Beau Rivage Mississippi

Beau's Gulf Coast Championship begins Aug. 25

All the fun in Las Vegas has come to an end. In some places this means a much-needed break for the circuit players. In Mississippi, things are just getting started.

The Gulf Coast Poker Championship starts at the Beau Rivage in Biloxi on Aug. 25. Last year I made the six-hour trek south for this event, along with local player Scott Williams and a few others from the Tunica region. The Beau was above and beyond our expectations. Hands down, the Beau is the most beautiful casino resort in Mississippi. The oceanfront property has an amazing outdoor deck where guests can walk off the bad beats and catch a glimpse of the abundant local dolphin population. You can’t beat that.

The event was a prolific gathering of who’s-who in the southern poker scene, hundreds of familiar faces and a healthy crop of tourists as well. I think everyone in our group cashed in at least one event. I enjoyed the 7 p.m. nightly survivor tournaments, where I only had to make the top 10 percent for an even chop. I found it easy enough to get near the chop-bubble and then rely on my charm and ability to be less annoying than the other people at my table to secure myself a cash. This worked multiple times. Though I imagine after writing this it will be much less effective.

This year’s lineup includes a $3,125 main event on Sept. 4, which is reduced from 2010’s $5K buy-in. The main event drew 109 entries last year and I can only imagine the reduced buy-in will result in a larger field.

This event, as with all the events at the Beau Rivage, always has been organized and led by the MGM management team of Johnny Grooms and Ken Lambert. Things will feel a bit different this year as Lambert recently resigned from his position of director of poker operations for the Beau and Gold Strike, Tunica. He will be taking over the poker room manager duties for Choctaw Casino in Durant, Okla.

Though this is a loss for Mississippi poker, this is a big step for Choctaw. World Series of Poker tournament director Jimmy Sommerfeld commented on Lambert’s move: “Ken was the first manager that I worked for in this business. He helped develop my knowledge of the poker business. He was instrumental in bringing poker tournaments to the height that they are today. … He coordinated the first-ever Jack Binion World Poker Open, and helped bring big-time poker to Tunica. Ken knows the business and will be a great asset to Choctaw Casino. I look forward to working with Ken again to make Choctaw a poker destination like we did in Tunica.

The Gulf Coast : Casino Player Magazine | Strictly Slots Magazine ...

The Gulf Coast

The flood waters didn’t affect the casinos of Biloxi, Mississippi, although some of its casinos had sister properties that were located in flooded areas. The Biloxi resorts stepped up by honoring hotel reservations that were made at their sister properties.

In addition to gaming at the Gulf’s 11 casinos, you can explore the Mississippi Gulf Coast on the Captain’s Crawl. These boating expeditions include shrimping, fishing, romantic sunset cruises, and Audubon Center tours. There are new events each week, along with old favorites such as moonlight kayaking and the farmer’s market.

Beau Rivage, Biloxi, MS

The Beau Rivage’s parent company, MGM Mirage, viewed the property’s closing after Hurricane Katrina as a chance to upgrade the resort in every way. The $500 million renovation of the Beau Rivage took all of its offerings to a whole new level, and it’s been on a roll ever since as the most luxurious resort in the region. The improvements have continued up until to this day.

While the floods didn’t touch the Beau, it did dispatch around 150 employees to aid in sister property Gold Strike’s re-opening efforts.

Conde Nast Traveler have recognized the newly-remodeled 1,740 room Beau Rivage as one of the top resorts in the US. It gives guests the opportunity to indulge in superb spa and salon services, or play a few rounds of golf at the Fallen Oak Golf Course designed especially for Beau Rivage by Tom Fazio. You’ll also find a wealth of dining options, including two gourmet restaurants, a bunch of casual dining outlets, and a buffet that will knock your socks off.