Free Play and Comp Points

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=onemoretry]This statement just confirms the fact that so-called "free" play is not free at all - it is earned through play.
[/quote]Free play isn't free.   However, it has value as do comp points, free rooms or anything else they may give you.  I have to admit I don't take the steak knives, T shirts, water glasses and other stuff they give out.  Maybe I should?  What I want from my free play is white tickets in my wallet.  Slots are a lot like TDB with long costly dry spells, short paydays and big payouts.  You don't necessary have to be there when the big payout happens.   If you bet bigger and are quick on the exit, you can make some money from them.  It takes discipline to walk away from a slot that just gave you $200.  Your brain is telling you to go for MORE.  Don't listen to it, take the money and run.  One day you will hit the right slot and your free play will turn into $1,000 or more.  It won't happen if you camp on those machines.  All they will do is empty your wallet.  I don't do well in casino raffles.  I've been playing at least one day a week for years and I have never had my name called in any casino (maybe next week?).   I've seen people win big, but it hasn't happened to me.  You have to be in attendance to win the raffles and I'm probably missing when they call my name.   In order to benefit from raffles I think you either have to be very lucky or live in the casino.

[FAA]

That's a vivid picture, comparing slots to TDB. Unfortunately, the picture that I conjured was Picasso's Guernica. In fact, most any Picasso will do. Today I cut my FP win in half by continuing to play. Hey, it's a long trip. But at least my TC were free as a had a small net plus Day thanks to a lucky dice roll.

[billryan]

Consider free play a rebate for play you have already paid for.

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=billryan]Consider free play a rebate for play you have already paid for.[/quote]For sure.  You guys in Vegas get cash back as well.  That's something we can only dream about.  If I take $50 in free play and turn it into a $300 white ticket, I suppose the result is the same.  The difference is cash back is a sure thing and I'm taking a chance.  Of course if you play your cash back, you could be right back where we both started.There is a real difference between playing VP for the best overall return and playing the game for recreation.  Recreational players find value in the "experience" of playing VP aside from monetary gain.  When I go to the casino, I don't go there to prove my odds calculations are correct or to prove my intellect is greater than the guy or gal sitting next to me.  I am going there to escape from the real world for a few hours and immerse myself into the enjoyment of being entertained.  If it costs me some long term return to play my way, so be it.Players who play VP for the greatest long term monetary return need only follow Mr. Dancer's advice.   In my opinion, there is no right or wrong way to play VP, there are only players who base their personal playing decisions on what gives them the most enjoyment.   

[onemoretry]

  Recreational players find value in the "experience" of playing VP aside from monetary gain. 
This statement may be true. But, it makes absolutely no sense at all to me to suggest that recreational players need not pay attention to the cost of that experience.   Why pay more for your fun than you have to?

[FloridaPhil]

[quote=onemoretry]This statement may be true. But, it makes absolutely no sense at all to
me to suggest that recreational players need not pay attention to the
cost of that experience.   Why pay more for your fun than you have to?[/quote]I think everyone who plays VP should know the potential cost of each decision they make.  This is one of the strengths of VPW software and why I believe every serious player should own a copy.  As far as I know it's the only VP software that allows you to simulate actual money denominations and view the cost of your decisions as you play.Many informed Recreational players make decisions that may cost them in the long term because it brings them more entertainment in the short term.  For example, my wife only plays single line quarter deuces wild.  She is very good with numbers and knows computer perfect strategy.   She wants to see more royals than one every 45,000 hands.  Her VPW software tells her the cost of going for a royal against the mathematically perfect play is about 1-4 cents a hand.  She knows the cost in real money and makes her decision based on what she wants to see happen vs. the cost of going for it.  If she hits one extra royal out of 25,000 of these chances she breaks even.This year playing 97-98% games she is $2K in the black due to being over royaled.   She may never see a royal flush again for all we know.  However, she will continue to play this way because she gets more entertainment from it than playing strictly by the computer.   I can tell her she's playing wrong all day and it won't change anything.  In 10-20 years, if we live that long, she may say the math was right... or perhaps not.If you have a choice between a 99% VP game and a 97% game, why would anyone play the lesser game?  All things being equal I wouldn't.  I always play the best game available and will go out of my way to play better games, but I won't up my denomination significantly or play a game I don't enjoy just to gain better odds.  If profit was my only motive for playing VP, I would do whatever it took to make the most profit.  Playing bigger means I may have to stomach bigger losses.    As far as I'm concerned that possibility is not worth the risk.You may say none of this has anything to do with comps.  Actually, that's not true.   Playing the best games with computer strategy allows you to play more hands with the same money which equates to more comps per coin in.  Going back to my wife again. If she plays a deuces wild game that pays 125 coins for a wild royal instead of 100 coins, on every wild royal she receives $6.25 extra per hand or 5 extra comp credits.  Assuming the casino doesn't penalize her comps for playing the better game, she makes out better.  She may or may not hit more jackpots depending upon what seat she sits in.