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 How
to get casino compsComps are freebies that the casino gives you to reward you for gambling, such as meals, show tickets, or free or discounted rooms. The casino will generally give you back about 30% of your expected loss in comps. Don't play just to get comps! That's like spending a dollar to save a quarter. If your expected loss is $100 and the casino gives you $30 in "freebies", those freebies have still cost you $70. In fact, I'd like you to consider not gambling at all. That's because the odds are stacked against you and you'll probably lose. But I know you'll probably gamble anyway because that's why everyone comes to Vegas, so if you must gamble then please at least choose the games with the best odds:
Slots get you more comps for sure, but only because you're losing more. If you play craps instead you'll save $51/hr. on average. In fact, your savings from playing craps could let you buy a couple of buffets and not even have to worry about comps. Here's a more complete list of games for four hours of play.
This means if you do play, play the games in the green boxes to lose the least amount of money. And make sure to use the proper strategy.
How to earn casino compsTo get credit for your play, you'll need a free Player's Card. Go to the Player's Club desk and sign up for a free card. You should get a card even if you don't intend to gamble much, because just by having one the casino will often mail you offers for severely discounted rooms. When I go to Vegas I generally stay on the strip for $35/night or less, and once I got an offer for three nights completely free. In fact, between comps and offers to come back to the hotel, Atlantic City casinos give away almost two-thirds of their hotel rooms for free. Okay, so you've got your card. If you play slot machines (and I hope you don't) or video poker, just stick the card in the machine before you play. If you play table games, just set it down next to your money when you're buying chips. When you're playing machines the little printout on the card reader will tell you how many comp points you've earned, and the better casinos will have a brochure at the Player's Club desk to tell you how many points you need in order to get a buffet, a room discount, etc. For table games, use my table above to see how much comp credit you earn. Here's how you can figure it yourself. Let's say you're playing roulette and betting $20 per spin. The casino would figure your average loss as: If they rebate 30% of that to you, you can expect to get back about $12/hr. in comps. Comps are usually based on how much you play, not how much you lose. You'll still get comps even if you win. The casino knows that $X of wagers is worth $Y of profit to them on average, so they just look at the amount you bet and pretty much ignore whether you won or lost. One exception is that you can get more comps if you have a large loss. What qualifies as "large" depends on the size of the casino. The smaller the casino, the less you have to lose to get your consolation prize. At the Hard Rock Casino, which is pretty small, a loss of more than $4000 can net you 10% of your loss in comps. Another exception is that you can get big comps if you have a large win. When you win big the casino will comp the hell out of you to keep you in the casino so they can win their money back from you. You might be surprised that when you win big the pit boss won't be sour, s/he'll be happy for you, and eagerly congratulate you on your good fortune. You can also expect to stay in a nice comped room or suite -- for as long as it takes for you to lose the money you won.
How to claim your compsTo get your goodies you have to ask for them. If you play machines, go back to the Player's Club and they can hook you up with buffets or whatever else you've earned. For table game players, ask the pit boss. (The person in the suit who supervises the dealers.) If you're not sure how much you have to play to get what you want, ask. They usually won't give you a very specific answer, but they can give you a good clue.
Milking compsWhen you play table games your comps are based on your average bet size. The pit crew looks at how much you're betting and punches that figure into their little computer. The most important bet is the first one you make when you sit down, and the next few are the bets right after that. If you bet higher than normal for the first few hands, you the pit boss may record a higher average bet size for you in the system. Another way to milk comps is to slow the play down. Play at a full table, and take your time making decisions. The slower you play, the less you'll lose -- but you'll probably get comped as though you were playing at normal speed. You can read more about taking advantage of comps in the books The Frugal Gambler and Comp City. Assumptions for the expected loss/comps table above: Proper strategy assumed. All results are rounded. Comp credit = 30% of theoretical loss. Slots house edge at 7%, 6%, and 5% respectively on 5¢, 25¢, and $1 machines. Slots played at 500 spins/hr. Video poker house edge at 3%, and 2% respectively on 25¢, and $1 machines. Video poker played at 400 hands/hr. Blackjack = 0.75% house edge and 70 hands/hr. Baccarat 1.2% house edge and 72 hands/hr. Craps 1.6% house edge and 48 rounds/hr. Roulette 5.26% house edge and 38 rounds/hr. Other table games 2% house edge and 50 rounds/hr. |
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