Counting on Comp Cards: Is it worth having one?

I got a comp card when I first started card counting at the casino. There is only one casino near me, and I can't travel much. In the beginning I didn't think it was a big deal and enjoyed getting free parking, buffet, and hotel stays. I would hand in my comp card everytime I cashed in for the chips, and I didn't really think much of it when the pit bosses would swipe me in.

Then, one day, as the dealer was coloring me up, the pit boss started telling me the outfit I was wearing the previous day's visit. This caught me off guard and got me a little concerned because I didn't know that such notes about me or that even notes are taken. When I was just about to leave the table with my higher value chips, the pit boss said, "by the way, you also look good in that blue jacket." I thought that was his inconscipuous way of saying, "we're watching you".

Luckily the above-mentioned situation happened at my early days of counting... and since then I stopped using my comp card and it has been a while since I have swiped in. I just feel like the less information they have about me, the easier it is for me to fly under the radar.

My question is, is it worth having a comp card? Could they be keeping notes about me that they could use to trace my betting or catch me in the future?

Use of player's card

In general using a players card is a bad idea.

If you are really small time at a big joint it is probably ok to get free parking etc. If you are playing where you live you don't need any of the other stuff. The ones in my neighbourhood still send me offers for show I don't want to see, food I don't want to eat and beds I don't want to sleep in and I haven't used players cards for anything but Craps recently.

Player's Cards are used to track play with greater ease in exchange for this ease they give you free stuff you probably don't want. They can track to measure if a ploppy is a whale or adversley if the ploppy never loses and low and behold they have found an AP.

If you play nickels you probably won’t earn many comps so its not really worth the exposure unless you use it specifically for comp hustling. If you play greens then the comps can be a huge money saver if you use them sparingly. If you play black then you probably want to avoid the attention. If you play purple and above then a player’s card is usually unavoidable but not a big hinderance.

If you are playing red chips, no casino is going to sweat you so why pass up whatever comps you can get. You'd be surprised how comps add up in many places.

no kidding. one place that i learned to play at betting nickels comped me $20 in food everytime i asked. I would ask about every two-three sessions (session = 2hours), so for every five-six hours of play (at the $5 level) I would get a full belly.

If you play at a joint in Ac I don't see how it can hurt

Worst case scenario, you get a shuffle up call or they restrict you to flat betting.

I think the correct answer to this is maybe! If this casino gives good comps such as meals, free slot play, match play coupons, free rooms, etc., I would lean toward using my players club card, especially at red chip levels. Comps can be a valuable part of a counters EV. At higher levels, your players club card can be a valuable tool for the casino to track your play and determine your skill level. If you are a green chipper or higher, the extras may not be worth the risk. One comp hustling trick that higher level players can use is to give them your card only after you have had a run of bad varience to start a session. If you buy for lets say $500 and lose it all and have to buy in again, then you might want to give the pit your card for the second buy in and ask nicely that they credit you for the time and money that you have already put in. You can use this trick a few times, but after a while the pit critters will catch on. Try to use it on different shifts with different bosses. Also, red chippers should remember a few comp hustling tricks. Start with a $10 bet instead of $5 when being intially rated by the pit. Also, ratholing should be a big part of your play so you show a lifetime loss after many hours of play. A rule of thumb is to rathole twice your EV over a session. If your EV is $10 per hour and you play 2 hours, you should try to rathole $40. Just let the computer think you are the average ploppy!

No Card?

I was under the impression that in general, not using a comp card at Green or above (depending upon how big the casino of course) would draw automatic suspicion from the Pit--and might therefore even prompt a skills check?

After all, who really wouldn't want the substantial comps that come at Green or higher--except for an AP?

And don't you think the Pit Bulls have heard all the cleaver excuses of why you don't have one, or don't want one, or don't have yours on you--and therefore, the red flags go up automatically when you're not using one?

Gambling addicts who swore to their wives that they had quit gambling.

who really wouldn't want the substantial comps that come at Green or higher?

Good one.

I know that I have played green at both the Orleans and the Gold Coast and received the same mailers that my wife receives (red chip flat bettor), which did not include any free rooms and a whooping $5 in slot play if a registered guest (sorry, not paying for a room). I have gone back to both places and spread 1-8 green with no card and felt no heat (hit and run). There are other casinos where I have played greens and received very good offers (slot play, rooms, etc.). These places get my card sometimes right away, sometimes at a rebuy, and sometimes not at all. If you keep meticulous records, you have a better idea what you can and cannot get away with when you walk into the casino. People bounce around casinos all the time and play unrated, including green level and higher. I have an eleven day trip planned to Vegas and Harrah's Ah Chin in Phoenix and have all 10 nights comped between 4 hotels and don't plan on paying for a meal. Also have roughly $200 in free slot play from mailers and a few match play coupons as well. The slot play should pay for my spring training baseball tickets!!

As long as you have a good act, you should be playing with a card. The comps add up to a lot of money. A good green-chip comp hustler can get airfare offers, and those are absolutely huge. I can't imagine trying to playing blackjack for profit while paying for travel expenses.

The comps are great, until you get caught. Then, they know everything about you, which makes things more difficult.

I'd still say it's worth it most of the time.

Floormen can have freakishly good memories about people sometimes. One floorman lady who I hadn't seen in 6 months remembered where I had gone shopping on a previous outing. It doesn't have to do with the casino tracking you (comp cards don't store wardrobe choices). Plus, the floorman may have just been hitting on you.