Tunica TR (long)

[MikeTheGeek]

Short version:

- played a tournament and lost, but learned from a key mistake.
- partied with my poker buddies, got good and drunk at the tables and took advantage of sloppier drunks.
- stayed up too late, but as a result hit a royal flush on video poker - just so that I could tip my bartender.

Long version:
Headed to Tunica early Saturday morning with reservations at the Gold Strike and big plans. Rusty and Elias are two friends I play cards with weekly who were coerced into coming along, names have been changed to protect the innocent.

First part of the plan was to hit the Grand $100+25 Saturday 1pm. So we bought in and had some lunch at the sports bar on the other end of the top floor. Food was your typical sports bar food and the prices were more reasonable than I expected.

Tournament was a lot of fun, but I couldn't make any hands despite playing tight pre-flop. Won a couple pots but blinds got there fast - M got to less than 15, 12, 10... So I find AA from the CO and push hoping to look like a steal. SOmeone please call me. No, enjoy your antes. Made my first mistake of not showing them - a mistake in retrospect. A big mistake it turned out because I try that move a round or so later but with A8 of hearts instead... Kenny in EP called me. I didn't see that he had limped (with A10 of clubs), how could I miss that card protector? OOPS, strike two and it doesn't take three strikes to be out in tournament poker does it? I'm out and head to 4-8 with Rusty while Elias finishes up, we sit next to this scruffy looking older guy dressed like a rapper. He played aggressive/well and was nice to chat with once you got over his outfit. Rusty and I only sat for about 20-30 minutes and won back half our tourney buyin, which we thought was impressive because it was a table full of old white dudes, our feared enemies in this poker universe we have entered.

Off to the Gold Strike to get our 5 hours in. 3-6 limit it is. At one point I can't believe I thought this game was glamorous. This one was just a little slow and not terribly interesting. I would go up for a while, down for a while, not getting a whole lot to play with (trying to be as TAG as possible). Finally decide to break down and have a drink, I did come to Tunica to have fun, so I order a scotch and kick back for some typical 3-6 silliness. Nice people at the table all around, about half of them understood how to play poker a little, we have a good time with some older locals and I get a little coffee to go with another scotch for that extra boost.

Comped dinner - Seafood buffet was pretty awesome. Great crabcakes.

Return from dinner, play a tad more 3/6 while Elias hits the 2/5 table. Having never played NL in a casino before I am of course curious. He beats someone else's full house and doubles up, seems to be enjoying himself.
So it's somewhere nearing midnight and I move to 1/3. Heather is some sort of local or dealer who's there with her Mom and knows everyone (blond, straight hair). She straddles, I call with suited connectors, flop 2 pair. She raises 35 or so, I RR to 60, call. Drawing on clubs I believe. No club on the turn, I push, she folds. I'm having a hard time finding a heineken so I order another as soon as the first one comes (at last). She returns much faster this time and suggests I chug my beer, and I'm only happy to oblige (can't have two drinks around? ok, no problem).

I take a break to talk with Rusty, he's doubled up playing 1/2. Suggests I should move to his table which is full of rowdy drunks. I agree and make the switch. Another heineken ma'am. I sit next to Rusty on his right, to my right is a clearly drunk ... I don't know... lagbot? fish? Oh I know the word. "DONK." He is hammered and continually orders bourbon and coke, faster than I can pound the free heinekens. He's blabbering to me and smiling, I'm not sure what he's saying most of the time but chime right in and laugh it up with him and Rusty. More heineken. Donk pays off the nit with the straight at the table - Shakey, an older gentleman who has an affliction that makes him shake. Seems like a nice guy otherwise, but very quiet and very good! DrunkDonk of the year had gone all-in with top pair.

