short sessions/comps

[kewljason]

In the past I played almost exclusively unrated. Short sessions, under the radar type thing. A couple members and threads on this site convinced me doing so is like leaving money on the table, so I have been experimenting with playing rated some this year. I still don't play rated all the time, because there is one big chain that I play at a great deal and I don't want one flare up to put that in jeopardy, but have been playing rated at some other places and am receiving decent comp offers which have limited value to me, because I live in Vegas and don't need rooms, which they are quick to offer, but also getting some offers with free play and matchplays which I have come to like a great deal.

I am not all that knowledgeable about how each place calculates things as some of you are, but I will say I am surprised at the offers I am getting, because I play such short sessions, I didn't think it would amount to as much. I think one advantage to my style of play is that I often leave after a shoe with a high count where I was placing larger wagers, so I think the pit remembers my last, larger wagers and gives me credit for a higher average bet that I should have.

 

[BJgenius007]

In the past I played almost exclusively unrated. Short sessions, under the radar type thing. A couple members and threads on this site convinced me doing so is like leaving money on the table, so I have been experimenting with playing rated some this year. I still don't play rated all the time, because there is one big chain that I play at a great deal and I don't want one flare up to put that in jeopardy, but have been playing rated at some other places and am receiving decent comp offers which have limited value to me, because I live in Vegas and don't need rooms, which they are quick to offer, but also getting some offers with free play and matchplays which I have come to like a great deal.

I am not all that knowledgeable about how each place calculates things as some of you are, but I will say I am surprised at the offers I am getting, because I play such short sessions, I didn't think it would amount to as much. I think one advantage to my style of play is that I often leave after a shoe with a high count where I was placing larger wagers, so I think the pit remembers my last, larger wagers and gives me credit for a higher average bet that I should have.

Big buy-in will help your ratings. Like $500 on $10 minimal table or $2000 on $25 minimal table. Even you just play 20 or 30 minutes.

If you play 6D, leave the table after a monster high TC shoe, win or lose.

 

[Shoofly]

I am not all that knowledgeable about how each place calculates things as some of you are, but I will say I am surprised at the offers I am getting, because I play such short sessions, I didn't think it would amount to as much.

Funny you should mention it. I made a visit to Tunica in January, and I just received in the mail today, room and food offers from a place I played a total of about 30 minutes. Also, it is a place that is not known for their generous comp offers.

 

[blackjack avenger]

New Players

New players probably get more. If you use a room offer and only play 30 minutes they will dry up.

Tread lightly kewljason. I am sure you realize they pay more attention to rated players and now they know your previous plays. They will watch your bets and be far more interested in your wins and losses.

good cards:joker::whip:

 

[moo321]

Funny you should mention it. I made a visit to Tunica in January, and I just received in the mail today, room and food offers from a place I played a total of about 30 minutes. Also, it is a place that is not known for their generous comp offers.

Tunica is the best place I've ever found for comps. There are better games available in the world, but a red chipper can get a room and 3 good buffets a day.

 

[kewljason]

Tunica is the best place I've ever found for comps. There are better games available in the world, but a red chipper can get a room and 3 good buffets a day.

3 good buffets a day! whoo! Hope he is getting plenty of exercise or he will take up 2 spots at the table even when only playing 1. :laugh:

I eat out (courtesy of casinos) once a day, my big meal of the day in the afternoon, but I rarely choose the buffet. Nothing good can come from too much buffet.

 

[moo321]

3 good buffets a day! whoo! Hope he is getting plenty of exercise or he will take up 2 spots at the table even when only playing 1. :laugh:

I eat out (courtesy of casinos) once a day, my big meal of the day in the afternoon, but I rarely choose the buffet. Nothing good can come from too much buffet.

Depends on how you attack the buffet. I usually don't stuff myself on it...

I like buffets because as long as there is no line, I don't have to wait. Just go grab my food, and get out in like 20 minutes.

 

[kewljason]

Depends on how you attack the buffet. I usually don't stuff myself on it...

I like buffets because as long as there is no line, I don't have to wait. Just go grab my food, and get out in like 20 minutes.

Many people, myself included have a sense that it's already paid for so might as well have seconds, when you ordinarily wouldn't. Add in the same thought process for desert. :laugh:

 

[Shoofly]

Tunica is the best place I've ever found for comps. There are better games available in the world, but a red chipper can get a room and 3 good buffets a day.

