Lucky's Biloxi Trip

Gaming Trip Summary:

I planned to stay 7 nights in Biloxi-area (to include D'Iberville) casinos, but the terrible storm that (subsequently) destroyed Louisianna was at Mobile, between me and home when I was supposed to leave. Scarlet Pearl graciously gave me an extra (free) night, allowing me to miss the worst of the weather on my return trip home. On my first full day in Biloxi I arrived early one morning to gamble at SPearl, only to find roulette, baccarat, and 4 BJ tables (which I never play). Pit opened MS Stud for me, closing one of the 3 empty BJ tables. I played (mostly) heads up with the dealer for several hours. I lost my shirt, lost my shoes, lost one sock. Painful. Then, I got a royal flush (no 50-to-1 Trips bet) with a 500-to-1 payout on my $5 Blind bet for $2,500. I played mostly even with Biloxi casinos the rest of my trip, so that gave me a small profit once all the smoke cleared. I mostly played UTH and MS Stud (no Mr Stud!), but also played some 3-Card Poker and some Pai-Gow Poker. Beau had a $10 Pai-Gow Poker game, but other casinos have higher minimums. (Ummm... Can you tell, I'm a "Bottom-Feeder"?) SPearl and ImpPalace have $15 Pai-Gow Poker, and (I think) GNug is even higher (but the table is never open when I visit). Boomtown recently got High Card Flush and MS Stud. I seldom play the MS Stud Trips bet, but when I do, I tell the dealer, "We split the proceeds." Got quads one time and had a VERY happy dealer, "This is the first time I dealt quads, and I'm in the pot!" Too cool. At HardRock If all UTH players fold (which happens more often if few players are at the table), they never see the dealer cards (because it slows the game, so sez the casino). But, at least the dealer doesn't always get the first hand, which makes me wonder sometimes about the fairness of the shuffle machines at some of the other casinos. Beau is too upscale to have drink-holders on table games. (Even GNug finally convinced Tilman Fertita, the VERY opinionated owner, to add them because of never-ending spilled drinks.) At one (unnamed) casino, the dealer told me dealer pay starts at $4.25 per hour plus 10 cents extra (per hour) for each game s/he can deal. Annual raise is 10 to 15 cents per hour. Base pay often is not enough to cover all the withholding on the total earnings (incl. shared tips). That dealer planned to become a pit boss soon, as pit boss pay starts at $26.50 per hour. At the Beau, one table had a lit sign showing min/max bets, with a scrolling message along the bottom of the sign. But, the sign had the default message from the sign company and kept telling people what a great way this was to reinforce customer interest. Ho-hum. (No more Biloxi trips until AFTER college football season.)

Note: If you never travel to Biloxi-area casinos, you can skip the rest.

Casino Hotel Notes:

Beau Rivage: Last nite of BraVeau show resulted in a casino overflowing with children, many adults unfamiliar with this (or any) casino, and long lines at food venues. Perhaps exacerbated by the fact that school started the following day, so this was the end of summer vacation. Same occurs when the "Shuckers" baseball team plays at home, as the M-Life Stadium is just across the street from the casino (and the casino's free parking garage). On a previous trip, one evening game was rained out, forcing baseball fans to escape into the dry casino with all the many children. Imagine: 10:45 pm and the buffet line was still a million miles long with upset, hungry kids that haven't eaten dinner and are up far past bedtime. Not a pretty sight, so be forewarned. No weather problem for baseball this time when I stayed at Beau, but I could see from my hotel room that the stadium was only about 20 percent full (for a week-night during the first week of school). With binoculars one could easily watch the game. Previous trips had two sizes of soap in Beau hotel rooms, a small bar (hand soap) and a bigger bar (bath size), but this time there was only one medium-sized bar of soap. Less soap and (still) only one coffee pot in the area's largest casino hotel. Sheesh!

