I am heading to Vegas in January. I figure I will be playing blackjack since its the only casino game in which I have a pretty good understanding.
So I have read that you need to get rated by the pit boss if you want to get comps. (If I am going to lose a few bucks, I might as well see if I can get something back.) How does one go about getting rated for play? Do you call the pit boss over and tell him you want to be rated? Does he start rating anyone who sits down?
I have been told that a good way to work the comps is to bet bigger when the pit boss is watching and bet small when he isn’t. Does this work? Will the dealer dime you out if he suspects that is what you are up to?
When you are done, do you then ask the pit boss if you qualify for anything? Do you ask for something specific?
I am not sure if I will even qualify for anything being the low stakes guy that I am. But I am going to be at the Gold Coast which I understand will give comps for play that wouldn’t get you a stick of gum at the Bellagio. So I figure I will ask you high rollers.
One thing you can do is buy ALOT of chips. If you put $1000 on the table, the dealer will yell over that he’s giving you $1000 in chips. Now here’s the trick, you don’t have to spend them all. When you’re done, go cash them in and get your money back. Later when you play again, put all your cash down for chips…lather, rinse, repeat. Most casinos also use some sort of ‘rewards card’ that you can have the dealer swipe when you buy your chips (but they won’t swipe it when you cash out), so there are computers keeping an eye on this as well. I’d imagine once you spend enough something pops up on the pit bosses screen to let him know he needs to comp you with something.
While this may seem like cheating the system, remember all those chips in your pocket will make you alot more likely to spend them, and two (without breaking the law) you can’t cheat Vegas. Just look at it, in the end, the house ALWAYS wins.
I’ve never been to Vegas. I have played a little blackjack at some of the local casinos. I usually buy in for $100, and get my card swiped. The game ensues. Gals in short skirts bring me beer. Any time I hit a blackjack, I’ll place a bet for the dealer. If I hadn’t hit a blackjack in a reasonable time, I’ll either tip the dealer or place a bet for the dealer. A couple of hours later, when I’d ready to leave, I’ll ask the pit boss to comp something…usually meals. Never had one turn me down.
I think they are looking at time played vs table stakes to determine a point value per unit time. My card accumulates points as I play, and when they comp me something, points get deducted from the card…
Last time I went to Vegas I brought $1000. We got a deal at the Golden Nugget where if we accumulated a requisite number of points on your card before the end of the week you got some special discount for your next stay or something. So as I understood it it was 1500 points, so at this point I’ve dropped probably $250 into the video poker machines. The very last day I check and I’m almost there, have a couple of hours to kill, so I hit the machines and accumulate enough points to get to 1500. So I go to the cage to claim it…I needed 15,000 points, not 1,500.
I guess my point is that you shouldn’t be playing for comps. Depending on how much you bet, if you get some, GREAT, but from what I’ve seen you’re lucky to be able to find a table where you can even BET $5, nevertheless get comped on it.
I think Joey P hit it right on the nose. If they think you are a baller, that is what matters. There might be hundreds of people playing under one pit boss, but don’t think he is not noticing everything going on. And some things tend to stick out. So if you go table to table, and each dealer is constantly yelling “changing a thousand” it will get their attention. Remember they see this everyday, and if you are a newbie to Vegas, they know it by the look in your eyes.
The best thing to do is 1) Ask the cashier, 2) Ask the waitresses, 3) ask the dealer, and/or 4) ask the pit boss the following question: What does it take to be a ‘player’ around here? When you first get in, tell them you plan on losing a little money, but you want to see if you will be taken care of, even if just a little, to lose the money at their casino. Remember, they are not making the majority of their money on the Michael Jordans betting 100,000 dollar hands, it is on the no-name idiot who bets their deed.
Enjoy. Play smart and disciplined. Just because you are ahead does not mean you need to double your bet. Make rules and STICK with them.
And Joey P hit it right in his second posting, TIP YOUR DEALER. If you do so, they want you to stay and might even attempt to help you out with your hand, hold your seat for you, and just make you feel that much better and more like a million dollar better when sitting there.
You tell the dealer, he/she will alert the pit boss. You give the pit boss your ID (drivers license) and he fills out a form and watches you play. They won’t rate you if you don’t ask, but they may ask if you’d like to get rated. You’ll get a card, not the same card that’s used in slot play. Hand the dealer the card at every subsequent visit to any table game, they’ll alert the boss and he’ll put you on the clock. He’ll come around now and then and make notations on your sheet.
You have to play for a significant amount of time, and the pit boss is always keeping an eye on things. His job is to notice stuff, I think he’d notice.
Yep, that’s the part that always made me fell uneasy. Like a begger. When you’re done, just ask him if you’ve played enough to get any action. You might not want to hit him up after every session, keep a running tab going and cash it in towards the end of your stay.
The low rollers (like me) get treated differently than the high rollers. I’ve gone with high rollers and their casino host alerts the bosses as to who they are and they get more liberal comps. They still have to give the casino action, but everybody seems to know who they are. Us schlubs have to grind out a hotel room or a buffet.
This is just my experience with getting rated/comped. Other players may have different experiences with it.
OK, frequent Vegas gambler here. Here is what I know.
Every casino has some sort of player’s club. Many are usable at several Casinos. The Las Vegas strip is almost entirely (with a couple of small exceptions) by two companies: Harrahs and MGM/Mirage. The Gold Coast is part of a third company, the Coast Club, which includes LV casinos The Gold Coast, The Barbary Coast, Suncoast and The Orleans. All the clubs are free to join and get you a card, so join them all if you like. The card makes it easy to just go in and put your card on the table to get rated, instead of asking for it.
Now, for comps on Blackjack - most casinos I have been in have told me they don’t rate BJ players who play less than $25 per hand. MGM specifically comes to mind, but it was similar at all the places I have been in. The factors they watch for in rating you include amount bet per hand and how long you gambling sessions last. You can ask for comps like meals and show tickets while at the table, or when checking out at the end of your stay, ask about getting your room comped.
One last thing, Harrahs has switched to 6:5 blackjack payouts, so you probably don’t want to play at any of their properties.