Biloxi Trip Report Had a wedding to go to in Tupelo MS last weekend so I decided to make a gambling vacation out of it.
Flew into Memphis and rented a car to drive to Tupelo. Tupelo MS is a terrible place. Its very quiet and maybe a little scenic but there is absolutely nothing to do. The claim to fame in Tupelo is the birthplace of Elvis, which means every store and restaurant has Elvis plastered everywhere, it's annoying. Anyways, the wedding was nice, Tupelo wasn't.
Drove 5 hours south to Biloxi and stayed at Beau Rivage. Had VIP checkin and a room on the 25th floor. Apparently my play at Vegas MGM properties was enough for me to get 3 nights comped at the most elite non-suite room. That kind of room says "we think we are gonna like you but we aren't 100% sure yet." My host told me 3 hours of $300 average bet would get me whatever I wanted so that was the goal.
When we got up to the room, we had a very nice view looking east of the barrier islands, Biloxi Bay, and the eastern hotels. We constantly saw dolphins in the bay which was pretty cool. The room was nice, but it was no suite. I was fairly disappointed with the Beau Rivage from a service standpoint. If this casino was in Vegas, it might be a top 5 casino, but its staffing is mediocre. No one opened the door for me or my wife at the valet, or helped us get our bags in/out of the trunk, or held the hotel door open. Room service brought me a dirty stained coffee cup. At the only "fine dining" that they had open (steakhouse closed 2 of the 3 nights we were there) they took 30 minutes to bring me a glass of wine, and consistently served me before the lady.
On our last day I was up $2K, and feeling pretty good since the goal was just to break even, cover room food and beverage, and generate future offers, so I hired a fishing charter to take me out. We caught a bunch of sharks and mackerel. Nothing too big, the biggest one I landed was about 40 lbs, but it was all on very light tackle. Fishing in Biloxi is a win.
Got back to the hotel and went to work to put my 3 hours of break even blackjack in. Then...I lost my ass. 10k later and the Biloxi trip became pretty f'n expensive. I was also furious at one point where I was down to the felt, but had more money in the safe upstairs. I had 7,7 vs a 7, and every bit of money I had was in the betting circle. I call over the pitboss and ask him if I can A) go get more money to split or B) take out a short term loan for $200. He said unless I had a line of credit, no. So, I took a hit and busted. I could see a more fickle player becoming so agitated at this that he stopped patronizing the resort, especially after being the highest bettor in the casino for 3 straight days (yes, I didn't see a single other player bet more than $50 at any casino the entire trip).
My general impressions of Biloxi is that it is a low rolling, middle aged paradise. The Hard Rock attracts a younger crowd, but not much. Most casino are really dumpy and rinky dink. I was very pleased with the things to do outside of the casino, like the excellent seafood and fishing, but very disappointed with the service in the casino. Exiting the casino, I almost tripped over both the bags I was carrying out the door, while 4 doormen/valets stood and watched.
If they send me some freeplay and free fishing trips, I will probably come back.
