Compensations

11 April 2024

By Royal Flushes

CINDY: Our general opinion about comps that the casino gives us is to take what they offer but not to go comp-crazy. Playing for comps is a true waste of your time, your mental time mainly, and your money.

ABBY: It is important to understand that the casinos give back a certain amount of a player’s potential losses in the form of what some players think of as “free stuff.” There is nothing or almost nothing free in a casino – maybe the air. Those comps are earned based on what the casino thinks your style of play will offer to the casino in the way of their winnings. Nothing more; nothing less.

CINDY: It is a long-term projection of your losses and what those losses are worth to them. They will then give you back a percentage of those losses in the form of comps. These comps are “rewards” for your play.

ABBY: So, what are the casinos analyzing about you? What is your loss profile?

CINDY: Here are the ingredients in your ratings as a table-game player: What game / games you play. What are the house edges on those games based on the strategy decisions that you make.

ABBY: For example, a normal player at blackjack might face a one percent disadvantage. An excellent player might face a one-half percent house edge. A terrible player might face a two percent house edge or more. These are calculated by the casino to figure out what the casino will give you in comps. In various comps such as meals, entertainment, goods.

CINDY: The casino puts a percentage on you on all games. This percentage is your identity to them. Poor players get better comps because – obviously! – they will lose more money over time. Good players must be aware that their comps might be somewhat less than terrible players’ comps.

ABBY: Time counts big time! How often you frequent their casino or casinos is analyzed. The more visits, meaning the more play, the better is a good general statement. Why is that? Because the more decisions you play, the worse it is for you and many visits probably means many more decisions. A long-playing customer coming often to the casinos is a good bet for the casino.

CINDY: Now, those of you who play multiple games are gems for the house because some games are so casino-heavy (so to speak) that you are asking for trouble by playing them at all. How exactly are you rated at the casinos?

ABBY: Take craps, a game with multiple and sundry bets, most of which are truly not good bets. Some can be considered perfectly awful bets but, here’s the rub, craps players love to make multiple bets when they play – from good bets to rotten bets. They don’t seem able to just play the best bets and leave it at that.

CINDY: So, the pit person rating you will give a range of bets you make – sometimes as a guess at what the casino thinks your average bet is or sometimes each and every bet is recorded and their amounts obviously to get what you are worth to them.

ABBY: Next week, we’ll tackle more on compensation ratings and styles of returns.

CINDY: Watch for it!