Gaming Guru

Heard it on the River

Since I'm on tournaments, I can't help but mention the JACK BINION WORLD POKER OPEN. Total prize money paid out last year for this tournament was a staggering $7,856,435! That's more than the MASTERS in golf and WIMBLEDON in tennis. This year, even more is expected to be paid out with a $1.5 million first place prize. WPO tournaments run Jan. 5 through Jan. 27, 2005 at HORSESHOE and GOLD STRIKE.

Quarters were raining down on DWIGHT WAYNE HOLLOWAY recently at GOLD STRIKE. The Griffithville, Ark. rice farmer hit a jackpot worth $1,372,976 while playing a progressive .25-cent IGT MEGAJACKPOT Wheel of Fortune machine. Just two months ago LARRY DAVID HANCOCK of Pinson, Ala., hit a jackpot for $4.2 million on another 25-cent Wheel of Fortune at Gold Strike. Who said that quarter progressives were tight? There were more big winners recently in Tunica.

SAM'S TOWN made JACK M. of Tennessee the proud owner of a new CHRYSLER CROSSFIRE on Nov. 4. This is one hot roadster. It got a lot of attention parked in the Atrium at Sam's Town during the weeks leading up to the drawing.

HARRAH'S WIN A HOUSE promotion concluded on Oct. 30. Shelia C. of Heber Springs, Ark. won the house, but opted for 75 grand! With a nice home in Heber Springs, who can blame her for taking the $75,000.

GRAND CASINO is touted as the home of loose dollar slots, but HERMAN A. feels pretty good about playing the nickel machines at the Grand-really. Herm walked away with $96,000 on a GRAND NICKELS machine. That's 1,920,000 nickels! Wonder how many cups that would fill up?

The time is getting nearer for the finale of HOLLYWOOD CASINO's THE BIG CATCH II promotion. On Saturday, Nov. 20 Hollywood will draw for BILL DANCE'S PROCRAFT BASS BOAT and $30,000 in cash and prizes. This boat is a fisherman's dream. How would you like to be outfitted like the pros? Win this boat and you will be. If the winner is a local, look for him at SARDIS LAKE!

QUAIL HUNTING SEASON is underway at Grand Willows, a preserve nestled on 350 acres featuring wetlands, forests and natural wildlife. A half-day hunt with guides and bird dogs is not very expensive and where else can you get such prime shooting in the Delta.

Welcome back, MARC CONNER, now heading up marketing at SAM'S TOWN. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign College of Law honored BERNARD GOLDSTEIN, founder and CEO of ISLE OF CAPRI casinos with its Distinguished Alumnus Award.

HARRAH'S ENTERTAINMENT continues its quest for growth and Bloomberg News reports that the USA's second largest casino company is pitching the government of Singapore to put a casino in place there.

Congrats to the TUNICA NATIONAL GOLF & TENNIS CLUB which has been selected as one of the 15 outstanding new tennis facilities in America. HOLLYWOOD has selected IMPACT MARKETING of Memphis as its new media-buying agency of record.

If you like to play blackjack and especially if you like tournaments, then check out the best site in the country for what's happening at KEN SMITH'S two sites: blackjacktournaments.com and blackjackinfo.com. He covers the subject quite well and very professionally.

Frat boys will be frat boys and the brothers of the University of Tennessee's PI KAPPA PHI plan to hold a poker tournament for charity despite indications from state officials that the event would be unlawful. Supposedly CHRIS MONEYMAKER, the 2003 winner of the WORLD SERIES of POKER, and an alumnus of the chapter, is helping out with the tournament. Let's see if the boys go "all in" with the law.

AGA BOOM…don't let this unusual name throw you off as the this show goes all out to make you laugh. I took the family along and witnessed the show for myself. It's a fantastic theatrical production involving clowns, mime, paper, balloons and cleaning products! It's great for adults and children - highly entertaining. The clowns stuck around and signed autographs for the children. I recommend that you go and take the kids or grandkids. If you don't have children, go anyway. If you're single, take a date. If you miss Aga Boom at GOLD STRIKE you'll have to fly to NEW YORK to catch the talented performers next time around. Remaining show dates are Nov. 11 and 12 at 7:30 p.m.; Nov. 14 at 1:30 p.m. and 5 p.m., and Nov. 15 at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $20 and may be purchased by calling Gold Strike's box office at 1-888-24K-PLAY or online at goldstrike.com. Thanks Gold Strike for bringing such a fun show to Mississippi.

Check out the THANKSGIVING SPECIALS at Tunica casinos on page 19. Most buffets will feature traditional Thanksgiving Day fare, so you may want to think about doing something different for turkey day. Give the cook in your home a break and go out, have some fun and enjoy some great food!

Our Prez, GEORGE W. BUSH, says he has earned political capital and intends to spend it. That worries me. Maybe he will spend it to move the economy forward, end the war on terror and in Iraq, mend social security, tax reform, education, etc. We will visit this subject again in four years.