Harrah's New Orleans TR and Miss Stud

Harrah's comped trip from Houston to New Orleans. Flight, transfer,and hotel.

I hadn't been to Harrah's New Orleans in a couple of years. I saw online (Total Rewards) that I had every weekend in July, August, and September a trip to New Orleans available. I found a friend/co-worker, who wanted to go. I emailed a host to get the trip set up, and then waited for the tickets. I could have gone out of either airport, but chose the one with Southwest to get my Rapid Rewards Credits too.

The only bad thing about this trip is the 8am flight on Friday. That required me to leave the house at 5:15am to meet up with my friend and make it across town to the airport. I was able to go online and make sure I got a A-pass, so no big deal using the group tickets. I did see we had 15 people in the group, when I requested the boarding number the day before.

Friday:

Flight was late leaving because we had stragglers getting on the plane and they wouldn't sit down. Luckily, we still got the empty seat between us. Only 50 minute flight from Houston, but watched part of the Hangover.

Bus from airport, was one of those 30 people buses. We actually had 17 on the bus, as a couple tagged along with their friends.

Too early for checking in the hotel at 10am, so they dropped us off at the casino and took our luggage to the hotel across the street. Harrah's has a nice hotel, which is separate from the casino. You can get back and forth using an underground tunnel (A/C) or go outside and to cross the street (muggy).

I wanted to play Mississippi Stud (MS), but that table wasn't open until noon. I had my buddy train himself on the game with Wizard strategy and the online game. He was ready to play. I played some VP to kill time. I killed about 450 bucks doing that. He just dropped a few 20s. I hit the ATM for another 500, to get the bankroll to 1000+ to be ready for MS.

I went to the table at noon, before they counted out the tray, and there were already 3 spots reserved. I chose the second seat from the left end, and my buddy came up and got the seat next to me on that end. It just so happened that the other 3 seats were people from our group. Then one more of their friends showed up and the table was full before the game was even ready to play.

We did not see what the table min was, and the others wanted to play $5, as did my friend. The pit finally turned on the sign and it showed 10. Everyone had 5 out there, and then we put another 5 on top. The cards got in the air at 12:15pm and we were off. MS can be brutal if you don't play the strategy. Hell, it can be brutal even when you do. My friend was getting lucky after a few bad hands, and he built his stack. I was in for 400 before I started to build my stacks.

My friend was way out in front of me, until I got dealt pocket 9's, when a new cute dealer came to the table and dealt her first hand. I tripled up my 3 bets to 100 total. The dealer turns over a 9 for the first card. SWEET! I like her. That is 300 right there. The next card wasn't a 9, so I wanted the last card to pair the board. The dealer flipped the last card and she paired the board. No body lost money that hand, as the second 9 gave them a push and gave me 4000, quad 9's. YES! I was excited.

We kept playing for a while and my friend wanted to get out while he was up 800. I was now betting 25 a hand and kept building my stack. I finally left the table around 6pm with 5300. We went and checked into the hotel. Room was nice. I went back to the casino and blew through some money at VP, playing 3-play and 10-play dollar machines. I could not catch my fair share of quads there. I am glad I did at MS though. That kept me in the positive.

My buddy and I went and ate at Besh steakhouse at the bar. I had a 75 comp and the steak was excellent. John Besh greeted us as we left. Pretty cool. On the way back to the room to freshen up after dinner, I saw the light on the VP machine of a guy I was playing next to. I went by to see what he hit. Dealt a natural royal on a 10-play dollar machine. NICE. 40,000. Congratulated him and continued on. On my way back to MS, I saw he hit another one. Dealt him quad 2's for 10,000. He said this was his best day ever. Yes, it was.

I went back to the MS table and it was full, so I went to the other one by the poker room. I did not like that one as much. I left it down 200 and finally got a seat at mine and played until 12:30am. I had made back the VP money and the other MS money. I was now tired from being up since 4:40am on Friday. Had to call it a night.

Saturday:

I woke up and took a long shower. Got to VP around 9am and played until 10:45am, when we went to eat the breakfast buffet. Lost more at VP. Damn multi play dollar machines. Buffet was average.

Couldn't wait until MS table opened at noon. Blew through 100 at Let It Ride, which was at 5. Although, I played 10 until my last hand, when I could only play 5 with what I had left. Reserved my spot at MS table. I was ready!