This probably goes in BBV forum but it is an essential part of this trip report:
I raise to 20 with AK offsuit preflop. Donk calls, heads-up. Flop comes something like 2-5-9. Donk puts out about $30. I call with AK just not believing him, he has been screwing around pushing too hard with low pairs, etc. Turn is uninspiring, no flush draw no straight draw. He puts out $60, I raise to $100, he calls(!). Regardless, he doesn't have anything, and I know it, but I don't have anything either, I need an A or K to make a hand. River is another nothing, if he was drawing he missed. With the exact same rhythm (almost before the river lands) he puts in all his dough and I insta-call with AK high, no pair. He is stupefied, wondering how I could call him down, he shows A8, no pair, I win his $200. The other (better, respectable, sober) players are equally shocked (surely they were impressed!) with the loosest call I have ever made in poker in my entire life. I would never have made this call sober in a million years but I just knew it and oh, had a few too many drinks to loosen me up. Anyway, he wanders off and returns to our surprise with $200 more. First or second hand he makes a similar move on the river after a third club had shown up on the turn, but his two pair are not afraid. $30 flop, $60 turn, all-in! and Rusty calls him down, having hit his flush. Donk pays Rusty $200. But he's not too bothered by it, we laugh it up and continue busting up and boozing and I am really becoming good pals with my friend to the right. We're laughing and slapping each other's backs and just acting afool. Right as I come back to the table I make some obnoxious comment like "we might as well stay if this guy's going to keep bluffing into us!" and I elbow the guy right as he puts $200 in the pot. Whoops, I didn't realize he was in a hand... his opponent (Shakey again I believe) immediately calls him and beats his retarded bluff - felted again. He storms off and I feel a little bad for the teasing but it really was all in good fun... we were friends at one point... oh well time to leave. Looks like the guy at the table near the rail with the white sweatshirt has finally passed out and left - wish I could've played at that table, they had even more drunks I think. Rusty reminds me that by the way, my fly is still open, he meant to tell me a few hours ago. Good thing my friends are looking out for me. Where can I get another heineken?

So it's very late, something AM, we hit the roulette table which neither Rusty nor Elias had ever done. So I show them how whee, look, you pull numbers out of a hat or your ass and maybe they pay you money, but probably they will just take it. I lose my $20 quickly but Elias is hitting his numbers every time, wins $300+ or so in about 20 minutes.

Now my friends are exhausted and I'm pretty beat too but not quite ready for bed. They go to crash and I figure I'll take what's in my pocket (~100) and play slots. Also I'm on vacation, check-out is 11am and I wouldn't mind drinking some more free heineken. Rusty suggests that in my current shaky, stumbling state I should leave my main (poker) bankroll in the room. Good idea Rusty. So, late night solo slots goes badly, and I can't seem to find anyone to bring me a drink at this late hour... it is suggested I ask at the bar. Heineken please, that'll be $2.00? What? Bartender suggests I sit and play video poker at the bar so he can bring me free beer. Good idea. I apologize that I can't tip him as I only have a slot machine coupon for about $18. I'm thoroughly drunk at this point and it's surely obvious. I ask him if he has cigarettes I could buy (with my slot coupon?), he gives me a couple out of his pocket. I again apologize for no tip (I have no cash on me), he says don't worry about it, gives me more beer and cigarettes. I'm up a little in video poker with quads but losing again soon and down to my last $7. Junk deals out and I decide to draw all five again - it deals out a royal of diamonds which pays me $1,000 k, I guess I was playing quarters. I'm hammered enough for it not to really sink in (normally I would be jumping up and down, but I'm too tired) so I get my ticket and tell my bartender buddy that I really appreciate him making me play video poker (which I don't really like) for free beer and smokes, and that I will be back with his tip. I come back and graciously trade a $20 tip for a couple more smokes, smoke them while playing another $20 of video poker, and realize it really is time for bed. Crrrrash.

Nice beds, nice room, clean bathroom, $50 poker rate. Can't beat it.

Sunday I sleep late but that's ok due to the time change. Breakfast was comped late last night for the Atrium, the eggs/sausauge and fruit plate (excellent, excellent breakfast) hit the spot and I'm pounding coffee. Up to the poker room to play with my newly stocked roll. I piece together the events of the early morning and realize I'm way up. Rusty and Elias are about even I believe.

Rusty and I each double up 200->400 at 1/2 in about an hour of play and cash out, time to drive home. In the meanwhile Elias has won a hundred at the slots so we're out the door.

Excellent weekend, Gold Strike was fabulous, the phone calls and planning paid off.

Late night, drunken, casino no-limit poker is everything I hoped for.

[Brad1970]

Glad you enjoyed yourself. I was there (Goldstrike) Saturday night as well. There were a couple of games going that were pretty wild from what I could tell.

[diddyeinstein]

I love how uninspired you were about the $1K win. Meh, I hit a royal flush pocketed a grand, no big deal.

[MikeTheGeek]

It was the booze. It didn't even really hit me until I woke up. I was just happy that I could tip the guy who was giving me free cigarettes out of his pocket and not at all worried about my lack of tips. You don't find that kind of service too often, obviously a nice fellow.

Next time I don't think I'll drink as much, I would've made a lot more at the tables. Like I was telling Rusty I don't get many opportunities to stay up half the night boozing like I did in college (wife/kid now), so no regrets, but I'll probably do it a little different next time (drink after poker only, if at all).

Hopefully someone will get some good info out of this post one day (other than entertainment value), that was the real point - Gold Strike is great, watch out for Kenny the tournament master, don't underestimate Shakey. Maybe I shouldn't call him that...

Thanks to all who post about Tunica regularly I was able to plan the perfect weekend, entirely due to the abundance of information on here.