Imperial Palace: Singer event (Dwight Youkam) filled the casino, with hotel check-in line stretching far out of the hotel desk area (and similarly long buffet line). Always try to arrive early afternoon at ImpPalace for better parking and shorter line at hotel check-in. First time I noticed the "touch-anything-in-this-well-stocked-mini-fridge-and-we'll-charge-you" had been replaced by an empty, clean, working mini-fridge. But, ImpPalace rooms are showing wear (towel holder about to fall out of wall in my room) and electronic keys are sometimes VERY fussy if they work at all. (By contrast, Beau does not reuse electronic hotel keys because tossing used key cards virtually eliminates guests having problems with non-working keys.) Also, when you turn on the TV in the ImpPalace hotel room, it starts with the volume at its highest level. So rude!

Scarlet Pearl: First time staying in the hotel, and I loved it. Electric floor-to-ceiling blinds in every room (according to staff), big & very functional bath rooms (unlike GNug), roomy, and well-designed with lots of counter space. Also, USA Today newspapers for guests (also done by ImpPalace and maybe Harrahs Gulfcoast). As part of training, new employees at SPearl (they were all new) stayed overnight in the (at-that-time unopened) hotel, with the assignment to identify any problems and to suggest any improvements. Few buses come to the SPearl. When buses do come, they are almost always "day-trip" visitors ("...with no luggage!" moan the Bell Hops). Lots of buses often means long lines at food venues and at the cashier, especially just before the bus leaves. Fewer buses are good, IMHO.

Other Notes:

If you get a discount buffet offer and plan to use it some morning, be aware that breakfast buffets are not available at several casinos, including Palace Casino, Boomtown Casino, and Scarlet Pearl Casino. Margaritaville, the new hotel-resort, located across the street from Harrahs Gulfcoast and next door to the Golden Nugget, has no casino. But a mom & her kids reported spending the whole day there, and all agreed the monster-sized game room was great fun and the food was good. There is also a water park on the property, but admission is only available to hotel guests, so they didn't get to use it. But they reported it looked like it would also be a lot of fun.

Hard rock usually has 5 dollar pai gow-
Below is a picture from the rooms at scarlet pearl- although new / didn't feel they were anything above a standard Marriott or Hilton level at best

https://imgur.com/a/upifC

You can do $3 carnival games at treasure bay

I think I remember playing double jokers or something like that at the 1 dollar denom level just killing time

Quote: Wizardofnothing

rooms at scarlet pearl- although new / didn't feel they were anything above a standard Marriott or Hilton level at best

WoN,

If I recall correctly, you gave good marks to Hard Rock rooms. And, I guess, mediocre marks to rooms at Scarlet Pearl. Seems your standards for both dining and lodging are higher than mine.

Have you stayed at Beau Rivage, Imperial Palace, or Golden Nugget? If so, I'd sure like to get your opinion on how rooms at those properties stack up.

Hey, everybody else! If you have an opinion about Biloxi casino dining and lodging options, don't be shy about weighing in, OK?

Lucky

Scarlett pearls food was terrible- maybe the pho was ok but everything else awful

Golden nugget rooms were ok maybe a notch above pearl. - beau was similar to bellagio but not AS NICE food was best at hard rock second best at beau- third golden nugget - then island view then pearl then ip. In fairness ip is an older property so I didn't even bother checking the rooms out.
Scarlett pearl is ok because it is new but once it gets older I think they die- Everything about it is terrible imo- To get to the pool you have to WALK through valet. The elevators are very slow. They have almost zero shopping- they had a small pop up gift shop. And the coffee shop was the worst I have ever been to- Not even fresh squeezed oj.

Scarlett pearls food was terrible- maybe the pho was ok but everything else awful

Golden nugget rooms were ok maybe a notch above pearl. - beau was similar to bellagio but not AS NICE food was best at hard rock second best at beau- third golden nugget - then island view then pearl then ip. In fairness ip is an older property so I didn't even bother checking the rooms out.
Scarlett pearl is ok because it is new but once it gets older I think they die- Everything about it is terrible imo- To get to the pool you have to WALK through valet. The elevators are very slow. They have almost zero shopping- they had a small pop up gift shop. And the coffee shop was the worst I have ever been to- Not even fresh squeezed oj.

