For many years, the poker player's destination of choice was Vegas or Atlantic City or the many major California card rooms. There just wasn't enough action at the smaller local casinos to get excited about. But with the poker boom that has been experienced over the last few years, all that is changing.

Places like Foxwood's in Connecticut or Caesars Indiana have begun to host major events on the poker circuit. And they have become prime destinations for many poker players. But the Tunica, Mississippi has separated itself from the crowd over the past few years.

In 2000, Jack Binion, son of legendary Vegas pioneer Binny Binion, brought a major poker tournament to the South. Jack Binion's World Poker Open was an instant classic. And it was started at just the right time to take advantage on the explosion in popularity that poker was about to undertake. In 2003, the WPO joined forces with the Travel Channel's World Poker Tour and what was already a major poker tournament rose to maybe 2nd in prestige behind the World Series of Poker. Tunica had arrived.

Before the casinos came, Tunica, Mississippi, wasn't known for much, apart from producing legendary early blues pioneers Robert Johnson, Willie Brown and Howlin' Wolf (there is a Blues Museum in the Tunica Horseshoe). Today, Tunica is now America's third biggest gaming destination.

It's hard to understand how popular poker is in the South. It is the birthplace of poker along the Mississippi. And people have come out in full force to participate in the World Poker Open. On January 8th, 2005, the single largest poker tournament outside of the WSOP took place in Tunica, MS. 1,449 people each entered a 2 day poker tournament. Just a year before, the largest poker tournament outside of the WSOP took place in Tunica with 950 entrants.

The WPO was so large an event, one casino in Tunica couldn't handle it. Luckily Binion's property, the Horseshoe, sits just next door to another first class casino in Tunica, the GoldStrike. These two casinos teamed up to present the WPO and the winners of the event over the years include many of the top names in poker: Ron Williams, John Juanda, Humberto Brenes, David "Devil Fish" Ulliot, Barry Greenstein, and John Stolzman. January (the month the WPO is held) meant Tunica in the poker world.

In 2005 Binion sold all of his property's to Harrah's, who also so happened to have bought the World Series of Poker. So in 2006, there is a split in the World Poker Open. The GoldStrike will continue to host this major WPT event while the Grand, another Harrah's casino in Tunica, will be host to Jack Binion's World Series of Poker circuit event – also to be held in January.

So the two tours of poker both ascend on Tunica in January and with it some of the best side action, best satellite tournaments, and most exciting major tournaments come to town. No place outside of Vegas could accommodate the sheer number of poker players. Luckily, Tunica is not just any other place.

In fact, Tunica boasts some of the best poker rooms in America. The GoldStrike and the Grand have always been first class rooms as has the Horseshoe. But recently the Horseshoe moved and expanded their room and it now rivals some of the best that Vegas has to offer. And the service in Tunica is arguably better than anywhere in the country. One thing that can never be doubted is the down home hospitality that Mississippi provides.

Whether you prefer Vegas or Tunica is more a matter of taste. Tunica is inexpensive. Vegas has the nightlife. Tunica has friendly family atmosphere. Vegas has the high end shopping. For those on a budget who just want to play poker, Tunica is probably a better bet. For those look to party, Vegas is still king.

Jack Binion himself has likened Tunica to Vegas in the 1960s. A place built around and for the gambler. There are no mega-resorts with an Eiffel Tower out front. There are no light shows. It is just a place to gamble. All in all, Tunica is on the rise. It may not be everyone's first choice, but if you are a poker player, it is a Mecca in the deep south.