Couple of big money blackjack tournaments on the radar.
Being an avid tournament player, I usually
hear about blackjack tournaments ahead of their advertised announcements
but I guess I am slipping, or sleeping, as got scooped and had to find out from
a billboard that GRAND CASINO is
holding a $150,000 tournament called the WILD
BILL SHOWDOWN. It will take place June 14-16 with a $400 buy-in. Don’t know
what the first place money will be. THE
FITZ is also putting an event, this one for $75,000, on June 29-30. I will
have more details on this one later. If you need more info now, call FUZZY at 662-363-8267. He
is a veritable font of info for the Fitz. I wonder if he knows where MAV is with that premium, hand-rolled
imported cigar that seems to have been overlooked.
But I did get a nice scoop on an event that will showcase
the beautiful and talented author, JACKIE
COLLINS. Jackie called me to do lunch but I was busy and did the do with
her on the phone. She was waxing delightedly on her recent trip to Australia,”dahling,
what a trip,” she said. She loves the warmth of the Aussies (and the men, of
course) and did lots of book signings for her new book, which is set in a
casino and will be launched on June 26th in the USA . It’s
called DROP DEAD BEAUTIFUL and written with her usual formula, trashy
with celebrity fantasy, but this time it’s mixed with Godfather justice. Her recurring
character, Lucky, is back with a vengeance. After Jackie, I call her Jack, does
the TODAY
SHOW she will fly to Tunica to appear at a public signing event on June
30th at BLUESVILLE, which
has yet to be announced. Maybe I’ll have time then to do lunch or at least have
my people lunch with her people.
Here is another tournament that leaves me in the dark. TUNICA NATIONAL, which has a creative
bent when it comes to marketing the golf course, is putting on an “A NIGHT IN THE DARK” golf scramble on
Friday June 29 at 9 p.m. Great idea, a little weird but unique. Heck, I can’t
find my ball in the daytime so maybe I will have better luck with a glowing
golf ball. The four-man pick- your- team event will have free food, free beer,
glow balls, flashlights, insect repellent and unspecified safety equipment:
maybe helmets and seeing-eye dogs. The entry fee is only $40 per player and
there will be a 19th hole Karaoke party. Only 15 teams can enter so
call now 662-357-0777. On FATHER’S DAY, the golf and tennis club,
will hold a brunch in Murphey’s Grill that will cost pop only $14.95 for
himself and $6.95 for the kids 5-12. Under fives eat free. And there is still
time to join the CHAMPIONS CLUB for
only twenty bucks. The golf benefits are too much to list here so check out the
advertisement in this issue on Tunica National.
Thanks for the nice letter, GEORGE STADLER. I know only a few thousand of your closest friends
got one but to be counted among them by the new GM at SAM’S TOWN is just fine with this scribe. George told me about 3
months ago it would take that long to get a complete picture on the casino and
things that have to be done. He isn’t sharing everything, it is a competitive
business after all, but he did write me to say that while the crew there will
continue with exceptional guest services and southern hospitality, there are
some new things. Such as self-service kiosks located throughout the property
where you can get your own comps and cash back so you can comp yourself from
earned points at SMOKEY JOE’S, THE GREAT
BUFFET and the snack bar just by giving your Prime Rewards card to the
cashier. And there are now special check-in lines at the hotel for not only
Chairman’s club members but also VIP members as well. A nice perk that is
expanded.
CASINO AZTAR,
just up the road apiece on I-55 from Memphis
looks like it will be soon run by ISLE
OF CAPRI, INC. The St. Louis-based Corporation
has agreed to buy the riverboat for $45 million.
Speaking of the Isle, the one in Lula, MS has
taken on a new look for its CORAL REEF casino,
adjacent to the Palm Terrace casino. Lot of folks don’t realize there are two
casinos operating under the Isle of Capri flag located just before you cross
the Mississippi River bridge to Helena, AR. GM JOSE OAKLEY and his staff put a lot of time and money into
giving the Reef a distinct look and it
was completed just recently when we visited there. Lot’s
of new stuff. The re-opening also
coincides with the 7th birthday of the casino and if you help
celebrate it, you just might win one of two RV camper trailers or some John
Deere rider mowers in July. For more information or reservations, call 1-800-THE-ISLE.
