Tunica

I've never actually gambled at a casino before.

Not until last weekend, when the Neals took me on a little roadtrip to Tunica, Mississippi. We stayed at the Gold Strike Hotel, a decent hotel with a built-in casino. It was on the "casino belt," as I call it, because there were like four or five other casino-hotels located side-by-side on the same strip.

The interior view of the hotel

Tunica is known for the gambling; people from other states in the South drive all the way to Tunica just to sit in casinos all weekend.

It was an interesting experience, gambling. The most important thing to remember is never gamble what you can't afford to lose.


I had to register for a "Player's Card" on my first day (it's a card that entitles you to points each time you gamble, be it at a gambling table or the slot machines). Since I didn't have an American driver's licence or a state ID, my passport was the only valid identification. I presented my passport at the counter so the lady could key in my details.

Something was definitely up with her that day, because she spelled my name wrong THREE TIMES.
The first time, she spelled "Varissa" instead of Carissa. And then she corrected it and it became "Carrisa." That wasn't the worst part. The silliest thing she did was assume my last name was Malaysia.

So, my card read: CARRISA MALAYSIA.

I had to correct her once again, and she was obviously frustrated by this. But hey - if you mess up, you need to fix it. Don't be a hater. :)

Had most of my meals at the Atrium Cafe with the Neals.

Very pleasant dining atmosphere :)

Started off at the 3-card poker table. And honestly, I didn't know how to play 3-card poker until that evening. The dealers were really helpful; they explained the rules to me and aided me along the way. I felt like a total noob among the other players - but they were all really nice peeps. They cheered whenever I won and groaned when I didn't. Everyone on that table was pretty supportive. And oh, I only put in $20 on my first day and won a $100. :) So yeah, it was a good gambling experience.

I wasn't so lucky on my second day, though. :( Let's just say, I lost some cash but all's good - I didn't put in much to begin with. So that's when I learned the rule of gambling: You win some and you lose some. You can't have 'em all.

And I'm not worried about being addicted to gambling, because I'm not. I think it's fun when you win, but you need to know when to stop before you lose everything you've gained. It's a very heart-wrenching feeling to lose your profits all in the name of luck. When luck decides to leave you, you're practically doomed.

One thing I really liked about the casino was the free flow of drinks :) All drinks were on the house. Although I'm not a huge fan of alcoholic drinks, I do fancy a cocktail once in a while.

One thing I absolutely loathed about being in the casino was how everyone stared, because Taylor and I were easily the youngest-looking people in the casino. But we're both 21! They didn't believe us though, because we don't look 21. We kept getting carded all the time. It was annoying. Most of the gamblers in the casino were above 30. That was probably why.

Overall, I enjoyed my weekend in Tunica. I didn't gamble much, but time seemed to fly really fast. Before I knew it, we were on the road back to Arkansas. It was a 3-hour drive. Passed by lots of barren green fields and wispy clouds.

I was so tired when I got home that I didn't bother unpacking - I just hopped under the sheets and napped for a few hours. Roadtrips can do that to you. ;)

Well, that's Tunica! Once again, thanks to the Neals for another fun weekend. :)