Quote: LuckyPhow

WoN,

If I recall correctly, you gave good marks to Hard Rock rooms. And, I guess, mediocre marks to rooms at Scarlet Pearl. Seems your standards for both dining and lodging are higher than mine.

Have you stayed at Beau Rivage, Imperial Palace, or Golden Nugget? If so, I'd sure like to get your opinion on how rooms at those properties stack up.

Hey, everybody else! If you have an opinion about Biloxi casino dining and lodging options, don't be shy about weighing in, OK?

Lucky

I haved stayed in suites @ HR and GN within the last year two (Beau Rivage when it opened but don't remember much of the rooms) I thought the rooms were modern and nice at both places. I liked the HR buffett, GN had good places to eat like Lilies it's good.

Axel you can probably confirm- any thoughts on the coffee shop at Scarlett pearl?

Scarlet Pearl Oak Tree cafe near the casino entrance.is excellent. Good food, fair prices, large portions. Not sure how you had a bad meal there. Think I've eaten there 3 times, was very pleased with all.

Noodle bar was not to my liking. Disliked their spices and their selection. Only gave them one chance, though. Very cilantro and lemongrass heavy, Thai rather than broader Asian choices.

Treasure Bay had $2 Mississippi Stud when I was there recently. That was a fun game.

Beau Rivage had a $5 craps game with an old-looking layout that had no ATS bet like the other tables. They were requiring $5 minimum bets on the ATS, which seemed excessive for a center bet.

For a casino breakfast joint to use fountain for orange juice is crazy, their menu was extremely limited and they pancakes were even worse - service was so-so .
The coffee was awful as well. I stayed there for 16 days straight and by the third day I was taking cabs places just to go eat somewhere else

Quote: RonC

Treasure Bay had $2 Mississippi Stud when I was there recently. That was a fun game.

Beau Rivage had a $5 craps game with an old-looking layout that had no ATS bet like the other tables. They were requiring $5 minimum bets on the ATS, which seemed excessive for a center bet.

Yes, the $2 MS Stud at Treasure Bay is great, and I often try to go there early mornings before other casinos open games I like to play. I didn't do it during my recent trip because, with no parking garage, the hot summer sun is too toasty for "stuff" in my car trunk.

Beau with a $5 craps game?!?! Must say, I didn't look too closely on my last trip to Biloxi. But, the table(s) usually seemed to be VERY full of players. When I have looked at min bet amount at Beau craps table(s), I do not recall seeing anything less than $10 since before Katrina. This is great news.

Quote: Wizardofnothing

For a casino breakfast joint to use fountain for orange juice is crazy, their menu was extremely limited and they pancakes were even worse - service was so-so .
The coffee was awful as well. I stayed there for 16 days straight and by the third day I was taking cabs places just to go eat somewhere else

WoN,

Hmmm... I thought the breakfast menu was about average; nothing special (good or bad). My eggs and sausage, etc. was also about average; nothing special (good or bad). IMHO, it's had to screw up a basic breakfast. Yes, service could have been a bit more "snappy." Of course, the Under the Oak Cafe -- Scarlet Pearl's 24/7 diner -- is not under any oak. Instead, a monstrous, make-believe oak graces part of the venue. Ho-hum.

Harrahs Gulfcoast has a 24/7 Steak-n-Shake, which I have found to serve a satisfactory breakfast (but, I dunno about the OJ). The Palace -- AAA 4 Diamond -- has its Staked Grill, but it's only open 24 hours on Friday & Saturday. Breakfast there was OK. In my experience, the place mostly stays empty. And, again, I'm clueless about the OJ (which I generally consider overpriced for the small portion size).

Do you have a list of Biloxi "breakfast joints" that use fresh-squeezed OJ and ones that use less-satisfactory ("fountain" or -- gawd ferbid -- from concentrate) OJ? At home I drink the not-from-concentrate "fresh" OJ that comes in (approx.) half-gallon cartons, and I think it's durn tasty. But, I confess to having an easily satisfied palate. (Heck, I'm the guy who enjoys breakfast at Waffle House.)

Seems to me most restaurants would not have fresh-squeezed OJ. If you haven't researched this yet, I might on my next Biloxi trip.

