Vegas Casino Players Cards

Do serious players (i.e., card counters) sign up for those players cards offered at Vegas casinos? I've been refusing them because I don't like the idea that the casinos are rating and keeping track of my play. How do the serious players feel about that? Or am I just missing out on some valuable comps?
Do casinos keep track of winnings and refuse service to players who win too much over a certain period of time? What do you all think?

I would say if you are a "serious" player it's probably not worth it. If you're going to be betting hundreds on a hand of blackjack, you really don't need to get comp'd a buffet or a room. I wouldn't know how far they would go to please a "serious" player though.

Mike

oh you'd be surprised, a "serious" player can get free rooms, free airfare, you name it. In a great book called "You've Got Heat", the author, Barfarkel, tells about his trips and how he rarely paid for meals or hotel rooms because of his action. The biggest problem for a card counter with a players card is that it is easier for casinos to track them and then easier for them to throw them out. Serious players will usually sign up under a fake name if possible.

The general concensus is that if you live far away from Vegas and take a big hit out of your bank account just from expenses, then it might be worth it to check out, and if you notice any unusual heat on you when they check the card. Bail out of the casino and come back on a different shift and sign up for a new card, or just find yourself a new casino to play at.

If you're interested in what you can get from comps and how and for how much, I suggest you buy "Comp City" by Max Rubin, I haven't read it personally but I hear it's a very good book in dealing with the subject.

Alias'

It makes sense to have an alias to give out during your stay, especially if your using a comp-card, which I hear can be quite bennificial. I just finished 'Bringing Down the House' in which they all had multiple alias. I was thinking about this though and it's harder than it seems.

First in AC you need a fairly official (prefferably goverment) photo ID with your address and DOB on it to get a players card. They like Drivers Licences. Even if you had a Fake ID with a fake address how do you get the mail they send you like statements and reservations and stuff? Only thing I could think of is admit you don't actually have a mailbox and give them your PO box number.

Next, this works out great untill you cash out $5,000-$10,000 and they ask you for a SSN# 'in case you cash out more later in the day'. Now you need a valid SSN# that matches the info on your fake ID.

Finally you need the SSN# ANYWAYS to get the credit card that matches the fake id to check into the hotel.

This was probably easier in the pre-9/11 world but still - no walk on the beach. Now, screw up and you could be detained as a terriorst forever.

Sounds like fun... Am I missing somthing here?

Raven

not totally sure how it's done in Vegas, but I know in my nearby casino, Turning Stone in Vernona NY, having a valid ID usually just makes the process easier, if you don't have a valid ID then you have to fill out a form. I'm pretty sure it's similar in Vegas, that if you're at a table and ask to get a card, instead of going to the place in the casino where they usually give you one, you can fill it out, and with a fake name, but your real address, phone number, etc.

As for the cashing out issue, if you cash out with enough money that they need ID or a valid SS#, then you can simlply pass off the money to a friend of your's to cash it out for you, problem solved.

As far as comped rooms go, most comps, from what I know, and I could be wrong, aren't name specific, I know meal compa aren't, they just usually list the validity date and how much you can turn the comp in for, I say this because I have heard of plent of stories where people trade comps, this wouldn't be much different, if it is name specific and someone hassles you, you can always just claim it was a gift from Mr. John Doe or whoever you may be.

No one really answered your question. The truth is it is completely the opposite. You can't really win to much at a casino. In fact the more you win the harder they will try to keep you in their casino. Free rooms, free food, free everything. Everything in a casino is geared toward getting you to leave some money. Giving you a free room or free food costs the casino pennies compared to how much you could possibly leave at the table. Plus regardless how good a player you are you will lose at somepoint. So the casino will do everything possible to keep you there. A couple months ago during a extremely profitable trip to Vegas I went to 5 different casinos in the span of 4 hours and walked away with $20,000 total. Within five minutes of sitting in the high roller room at each of the casinos and playing $500 hands a host was called to ask about my lodging. I was offered a free room and all the food I could eat. If your winning they want you to stay. What is funny is if your losing they could care less about you.

