Get your share and
MORE of the millions in comps casinos
hand out each year.
Comps (short for complimentaries)
occur on two levels. One, standard comps, drinks,
coffee, even snacks, coupon books, and other freebies
available to anyone.
Two, Premium comps such as free rooms,
meals, show tickets, casino souvenirs, and even free
airfare are given only to qualified players. Comps are
earned when you gamble, at the slots, the tables, the
wheel, no matter what game you play in the casino. And
the amount of the comp is proportionate to the amount of
action you give the casino (action is the money you bet
in any game). The more action, the more comps.
Whenever you visit any
casino, be sure to get a player's
card.Once you have
the card, use it whenever you gamble. If you play slots,
there is a place to put the card in as you play. At
tables, simply hand the card to the dealer when you get
chips. The dealer will hand it to the pit boss who will
log you in. At this point they track the amount you
bought in the game with and the table stakes. When you
leave, they record the amount you won or lost. All this
information determines how much comp credit you
get.
How to get better
comps!
First, always dress well! Players
in sloppy tee shirts, ragged jeans, or very casual
inexpensive clothes don't really interest the pit boss.
How is he dressed? Usually in a coat and tie, almost
always upscale. Dress well and wear your more expensive
clothes, and be sure to have the accessories! A good
looking watch, ring, chain, bracelet,all contribute to
the overall image. The pit boss will be more likely to
be more generous in handing out comps to players who
look like they have money to spend - oops, make that
lose!
Tricks to boost
your Comp rating!
The idea is to make the casino think you are
betting more than you are. The best place to do this is
at the Blackjack table. Be sure to learn the game first,
if you plan to play, and learn the basic strategy. Also
use the Blackjack Betting
Trigger! Play smart and
conservative at the table and you can earn comps fast
with little risk.
First, always get noticed.
Buy
in for a few hundred dollars when you sit down at the
blackjack table. The dealer will notify the pit boss and
hand him your card. When the pit boss looks your way,
call him by name (from his nametag, ask him if you
cannot see it. Hi Boss, said with a smile works, too)
and thank him for logging you in. Ask him what comps you
can expect for a hour or two of play. Just chat if you
can. Be friendly.
When he is watching your table, try to
make your biggest bets. Play a second spot on the table
if possible. When he's not, bet the minimum, if it is to
your advantage to do so. Tip the dealer too! After an
hour or so, make a few large bets when he comes around.
Tell him you are getting hungry, then ask him if you
have earned any comps yet for the
buffet.
Play only busy tables and
play slowly. Fewer hands played equals fewer potential
losses. Look for a full table with a social atmosphere.
When players are chatting, join in with them. Tell
stories or jokes. Sit out for a hand occasionally (never
when the pit boss is around!). The idea is to let the
log build your playing time. Only use these tactics when
the pit boss is not around. And be sure not to ruffle
the other players, who may just comment on your play
when the pit boss is around to hear it. If you see the
pit boss is on a break, take one too, head for the
bathroom, or go and get somethng to
drink.
Needless to say, be friendly all
the time, do not yell at the dealer or complain at lot.
Secret tactics to get
more and better comps!
Get two (or more) players
cards. As a rule, two people using the same card account
will build comps faster then two players on separate
accounts. If one of you is playing slots while the other
is playing blackjack, then you can build comps faster.
Some casinos frown on this, but most will allow it. You
would be amazed at how many times I have seen people at
the slots playing two machines at the same time, one
with a players card and one without. All the comp play
is lost in one of the machines. Several times I have
been tempted to stick my card in for
them!
Make it appear you haver
lost more than you really have. During the course of play, find a way to
move chips from the table to your pockets. Be sure the
pit boss is NOT watching when you do this! Just take a
chip, and if the dealer notices, put it in your pocket
and say (with a sad smile) I better save this one for
dinner. And then as you play, add a few more to it
secretly. Stack your chips, leave one in your hand and
then reach for something in your pocket. Drop the chip
in as you do this. I use a lip balm in my back pocket
for this. I cache a chip in my hand, reach back in my
pocket for the balm, and drop the chip as I bring it
out. Lighters and cigarettes, if you smoke, also work. It is easy for a woman to sweep
one in her purse sitting on her lap. Practice this
first! Casinos do not like players putting chips in
pockets or purses. The idea is that when you leave the
table, you will appear to have lost more than you
actually did. This will raise your comp level.
When you leave the table,
and you have colored up (traded your smaller chips for
bigger ones), casually stroll around the tables for a
few minutes, as if you are looking for a place to play.
Then head for the bathroom. On your way back, stop at
the cashier and cash in your chips! Then the next time
you sit down to play, buy in with cash! Never bring
chips to a table, and always get your chips only at a
table. This way the casino only knows that you bought in
again, and you have put a few
bucks back in your pocket. Overall, the casino thinks it
is getting more action than it really is.
When you are done gambling for the night, leave
your player card (or cards) in a slot machine! (Don't
worry, your comps are safe, it takes ID to redeem comps)
Here is how to do this, and it works much of the time.
Find one of those big slot machines, the ones that
people try an occasional bet on. Put your card in and
play it once, then leave the card there. If the next
player does not have a card, then anything they play
will go to your account! And the next, and the next. I
once left a card in a machine overnight at the Excalibur
and it was still there the next morning, with over $100
in comps added to it! Don't overdo this! If the casino
finds you have gotten 20 cards, and finds them all over
the place, you may lose your comps cards
membership!
