first trip to tunica questions

In a few weeks, I'll be visiting Tunica for the first time.

CBJN has given me the basic info I need in order to choose which casinos to visit,
but any further input from those who have played there would be appreciated.

Questions:
1) How busy will the tables be Fri night, Sat. afternoon, Sat. night?
2) Will the games listed at $10 min. in CBJN be $25 min. when busy?
3) How much heat should I expect relative to Vegas (For shoe, DD, SD), say on a scale of 1-10 where B*rbary is 10 and 1 is where they know you count but don't care so long as you don't spread green in DD over 1-4.
4) Will they comp anything with av. bet between $25-$50, if only 2 hrs. total play/day?
5) Any restaurant/buffet suggestions? Any dim sum there?
6) If the bj tables are too busy, where are the hold'em players the worst?
7) Finally, any advice on driving from Memphis airport to Tunica(I'm assuming Winchester to 3rd to 61)?

Thanks in advance.

Plenty of $10 minimums on the weekends. Last time I was in Tunica the Goldstrike was all $25 at the SD and DD tables. Fitzgeralds had excellent penetration. I played many hours at Samstown with no heat. No heat at the Shoe either. I felt paranoia while playing at Fitzgeralds so I didn't stay long, but did well.

1) How busy will the tables be Fri night, Sat. afternoon, Sat. night?

They stay pretty busy. On most weekends, half of Memphis heads to Tunica.

2) Will the games listed at $10 min. in CBJN be $25 min. when busy?

Depends where you play. I have seen some stores do that. Shop around, although, unlike LV, you will have to drive or take a trolley in order to do that.

3) How much heat should I expect relative to Vegas (For shoe, DD, SD), say on a scale of 1-10 where B*rbary is 10 and 1 is where they know you count but don't care so long as you don't spread green in DD over 1-4.

S*ms T*wn, G*ld Str*ke, H*llyw**d all get sweaty for green action. Keep sessions short and you should be okay. Same for the Shoe, but the pit won't be the one to worry about - it's the eye that'll get you.

4) Will they comp anything with av. bet between $25-$50, if only 2 hrs. total play/day?

$25 - $50 will easily get you a buffet dinner at most places. (don't be afraid to ask for two dinners if you have your SO with you).

5) Any restaurant/buffet suggestions? Any dim sum there?

The buffet at the H*rsesh*e is absolutely excellent. Trust me on that.

6) If the bj tables are too busy, where are the hold'em players the worst?

Can't help you on that question - I don't play poker.

7) Finally, any advice on driving from Memphis airport to Tunica(I'm assuming Winchester to 3rd to 61)?

You can pick up Interstate 55 and go south to Hernando, then head west to the Casinos. If take the Highway 61 route, be very careful going through south Memphis late at night.

Good luck.

Regards,
drumz1

Depends on what level. I win more at the Grand 4/8

Tunica is very busy on weekends, as sammy boy said the horse shoe is the best in town,play green and ask for anything you want,the shoe has plenty sd and dd $10 min, by far the best food in town,grand has sd and dd $10 min,sheraton best rooms in town,but not the best games,fitz is a low rollers heaven,lots of $5 dd,food is not very good, goldstrike, good food,games so so dealer dependent, with heat on black play,sams town lots of heat for green play,hollywood the same.keep sessions short and spread moderately you will be okay,hope you enjoy your trip to tunica and good luck.

Not sure on this one...
If taking I-55 south from Memphis...I would recommend taking exit 289 (Goodman Rd.) or exit 287 (Church Road) all the way across and then following Hwy-61 the rest of the way.
I believe this is a faster way then taking I-55 all the way down to the Hernando exit....but again I'm not absolutely positive here.

Also, I would still recommend taking I-240 around to I-55 north to Hwy-61 south and just following it all the way down. The South Memphis area on 61 isn't that much to be scared about in my opinion. Now East Memphis, that's another story....
Taking Winchester over to Hwy 61 should work fine imo although you will have a few lights along the way.

Additional thoughts - Decent $10 SD is very tough to come by on the weekends. All of Memphis shows up. G.S. and S.T. will raise all SD table mins to $25.
Only $10 SD on weekends is Bally's, H.S. and Grand and all tables will be packed. You'll only get 1 rd to 5 at Bally's and Grand for most of the weekend. H.S. at least deals to 2 rounds to their packed tables making it barely better although not really tolerable.

For decent play on the weekends you will have to do one of the following
1. Forget about the SD and play the ample DD and shoes. Decent $10 DD tables will be easy to find (or $5 DD at Fitz)
2. Play at odd hours (3a-10a for SD)
3. Play at quarter tables (which can still be crowded for SD but aren't nearly as bad as $10 tables).

The casinos are always busy on weekends, nights are worse. If you want a little peace, sleep till midnight or so and then hit the tables around 2AM and play on. You'll be lucky to get a spot playing between 9PM and midnight...could be wrong, but the places I've seen and played recently were wall to wall people late at night.

Ask the rental car folks how to get to Tunica, they've already been asked that question at least 9 bazillion times. Winchester to 61 sounds ok...you can of course go visit Elvis enroute or on the return.

The attached link provides all you need to know about Tunica, of pertinent value to you is the map of the gaming area. The casinos are in clusters and are a few miles apart, trying to find the correct turns in the dark can be daunting. You don't always have to drive back to highway 61 to hit the next cluster.

The Regional Map will give you what you need from the airport. The Casino Area Map will tell you exactly where the casinos are and how to get to them. You'd be wise on your first trip to print the maps!

Good luck!

Regards,
Wildcard

Are you as good at investing in any NASDAQ funds?