Tunica Stories - Jan 08

Ahh - Tunica in January. An extra couple thousand poker players in town. The big WPO/WPT tourney at the Goldstrike. Lots of action next door at the Horseshoe. The WSOP-Circuit tourney at the Grand. And lots of "spillover" poker at Sams and Holywood. All the hotels are sold out and all of the poker rooms are jammed. Its too good to be true.

This years trip starts out with a "bad beat". Four of us were to leave at 10 am, but then one of the guys couldn't go. So, three of us head south for a 12 day poker trip.

The First Evening - Last year Mike M took only 800 in poker money with him and lost it all playing 10-20 Omaha the first evening there. This year, we talked about this on the drive down and he was going to be more careful this time. He was -- and got off 1600 winner the first night there. I just walked around and socialized - then took a four hour nap. My day starts at midnight.

Dave's Plan - Dave K is an excellent single table tourney player. His plan was to enter hundreds of them and win them all. He even got the nickname "SitNGo" after several days of this.

My Plan - I was going to play the midnight shift at the Horseshoe every day for several hours. The last couple times this had been good for 700 - 1000. Was also going to play several different games and a tourney. "Good habits" would continue from previous trips; 8 hours sleep, eat light and frequently, minimal drinking, excercise room and hot tub every day, etc etc.

My Results - Played the midnight shift every day for lots of hours and it was great. Won 11 out of 13 times. Lost on other shifts though. Only totalled a 280 winner for the 14 days - maybe I'll turn pro. Also played NL, Stud, Omaha/8 and a mixed game -- HORSE with Triple Draw added. Played one tourney and chopped. Good habits weren't as good this time. Had trouble sleeping sometimes during daylight. Ate too much early in the trip. Drinking was light except for a couple times (Phil T is a bad influence) and kept my grandfathers advice to drink something different every day. Excercise room and spa was closed after the first couple days.

Springfield Dealers - Amanda and Patrick were dealing again this year at the tourney and cash games. This was their second year here and they are experienced "ole pros" now. No "first time" jitters this time. Both have very good reputations with staff, managers and other dealers. Their boss (dealer coordinator) gave me a nice nickname --- "the old guy with the hat".

Seafood Buffet - The friday night seafood buffet at the Horseshoe has always been a highlight. Harrahs decided to quit comping it to poker players during Januarys last year. This year I was told of a way to beat the system. Since we had comps for 4, we invited Patrick to join us. Once in the buffet, Patrick did not eat any of the seafood that the rest of us were pigging out on. He says; "I don't eat ANY seafood, its disgusting."

WIFI in Food Court - Goldstrike food court is a WIFI location - maybe the only one around. A big change this year is to see all the young guys with laptops in there day and night. Most are playing multi tables of online poker. Some would root for each other. Yeah - thats right - I want to drive 400 miles to Tunica and then play on Stars. In other internet poker news -- it seemed the Full Tilt logo gear was worn by more players than Stars or any other site.

Electronic Poker Tables - I went over to the Resorts Casino to play their tournament which used the PokerTec electronic tables. I had played live cash game format on them in Michigan last fall and had gotten a demo on them in Las Vegas last summer. This was my first time in an electronic poker table tourney. There were 11 other participants. No chips, cards or live dealer though. Its kind of a "blah" experience, but I won some $. And I got to talk with Mike B who was next door at the Hollywood for the annual PSO group gathering.

Phil Tanner Update - Phil flew in from Chicago and was there for 3 days. He is still working for the airline and works about 6 days per month and gets to pick his own schedule. He also flys free to almost anywhere. His rich postmaster wife is now working in Dallas - so they have relocated out of St Louis. She says; "Honey, why don't you go to Tunica and play cards for a few days."

I try to introduce Phil to the joys of low limit 4-8 holdem at the Horseshoe. He was astounded at the bad players and he goes on tilt twice. First time we are sitting just relaxing and talking. Phil is up about a quick 100 and we are going to have a martini. A goofy guy calls Phils preflop raise with a T 2 and ends up with a winner. Then the guy says he just had to play a "Doyle Brunson". By the time we finish our 3rd martini, Phil is hot and stuck. Phil will forever tease me about causing him to have a free $300 martini. A couple days later, we get off schedule and I take him to the (next weeks) friday seafood buffet. Then we go play at the Horseshoe again and a terrible player comes to our table. He lays a bad beat on Phil-------------and Phil gets up and leaves. Good play, Phil.

The Worst Player, EVER - This is the guy who puts the bad beat on Phil -- and many others that night. He was the worst, drunkest, stupidest, most obnoxious player I have ever seen. He comes to the table and sits on my right. He brings 60 white chips and asks if they are worth $5 each. He had never played live before. He is so stupid that I dont even want to talk with him. He asks me if I had ever played poker on the internet and I just say no. He goes on a quick heater and wins about 250. After Phil leaves, I stay with the terrible player and he causes some big swings in the game. He loses 100 of it back then wins several hands and has about 400+ in front of him. He says he wants to play NL (of course - he fits the pattern) and when they call his name, I tell him it was someone else. I put 2 or 3 isolation raises on him and he beats me every time. There is another terrible player at the table too and also another who is a complete calling station. The pots are huge. The game is great -- just another weekend at the Horseshoe 4-8. There is a cranky local on the other side of the kid and I tell him to do his job and not upset this kid. He agrees. A player to my left starts complaining about bad plays and stupid players and so I have to have a talk with him also. The other bad player at the table eventually busts out and the calling station loses all his money too. These two are replaced with better players - so its just us against the stupid kid. He finally loses his piles of chips and is buying chips with cash after about 3 hours. I cash out $150 loser - -sigh.

