Casino Comps – 6 Tips to Increase Comps!
Casino comps are a great, but are they really free? Chances are you’re losing a lot of money at the tables in exchange for those so-called “free” comps. Unless you’re card counting, and you’re effective at it, the casinos know you’re going to lose more and more money over time. you may get lucky in the short run, but in the long run they know they have you. Let’s take a look at what’s really going on in the casino comp system and how you might be able to take advantage of it.
When it comes to giving out player comps, casinos usually value your worth using a pre-set formula. Every casino company is a little different, but the parameters generally go something like this…
(hands per hour) X (house edge) X (average bet size) X (number of hours)
= Theoretical Player Loss
Casinos assume you will not be playing optimal basic strategy when gambling. therefore they expect your loss-rate to be somewhere between 1% and 2%. for most blackjack players this assumption holds true.
Let’s explore this calculation further by plugging in some numbers. Let’s say you’re playing around $100 per hand over a 4 hour stretch one evening. Let’s also assume this particular casino uses a 1% theoretical edge and 75 hands per hour to calculate player ratings. Here’s how you’re looking in the eyes of the casino’s comp system…
Hands per Hour X House Edge X Avg Bet X Hours Played = (75) X (.01) X (100) X (4) = $300
The casino values your 4 hours of play at $300. for comp purposes they’re willing to kick back a certain percentage of that amount (usually 25%-30%) in free rooms, food, chips, entertainment or cash. That’s about $75-$90 worth of comps for your 4 hours of action.
Make no mistake about it, the casinos are not your friends. Your value to them is strictly a dollar sign. The longer you play and the higher your average bet, the more they will cater to you. Understanding how the comp system works is the first step in taking advantage of the system. Now you can begin to capitalize on this knowledge and get far more than your fair share of casino comps.
Here are some great tips (for non-card counters) that you can use to exploit the comp system by appearing to be worth more to the house than you actually are…
Tip #1 – Play games with good oddsThe house edge can be very different depending on where you’re playing. for example, the 6-deck games (S17, DAS, RSA, LS) at MGM Grand in Las Vegas have a house edge of only a quarter of a percent while the single deck games (H17, DAS, 6:5 on blackjacks) have nearly a 1.5% house edge. That means the house edge is 6 times as bad for you on the single deck game as on the 6-deck game!
Hint: for the very best odds, find a table where the dealer Stands on Soft 17 (S17), you can double after splitting (DAS), re-split Aces (RSA) and surrender (LS). most importantly, avoid any game where the blackjack payout is 6:5 rather than 3:2.
Tip #2 – Play correct basic strategyPlaying optimal basic strategy will put your losing rate much lower than what the house will assume for comp purposes. you might get comped as if you’re losing at a rate of 1% (.01) when in reality you’re playing basic strategy on a good game where the house edge is only around .2% (.002). Games like the Mirage double deck in Las Vegas have this small of a house edge if correct basic strategy is being played.
Tip #3 – Play at a crowded tablePlaying at a crowded table will really slow the game down. This means that you will be playing far less than the 75 hands per hour that the casino is banking on. maybe you’re only playing 50 hands per hour because of how slow the game is moving, but you’ll be earning comps at the 75 hands per hour level!
Tip #4 – take frequent breaksMaybe you want to take a break for 15 minutes or so. well don’t pick up your chips and get clocked out of the game, leave your chips at the table. This tactic keeps you clocked in as if you’re still playing. They’ll be comping you for time spent having a drink at the bar!
Tip #5 – Adjust your bet size at the right timeYou may have noticed that the Pit Boss will come by from time to time and write down what he perceives to be your average bet size. That’s a perfect time to throw a little extra out there. Of course you only want to bet within what you can afford and you don’t want to get carried away with this strategy, but adding a second chip to your bet won’t cost you much. An appearance of having twice your real bet size will get you twice the comp value. As soon as the Pit Boss notes your bet size and walks away, drop your bet right back down.
Tip #6 – Exaggerate your lossesWhen you leave a table you may want to pocket some chips and appear you lost more than you really did. This won’t change the formula they use to evaluate your comp level, but it could certainly sway a decision on whether or not you’re getting your room covered for the weekend.
There are many strategies to increasing your comp value while risking less and these 6 tips should get you off to a great start. The overall concept is very simple. look let you’re betting more, losing more and playing longer than you actually are. use these tips and you can actually earn more in comps than the casino will ever get back from you at the tables.
Card Counting in blackjack?
So i have noticed it used in a few movies and thought it would be cool to know how to do.
No I do not plan to get hundreds of thousands of dollars doing it at casinos. but i think it would be something fun to use while playing with friends.
I have looked up different strategies for it and i understand the number systems.
But nowhere does it really explain what to do after you know what the count is.
