Results from Tunica

My last post was just before my trip to Tunica, MS and I was very excited to be making the trip. I did have a good time, although I think I found the limit to the amount of time I can spend at the poker table before it starts to seem like work. I arrived at the Grand on Friday morning after spending 4 hours on the road. I registered for the noon WSOP Circuit $300 NLHE tournament and had a couple of hours to nap before it started. I played fairly well for the first several levels (40 min levels). I really can't blame the cards, as I had pocket pairs at least 8 times in the first 4 hours. The problem was that I either had the second best hand each time or had the only decent hand and couldn't get paid off. I lasted nearly 6 hours and finished around 300 in a field of 1,000. I was disappointed that I didn't make it to the money (paid top 72), but all-in-all I was pleased with my play and got a decent amount of play for my money.

I left the Grand around 6 p.m. and checked into my hotel at Sam's Town. While not the most classy place in Tunica, the rooms are decent and the people in the poker room are generally friendly and better yet, not all that great. I tend to play the $3/$6 limit holdem game there and can play for 6 or 8 hours at a setting and usually come out ahead. Friday night I played until about 11 p.m. before I hit the wall and had to sleep (I had been up since before 3:00 a.m. to make the drive).

Saturday was a good day...I was up close to $100 at the cash game and decided to play the nightly turbo sit-n-go at Sam's Town. While the $60 entry fee is one of the most reasonable games you'll find in Tunica, the ratio of prize money to fee is terrible at $40/$20. The only reason I played in it was that it was at my hotel and I didn't feel like hunting for a game somewhere else. I couldn't get any traction early on, then came a hand that helped me get healthy. I had 77 in early position and limped. A VERY loose player min-raised from middle position, it folded back to me and I called. The door card was a 7, followed by a Jack and another 7. Of course the only challenge was to keep my heart in my chest and I checked and kept handing out the rope to the loosey until he eventually doubled me up. The ironic part of the story is that they paid the top 9 or 10 and I went out 18th, losing to the wife of loosey.

When the dust settled, my trip was break even other than the WSOP $300 tourney on Day #1. My room was cheap and I ate for free all weekend. I played somewhere in the neighborhood of 40 hours in 3 days counting the tournaments and cash games.

So now it's back to work and playing online at night. So far my January has been a little better than break-even and I cleared my year-end Iron Man bonus on Full Tilt. Bring on February!

Tunica Bound

This is the week I've been waiting for since last fall. I convinced my wife that all I wanted for Christmas was a long weekend at the WSOP Circuit event in Tunica, MS...and to play in one or two of the smaller events. I originally planned to be there today (wed) to play in the limit omaha hi/lo event #8, although a conflict at work kept me from making it for that one. So, I will be there for four glorious nights starting this Friday. I am planning to play in event #11, and if things go well (ie, I cash) then I will play in another, possible event #13 on Sunday/Monday.

As I stated in previous posts, I play regularly online but live action is what I crave. I made the trip to Tunica last winter, but only as an observer. I arrived too late to sign up for the $300 buy-in tourney, and was not confident enough in my game to pay $500+. The trip was still a lot of fun. I watched a few hours at the Grand (railed the Devil Fish and the Grinder for a while) and spent some time at the Gold Strike (the WPT is there at the same time), where I saw many more players I regularly watch on TV. The rest of my time was spent in the Sam's Town poker room where I like to play the $3/$6 game.

I'm still developing the game plan for my weekend and may play it by ear depending on how my first tourney goes and what else I run across while I'm there. Regardless, I know I'm going to have a great time.