Exciting things are happening at the Horseshoe in Tunica. I know I’ve mentioned a few times about the newest tournament series to start in Tunica, but now I have the details. After the closure of the Gold Strike poker room, there was a lot of speculation about its three events that would no longer have a home. It’s really no surprise that Horesshoe poker room manager Lisa Crompton would pair with tournament director Eric Comer to give players everything they’ve come to expect and more with the upcoming Southern Poker Championship. Running April 24-May 5, you can view the schedule at horseshoetunica.com.
You’ll notice Comer’s standard slow-moving structure and affordable buy-ins, and when you pair that with the luxury of the newly remodeled Horseshoe poker room, it should make for a great poker vacation.
One of the features I like is the nightly tournaments at 7 ($100), where players will compete for spots on a leaderboard. Top five will win seats into the main event.
Speaking of the main event, the buy-in is a modest $700. This is a great pricing point. Not only is it affordable enough to attract a healthy number of hobby players, the prize pool will boast large enough numbers to attract all the regular grinders as well. Expect a huge turnout. At this time, the belief is that Horseshoe will be picking up at least the three events a year the Gold Strike left behind. As always, Horseshoe tops the charts in hospitality and guest service. Contact the poker room for hotel room-rate information.
SPRING BREAK: For those missing the southern hospitality that comes with MGM poker in Mississippi, about the time this issue hits the poker rooms is when we’ll be kicking off the Spring Break Classic at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi (March 27-April 7).
• On a somber note, I wanted to take the opportunity to put in a word of mention for Todd Desnoyers, who died in late January. Aside from being a close friend, Todd was a friend of the Mississippi poker community. You would remember him as the funny, laid-back floor person from Horseshoe Tunica and eventually, Gold Strike late shift.
He did a brief stint at the Lula, Miss., room and upon its closing, relocated to Biloxi to take a position with Hard Rock. I have mentioned him in this column a few times, quoting him for various pieces, and he always enjoyed reading Ante Up. Todd leaves behind two young daughters and his wonderful wife, Amanda.
— Email Jennifer at jennifergay80@hotmail.com.