Lucky (...the data guy and wanna-be stat guy)

Quote: LuckyPhow

Beau with a $5 craps game?!?! Must say, I didn't look too closely on my last trip to Biloxi. But, the table(s) usually seemed to be VERY full of players. When I have looked at min bet amount at Beau craps table(s), I do not recall seeing anything less than $10 since before Katrina. This is great news.

I was shocked to find the $5 game at the Beau, especially since the $10 tables were packed. It was a strange table--it just seemed so old. It was almost like the felt was brought out of storage so the ATS bet would not be on the layout. Also, the Hard Rock and Harrah's Gulf Coast both had only $10 games; that made it even weirder to find a $5 game at the Beau. There were few good rolls in any of my play on this trip to Biloxi; we lost 50% of our bankroll on the entire trip.

In honesty I'm probably spoiled - coming from philly and living in New York for 8 years the food scene is amazing and I'm definitely a good person so my critiques are probably a lot more critical then most. I look for more then average - I definitely take advantage of the comps so that's why I am prolly more choosy as well- that said Half shell at hard rock gets my best overall restaurant in Biloxi (in a casino)

Why would anyone want to drink orange juice anyway? Almost no nutritional value (yah yah vitamin c) and loaded with almost as much sugar and calories as a can of soda. I guess standard US breakfast is to put the fattiest meats, potatoes (again almost worthless) and a cholesterol bomb on a plate and that's a great start to the day!

First - I agree about Half Shell. Good menu, good service - whether it's in the Hard Rock or not.

I always found the rooms at the Palace to be more than acceptable - except the fridge was never cold unless you pulled it out and turned it to the lowest setting yourself. The internet speed was also limited - couldn't stream anything when I wanted a break.

The food there at The Palace - to me, it's great - but there are a lot of places I haven't tried. If it's not broken, why fix it?

The gumbo at the Beau Rivage - it's just disgustingly bad. At the Palace, it's passable. The imperial Palace - in the High Tide cafe - their gumbo is fantastic. Exceptional - and I should know, I've made 1000's of gallons of gumbo- literally.

Scarlet Pearl's gumbo is also very good.

I have a couple of rooms at Scarlet and Treasure Bay, so I may try them out to compare.

The only place I have ever stayed in Biloxi is the Beau, around a dozen times or so. But the last two times we have gone to MS, we have taken time out to go over to the Island View in Gulfport. It just reopened after a big remodel, and it is a nice place, with a good vibe both times we have been there.

My wife played mostly Pai Gow at low stakes, and I just farted around at a few games and did not bother getting a player card. But my wife has been getting plenty of offers for free rooms and food credits. Not much, but frankly, her level of play is so small any offer is a shock. Quite a few $5 games when we have been there, during the weekdays.

I have NEVER seen a $5 craps game at Beau in all of the times I have been there. One pit had told me they never run a $5 game, nor a $15 game. $10 and $25 was the only 2 games they ran.
Was it the crapless craps table you saw? The demand for the crapless table runs very hot and cold. Sometimes it is packed, and other times the dealers must feel like they have the plague.

Quote: RaleighCraps

I have NEVER seen a $5 craps game at Beau in all of the times I have been there. One pit had told me they never run a $5 game, nor a $15 game. $10 and $25 was the only 2 games they ran.

Was it the crapless craps table you saw? The demand for the crapless table runs very hot and cold. Sometimes it is packed, and other times the dealers must feel like they have the plague.

No, it was a regular table. Shocked me, too. I have stayed there on mostly weeknights at non-busy times of the year and have only ever seen $10 and $25. Even the Crapless was $10 when I saw it (I did not look this time). To find a $5 game during the summer was very surprising given the summer traffic there. I also did not see it open the first night we were there so who knows how often they offer the $5 game.

Hard Rock had no one playing on a $10 table in early evening; Harrah's had very few playing on a $10 table in the late afternoon. Beau had two other pretty full tables. One was $10, not sure about the third one.

We also visited "Island View"--did not like it all that much--on the trip.

Island view had or has a problem with bed bugs I would warn to stay away from the rooms there