Tunica Blackjack

I was wondering if anyone here plays much in Tunica. I've never had much luck finding great games most are H17 No Surrender and the 2 deck games seem few and far between unless they are higher minimums.

Not much you can do then except tell the casino manager to leave the vault open for you. Tunica is mainly a Memphis crowd and even though there are junket flights and the like from Atlanta, Myrtle Beach and Orlando, its still mainly low-level action. By the way, any casino offering single deck or double deck games these days tends to watch them like a hawk.

Those games still beat the heck out of any alternative table games. So they're off a few tenths from a great $100 game - BFD. You going to go play craps and lose 10 times as much?

I haven't been in a while but the last time I was there the best games were at Sam's Town, Gold Strike, and Harrah's. (I think maybe Fitz's, too, I can't remember.) These were what I like to call "El Cortez" games -- Single Deck, Dealer hits Soft 17, no surrender, no re-split aces, no double after split. House edge of 0.18% optimal. The minimum on all of these games is $25. You may play more than one spot at the minimum. Cut card use is variable.

I just made my first visit to a blackjack table in Tunica. $5 minimum, dealer hits soft 17, no surrender, and you could double after a split. I played for around four hours and left up $100. Not great bu not to bad considering it was my first time at a blackjack table. Now I'm planning my return trip. I'm going to try wizards ace and five count method and see what happens.

Resorts has a 2 deck pitch game for as cheap as $5. H17, no surrender, DOA, DAS, but hell, for $5, you can't expect much more in Tunica. They also have a 6 deck shoe game with the same rules for $3 minimum. And late last year, they were offering 2 to 1 Suited Blackjacks on it weekdays until 6 PM. I played the pitch game for 90 minutes...halfass counted..."oh bunch of small cards on the first hand of the shoe? I'll bet bigger now please." I failed to get any blackjack, but somehow broke even.

I was playing a GoldStrike. I may have to check resorts out next trip. Thanks for the info. Seems hard to find much about Tunica on the net. I'm new to all of this so I'm reading and trying to learn all I can. I'm about a three hours drive from Tunica so I'm definately close enough for regular visits. Do you know anything about how freely the casinos in Tunica give comps? I've read that with a $300 buy in you could get a room and dinner comped at GoldStrike. That info was a year or so old though. I figure they have probably made some changes since then.

I really dunno about comps too well there since I am a super low roller, but from what I have read, they are more generous than most casino areas.

I'm a low roller myself. Probably not big enough to ever get on their radar. Next time I go I'm going to buy in higher and see what happens. I do know the Sat morning that I played a guy set down next to me placed several hundred dollars of chips on the rack played $5 and $10 hands for about 20 minutes and asked for breakfast for him and his wife and the pit boss gave it to them. I wished I would have asked and seen what they said.

Quote: Mikey75

I'm a low roller myself. ... I wished I would have asked and seen what they said.

Tunica is a strange market. For some reason you have to ask for comps but you will get them if you have a pulse. Literally, its almost that easy. You do not have to be a high roller or even a medium roller. Even an ULTRA-LOW roller should at least ASK for a meal comp after having had ANY action at all. Its just a market that for some reason happens to work that way. Shoes unshined, wallet a bit thin ... so what. Ask for a comp.

Thanks for the reply!! I read where someone posted a review from 2012 and said they bought at $800 and was assigned a host. Ended up getting a room comped and meals comped. From there review they didn't gamble big at all. I hope to make a trip back the first of next month. I'm going to see if I can get a meal and a room lol. Worst case senerio is that I have to end up going to Expedia for a $79 weekend room. GoldStrike is $39 to $49 during the week.

Quote: FleaStiff

Tunica is a strange market. For some reason you have to ask for comps but you will get them if you have a pulse. Literally, its almost that easy. You do not have to be a high roller or even a medium roller. Even an ULTRA-LOW roller should at least ASK for a meal comp after having had ANY action at all. Its just a market that for some reason happens to work that way. Shoes unshined, wallet a bit thin ... so what. Ask for a comp.

Yeah, I have asked for two comps in Tunica before and got them both times even though I really, really, really didn't deserve one of them.

One from the Horseshoe Poker Room for a buffet after 90 minutes of play (they typically want 3 hours), however, the rest of the casino was offering a free buffet after just earning 10 Tier Credits ($50 thru on slots and $100 on VP), but I didn't want to spend the time to earn it on their horrible VP machines. He obliged me.