Absolutely. I had very little previous experience in Tunica, but received 4 nights comped and didn't pay for a meal.

 

[Bojack1]

Many people, myself included have a sense that it's already paid for so might as well have seconds, when you ordinarily wouldn't. Add in the same thought process for desert. :laugh:

Nothing wrong with seconds, or even thirds if you're not carbing up. Think of food as fuel and not entertainment and the buffets can actually help you stay fit instead of fat. Discipline on the buffet table is equally if not more important than the discipline on the bj table. Strokes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and just plain obesity is -EV. Its hard to count cards once you lose your sight to diabetes. Nothing wrong with a free meal, just don't think it means you need to eat like a 7 year old left alone in a candy store in order to take full advantage of it.

 

[kewljason]

Nothing wrong with seconds, or even thirds if you're not carbing up. Think of food as fuel and not entertainment and the buffets can actually help you stay fit instead of fat. Discipline on the buffet table is equally if not more important than the discipline on the bj table. Strokes, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, heart attacks, and just plain obesity is -EV. Its hard to count cards once you lose your sight to diabetes. Nothing wrong with a free meal, just don't think it means you need to eat like a 7 year old left alone in a candy store in order to take full advantage of it.

Good advice, Mr Bo. I just would rather eat at one of the other restaurants, even if it's just a burger at the coffee shop. Speaking of Obese, funny thing about the buffet. Have you looked around while there? I don't mean to pick on the size-challenged folks, but they certainly are drawn to the buffet.

 

[FLASH1296]

"Big buy-in will help your ratings. Like $500 on $10 minimal table or $2000 on $25 minimal table. Even you just play 20 or 30 minutes." ...

… is a completely incorrect assertion, and is quite ill-advised as well.

It is best to buy in for 20 units or even less.
Big buy-ins create unwarranted attention.

When a casino rates you they simply use an uncomplicated algorithm.

Your buy-in, amount won, and amount lost are NEVER included as factors.

The factors are:

• Time spent playing (in ¼ hr. increments)
• House Advantage (in their opinion)
• Decisions per hour (in their opinion)
• Average wager. (in their opinion)

The product of the factors is then multiplied but whatever coefficient the casino manager dictates. 24% is the most common figure.

So: If you play BJ for 4 hrs. with an average wager of $30 and they decide that 1.0% is their House Advantage at 60 hands per hour; they will multiply that out and come up with $18 and finally 24% of that will get you $4 worth of comp dollars.

Garnering a surprisingly greater amount than what is predicted - is a very common occurrence, especially if the floor-person likes you,
and you toke when s/he is around while you have been winning.

Comps like free rooms, match play, tournament invites, gifts, etc. are most often generated from your basic level of play, as opposed to a specific rating.

Y M M V and probably will.

 

[kewljason]

"Big buy-in will help your ratings. Like $500 on $10 minimal table or $2000 on $25 minimal table. Even you just play 20 or 30 minutes." ...

… is a completely incorrect assertion, and is quite ill-advised as well.

It is best to buy in for 20 units or even less.
Big buy-ins create unwarranted attention.

When a casino rates you they simply use an uncomplicated algorithm.

Your buy-in, amount won, and amount lost are NEVER included as factors.

The factors are:

• Time spent playing (in ¼ hr. increments)
• House Advantage (in their opinion)
• Decisions per hour (in their opinion)
• Average wager. (in their opinion)

The product of the factors is then multiplied but whatever coefficient the casino manager dictates. 24% is the most common figure.

So: If you play BJ for 4 hrs. with an average wager of $30 and they decide that 1.0% is their House Advantage at 60 hands per hour; they will multiply that out and come up with $18 and finally 24% of that will get you $4 worth of comp dollars.

Garnering a surprisingly greater amount than what is predicted - is a very common occurrence, especially if the floor-person likes you,
and you toke when s/he is around while you have been winning.

Comps like free rooms, match play, tournament invites, gifts, etc. are most often generated from your basic level of play, as opposed to a specific rating.

Y M M V and probably will.

I remember reading in another thread that the buy-in didn't matter. I think maybe that's a notion from days long gone. I wasn't about to do so any way as my current playing style is the extreme oppisite of that. I play very short sessions and so I buy in for a ridiculously small amount 4 units, which works out good as it's a Ben. It gives the impression that I won't be there long right from the get-go and when and if I keep buying in for more it looks like I am steaming.

