Video Poker Forum

What is the deal with slot cards and casinos. First they bug you to get a card. Then when you play you get points.
I use the cards but I am thinking about not using them any more. When I go the the slot club desk and ask about my comps and cash back, no one seems to be able to tell me what I have in comps. They say we can give you a $7 ticket for the deli and then look at me like I am stupid.
I asked yesterday how much dollar value I have built and the lady said she is not allowed to tell me. It was the same story at 3 different casinos.
  When I play video poker I use a progressive system and when I get ahead by a certain amount I leave a winner and go to another casino and statr again. So most of the time I come out ahead by a small amount and other times a big amount. I don't just sit and play and give it all back.
Could this be the reason I don't get comps like I hear others get?
I got home and got online at a certain game manufacturers web site and poked around and found out that  the technolgy they sell to casinos for tracking players and rating players is almost mind boggling.
 
I think I will just play to win money from now on and they can keep there slot cards and their $7 deli sandwich.
 

What casino are u playing at?

What casino are u playing at?
 
Different towns in the mid west

I use my casino cards to keep track of taxable losses and winnings, not for comps. When I hit a decent jackpot ($2K and up) I demand a buffet ticket, card or not. My card is for my records, that's all. Standing in line 30 minutes for a $4 Made In Taiwan Reversable Pancake Flipper is not my idea of fun.

They give you a free meal even after you win!
 
They give me the impression that winners are not welcome back

In Vegas I play the card mainly for room comps although the cash back is OK as well. I honestly can't remember the last time we paid for a room in Vegas and we go out 2-3 times per year.

In Vegas I play the card mainly for room comps although the cash back is OK as well. I honestly can't remember the last time we paid for a room in Vegas and we go out 2-3 times per year.
 
vpguy,
Do you usually win overall on vp trip?

OEJ719, the theory behind many decent casinos offering a buffet ticket to taxable jackpot winners is they will stick around and put the cash they won back into the machines if they stay and eat, while otherwise they might leave to get something to eat. Never pay for a casino buffet --- if they won't comp you, walk.

As far as a casino giving you the impression that winners are not welcome back, that is hogwash. Over the course of the fiscal year a certain percentage of the take goes back to the players. That is the basis of the business. The attendants who pay out jackpots could care less who wins the money even if they try to act excited for you (to get a tip). Someone is definitely going to take X% of the take, regardless of whether it is you or the Man in the Moon. If they acted like you were not welcome for winning, it could have been you were picking up vibes on something else. But I promise you, thepeople who work in casinos FULLY UNDERSTAND that a certain percentage of the take is going to be won and they really don't care who wins it ---- they pay out so many jackpots over the course of a shift that it is very hard to get interested or excited or any reaction at all. It is just a part of the job, like a bank teller cashing a check.
 
The only exception to the above would be if a high roller comes in and requests a certain special bet and it is approved and he wins. There might be some gnashing of teeth over that, but as far as the routine jackpots paid on video poker machines, they are not happy or sad about paying them out -- they are matter of fact, because it is fully expected and PROJECTED in the cash flow plan.

719
I try to play good strategy whenever I play and I would say I come out ahead 75% of the time. Of course I practice a lot at home and have read quite a few books on VP by many different authors. I enjoy playing and of course winning, however, even if you play perfect strategy you won't always win. VP is like a hobby for me and learning to play it properly enhances the experience. It's a real rush when you hit a RF or a quad.