can take your shot at a larger tourney if you wish). Many of the TV pros are around & accessible if you're into that sort of thing. Couple travel recommendations from an outsider: 1. Flying to Memphis was pretty cheap and only 40 minutes from Tunica 2. Rent a car and drive from airport & back: *less $$ than shuttles to & from airport *easier to get from one casino area (Gold Strike, Horseshoe) to another (Grand)--there are shuttles but then you're not on your own schedule 3. Room rates & food are dirt cheap/free 4. Different experience from Vegas/LA/AC in a good way I'm hoping to get back one of these days. |
#6
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
I've mentioned it before but I'll repeat since it's being discussed again and there are always people who don't get the message and think they'll be just fine with shuttles and cabs or whatever.
If you are flying in then you almost definitely will want to rent a car. I think the cost of a shuttle to and from the Memphis airport to the casinos is going to run you more than the car does. And getting from the Horseshoe to the Grand and back is kind of a pain if you don't have your own car. The shuttles can be inconsistent and don't run 24 hours. There have been stories of guys 'stuck' in a tournament that was running late and the shuttled were no longer operating when they wanted to get back. So they had to catch a ride with a dealer getting off-shift or something like that. There are not going to be any cabs sitting around waiting for you. You will just be stuck. Yes, it can REALLY be annoying to not have a car there. Horseshoe and Gold Strike are practically attached like they are just one big casino. So if you only care about those 2 places then you're fine. But the Grand is not walking distance from anything...especially the Horseshoe. Incredibly, they really aren't easy walking distance from their OWN HOTELS!! Especially if it's cold outside. Speaking of which...you guys coming in from Minnesota shouldn't just pack swimsuits and shorts when you come to the south as I have seen happen. It gets cold in Mississippi too. As in snow and below-freezing temps are not uncommon at all. You aren't going to Miami. You're only a few hours south of St. Louis. you might have weather good enough for golfing. Everything might be great. But you might also run into actual winterish weather. Back to the car-rental thing: And then there's the aspect that there is absolutely NOTHING else around those casinos. If you want to go up to Memphis to experience Beale Street or find a strip-club or something then you are going to want to have a rental. Trying to get a cab will take awhile and will also be expensive. So if you're going just do yourself a favor and get a rental. Tunica is indeed the place to be for poker players in January. All the tournaments and big rooms packed with rockin tables. but plan ahead. On that note...book your room NOW. It gets pretty crazy even trying to get a room. |
#7
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
[ QUOTE ]
But the Grand is not walking distance from anything...especially the Horseshoe. Incredibly, they really aren't easy walking distance from their OWN HOTELS!! [/ QUOTE ] QFT. I stayed at the Grand a couple of times about 5-6 years ago, and was amazed at how far of a walk it is from the hotel to the casino. MicroBob is right, folks; if you go to Tunica, either drive in or rent a car when you get there. The casinos and hotels are all very far flung, and none of them are close to anything. This is coming from a guy who walks a mile or so to work every day and climbs 9 flights of stairs rather than take the elevator (did I just refer to myself in the 3rd person? It's time to go drinking). |
#8
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
[ QUOTE ]
I continue to be captivated by the smile of a lovely redhead named Noel. [/ QUOTE ] Oh sure ! He likes Noel. But doesn't say anything nice about Brooks -- or Todd -- or even James Cannon. Seems like gender based discrimination to me. |
#9
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
Did you try the snack bar next to the poker room? Some visitors swear it's the best 'poker food' they've ever had.
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#10
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Re: 5 days at Horseshoe Tunica - trip report
How would you categorize "absolutely sick action" ? I'd be worried that the quality of play would skyrocket thus killing my profits from the usual drunk tourists.
Thanks for the TR I need to hit the 'shoe sometime. |
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