Happy to hear that old friend, TOM SMITH
is now director of casino operations and not only has the slots under his
supervision but table games as well. Also new at the Isle, is JOSH LeDUFF. A former Harrah’s
employee, he is enthusiastically running casino marketing now as senior
director. Did you know that the Isle in Lula has hunting and fishing packages available?
Look for a feature on this amenity in a coming issue of Jackpot. By the way,
the poker room has been moved to a great location in the mezzanine where the high
limit room used to be. It is perched overlooking the casino floor and also has
a nice vintage oak bar.
SOUTHLAND GAMING
& RACING also has a new poker room. It has eight POKER PRO tables and two where players can go head-to-head. They
tell us it is the first fully automated poker room in the USA. No dealers
but a manager is expected to be named soon. Listen to the Southland Report
every Saturday morning on the Goodtimes Radio show at 10:05 on WMC790 AM. Also
new, REGGIE BURT as director of
marketing.
You still have time to enter the $100,000 Three Card Poker
tournament at PEARL RIVER RESORT. It
ends on July 8. If that is not enough reason to visit this fabulous Choctaw
built and manger resort, how about a
trip with the family to GEYSER FALLS
WATERPARK there. It is the region’s top watermark attraction. It is also
just up the road from the nationally acclaimed DANCING RABBIT GOLF CLUB, with its stunning clubhouse and two
separate picturesque courses. And don’t forget, every Tuesday there is $5,000
blackjack tournament and every Thursday a $5,000 dice tournament. CALL
866-44PEARL.
Which do you like better? Meeting room A,B,C,D,E,F,G or the
Live Oak ballroom, the Tupelo, the Magnolia, the
Cypress and the
Dogwood meeting rooms. Great new names at the GOLD STRIKE which has renovated more than 30,000 square feet of
flexible meeting space and feels the new names reflect its southern hospitality
spirit. Tried the seafood buffet at JOE
MALONEY’S new look buffet the Gold Strike just last week and about the only
thing not on the line was shark and
humpback whale. Talk about a selection, wow. And whole lobsters to boot if you
can’t get enough of the unlimited crab legs, clams, shrimp, fish, seafood pasta
and more. Joe, VP of F&B, told us he has some new things to talk about soon
for the wonderful CHICAGO STEAKHOUSE
so keep any eye open for a story in Jackpot. The casino is also opening eyes
with a $1 million prize if you can win two tournaments there on June 22-24.
Following a reception in the new Live Oak Ballroom on Friday June 22, the race
for the million bucks starts at 10 a.m. Saturday with a round of blackjack and the
follow-up slot tournament on Sunday. Win both and you become a whale. First
place in the blackjack event pays $25,000 and for slots it’s $20,000. I would
put my money on a blackjack player as having the best chance since not all slot
players play blackjack. Wanna be a MILLIONAIRE,
call 866-245-4536
All those neat looking little Mini Coopers were won this
past month at HOLLYWOOD but don’t despair,
the encore promotion is a nice one as well as you can win a 15-inch plasma TV
every 15 minutes on Sundays in June. This promo was held here before and proved
so popular, that demand brought it back. Winners are randomly selected from guests
actively using their cards. There’s a new light menu now being served at the FAIRBANKS STEAKHOUSE bar that includes
tapas, those Spanish delights. Put up $200 bucks and you’ll be in the FIRECRACKER $50,000 SLOT TOURNAMENT at SAM’S TOWN on July 6&7.Call
800-456-0711.
If it’s a crime to listen to intelligent, responsible gaming
advice then don’t listen to the GOODTIMES
RADIO SHOW every Saturday morning from 8:30 to 10:30 A.M. on Country Legends WMC 790. Check out the new
goodtimesradio.com site. The GoodTimes crew, RUDI and Mike Schiffer, and
loquacious DANNY Z, will be on the stage at the FITZ on Saturday morn June 23.
Visit us and be good looking and we might hit you up with a Fitz buffet.
LAISSEZ LE BON TEMPS
ROULER.
