Dear
Mark,
When I stayed at the NY, NY Hotel and Casino (Vegas),
I played BJ and whenever I wanted a comp for food
or anything, they said just put it on your room
charge and your play will be evaluated. Well, that
was my first and last time. When I checked out they
didn't comp my food or beverage, only the room.
What gives? Scott R.
Your
question, Scott, was not specific as to how much you
were betting or how long you were playing blackjack.
That makes a huge difference when it comes to the
casino doling out the goodies.
Casino comps are generally figured in the following
manner. The pit boss (bull) will take your average
bet multiplied by hours played, speed of the game
and the casino advantage of that game. The final figure,
in theory, should equal your loss.
Comps are then rewarded
accordingly. Conning the casino to give you more
comps than your play deserves is nearly impossible
now that corporate America is minding the store.
As for your room, it was easy to comp because
it is a controlled price. It can take as little
as $20 to dress out a room for the evening. When
it comes to food and drink, many players charge
the feedbox huge, hit the wine list hard and drive
the comp expenditure to a point no pit boss could
justify. You very well could have been a typical
blackjack player playing $10 a hand, 50 hands
an hour. Risking $500 and losing two percent of
that is a total loss of $10 to the house for every
60 minutes of play. Hardly worth carte blanc treatment
by the casino. But one complimentary buffet, possibly
a room? Yes, you probably qualify.
You could, Scott, increase your prominence in
the casino’s eyes by playing $100 a hand
for eight hours, but is it really worth blowing
a king’s ransom just to get a shot at the
steak and lobster house and a few bottles of bubbly?
That would be dumb, foolish and costly if you
can’t afford to wager $100 a hand.