MS opened, and the table was filled with the usual suspects. It was a fun table. We got our same seats. I started out at 10 a hand, but quickly went to 25 a hand. I was in for 500 or so, before I gradually built up over that buy-in. I was dealt Q 10 and played the first 25 bet. Then got a 10 for at least a push, so I tripled up to 75/75. Next card was a Q for 2 pair. +400. Then the dealer asked what I needed. Q or 10. He looked at the last card without flipping it and looked at me. He held it there for 5 seconds. Then he turned over the 10. Full House! +2000. I was excited again. I played until 6pm or 7pm. I left up again.

We got a McAllister's Club sandwich and sweet tea and headed back to the room to eat. I saved half a sandwich in the fridge with some tea for later, and then back to work at MS.

My MS table was full, so I played at the other. It was bad at first, but then I got ahead. Started to go south, so left there ahead and found a spot at my table. Played for a while at 10 a hand. Then they bumped it to 15 a hand, as the casino was packed. Wall to wall people, just about. I hit some bad cards and was down and left down for my first time this trip. It was just about 1am, so we looked around Masquerade's at the dancing girls and the tons of people and then called it a night. I was glad to have that sandwich and tea waiting on me.

Masquerade is a pretty cool area with wrap around bar and some table games, with elevated areas where the girls dance and a dj spins the music at night.

Sunday:

Woke and and found out they got us a delayed checkout until noon, instead of 11am. Planned to eat McAllisters before the 3:50pm bus back to airport. However, I decided to get a sandwich to split before checkout at 11:40am. Needed to get back to my MS table. LOL.

In the morning before checkout, I stayed away from multi play dollar and played 3-play quarter Super Aces Bonus (SAB). I was dealt quad Aces for 1500 - 90 (LA tax). It was almost a hassle getting paid, because I had a temporary paper license with my expired drivers license. It all worked out and got paid.

At noon, my seat at the MS table was taken by one of the other group. Crap. My buddy and I sat in the middle of the table. I was swinging up and down, and he was down. When the end seat opened up, I moved even though I was on an up swing a few hands before. He bought in for one extra hundred, which would put him down for the trip after being up. Not long after that he got on a roll. He was one card away from a straight flush, needing the jack of clubs. His hand was shaking, when he was putting down the last triple bet. The dealer turned over a club, but not that jack. He still hit for 360. He finally got up a little later, when we was 800 ahead.

I was down probably 1000 at that time for this table. I decided to play one last hand at 50. I wanted a pocket pair, but got A K. Ok, I can fork over another 50. The Ace hit next. Sweet. Triple up to 150/150. The K hits on the last card for +800. A few wins at 50 bet and I am at 1900. I play one more shot and don't connect, down 100. Cash out for 1800.

Hit the cage, and then a quick run at SAB. I put in a 100 and get it over 250. Play it back to 200, and cash out.

Back to the hotel to catch the bus. Flight is packed. Some small girl pukes and that puts us behind schedule as they clean that up. Never seen that happen before on all of my flights. One of the guys on the trip was sitting in the same row as the girl. Luckily, we were towards the back 10 rows away. Pilot makes up the time, nearly cutting the corner on the runway and zooming out. We go straight up it seems, so he must have been trying to get to cruising altitude faster.

Back at Houston baggage claim. We wave goodbye to our Mississippi Stud friends and others on the group. Get our bags and head to Parking Spot. Back at home by 8:30pm and exhausted.


Summary:

Mississippi Stud is a great game! Excellent, when you hit a quad and full house.
Friday and Saturday night at Harrah's in NOLA is packed.
Lots of eye candy every where there. Felt like Vegas.
Remind myself to play 3-play SAB at the quarter level. Stay away from multi play dollar.
Besh - awesome.
McCallisters - good.
Free trip, getting RW credits, and coming home way up. NICE!
It was a good group that went, and I normally don't interact with the others on the trip as they are usually just slot players and I never see them.

 

Sounds like a great trip with some really nice cards showing up. I spent the last 3 days of July down there and won but not as frequently as you. Glad you had a fun time. I may have to give MS a try when I go back in about 3 weeks. Thanks for the report.

 

I LOVE Harrahs NOLA....the hotel ain't bad either.

Glad you came away a winner...I usually do, too...Guess I better get back down there...Haven't been in over 2 years.

Thanks for the report on your trip...

 

Thanks, DiceMan.

I am going back twice in the next 30 days, but it sounds like I will miss you by a week.

One of the trips, I have a buddy who wants/likes to play craps. How is the game there? Are the mins 10 or 15 for the tables?

 

That could have been my secret for winning. I had been away for a while myself.

Thanks.