 
| ||
|
|
|
GRAND CASINO TUNICA,
aka THE SNAKE PIT
by Kenneth R. Smith
Ken Smith hosts the popular website www.BlackjackInfo.com as well as the online tournament community at www.BlackjackTournaments.com. Considered one of the best tournament players in the country, he has appeared on TV in GSN's World Series of Blackjack 2004 and 2005, the Las Vegas Hilton Million Dollar Championship II finals, and is also featured in the Ultimate Blackjack Tour airing on CBS & WGN Networks. You can subscribe to his free email newsletter at
http://www.blackjackinfo.com/news/.In mid-June I headed to Tunica with my wife and son, to compete in a blackjack tournament at Grand Casino, one of Harrah's three properties in that market. Instead of a nice weekend vacation, what I got was a clear look into the heart of the snake pit. Tournament director Rob Winkler and his staff really outdid themselves validating all the unpleasant stereotypes of casino personnel. Let me explain…
Things were a little shaky, even at the start of the tournament. First, there was an issue with advertisements for the event showing a $400 entry fee, instead of the $500 that most players were charged. For me, that wasn't a problem, because I was comped as an invited guest anyway.
After a few other issues along the way, the actual play of the event began. I thought my tournament was starting out just fine when one of the six players at my table went broke on hand two. Then, surprisingly, on hand four, the table was down to only four players. However, this time, it wasn't because someone busted out. Instead, the reason was that I was removed from the tournament!
My bet was pushed out of the circle by tournament director Winkler, and I was informed that I was no longer welcome on the property, and I would have to leave immediately. The only reason the staff would give me was that they "didn't like my style of play." Never mind that I haven't played any table blackjack in their casino in quite some time, and my play this trip was only video poker and three hands of their blackjack tournament. What, my holding of a pair of Jacks is too threatening? Give me a break!
Because I was aware of a similar previous incident in Mississippi, I knew that the Gaming Commission's position is that...
...enter your member login information below to read this article/newsletter...
Paid Members-Only Article
You have clicked on a link to a Blackjack Insider web page or article for paid subscribers. You must have a paid membership to the Blackjack Insider newsletter to view this content. About 1/2 of the articles in each issue of the Blackjack Insider are for paid members only, while the rest are viewable by everyone. Your purchased membership will allow you to read all Blackjack Insider articles for 12 months.
Enter your user name and password below (they were listed and e-mailed to you after you purchased your Blackjack Insider membership):
Forgot your membership id or password? Click here.
How do I get a membership?
A membership can be purchased online at our secure store with your credit card for only $19.95 per year. You will receive a user name and password immediately by e-mail which you can use to read the all past and future members-only articles for 12 months, as well as the regular free articles.
CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE A ONE YEAR MEMBERSHIP NOW... only $19.95
Do I have to buy a membership?
No. Blackjack Insider will continue to be published as a free monthly e-newsletter. But about 1/2 of the articles each month will be for paid members only. Subscribers without a membership can still view and read the non-members articles for free.
What happens after I buy a membership?
Immediately after you complete your purchase, you will receive a unique login user name and password. These are displayed on the final purchase page, and are e-mailed to you. When you click on a members-only article in our web site, you will be prompted for this user name and password (as shown above). Simply enter them, and enjoy the article! Note: make sure you turn on the checkbox above when you login, to save the user name and password so that you don't have to re-enter them every time you view members-only articles.
Why did you switch to paid memberships?
Blackjack Insider is a professional monthly publication with top-notch articles by world-reknown gaming experts. In addition, we have regular reporters that monitor game conditions and tournament schedules throughout North America. We use a partially paid subscriber model to enable us to continue getting the best content for our readers from leading authors on blackjack and gaming.
|
|
©2015, DeepNet Technologies. No material to be copied without express permission of DeepNet Technologies.
This site developed by
DeepNet Technologies, Ontario, Canada. Contact webmaster @ bjinsider . com
if you have problems.
This site is best viewed in a 800x600 graphics mode, or higher.