The other time, I had been gambling a good chunk of the night and ran like ass at video poker at Tunica Roadhouse. I wasn't planning to ask for a comp initially, but I spent a good portion of the night talking to a guy who comp-whored video poker all over the Midwest/Mid-South and my play rate slowed significantly due to talking, losing badly, and booze. Around 5 am, a host came by us since he was a Seven Star. He was down over $800 at dollars and could have asked for something if he liked, but he declined. But I took the opportunity to ask because I was somewhat annoyed that I was down almost $200 with roughly $2000 coin-in and I had spent virtually no time in my room w/my g/f where I probably should have been in the first place. At first he wanted to offer me a breakfast, but I really wanted the room comped (it was a weekday and I think I had the room booked for like ~$40). He took his time to do it, but he eventually comped it for me. Considering the game I played that night was 99.96% Deuces Wild, did I really deserve it when my theo losses before errors is $0.80? Hell no. But I have stayed there multiple times since, and my CET Win/Loss report for 2012 ended up like this because I apparently suck at their full-pay video poker machines, but I'm okay with it after that night.

Roadhouse -$439
St. Louis (home) -$353
Other Non-Vegas -$86
Vegas +145
Total -$733

Tunica Roadhouse also has a sign advertising, they will do their best to comp you generously if you ask for one.

I walked through the roadhouse while I was in Tunica but I didn't gamble there at all. I may check it out the next time I go back. I know everyone setting at the blackjack table got whatever they ask for.

I'm planning on going back to Tunica the end of April for a Thurs through Sat stay. If I go ahead and book a room for those nights do I have any chance of getting them comped backed? I was thinking about just going without booking anything and asking for a comp. What would you reccomend doing?

Its always more comfortable to have a reservation and hope to get it comped later than to deal with a desk clerk who says Full Up. I first arrived in Las Vegas without a hotel reservation... weekend too. Terrible mistake. Ten dollar rooms go fast. I've never done it again. Never.

That's what I was thinking as well. We want to stay at GoldStrike. Not the cheapest rooms in Tunica but it's connected to the casino and the place is nice. The average price is $66 a night so that's not to bad. Bally's is offering a Thursday night room for $14 I think. I've never been to Bally's and some of the online reviews aren't very good.

Quote: Mikey75

That's what I was thinking as well. We want to stay at GoldStrike. Not the cheapest rooms in Tunica but it's connected to the casino and the place is nice. The average price is $66 a night so that's not to bad. Bally's is offering a Thursday night room for $14 I think. I've never been to Bally's and some of the online reviews aren't very good.

The reviews are probably the worst in town, and also the hotel is NOT connected to the casino. The Terrace and Veranda towers at Harrah's aren't connected either, but they are hotels that are decent.

I'd like to check out the casino at Bally's but I really don't have any desire to stay in the hotel. I wish I could get there this month. They are having a blackjack tournament every Sat in March.

Quote: Mikey75

I'm planning on going back to Tunica the end of April for a Thurs through Sat stay. If I go ahead and book a room for those nights do I have any chance of getting them comped backed? I was thinking about just going without booking anything and asking for a comp. What would you reccomend doing?

I'm not the go to guy on comps but the advice here and on other forums is to charge everything to your room. Upon checkout have your play reviewed by a host and don't be bashful about asking what he can do for you. Plant the seeds for future trips at this time.

Quote: Mikey75

I'd like to check out the casino at Bally's but I really don't have any desire to stay in the hotel. I wish I could get there this month. They are having a blackjack tournament every Sat in March.

I really dunno about the blackjack rules at Bally's but they would have to be damn good for me to want to play there. The casino is probably the worst ventilated in all of Tunica to be honest and is a big smokers' haven. It's quite annoying they also have the best Super Times Pay machine in town to my knowledge...lol They should drag those machines over to Resorts instead...lol

Generally I only play at Bally's to abuse some type of promo...lol

Some feel that Tunica is such a special market that the asking must be a constant squeel or the wheel won't be greased. Others do seem content to await checkout determination as many do in other markets. One thing is absolutely certain, for some reason Tunica casinos award comps to those who speak up.

Tell us more about the STP. It's not listed on VP2Free.

I don't like the smoke so I'll just stay away from Bally's GoldStrike is smoky enough. All my clothes smelled like smoke by the time that I left there. The rooms where not smoky at all surprisingly.

Quote: Sabretom2

Tell us more about the STP. It's not listed on VP2Free.

Yeah, I didn't get to double check it again last trip because there are only 2 units and both were taken. Otherwise I would have considered reporting it, but it barely meets VPFree2 standards anyway. It's quarter level "Airport Deuces" (25/15/9/4/4/3), which by itself is 98.91%, but with the STP bet it's 99.19%.

Quote: tringlomane

Yeah, I didn't get to double check it again last trip because there are only 2 units and both were taken. Otherwise I would have considered reporting it, but it barely meets VPFree2 standards anyway. It's quarter level "Airport Deuces" (25/15/9/4/4/3), which by itself is 98.91%, but with the STP bet it's 99.19%.

Thanks.