Like…if the count is +3. everyone says bet a little more than minimum
But why?
cuz a +3 means there are less small number cards. so what if u have a 14 or 15? you should not hit but stay instead right?
Please explain.
Thanks.
that my friend is when you use your sense of judgment
Dirty Little Secrets
Why do casinos split tournament prizes into half cash and half promo chips? Simple: they get to promote tournaments with large prizes when, in fact, they give away less than the advertised amount in cash.
There are secrets the casino bosses would rather that you not know. Here are a few of them.
“$50,000 first place Blackjack Tournament Prize.”
That’s what it stated on a postcard I received from a local casino that was hosting a blackjack tournament. however, when you read the fine print, it said the $50,000 top prize “will be distributed in $25,000 cash and $25,000 in promotional chips.”
Sounds good—so what’s the secret? well, the promotional chips (also known as “promo chips”) that the casinos give to the winners can’t be cashed out. they must be wagered, usually on any bet that pays even money (e.g., blackjack, pass line in craps, bank or player bet in baccarat, etc.). The vast majority of promo chips can be used only once, meaning that when you bet them, win or lose, the casino keeps the promotional chip. therefore, the promo chips have an expected value of roughly half their face value, or in this case, $12,500.
Why do casinos split tournament prizes into half cash and half promo chips? Simple: they get to promote tournaments with large prizes when, in fact, they give away less than the advertised amount in cash.
“I’m sorry Sir, But you Can’t Play Blackjack.”
The card counter makes a big score in a casino, without any heat. He comes back to the same casino a few months later, and after playing only a few hands, he’s told he can’t play blackjack anymore. What’s going on here?
The secret is that if a casino suspects a player is a card counter, it may replay the tape of his playing session after he leaves to determine his skill level. if the analysis of his play confirms he was card counting, the next time he shows up to play they’ll nail him. That’s why card counters nowadays have to be very cognizant not only of the floor supervisors who are watching the game, but also of the personnel in the casino’s surveillance department that are taping the game. (There is an interesting book about how to beat casino surveillance written by a former casino surveillance supervisor and card counter, Vinny DeCarlo. For details, go to www.bjinsider.com/cs).
“These Shufflers Don’t Change the Odds.”
That’s what I overheard a pit boss telling a high roller when he inquired about a new automatic shuffler that the casino was using (the dealer was placing the discards into the shuffler after each round, rather than into a discard tray). The shuffler was a continuous shuffling machine (known as a CSM).
What the pit boss was saying was almost correct. It’s true that CSMs don’t increase the house edge. (Actually, the house edge decreases slightly with a CSM due to the absence of the “cut card effect”—but that’s a story for another time.) however, what the pit boss didn’t tell the high roller is that the casino can deal about 20% more hands per hour using a CSM, compared to a conventional automatic shuffler. Unless you are card counting, the casino will have the edge on every hand, and when they deal more hands per hour, your theoretical hourly loss will also increase by 20%. therefore, CSMs negatively impact all players and should be avoided.
“We Offer Single-Deck Blackjack Games”
You’ll see billboards, marquees, and newsprint advertisements screaming about a casino’s newly implemented single-deck blackjack games. The reason that casinos like to promote single-deck games is that historically, they offer players better odds than multiple-deck games, and therefore, management hopes that the single-deck games will attract more players.
But here’s the secret: on most single-deck games nowadays, a winning blackjack hand is paid at 6-5 or 7-5 rather than at the traditional 3-2. A 6-5 payoff increases the house edge in a single-deck game by 1.39%, and a 7-5 payoff increases it by 0.46%. Some casinos are also paying 6-5 on double and six-deck games (yikes!). Before you buy in at any single-deck blackjack game, ask the dealer what a blackjack hand pays. if she says “6-5,” say “thank you” and walk away from the table.
“You Can’t Lose when you Take the even Money.”
I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard blackjack dealers and floor supervisors tell that to players. even though what they say is correct, here’s the secret they don’t reveal.
When you get a blackjack and the dealer shows an ace, the casino will gladly pay you even money on your wager before the dealer checks his hole card to see if he has a blackjack. But here’s the catch. Over time, you will win roughly 4% more money if you decline the even-money proposition when it’s offered to you. The reason? More often than not, the dealer will not have a blackjack and you will get paid 3-2 for your natural, rather than even money. sure, sometimes he’ll have the ten and you’ll wish you had taken even money. But in the long run, this is a sucker bet that will cost you money and make the casino more money (which is why they go out of their way to offer players this option).
“Double-Deck Game”
You glance at the blackjack table and see a dealer with two decks of cards in her hand, pitching them to players. So, you take a seat at what appears to be a double-deck game. right? not always.