One trick of the many out there to getting more comps for your buck is to take your winnings from one casino and to another. When I win 10k at one casino I'll take that money and cash it in for chips at another. Even though I only plan on using maybe 2k. Regardless the casino sees the 10k and will offer you the world in order to get at that money.

An argument for those on the fence about getting casino players cards is that when your a big loser it's easier for some reason to leave and not have to think about paying for a room, your food bill or the casino limo to take you to the airport. Plus if you break even or you leave with maybe 500 bucks you truly are up or even when your room and other expenses were comp'd.

If you live in an area with a casino nearby I can see why getting a players club card would not be of any use. In Vegas it really pays off though. I've stayed in some rooms that I would never have stayed in unless it was free. My room service bill is generally a couple hundred bucks. Sometimes you can get in-room massages for free. There are all sorts of things you can get on-the-house. With the stress of trying to make money at gambling its nice to go back to the room and not have to think about spending a 60 bucks for dinner or the 200 dollar massage.

Good Luck!!

Another thing to consider for the "serious player" who does not want the casino to notice him via his player's card is that NOT using a player's card is a red flag to the pit that you don't fit their profile of a run-of-the-mill gambler who wants every comp coming to him and then some. This becomes even more apparant after they make an offer to get you a card while you are at the table and you refuse.
It is going to be a lot easier to blend in with the masses if you use a card.

This post got me to thinking. Tell me if I am on the wrong track. As an example say I buy in for $10.000. My intention is to only play $500.00 though. My wife and I play some bj and some video poker and then after a run of bad luck we have lost the $500 or not and decide another casino might have better luck in store for us. We go to cash out. Is the current casino going to try and get us to stay with comps or will they just let us walk out the door? If not what would be considered a large buy in amount at a vegas strip casino?

When you say "buy in" for $10,000;are you talking about depositing 10K in the cage to write markers on or are you talking about getting $10,000 in chips at a table? In either case, there is some possiblity that they might offer something to keep you on property in order to get a shot at that bankroll but since you are ready to move on after losing only 5% of that bankroll, they will probably feel that you are unwilling to risk more than a small portion of that bankroll and let you walk.
From their point of view, it is not enough just to have a sizeable bankroll. You also have to be willing to put it at risk.

The time that they really expend an effort to keep you on property is when you have hit them a lick. If you just left the cage with 10K ofTHEIR money, they are much more interested in keeping you around long enough to get it back. People tend to gamble a little more freely with winnings than their hard earned cash and they want you close by when you decide your luck is still good. :devil:

I just noticed yur last question. The LV Strip is probably where you will get the least impact with a 10K bankroll, especially if you aren't evidently ready to put it all at risk. 10K impresses a lot of people (including me ) in a lot of locations but less so on the big Strip properties.

Comps are dependant on how much you play. If you walked up to a table traded in 10k for chips. The pit boss would probably come over and ask if you had a card. If not he or she would offer you one. Then at that point he would start rating you. (Only if you get a card that is). Generally to get a free room the casino wants to see some big action for a certain period of time. Say 50 to 100 dollar hands for 4 hours in a 24hr period. Actual winning or losing really does not matter. It's all about how much you play and for how long. Every so often you'll see the pit boss take a card and watch you bet. He or she will write down your bet at that current time. Maybe ever 15 minutes the pit boss will check. After you have left this will all be entered into a computer.

If your betting big like $500 a hand and your winning say your up 4k or 5k the pit boss may ask if you have a host. If you do they would call if not they will call one for you. The host will show up and offer you a room and probably if your doing really well you can ask for other things as well.

To answer your basic question. If you just show a lot of money the casino could care less. If you show your willing to risk it then yes they will be happy to offer you some free stuff. They need to see that they actually have a chance to get some of that money.