Tight comps and aggressive blackjack

4 February 2014

By Frank Scoblete

Comps for $25 Players

FROM PATRICK: I just read your response to the quarter bettor who wouldn't be comped at the coffee house.

Personally, I've found the pit supervisors to be generous with comps, but since my average bet is $100 or more, my perspective is obviously skewed.

It seems that the pit supervisor in question is being short-sighted or if he's following his casino policy, then the casino is being short-sighted. The actual cost of the comp is negligible relative to the value of the player.

Consider the coffee shop scenario. Let's say she receives a $20 comp and uses all of it. The $20 worth of food and beverage likely costs the coffee shop around $4-5. If she signed up for a loyalty card, I bet the marketing materials she receives over the next year will easily be treble that. But she will likely toss those materials into the trash because of her inability to receive a cheap comp.

It's personal experiences like that that often dictate whether a customer returns or
not - and although she was playing $25 a hand in that session, she could just as easily be a future player who would wager several times that in the future.

Myopic? Indeed!

FRANK RESPONDS: When you’re right you’re right and you are right on the money. Casinos sometimes think being tough with comps saves them money. In the past three years players have reported that Atlantic City has been tough with comps and the casinos’ bottom lines are getting worse and worse. In fact, one casino, ACH, has already closed its doors.

For your e-mail I am sending you a copy of my book “The Virgin Kiss.”


FROM DANNY: in your book “Beat Blackjack Now!” I was curious as to how aggressive you get when the Speed Count gets extremely high. I think the book mentions 8 units for conservative betting when the count is 38 on a six-deck shoe. What about 40? 45? We were experimenting yesterday with some simulations at home and saw counts as high as 47 I believe. It was literally off the charts. I am wondering whether it is worth extremely large bets in those situations or just stick to the 8 units or higher if playing aggressively. Thanks.

FRANK RESPONDS: Keep it conservative. You will find soon enough that huge swings can happen even when the count is highly positive. You would need a huge bankroll to weather the storms of blackjack play.

[Frank Scoblete’s new book “Confessions of a Wayward Catholic” is available at Amazon.com and on Kindle. Visit Frank’s website at www.frankscoblete.com.]