Your thoughts on this method of getting rooms.

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shadroch

Well-Known Member
#1
#1
I often hear of people fretting the need to play hours of BJ in order to get their rooms comped.They worry about be caught as a counter if they play at an advantage,or don't want to waste four hours a day playing mere BS.

I get more comps thru Harrahs than I know what to do with.
How? By giving them very minimal slot play.
Last year,I earned about 1,000 True Reward points.This year I'm on track for less.Earning these gets me on Harrahs marketing list,which gives me three nites a month in Vegas,four nites a month in AC and two nights in Laughlin.
Plus free buffet coupons for the stays in AC and Laughlin.
By my estimates,I stayed over thirty nights in Harrahs properties and had more than thirty free meals.I also received well over $200 in free cash and about the same in free slot play.Saw a few shows,as well.
My W/L statement for last year indicated I lost $650 on slots.
By my reckoning,I cycled $150 thru slots per visit.My losses averaged $20 a visit. I figure my average time spent playing slots was 15-20 minutes.
In return,I recieved a free room and a buffet( often two buffets).

On another board,I was taken to task for suggesting this was a good way to get comps.
I'd like your opinions.
 
Doofus

Doofus

Well-Known Member
#2
#2
I have found that by using the electronic blackjack machines that are available in most casinos that I can rack up $1,000 in slot play equivalent in just a few minutes. The only downside is the 1-1 payoff for BJ, meaning that the house edge is around 2%. Not many slot machines are set for 98% payback, and by using your AP skills you can reduce that house edge considerably.

On my last Vegas visit I turned $100 into $1000 in about 10 minutes of play at one of these machines. No idea on how this may affect comp calculations, too soon since the visit to tell.
 
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cardcounter0

Well-Known Member
#3
#3
shadroch said:
I often hear of people fretting the need to play hours of BJ in order to get their rooms comped.They worry about be caught as a counter if they play at an advantage,or don't want to waste four hours a day playing mere BS.

I get more comps thru Harrahs than I know what to do with.
How? By giving them very minimal slot play.
Last year,I earned about 1,000 True Reward points.This year I'm on track for less.Earning these gets me on Harrahs marketing list,which gives me three nites a month in Vegas,four nites a month in AC and two nights in Laughlin.
Plus free buffet coupons for the stays in AC and Laughlin.
By my estimates,I stayed over thirty nights in Harrahs properties and had more than thirty free meals.I also received well over $200 in free cash and about the same in free slot play.Saw a few shows,as well.
My W/L statement for last year indicated I lost $650 on slots.
By my reckoning,I cycled $150 thru slots per visit.My losses averaged $20 a visit. I figure my average time spent playing slots was 15-20 minutes.
In return,I recieved a free room and a buffet( often two buffets).

On another board,I was taken to task for suggesting this was a good way to get comps.
I'd like your opinions.
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Don't know how McHarrahs calculates comps, but instead of slots I think I would be searching for some reasonable Video Poker to cycle my 'comp money' thru. Are there still 'wongable' slots? That might be another area to look at.

But you are correct. Slot players (and particularly at McHarrahs who really targets them) are king. A nickle and dime slot player will get more in comps and offers than a big high roller craps player, or any other table game player for that matter.
 
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cardcounter0

Well-Known Member
#5
#5
Another thing to keep your eye peeled for is special promotional times or days. Only stupidly 'waste' your money on slots when they have a special Double Points promotion, or some other added incentive. Gives you even more bang for the buck.

Also, some places use some type of screwed up ' running average' visit to calculate your comp level.

A simplified example of how you can screw yourself:
Slot player A coin-in: visit 1-$150 visit 2-$75 visit 3-$100 visit 4-$50
Slot player B coin-in: visit 1-$10 visit 2-$100 visit 3-$100 visit 4-$100
Player A total coin-in = $375
Player B total coin-in = $310
Casino using a funky "last 3 visit running average" comp system:
Player A comped at a $75 basic low roller comp level,
Player B gets the $100 deluxe comp level treatment (be aware that $1 over certain comp levels might open up a whole new level of rewards also).
 
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21forme

Well-Known Member
#7
#7
The thing about Harrahs' room offers, at least in AC, is they list the comp room offer on their web page, but when you try to get the room, nothing is available. That's when your actual play makes a difference, especially during high season (summer in AC, for example.)
 
