Tunica Trip Report

I left for Tunica just before 8am and pulled into town around noon. I checked out the Gold Strike and the Horseshoe Casinos. Apparently at one time they were together but split apart, probably right around the time that Binion's was bought by Harrah's Entertainment.

When Trip and I had to get a Harrah's Total Rewards card to play in the 7pm tournament, they asked if I had a Harrah's card already and I said yes, I used to play in Kansas City. The woman told me that I had also gotten one at the Rio, but SHE DIDN'T KNOW HOW TO PRONOUNCE THE NAME "RIO." I told her it was a really nice place, she might think about visiting it sometime. She could also try the city in Brazil. Or any river.

Before Trip and surf arrived I played at the Gold Strike poker room. A decent small room that had a NL game going with a list, a O8b limit game going with a full table, and a couple of people trying to get the $3/$6 limit holdem game going. I sat at the table and a few minutes later we got the game started. One guy said he had been waiting for TWO HOURS for the game to start. Then he busted (ok, it was vs. me) in about 20 minutes and left.

Eventually the table filled up and I got what I had been waiting for. I pretty much only play live poker anymore to hear something that I haven't heard before at the table, and it seems like I am always rewarded for my efforts. A guy sitting to my right lost a pretty big pot to a little old lady who made her boat on the river to beat his straight. He let out a very frustrated "Nice catch, mom." You gotta love it when relatives (called "kin" down here) sit at the same poker table. With his tone, he might have said "Nice catch, donkey" if his mother hadn't been the opponent. I might have thought they were colluding if they didn't get heads up a lot, with him trying to bluff her every time, and her calling him down EVERY TIME. I think she finally busted him when her queen high was good.

I putzed around playing crap cards and frustrating the table when they connected until Trip and surf showed up around 4pm. I cashed out and met them downstairs. I had bought in for $100 and added a buck from my pocket to cash out that same $100. After four hours of poker I was down $1. All the dealer's tokes flashed through my head...there went my profit.

After a nice dinner of taco soup, prime rib, potatoes and cheesecake (ask for the special - it's not on the menu) the three of us made it to the 7pm Bounty Tournament at the Horseshoe. $130 buy in gets you T2000 and pays for your $25 bounty. Blinds began at 25/25 and were 30 minutes long until the first break after round three, then 20 minute rounds. The structure seemed fine, you could fold to the first break and be in okay shape. 52 or so players started.

I managed to win a decent pot (and a $25 bounty) when I called a shorty's all in with 55 when his AJ failed to connect, but gave it right back in the next hand when my set of threes lost to 77 which was all-in on the 8-high flop and made a runner-runner straight.

I made it to round 5 when my all in with AQ failed to improve against a caller's TT. Jax went out soon after me, I didn't see the hand. He outlasted me but I won a bounty and he didn't.

Surflexus, however, made it to the final table which started paying at 10 players ($100 for a net loss even if you won a bounty.) Surf made it down to 4 players left when the chip leader offered an even chop if he got the bounties ($75.) Surf was in fourth chip position and got second place money, he definitely got the best of the deal.