I'd like to hear some opinions on this. Say you're staying at one property and want to get the most comps you can from them, both on this trip and in future offers.
You're a 21 player and normally buy in for $400 and play $25-$50 per hand. One evening you're waiting for someone and decide to sit down, buy in for $100 and play $10 per hand. Are you better off to not get rated for this smaller play or do you want them to know about ALL bets you make.

Same question on slots. You normally play dollar slots. A friend wants you to play some quarter slots with them for a while. Does using your slot card for the quarter play help your rating with the casino or hurt it?

jm

Hi,
I have about 5 hotels where I want to keep my rating high. I play $1.00 VP. If I am not g to run at least $6,000. per day through a machine I don't play there. This assures my husband and I of free rooms and food. My husband makes some of these points for me but prefers BJ and only gets rated 50% of the time.

There are several more casinos where I go if I want to Play quarters and just keep my account active. Or if my money is going too fast and I want to play but my bankroll is going too fast.
Gale

Should you always get rated or use a slot card?

Sure...why not? It doesn't cost anything
to do this, takes little effort, and could
possibly return some benefits to you if you
happen to play long enough and hard enough
at one of the casinos where you're registered.

It's helpful to know the different rules which apply at each casino tho', so you
can play appropriately and with the correct
understanding.

If I play BJ and don't bet high enough to
warrant being rated, I figure that's the
casino's concern, not mine. I refuse to
let the casino dictate my average bet,
even if it means I forego benefits.

Dick 8/18/99

Received some information from an Atlantic City casino today and, for the first time, it read at the bottom:

"So that we can more accurately measure your play and provide you the best offers, be sure to INSERT YOUR CASH CARD PRIOR TO INSERTING ANY BILLS OR COINS, and keep your card inserted during your entire play, REMOVING IT ONLY AFTER CASHING OUT."

I know I sometimes put my slot card in the readers after the money has been inserted in the machine. Do believe I usually cash out before removing the slot card.

Beth,
My guess is that, the bottom printing you read is for thier benifit and means nothing to you.
As for the slot club cards at the machines, I always use them, sometimes I don't know how long I'm going to be there. Nothiong worse then playing for 4 or 5 hrs and then remembering to insert your card! I do it out of habit. I don't see on slots where it makes a differnce.
Now on table games, with a chance for a larger spread, and buy-in, I could understand why it may not always be in your best intrest to use the card 100% of the time.
I'll be listening to others views on this very intresting subject!

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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

On the slots I always use my card because at MOST casinos you are rated on your total points. At the tables however if you're a $25 player and drop to $10 for a day, your overall average play drops, and you can lose room comps, etc.

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LarryinMich@prodigy.net


[This message has been edited by Larry Sowinski (edited August 18, 1999).]

Jeff, Larry is correct. I have checked on this a number of times. When playing a machine you get points no matter how much you bet. You get more points when you play dollars than you do when you play quarters. But you still get points playing quarters and the total points is what the casino looks at. The tables are different. If you have a rating of $35 a hand for 4 hours per day and you play $10 a hand for an hour, you hurt your rating and it is reduced based on your $10 per hand play. Moral here is, if playing machines always use your card. If you are playing tables at less than your normal level of play, do not get rated.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Thanks for all the opinions. I had a host at the Rio tell me one time if I'm usually a dollar slot player, to not use my card when playing guarter slots. He lead me to believe that even tho I'd accumulate points for it, it would effect future offers I'd receive.
I'm mostly a table player now don't ask to be rated unless playing near my max.
LIke the one person said, if I want to play a smaller amount for some reason, I'll go somewhere I don't normally stay and go ahead and get rated there.

jm

Jeff, another point to consider since I know you like the Orleans....at that casino you accumulate points both during play and when you cash out. I'm not sure whether they track how much you originally insert into the machine (inquiring mind will check this out ASAP<g> ), but there may be some advantage here to periodically cashing out and re-inserting the same coins. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/wink.gif[/img]

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Daisy-Beyond Vegas Moderator
daisy@talkvegas.com

I play at most casinos in LV and often go to Sam's Town because it's remote and have single and double deck games in BJ. For room comps they require an average bet of 25 and 4 hours of play per day. From what I've seen, they use a computer system that calculates a rating based on the hours played and the average bet. If the rating is too low then there won't be a room comp. Consequently, I wouldn't use my card if I was just going to spend "a little while" at the $5 table. This , I believe, would have too much of an impact on my overall rating.

John, an amendment to your statement about
slot points being less for quarters than
for dollars. That's true, especially for play in Treasure Island, which awards ZERO
points for quarters. Their points start
with 50-cent machines.

Dick

Dick: Regarding zero slot club point accumulation for quarter play at various casinos...I have been told that although Mirage Resorts does not award points for quarter play, your play is still tracked and offers have been known to show up in the mail for those quarter players.

Dick, good point. Since I don't play at TI, Mirage or Bellagio I forgot they do not award points for quarters.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Jeff, I don't trust anything a host at the Rio tells me. He may be right regarding the Rio's policy though. MOST casinos award points and don't care whether you run $500 of quarters or dollars through the machine. To them, $500 is $500. But the Rio is goofy enough to not consider $500 in quarter play the same as $500 in dollars. Only the Rio would think like this. They have lost most of their long time customers because of the casino comp policies and this would be just another example of their stupid thinking. So, that host may have been correct.

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John
Moderator Dining Forum
john@talkvegas.com

Daisy & All, If my memory serves me correctly, slot points at the Orlean

JohnSr,
You are right. The Sands operated that way but you could really rack up the points when you're winning.

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LarryinMich@prodigy.net

My wife and I must have slot cards for 30 -40 casinos. At most the points stay in the system for a year. Each visit we can come up with a free meal. Hey we have fun and get a freebe now and then its great

For slot players, I would suggest ALWAYS using your card while playing. I am surprised by both the offers and lack of offers I receive from various casinos, based on my play. My guess is that in addition to how much you play, how often you visit is also factored in as far as room offers, etc. As far as Mirage properties not counting quarter play, a slot host at Treasure Island suggested I use the card anyway as they still track the play and it would be included on a year end win/loss statement.

John Sr, I know that I've accumulated points (of some sort) while playing at Orleans, as well as when cashing out.....but I'll watch a bit more carefully on my next trip and report back.

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Daisy-Beyond Vegas Moderator
daisy@talkvegas.com

Juan >>For room comps they require an average bet of 25 and 4 hours of play per day.>>

Overall this is true. But I have played less and have still gotten free rooms at Sam's Town.

I still think they give whatever they want. Sometimes just being friendly with the pit boss can get more comp rooms.

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