Mesquite … One of Poker's Best-Kept Secrets

Recently, I had the pleasure of spending a week in Mesquite, Nevada, during the first Oasis Open poker tournament, which was held at the Oasis Resort and Casino. Mesquite is located about 80 miles north of Las Vegas at Exit 120 off Interstate 15, and has a population of approximately 12,000.

I asked Cardroom Manager Bob Davidson how the Oasis Open came about, and he gave me this reply: "Our casino manager, Tony George, is very pro-poker. When the casino was acquired recently, Tony told me he wanted to hold a very big poker tournament within one year. We were looking at October dates originally, but then learned that it would not take that long to coordinate everything, so we decided to go with the May event. I am ecstatic with the results, and would like to thank all the players who had enough confidence in us to travel here and see what we have to offer. I especially want to thank Jan Fisher, who did an incredible job as tournament director. I hope we will be able to host this event twice a year in the future."

Players were given the royal treatment by the staff and management of the Oasis Resort. Everyone who played in all five events got their rooms comped for their entire stay. A $15 room rate was available for players who couldn't play in all of the events. Each player was given a $10 daily voucher that was good for food in any of the restaurants, including the gourmet steak house. Players were delighted to receive a surprise gift from the casino, which was a voucher good for a free room for two nights between now and the end of September. In addition, the casino held a player appreciation tournament with no entry fee, and hosted a pizza party at the break, complete with prizes, awards, and a dancing exhibition. The management thanked their visiting dealers, as well; each dealer was given a voucher good for a room for four nights, so that they can come back and enjoy a minivacation when they don't have to work.

Players were very vocal about how much they enjoyed the tournament. "Everything was wonderful, wonderful, wonderful," said Dick "Butch" Davenport, who traveled from Las Vegas to play in the event. "The events all started on time and it was a well-run tournament. With fields upward of a hundred players, I think it was a great success. I definitely will be back next time." Mike Yuwiler added, "It was the most fun I've had playing poker in years."

The Oasis poker room is a pleasant place to play, and imposes a no-abuse policy. Locals go out of their way to be friendly and make visitors feel at home. Many promotions are offered through the poker room. Sunday through Thursday, anyone who logs four or more hours of live play receives a comp room. Players who log 10 or more hours of live play during the week receive a freeroll into a Sunday tournament with an average prize pool of $3,000 plus $1,000 added by the casino. Every weekday at 11 a.m., there is a $15 buy-in hold'em shootout with one $15 rebuy. Generous food comps are given to live-game players.

The Oasis is a true destination resort; it features 1,000 deluxe rooms and suites, lighted tennis courts, six pools, three hot tubs, a complete fitness center with tanning beds, arcade, go-kart track, miniature golf, and an RV park. Free shuttle service is provided to the CasaBlanca and the Virgin River, other local casinos under the same ownership. There is live entertainment nightly in the Cabarat Lounge, as well as in The Boot Nightclub for weekend dancing. A full spa is on the premises, and the Palms Golf Course is available to guests at reasonable rates. If you get the chance, you will enjoy a visit to Mesquite.

Change of topic: Poker players, don't forget to register now for the World Poker Players Conference on July 5 at The Orleans Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. This will be one of the most educational seminars you will ever attend, and it will provide you with many bankroll-building tips. Please see the ad on Page 97 for details.

Poker room executives needn't feel left out. The seventh annual World Poker Industry Conference will be held July 16-17 at The Orleans. Please see the ad on Page 73.

Now, let's play poker!

Editor's note: You can contact Linda directly for information on any of the above events, Card Players Cruises, or poker in Costa Rica, or with column ideas, at cardplayercruise@aol.com.