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shadroch

Well-Known Member
#9
#9
21forme said:
The thing about Harrahs' room offers, at least in AC, is they list the comp room offer on their web page, but when you try to get the room, nothing is available. That's when your actual play makes a difference, especially during high season (summer in AC, for example.)
Click to expand...

I only go to AC on Mondays and Tuesdays. Outside of a holiday,I've never had a problem getting a room. Sometimes it's not my first choice of room,but I'll get one.I can't imagine many players have a lower ADT than mine.Perhaps the fact that I was Diamond and better for a few years helps. I generally book rooms by phone,not on-line.
Surprisingly,the only trouble I've had in Vegas was mid-August of last year.I had to travel a week later than I wanted as Harrahs didn't have a single room in any casino for two nights in a row and I didn't want to change hotels daily.
 
EasyRhino

EasyRhino

Well-Known Member
#10
#10
I don't think slot play is the requirement. I crossed the 1,000 point threshold with HET (their 'platinum' tier), almost exclusively on blackjack, and then the mailbox went crazy with promo offers. Note that getting 1,000 points with table game play takes MASSIVELY more gaming than machines at HET.

However, a couple months after that threshold was set, the mailbox went bonkers.

HET does things differently, the stuff they send in the mail is pretty sweet, especially if you want free rooms. but if you want to sit and play at the table for a couple or hours and then get a comp to a restaurant, forgetaboutit. You'll have only accrued about a buck worth of points, and the floorpeople have fairly limited comp cutting ability.

Contrast with MGM, at least with my limited play with them, where throwing money around the tables for a few hours can get you something reasonable, compwise, but the "regular" offers send in mail/email are generally quite boring, and almost never include a free room.
 
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TENNBEAR

Well-Known Member
#11
#11
The comps are a lot better in Miss than in Vegas. Harrah's and MGM have been really good to me with my table play in Miss. However in Vegas I got a better deal with Orbitz than what Harrah's offered me on my Platnum awards card for a Vegas trip next month. On my last trip to Vegas last November I only got my meals that I charged to my room comped, and nothing else.
 
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shadroch

Well-Known Member
#12
#12
TENNBEAR said:
The comps are a lot better in Miss than in Vegas. Harrah's and MGM have been really good to me with my table play in Miss. However in Vegas I got a better deal with Orbitz than what Harrah's offered me on my Platnum awards card for a Vegas trip next month. On my last trip to Vegas last November I only got my meals that I charged to my room comped, and nothing else.
Click to expand...

That sux.Sounds like you should be using my method.15-20 minutes a day on your next vegas trip should get you the marketing postcards.
 
S

shadroch

Well-Known Member
#13
#13
EasyRhino said:
I don't think slot play is the requirement. I crossed the 1,000 point threshold with HET (their 'platinum' tier), almost exclusively on blackjack, and then the mailbox went crazy with promo offers. Note that getting 1,000 points with table game play takes MASSIVELY more gaming than machines at HET.

However, a couple months after that threshold was set, the mailbox went bonkers.

HET does things differently, the stuff they send in the mail is pretty sweet, especially if you want free rooms. but if you want to sit and play at the table for a couple or hours and then get a comp to a restaurant, forgetaboutit. You'll have only accrued about a buck worth of points, and the floorpeople have fairly limited comp cutting ability.

Contrast with MGM, at least with my limited play with them, where throwing money around the tables for a few hours can get you something reasonable, compwise, but the "regular" offers send in mail/email are generally quite boring, and almost never include a free room.
Click to expand...
The idea was to get the rooms as easily as possible. Sitting around playing BJ in almost any Harrahs is a waste of time and money. The exception may be one table in Laughlin.
I like being able to set up my hotels in advance and not have to 'play for my supper" so to speak.
 
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21forme

Well-Known Member
#14
#14
shadroch said:
Perhaps the fact that I was Diamond and better for a few years helps.
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I bet that has a lot to do with it. I get the impression, the casinos use historic information for a long time when deciding who gets a room. For example, I was still getting weekly room offers (and used many of them) from Borgata for 13 months after my "AC backoff" there. Kinda funny that every time the front desk clerk pulled up my account on check-in, at the top of the screen, in red, it said "confirmed skilled player." Also kinda funny that the room offers kept coming despite zero play for every stay there (at least under my name used for the room.)
 
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