The Las Vegas Gambler
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Now For Some Free Stuff
The Las Vegas Gambler has been around for many years in Las Vegas. We have often been asked "How do you get all those comps from the casinos?" In a word - ASK.
BUT before you ask, you must know a few things about casinos and what THEY are looking for from YOU. First off, Casinos are in the business to make money and profits for their shareholders. They are not able to keep all of those lights on by just giving stuff away. You play an extremely important role in what you can get from any casino by playing smart and being known by the casino.
As we stated above, you must ASK. But good common sense tells you that you cannot just come in from the street and ask for a comp to their buffet. By the way, buffet or coffee shop comps are probably the easiest to get and if you have never been on the receiving end of a comp, this is where you start.
In order for you to get a "comp" (a shortening of the word complimentary) the casino must know who you are. Whenever you enter a casino - any casino, for the first time, before you do anything, head straight for their PLAYER'S CLUB and sign up. The casino "clubs" may be named anything from "The Boarding Pass" (Stations Casinos), The ONE Club (Mandalay Resorts {All Casinos}) or whatever the specific venue calls their PLAYERS CLUB. Once you have your card, which they will give you immediately, then and only then should you head for your favorite machine or table game.
For our first illustration, we will go to the tables. As soon as you sit down, hand your card to the dealer when you make your buy-in. The dealer will call out to the pit boss "Change a hundred with a card" (if your buy in is for $100.00) or something similar. The Pit boss will take your card make a note of your buy-in and probably greet you with something like Hello "Ms. X" Good Luck. The casino pit boss is your first contact in the hierarchy of casino comps. When this happens, you are on your way to Comp City. The Pit Boss knows your name.
Now you have the power. If you play for any appreciable amount of time, you will notice that the pit boss makes his rounds and writes something down. If the casino does not have an auto tracking system, he is writing down your current bet, which will be entered into their tracking system. If you play long enough, the casino will be able to figure your average bet while you were playing that session at that "pit". Be sure to give your card again if you switch tables and go to another "pit". BUT, it is to your advantage to stay in the same pit so that the boss knows you. I do not advocate the following, but some of my acquaintances have been known to increase their bets whenever they see the pit boss heading their way. As I said, I do not advocate this deception, but it will give you an increased average play if you choose to do it.
If you have been playing for an hour or more, and you want to try out your new found comp power. Call the pit boss and simply ask for a comp to the buffet or coffee shop, whichever strikes your fancy. He will in all probability agree and write out a comp for your choice. You see you have been playing in their casino and he has some discretionary power for comp writing. Also, he wants to keep you playing in his casino and at his pit. Go to the Buffet, pig out and enjoy your first comp.
You have filled yourself with all of the goodies and you are ready to get back to playing the games that we play here in Las Vegas. Let's go to the slots or video poker. First off, NEVER play ANY machine without inserting your player's card. You will see your points on the card start to climb. The point's multiplier will vary from property to property. You can see points accumulate at the rate of one point for every dollar played, on up to a point for every four or more dollars played. Read and understand the point system for whatever casino you are in. There will be an explanatory leaflet at the Player's Club where you signed up. You will find that some casinos have "Empty Points". That is your points are worth nothing until you build up an impossible total and then you may be eligible for discounts at their eateries of 25%, 50% or even 75%. But these points are good for little else. We have found many of the off-Strip properties as well as some of the older Strip casinos here in Las Vegas have what we refer to as "Empty Points". The casinos that you want to play with your card if you are playing slots or video poker are the casinos that pay cash for your points as well as comps. Most larger Strip casinos and some off-Strip properties will pay cash for points. For our example we have chosen The Mandalay properties "ONE-CLUB" as the club to illustrate the basic points system. At any of The Mandalay Resorts, you will build points at the rate of one point for each $4.00 wagered in a machine with their "One Club Card". That is, one point is earned for every four dollars WAGERED, NOT DEPOSITED. For instance, you deposit $20.00 into your favorite machine. For this example, we will assume that you are playing a two-coin quarter machine. When you first insert your card, the machine greets you by name and advises you of the total points that you have accumulated up to that point. The machine will then go into a "count down". When you enough money is played another point is added. As you win credits on the machine and you play these credits more points accumulate on your PLAY, Not money INSERTED. It is very possible to build hundreds of points with a minimum of your money inserted into the machine
Most casinos have their own formula for arriving at comp points. In one of the properties that we have played as an example 1000 points equals $25.00. Therefore, if you so choose, you can cash your 200 points in for five dollars. That means that 4000 points will get you a HUNDRED BUCKS! This may seem like it is not such a good deal, but Mr. & Mrs. Las Vegas Gambler have hundreds of thousands of points at Off-Strip properties that are worth a mere 25% to 50% off a coffee shop meal. Besides, if you were not inserting your card and accumulating points, you would have NOTHING.
Next, lets go for the BIG TIME. If you are lucky enough to play for a really long time and build up high dollar value points (in dollar or higher denomination machines or $25.00 average or higher wagers on the tables), then you are ready for REAL COMPS! After you have played and built up eight or ten thousand points (Remember points are gained on what you PLAY, NOT on what you INSERT into the machine). At some casinos you also build "Comp Dollars" in addition to cash points. Time has passed, you have been religiously inserting your card at every machine that you played and have given your card to every dealer at every table at which you have played. It is dinnertime. Check out the eateries in the casino. Pick out one that suits your taste. Find the Casino Host Office - NOT The Player's CLUB, We are going for the big time. Enter, there will probably be several people in front of you. When your turn comes up, a casino host will ask if they can help you.
Start off with an introduction; let them know who you are and where you are from and how often you visit Las Vegas. Then tell them that you would like a comp for the XYZ eatery that struck you as a good place to eat. He will ask for your card and enter the number into their tracking system. Hopefully, you will have played enough to build a "Comp Level" in their system. Casinos guard their comp systems like national treasures. It is hard to determine exactly what you have in their system until you try. If you meet their requirements, the host will print out a comp for the venue that you have chosen and ask if there is anything else that they can do for you. This meeting with the Casino Host will establish you as his/her player. Make a note of their name and ask for them whenever you call in the future for reservations. This will establish a rapport between you and the host. Now is your chance to find out where you are in their system. Ask what level of play you must reach to get your room comped. They may tell you a general range without letting you know exactly how much. Many Strip properties will tell you to check with them in the Host Office prior to checkout. If your play warrants, they will comp your entire stay. You are now on your way to big time comps.
You will notice that after you are home for a while, you may receive an invitation to play in a slot tournament or a table game tourney. If you get one of these invitations, you will usually be comped for your room as well as entry into the tournament. If you are a big player you will enjoy the king of comps, that being an R-F-B Comp for your entire stay. An R-F-B comp is a comp for Room, Food and Beverages. Just spend enough and the whole world of Las Vegas is at your feet. Spend enough and even your airfare and limo from the airport will be comped. The first step to get you started on the road to big time comps is that first sign-up at the casino player's club.
The rest is up to you.
Good Luck and Happy "Comping".
The Las Vegas Gambler
GOOD LUCK with whatever you play or BET.
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