Strategy for earning comps

[BobDancer]

I would never advocate the "Chasing of comps" or anything like that.......

Maybe DB wouldn't, but I would.comps (including free play and other valuable goodies) represents a significant source of income. If you need, say, xxx points to earn an extra $100 in free play,   I would consider playing the xxx points. I evaluate this on a case-by-case basis, but chasing that extra money often makes sense.Sometimes I go into a casino JUST to play those xxx points, although that isn't a smart play on those casinos that use ADT. For those that use total coin in per month, it can work fine.Some of the posts here are treating comps as if they fall out of the sky --- and whatever happens happens. In my experience it doesn't happen that way. It takes as much time and energy to figure out the slot clubs and how to take advantage of the various promotions (i.e. chasing comps) as it does to play video poker. And since the slot clubs and promotions are changing all the time, you have to keep working at it to keep upBob

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=Bob Dancer]Some of the posts here are treating comps as if they fall out of the sky --- and whatever happens happens.[/quote]Bob is gambling that his play plus his comps will make him a profit.  He plays at a level and in an environment where this is a possibility.  For the majority of video poker players this is currently not a practical strategy.  Outside of Vegas, the odds and comps have been  have been reduced to a point where it doesn't make sense to  go after comps because they aren't worth what it costs to play for them.  Some things are advantageous like two players playing on the same card or playing on special high point days.  Unfortunately, Florida casinos do not allow husbands and wives to play on the same card and they do not give multiple points to video poker players.  Like all video poker strategies, you need to keep your own personal situation in mind before you make a decision on how and when to play.

[Lucky Larry]

Unfortunately, Florida casinos do not allow husbands and wives to play on the same card and they do not give multiple points to video poker players.  Like all video poker strategies, you need to keep your own personal situation in mind before you make a decision on how and when to play.




Phil,
Do you mean the casinos don't link the accounts (husband/wife) or H/W can't play on copies of one of their cards? If that is the case do they allow a player to play on two machines at a time on their card. Not only do our hosts recommend playing on one player's cards when close to the next player's level, many High Limit players play two machines at a time on their cards.

[FloridaPhil]

The Florida Hard Rocks do not allow the linking of cards.  In Biloxi, they do which is probably why we get so many offers from there.  My wife and I both play a lot, so we look like a better customer.   It's curious that I never notice anyone playing two machines at the same time at the Hard Rocks.  I'm pretty sure they would allow it, but no one ever does.  Maybe they do in some exclusive high roller area, but I have never seen it here.  I have never tried playing with two cards from the same account myself.  My wife only likes to play on vacation, so it wouldn't help me much during the week.

[Tedlark]

As Bob pointed out; you must know the rules of the various slot clubs where you may be playing.

[chattycattty]

Dab, unfortunately you are wrong and BD and TL are correct on this issue.

[alpax]

It does take time (since mailers come every month or even quarterly) and guinea pig experiments are necessary to figure out the most optimal slot club returns.

Not sure if casinos are supposed to disclose this information to the players if they request for it. I know it is easier for table game players.

Otherwise players would need to lose on an initial investment to figure out optimal returns from playing.

[FAA]

It does take time (since mailers come every month or even quarterly) and
guinea pig experiments are necessary to figure out the most optimal
slot club returns.And CET is discontinuing mailers after this year. I don't high roll so mailers are a mirage. I saw someone's mailer a few weeks ago.  $5 slot play for nine weeks in a row. I can live without that.

[DaBurglar]

Dab, unfortunately you are wrong and BD and TL are correct on this issue.????    Which issue??Someone please go back and read my original post (the first one in this thread...)......THEN, as you read the responses, you will see that, further on down the line, I made a second, sort of general nonchalant post where I stated "I would not ADVOCATE the chasing of comps..."      That is simply a SUBJECTIVE, personal take on the subject in general (and therefore not applicable to a "Correct/incorrect" evaluation), and as BOB himself clearly states in his post above you need to look at each case INDIVIDUALLY (meaning SOME comps are NOT worth chasing while some are, and some are in between).......obviously, if I myself have a situation or opportunity where I am within a few points, or a small amount of play away from, earning something good or significant or desirable, well then DUH, of course I would  attempt to gain it (and I do NOT consider the specific attempt to earn a Specific comp "CHASING").........But we have all heard (or perhaps experienced) tales of people "blowing" hundreds of dollars (or more) to earn something "free" or "comp'd" from a casino that in reality is only worth a fraction of what they spent to get it....And how many times does it need to be pointed out, Bob Dancer is Bob Dancer....he is an exception.   None of us realistically can do what he does, if for no other reason (although there are many) that the CASINOS themselves would thwart our efforts....in fact they already are with their "War" on Video Poker and Comps, which gets worse everyday.   Besides, as many of you yourselves have pointed out, BOB DANCER is allowed to do what he does by the casinos because, in their view, he attracts far more business for them that he himself could possibly earn for himself.   If this is not obvious to everyone by now then it should be......And lastly, regarding "Finding out" from players clubs/slot clubs what the actual specifics are in terms of how much coin in is required, or what method(s) does the casino utilize to calculate comps, etc....more and more, casinos are NOT divulging this information to players, or they are choosing to intentionally keep it very "vague" and evolving, for obvious reasons.   I agree 100% that we should ATTEMPT to find out as much as we can regarding this type of info, but I also am cognizant that in today's casino environment, it is no longer certain that we can learn this info......my last trip to AC drove home this point in SPades (no pun) when the Resorts/Mohegan slot booth manager flat out stated " I cannot tell you HOW much you now have to play at Video Poker" in order to earn tier points or comps!     Likewise, Golden Nugget-AC is completely byzantine in its actual computation of Slot points/comps/cashback  via Video Poker.edited to add:   After I hit POST, I thought of a possible question to my last point about divulging comp/point info:   Does VEGAS/Nevada gaming regs require casinos to divulge to players exactly WHAT is required to earn points, comps, cashback  etc???    Obviously in New Jersey it is NOT a player's right to know this stuff.....is it different in Nevada?   Maybe Bob himself can answer this part.....

[olds442jetaway]

I can only answer for one casino in Ct. and that is Mohegan Sun. Although it is a small sign, they clearly mark all vp machines that do not pay Momentum Dollars. You still earn status or tier points on those machines though. I play them a lot because the paytables are in the 99% or better range for most games. If you can track down the right person that actually knows anything, they will tell you how many dollars you have to cycle through a vp machine or a slot machine for that matter to earn 1 Momentum Dollar worth a dollar in casino money. Getting an exact answer on earning status points is a little more difficult, but they pretty much match 1 for 1 on the machines that do pay Momentum Dollars. You have to cycle through much more in a vp machine to earn 1 point than in a regular slot machine. Last time I checked, it was close to cycling close to 500 bucks to earn 1 Momentum Dollar and about 1 status point.