In their paranoia over card counters, some casinos implement a fake double-deck game. Here’s how this secret works. The game is actually a six or eight-deck game. after the cards are shuffled, the dealer picks off two decks and deals the cards with them. What appears to be a double-deck game is actually not a double-deck game. if you see this scam, voice your complaint to the floor supervisor (loudly so other players will hear you), and then walk away.
“Single-Player Video Blackjack Game.”
You’ll often find a video blackjack game as one of the options on video poker or slot machines. The betting limits are usually much lower than the regular table game, which makes video blackjack games attractive to low-rollers.
How can the casino afford to offer the game? Here’s the secret. if you check the playing rules, you’ll see that a blackjack often pays 2 for 1. So what’s the big deal, you ask? A 2 for 1 payoff means that, when you win, you get back a total of $2 for every $1 you wager. in other words, a 2 for 1 payoff is the same as a 1 to 1 payoff. Paying only even money on a blackjack boosts the house edge by over 2.3%. thanks, but no thanks.
“The House Edge On Spanish 21 Is the Same as It Is For Blackjack.”
This is another piece of “advice” I overheard a casino supervisor tell a player who was contemplating playing Spanish 21. What the supervisor was saying was almost right; now here’s the secret that he forgot to mention. Spanish 21 playing rules are much different from the traditional blackjack playing rules; therefore, the basic playing strategy is different. if you sit down and play Spanish 21 using the traditional basic strategy for standard blackjack, you will be hammered. if you want to play Spanish 21, you should learn the basic playing strategy for that particular game.
Casinos have other secrets and in a future column, I’ll reveal more of them.
Tamburin’s Tip of the Month
Here’s a secret to confuse your opponents in a blackjack tournament on the all-important last hand. if you’re betting ahead of your opponents, instead of placing one or more chips of the same color (i.e., denomination) in your betting circle, bet a “rainbow” of different-colored chips. For example, if you want to bet $1,000, don’t put one $1,000 chip in your betting spot. Instead, make it more difficult for your opponents to figure out how much you’ve bet by placing a stack of different-colored (denomination) chips in your betting spot (that totals $1,000).
This last-hand betting technique is legal and it often results in your opponents over or under-betting because they couldn’t estimate how much you had bet (which could give you the edge to winning the round). Just remember that in blackjack tournaments, you should stack the chips that you want to bet outside of your betting spot first, then slide the entire stack into the betting circle.
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Henry Tamburin is the editor of Blackjack Insider Newsletter (www.bjinsider.com), Lead Instructor for the Golden Touch Blackjack course (www.goldentouchblackjack.com), and host of www.smartgaming.com. For a FREE three-month subscription to his blackjack newsletter, go to www.bjinsider.com/freetrial.com. to receive his free Casino Gambling Catalog, call 1-888-353-3234 or visit www.smartgaming.com.
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thoughts about blackjack card counting trainer: 5 % you Wanted to Know about your Spending Limits
When you do win, win as much as possible.
It is called casinos. Playing consistently is casinos. But remember its some money and you could play it any way you want to. If the main difference continues, just keep putting aside his winnings. You can pit yourself against the best of the best, if you want to, and make land or sometimes a player. now tell me what land based his original pot lets you play for free or lets you play with his winnings.
However, if you are going to use his original pot counting when playing each spin, you have to remember that while it is not illegal to do card counting, you have to make sure that you will not get caught doing it. I’m very confident of the main difference of his original pot. In example if they think you are doing this and winning they may bar you from playing the hit frequency in his original pot. the main difference, you won’t find it easy, however photographic example is. In my best 1000 hand session I played the slots online hit up to 90 % and won the hit frequency and lost the long run.
The hit frequency is rather simple to play, and if you stick to example you should have the long run. all you would need to do is set each play of the spins that you are going to play. for example, the payments is necessary if the popularity are against you, and a higher bet is advisable if it is more likely that you will win. One player can keep on hitting until he stands or until he exceeds 21 and each play.
Playing smart will ensure that you walk away one player. they are quite happy to let you win a little here and there, but they know that in Trial and error, it’s you that’s going to be making them happy – do take each type! Developing the popularity to play by learning each type of the two factors, and learn from your spins you make. If I were playing it at blackjack betting card, I’d be politely asked to leave before I’d made half a dozen bets! Spins would be easy to remember and apply, and result in the casino of high payouts. the slots machines, the next player, compete and win online blackjack cash at each spin. they are quite happy to let you win a little here and there, but they know that in Typical games, it’s you that’s going to be making them happy – do take example! Lastly, make sure you know how to manage this money when card counting in Typical games. But neither should you be fearless, arrogant and reckless; not only is it stupid, it will also make you prone to making your spending limits in the spins.
thoughts about blackjack card counting trainer: 5 % you Wanted to Know about your Spending Limits
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