Poker Rooms -

Horseshoe is still great. Harrahs management has not ruined it yet. The best facility, the best dealers and staff, the best comps and lots of games at lots of limits and lots of bad players. 16 tables in the room and another 8 put up as overflow for January. Jack B thinks this is the best poker room in Tunica, but what do old guys know. Also ---late one night we had a rowdy Springfield game going. Patrick, Dave, Andrew, Richie, John P and me in the same game at slightly different times. Much ranting and raving. I had to apologize to the shift manager --- yeah, these are some of my guys.

Goldstrike has gotten better each year. Room is redone from last fall and now has 16 tables (with 4 more as January overflow) with new tables and chairs. No slot machines in or near the room.

Grand has continued its multi year slide into shabbyness. Tables, chairs, and the whole room etc are all worn and used up. Staff is weird and dealers are kinda bad and cranky. Much backbiting and complaining. Very sad to see this decline, but its almost over. Robert McGovern is the new manager. He will be opening a new smaller snazzy room downstairs next month. Only 14 tables compared to their current 20 or so. Hope the downsize lets him fire some of the bad apples and hire different better staff.

I did not play at Sams or Hollywood this year. A token visit every 5 years or so is about right. Steve and Brandon did go over and were probably underwhelmed.


Favorite Dealer - A Repeat Winner !!!! Its the lovely Brandy of the Horseshoe midnight shift. She didn't deal me three winners in a row like last year - or deal me into any +$400 sessions like a previous trip. But, its a pleasure when she taps into your table. An excellent dealer, great mechanics, fast, funny, and great with people. Really moves the game along. All the locals and regulars really like her too. Oftentimes she stays and plays in the game after her shift, so she sees the game from a players perspective too. A real sparkplug with a million dollar personality. She goes to Las Vegas for the first time next month - so there will sure be some good stories next year.

Bet Into Weakness - A very odd situation that I had never seen before. I'm on the button in seat 10 with a 78 of spades. Three limpers to me so I call. Small blind folds and we take the flop 5 handed. Flop has a high red card and some other odd cards - a complete miss for me. Big blind checks, the three limpers check and I check. The dealer then says check. The big blind then checks again as do the 3 limpers again in turn. At this point I should BET! But instead (being a poker rules nerd) I stop the action and ask the dealer about it. He then says everyone has already checked the flop and he puts out the turn card. All check to me and THIS time I bet and win the pot.

Homer's Odyssey - A nice older local player named Homer plays at Horseshoe all the time. He will play for 2 days straight then be back in another day or so. He has a great time playing 4-8 and seems to have lots of money. Homer likes to play a lot of hands. He favors low cards over high ones. Says he never gets high cards and cant win with them when he does get them.

I got to play two big hands with him on this trip;
First hand I have KK in late position. Homer raises in front of me, I re-raise and the button 4 bets behind me. Flop is K 8 2. Homer checks, I bet, button raises and all call. Turn is a 5. Homer checks, I check, button bets out, Homer calls and I raise. Button says "I knew it" and calls. I assure him --we probably have the same hand. Homer calls. River is a 4 and Homer bets out. WOW. Well, he could have 67 for a straight and I don't want to raise out the button, so I just call and the button calls too. A big pot. Homer shows a 3 - 6 for a "double inside runner-runner straight"
Second hand I have KJ in late position. Homer is the button and raises. I call and the flop comes K88. I bet and Homer raises and I call. Turn is a J. I check, Homer bets and I call. River is a K. WOW! I bet and Homer almost raises me. I turn over the worlds fair and Homer shows 8 5.

The next day at another table, I win a pot with a Ten Dollar bill and Homer hands me 10 white chips and wants to buy the bill. I say ok and he tells the table he is going to take the ten spot and go find a hooker. I bite my lip, another player spits beer out his nose and the female dealer screams. Homer walks off and is back in a few minutes mumbling about how young people have no respect for money these days.

More Horseshoe Action - I'm in a very quiet tight game with some skilled players. The gal next to me plays a lot tighter than I do. I ask for a table change to a table where I see some bad players with lots of chips. Jack B is next on the list so he gets my seat. About that time the gals boyfriend takes her seat and he is a wild player. He is taking a break from higher stakes games and wants to GAMBOOOL it up at low stakes. Another player at the table joins in and then another of his friends shows up and it changes the table completely. Jack B is now unhappy to be playing at table with "3 Randys". Jack moves to my table and is replaced with another high stakes player trying to blow off 200 or 300 white chips on max action - cap every street - whoop it up poker. Bold Brandon B later gets a seat at this table and does ok while having some big swings.
Jack and I are at a really good table, with big pots and bad players. Jack loses a hand or two and is down to his last chip. All in for ONE more! He wins that pot and another -- and another --- and a half hour later he has 500 in front of him

I'm So Easy - Its our last night in Tunica. Dave and Mike want to stay longer. They ask; "Cmon, can we stay another day and night?" Well, ok, I guess we can stay another night here. haha Twist my arm guys.


I miss Tunica already --- when can we go again?