Get your share and MORE of the over
$1
billion in comps the 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, make your biggest
bets. When he's not, bet the minimum, if
it is to your advantage to do so. After
an hour or so, make a few large bets when he
comes around. Tip the dealer too! 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!
