Advice on Valentines Day Play

I am a novice counter of 4 years. I've been barred 4 places on the
strip playing DD grn/blk chip with 1 to 5 spread. I'm still being
comped at several other places though. I will stay at the Palms for
the first 3 to 4 days then Grn Vlly Rch the remaining 3 to 4 days.
Any advice on where to play for good games and less heat would be
appreciated.

Do you think I could get away with a 1 to 5 spread? Do I run the risk
of my comped stay taken away? When I got barred at TI and flat betted at the Mirage, they both still let me have my comped room. But I have heard stories of other people not so lucky and get hit with a full hotel bill.

There are other casinos to play at that won't back you off as quick. You don't want to get backed off at the place you're staying, Especially if the rooms are comped.

some casinos will illegally charge your credit card for charges that were promised to be comped. Retroactive revocation of comps is not all that unusual. If you have trouble at the bj table check the status of your hotel bill on the television in your room. If it looks like they are staring to charge you then pack up and go elsewhere.

How do you answer your casino host's question as to why no play this trip?

Don't they require a credit card when you check in? How do I get around the excuse "I have no credit card" while I'm a green/black
chip player?

then give them a cash deposit, which is usually only $20 or so. If you don't need it then just say that you'll use your cell phone. You don't need to justify anything to the hotel clerk. Give a credit card only if you are upfront RFB and need to do so to charge to the room, and be very careful even then. I've had $1300 charged to a card when I was upfront RFB after they decided to back me off on the last day of a three day trip. I advise you to get meal comps from the pit after or during your play, and preferably from places where you are not staying. If you are at a place with banked comps, like Harrahs, PPE, or Mandalay properties, then just get comps printed at the players club or at a self service kiosk. Don't charge to your room. If you have a coupon for a free night or two, make sure you make a copy of it. If you then give a credit card deposit and do not make room charges then the photo copy of this offer should be sufficient evidence to get the charge removed by your credit card company if the casino tries to stick it to you. In the case I made reference to above, which involved an American Express card, I was able to get a portion of the charges removed because I had a copy of the written offer which clearly specified that the room was covered. Although the host told me on the phone that I was upfront RFB I was unable to prove this and was not successful in getting about $600 of restaurant charges taken off.

and avoid using a host when possible. Try to use mailers to set up rooms. Hosts are for high rollers who intend to ask for favors far beyond the normal room or meals... such as reimbursement of first class air fare. There is no reason for those betting green to light black to become aquainted with hosts. If you must deal with one, do it on the phone so that he has minimal contact with you and does not get to know and recognize you well. These peope, like all casino personnel, make the rounds and change casinos frequently. Having lots of people know you by name and face is not an advantage. You will be made at some places eventually and you will hope to reestablish yourself later with a new identity. Being friendly with lots of the staff will make this very difficult. And a casino person who moves to a new casino will often remember you and be aware if you had trouble at their previous employer. Take some precautions now and save yourself worry down the road.

You can get a credit card with a very low limit, like $200. Use that only for casinos, and only if you absolutely must, so that if they try to renege on comps and charge everything to your card, the most you can be scammed out of is the amount of your low credit limit on that card.

Some banks now have "prepaid" cards that look and act like credit cards, but only up to the amount you loaded into them, like a prepaid calling card. These are useful for this purpose, since the credit card company will never let you go over the "credit limit."

DD's point is very well taken. If you absolutely must use a card for whatever reason, don't risk the hassle if you expose a card with a normal credit limit to a casino. They could scam you out of a lot, as they did DD'.

Usually, the clerk is satisfied with the explanation, "I don't plan to charge anything, so I don't need to give you a card." Or you can put up a small cash depsoit, which usually quickly resolves the situation.

Thanks for your response and sharing your experiences! I'm embarrassed to show you how new I am to this message board but,
what is RFB?

you are promised room, food, and beverage upfront. This is often given to good customers who have established themselves. It means that no review of your action needs to be made at the end of the trip to see what you qualify for. Full RFB for two generally means that your room and three meals per day as well as drinks at any of the casino bars is covered for two people. A restaurant may need to call the host for approval if you are ordering an expensive bottle of wine. There are various degrees of comps. You sometimes may get a lesser RFB that includes room, buffet, and signing priveledges to the coffee shop. Anything else above that needs to be reviewed at the end of the trip. Or you may just get a room comp with other charges based on action. This is frequently given to players with good action but not much play history. Normally, to make room charges of any kind, whether RFB or not, you need to have posted a credit card or substantial cash deposit. I have gotten RFB without a credit card before but it generally a big hassle. They will have to call for approval virtually anytime you try to charge something.

Thanks! That makes a lot of sense. Once your barred with a players
card is there ever any hope of playing in that casino again? One,
three, or five years?

account under another name. There are various ways to do this and I'm not going to discuss them here. At small local places sometimes it is impossible. But at the big joints in Vegas or AC they see so many new faces all the time that you will generally not be remembered in six months to a year. If you are unable to set up a new account in another name then just play anonymously when returning later.

Retroactive revocation of comps is not all that unusual.

You can say that again bro

Someone please describe the average bet/time needed for the various comps. I know they vary radically by casino but a range or a few examples would be great.

I have lost track of the casino's expectations over the years.

Thanks,
REC

20% of your expected loss. However, that's not really a very good way for advantage player to earn comps as it leads to over exposure. Better is to spread action around and take full advantage of offers that come in the mail. You might stop in some place, get a rating card, and play for just 20 or 30 minutes. Now you're on their mailing list and may get offers for free nights. Use these as they don't require any additional action on your part. Ask for meal comps from the pit when you're done playing, or when you are losing and buying in for the second or third time. It is a bad idea to get caught up in the game of playing so many hours at what ever average bet to earn certain complimentaries. If you are going to play that game do so after you are a sophisticated comp hustler and no what risks are involved and at which places it is worth while for you to try to do it.

With all due respect to you, forget the comps. Play the best you can and get all the comps you are entiltled to, but don't play for the comps. Therefore, don't think about them. If you play, you'll get plenty. The comps cloud your judgement about your play, like when to leave the table, change casinos, etc. The comp is a psychological trap.

Russ: What you describe is basically how I play-- I have a base where I stay and play a little to keep in good graces, then I hit the other places with no regard or expectation of comps.
The question was asked just in prurient interest.
Thanks,

Craft