Tunica’s WSOP Poker Goldmine

So, you’ve decided to make the trek to Tunica this January for the World Series of Poker Circuit Event, right? Excellent choice. The action is unbelievable and draws players from across the nation. In previous years the WSOP Circuit Event and the WPT Poker Open ran simultaneously, making Tunica the center of the poker world for the month of January.

In these years, the combination of the two tournament series acted as a reunion of all poker players from the southeast. This has changed since 2009, when the WPT opted to move their tournament to July so as not to be in direct competition with the WSOP. However, for many poker players, January means Tunica and thousands of players still flock to the city to compete.

Hotel Options for Poker Players

Your first question is obviously going to be where to stay. There are two options depending on what you are looking for exactly. If your main concern is playing in the official WSOP tournaments each day, then Harrah’s is the easy choice as this is where all tournaments are held. The casino’s second floor is converted into an enormous poker room for these events and staying here means it is easy for a player to go from poker room to hotel room and vice versa.

However, if your desire is to play in the high-stakes cash games that sprout up during January, a better option would either be the Horseshoe or Gold Strike locations. As the majority of space at Harrah’s is used for tournament play, the big cash games happen at these locations. Horseshoe is the center of limit Hold ‘Em action with many 20-40 and higher games going all month. If No Limit or another variation of poker is your game of choice, the Gold Strike offers these games at nosebleed levels. Choosing the right hotel will make your stay more enjoyable and should be decided based on what you intend to do in Tunica.

The Fame, The Glory, The Money

Now, that’s a different question entirely. The tournaments offer the fame, glory, and a decent paycheck to players who finish in the money. In addition, the Circuit Championship is a televised event, meaning that all final table finishers will gain exposure from this $5,000 event. For this reason, playing the tournaments can be a very good option. On the other hand, if your goal is to make money, then the cash games are not to be missed. Many casual players use the January trip to Tunica as their annual poker trip and as such the cash games are extremely profitable.

Specifically, the big games at the appropriately named Gold Strike are a goldmine. The Pot Limit Omaha games are some of the biggest around and feature many opportunities for a skilled player to walk away with a big win. Another game that has gained popularity and is played at high stakes is Badugi. This lowball draw game draws some real gamblers who prefer to play at the highest stakes available. The big Badugi and Pot Limit Omaha games run all day and night for the whole time of the tournament. Some players who came to Tunica intending to play the tournaments never end up leaving the high stakes games as they can be much more profitable.