Just got back from three nights in Tunica and I discovered a few interesting things. First thing we found out is that Harrahs will give you TWO comped buffet lunches for ONE comp dollar. While the food is less than spectactular the price sure is right. Also noticed that Fitzgeralds has a crab leg and shrimp buffet for $10.99. There is a common 2 for 1 coupon available but comps are so easy to get there don't even think about paying for it - 15 or 20 minutes at a $5 BJ table should be enough to get it free. The crab was great but again the rest of the buffet was so-so. Park Place (now Caesars) still hasn't figured out how to run a hotel. The carpeting in our Grand hotel room was very dirty as were the arms of the chairs. They closed the exercize room in our hotel so Cindy had to go all the way to the casino hotel to use the one there. It turned out that the treadmill was unbalanced and barely worked and the room was loaded with mosquitos. Although the breakfast that we ate there was not bad, the restaurants are continuing to live up to their reputation. Cindy wanted capuchino with her breakfast and although it was on the menu the waitress said they didn't have a capuchino machine. Go figure!

So what about new chips? As is normal for Tunica / Lula there are no new chips around. I did finally manage to get the last of the Grand roulettes I needed and I made a dent in the Gold Strike roulettes but one table was never open.

The new Solid Gold casino, planned for the old Splash site has started "construction", if you can call moving around a little dirt with a bulldozer construction. I talked with the construction crew and surprizingly they said that the old Splash building was not going to be demolished. I don't know how they will save that shell but wish them luck. I tried to get the old Splash sign from the handrail at the entrance but the workers said that the new owner had dibbs on it. Darn! I had figured that $20 and the use of a torch for 5 minutes and I would have had a few nice signs. I was really salivating when I saw the 3 craps tables in the storage area but I heard later that they may have been purchased recently by the new owner for use in the new casino. The workers there also reported that work is continuing on the Splash Back casino which is in the old President location. They want to get it open before the Solid Gold casino opens. After standing in the 95 degree sun for an hour with those guys I just didn't have enough energy to try to visit that site. And I don't think the Sebring convertible had the ground clearance to make it over those dirt roads. Heck, I scrape the front bumper every time I pull out of my driveway.

I did find out what happened to the old Splash rack chips. Originally I was told that the land owner ended up with them but she denied having them about 5 years ago. It turns out that they were buried in concrete. The guy I talked to clamied to have been the one to dig the hole. Another mystery solved.

A funny story I heard from a dealer at the Horseshoe was that when she worked at Sheraton she went on break one night and went out the back door. Sitting out in the open was a full PALLET of new chips that they were getting in a reorder. No security around or anything. I mentioned that she probably didn't grab a box of the $1000 chips or she wouldn't still be working as a dealer. Sure musta been tempting though.

The scan shows some of the chips I managed to find this trip. I have a few of each of the roulettes available for trade for ones I need. The other chips I have at least one of each available for trade. The Harrahs colored token is very scarce and I will trade it for a colored token I need or will sell it for $15. It is a little worn on the edges.