For those of us that I would call "casual players", that is, players (even those that are proficient at card counting) that limit their blackjack playing to when they are on vacation and play an average of no more than $300 or so per hand (like myself), I cannot escape the conclusion that it is better to use a player's card and enjoy the comp benefits than to take the "cloak-and-dagger" approach. Here is my long-winded explanation:
My experience in casinos is that they will give you, in the way of comps/credits, in the neighborhood of a whopping 0.75% of your total bets. For instance, if you play $75 per hand for 5 hours a day at blackjack, and I believe the casino assumes approximately 60 hands an hour, you are going to "earn" $168.75 in comps. Five hours a day at $75 will get you a free room at a casino like Monte Carlo or Aladdin, while $150 will get you a free room at Mandalay Bay (again, my experience - feel free to correct). Not only that, but they will often invite you back for free.
If you want to be able to keep and use those comps, you obviously cannot get barred. Here's the approach I take that works (let me know if I am too conservative): Spread 1-4 or 1-6 (rarely) with cover (I never more than double my previous bet except for blackjacks, and I rarely cut it by more than half); play at 6-deckers with a house edge of .26-.33; count-related deviations from the $1.95 plastic basic strategy card are minimal - surrender deviations (easy because most dealers don't even know the correct plays), some of the hard 12 and 13 plays and an occasional insurance ("you're due"); and I never hide my money. If I win $1,000 at a table, so be it. I lose $1,000 at a table sometimes as well. They don't treat me any worse for winning.
From the math I have seen, not many players out there could play 0.75% better than the above and not get barred. And the real beauty of the comps is they are not an "expected return"; you will get them. The only standard deviation I play with with regards to comps is the actual comp value provided, which appears to be fairly consistent, unlike my winnings/losses in Vegas.
What do you think?