 

[bigplayer]

In the past I played almost exclusively unrated. Short sessions, under the radar type thing. A couple members and threads on this site convinced me doing so is like leaving money on the table, so I have been experimenting with playing rated some this year. I still don't play rated all the time, because there is one big chain that I play at a great deal and I don't want one flare up to put that in jeopardy, but have been playing rated at some other places and am receiving decent comp offers which have limited value to me, because I live in Vegas and don't need rooms, which they are quick to offer, but also getting some offers with free play and matchplays which I have come to like a great deal.

I am not all that knowledgeable about how each place calculates things as some of you are, but I will say I am surprised at the offers I am getting, because I play such short sessions, I didn't think it would amount to as much. I think one advantage to my style of play is that I often leave after a shoe with a high count where I was placing larger wagers, so I think the pit remembers my last, larger wagers and gives me credit for a higher average bet that I should have.

Playing rated at short sessions with high avg bet/flux doesn't generate much in the way of pure comps, but does get the mail offers coming. Mail offers are better than pure comps as you can stay and stiff without offending anyone directly like you can if you book through a host and get RFB and subsequently stiff them. The key is to know when a given players card is about at the end of it's useful life and making the switch to either unrated play or to a new players card with a $0 lifetime result. Then your problem becomes getting a few plays on the card so that when you begin seriously playing on it there is some data in the computer. (Nothing worse than a known face with a players card with zero data on it).

By the way, in response to a few other posts...size of buy-in really no longer matters...in fact a large buy-in is often detrimental if it triggers an automatic call to surveillance. I never buy-in for more than $2,500 but often for just $500 so that my wongout point and running out of money tend to coincide. Average bet and a big loss will combine to trigger better bounceback and at some casinos your comps are based 25% to 30% of your accumulated theoretical loss (note 40% comp rates and 1.5% assumed house edges have gone the way of the dinosaur) or alternatively 5% of your actual loss if it exceeds $10,000 to $20,000 depending on the casino.

 

[kewljason]

Playing rated at short sessions with high avg bet/flux doesn't generate much in the way of pure comps, but does get the mail offers coming. Mail offers are better than pure comps as you can stay and stiff without offending anyone directly like you can if you book through a host and get RFB and subsequently stiff them. The key is to know when a given players card is about at the end of it's useful life and making the switch to either unrated play or to a new players card with a $0 lifetime result. Then your problem becomes getting a few plays on the card so that when you begin seriously playing on it there is some data in the computer. (Nothing worse than a known face with a players card with zero data on it).

Interesting and useful info bigplayer. Thanx. I guess some of this, like many things is learned thru experience.

 

[blackjack avenger]

Buy Ins Don't Matter?

I agree that a large buy in at the table can garner potential negative attention. However, I would imagine making a large deposit at the cage would land you an immediate host, if you want that.

Also, big buy ins and play can get near immediate host attention.

Different areas
Different casinos
Different experiences

Did I say imagine earlier? Hmmmm

 

[farmdoggy]

3 good buffets a day! whoo! Hope he is getting plenty of exercise or he will take up 2 spots at the table even when only playing 1. :laugh:

That could actually be +EV... I don't speak from experience though :flame:

 

[Thunder]

Something to think about

I know in the past several of you have expressed disbelief about this, but it's something worth mentioning again. Unless you're buying in for more than a few hundred at a time, I have noticed many times that the pitbosses are too lazy to enter in your rebuy into the computer. Therefore it may be prudent to buy in for more at the start or at the very least, make sure that they do enter your rebuy into the computer. This way it doesn't seem like that you are winning even more than you are.

 

[Blue Efficacy]

I know in the past several of you have expressed disbelief about this, but it's something worth mentioning again. Unless you're buying in for more than a few hundred at a time, I have noticed many times that the pitbosses are too lazy to enter in your rebuy into the computer. Therefore it may be prudent to buy in for more at the start or at the very least, make sure that they do enter your rebuy into the computer. This way it doesn't seem like that you are winning even more than you are.

Oh they will put it in, that is one of their top duties is to account for the cash coming in.

 

[Tarzan]

Vegas Baby!

Now I know who to talk to when I am looking for a (free) room in Vegas, Jason! My last trip I stayed at Motel 6 due to a lack of any comp offers.