Vegas Comp Question

[steamboatin]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi all,

I am 2 yr internet player that is planning my first poker trip to Vegas. I would like to know what type of comps I can expect to get from the Casinos. I would be playing 2/4 or 5/10 NL for 10 hours per day and plan to stay for 3 - 4 days. In a perfect world I would expect:

1) A ride to and from the airport
2) A free room
3) 1 or 2 free meals a day (for me and wife)
4) 2 tickets to a show one night

So my questions are as follows:

1) Am I crazy or is this possible? If crazy, what might be expected?
2) Which Casinos would be best to approach?
3) Are there times of the year where they offer more?
4) Can such a deal be worked out ahead of time, with an understanding, that I would have to pay for everything if I did not play the promised hours?

Any other general comments would be appreciated.

[/ QUOTE ]

You are going to have to stop watching the Travel Channel.

That show about Vegas Whales, American Casino, etc. If you notice, the whales are not playing Texas Holdem.

[AlienBoy]

Most casinos give nothing but a little food comp for play. Imperial palace was paying $3 an hour in comps as recently as December - but someone in this thread say they no longer do?

Drag

Squatosphere does some comps too.


"Real" comps are for BJ, Craps, and slots.


AB

[AlaskaGal]

Are you on crack? You must be on crack..... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[crackhead]

Py, since the others already pounded on ya' about your unrealistic expectations for casino comps, I won't bother. Keep in mind that 1/2 NL and 5/10NL is still in the realm of "small stakes" poker. Since poker rooms & poker players don't make the casino very much BIG money, the casinos don't usually knock themselves out when passing out comps.

Think of it this way. If you were running a business and one customer gave you about $1000 in sales ($1/2 NL poker player) and another customer gave you $25,000 in sales (black chip BJ or dice player), which customer would you be willing to give the VIP treatement to?

Good luck in Vegas!!!

Of course, if this post was just meant as a joke to get the rest of us fired up, then I applaud you for a good joke and faking out the rest of us.

[NoRiverRats]

Aim for buffet line passes and the occasional meal comp(with a red chip toke) and you won't be disappointed. Expect anything more and you will be subject more abuse here and elsewehere.

[pythagoras345]

Thanks to those of you who gave me real answers.

And for those of you who got bent out of shape, pls tell me where you play cards. Because if you are that bad at reading a post, then you must suck at reading players and cards. My post clearly stated I'd never been to vegas and knew very little about this, and thus why I was posting and asking. So of course, I am probably going to be off base.

The only information I had was that a friend of mine just went to the Wynn and played 1/2 NL and got his room comped everyday for 6 hours of play. I was as surprised by this info, as I know the casions real money does not come from the poker room. But since this is true, if I were to play 5/10 NL and for twice as long, shouldn't I expect more? And shouldn't I expect 4x as much, since I play twice as long at more then double the stakes? Well, what is 4x more then free room?

Since most of you just gave me the same negative energy that you play cards with, I took matters into my own hands, and I have actually since called the Wynn, and discussed such a trip for me, three friends, and our wives. The room thing is true, 6 hours play a day and its comped. Additionaly you build $2 HR towards comps, but if you smart about it, a buffet meal a day can be put on top of that.

So it's not official yet, but I will not be surprised if I get 1, 2, 3 (1 buffet per day). However, I did basically get laughed at in regards to number 4 (unless we play table games).

What some of u narrow minded responders don't get is the following:

1) everything is negotiable
2) the casino has a big interest in 4 gamblers and 4 wives who like to spend cash, in thier casino.

[AlienBoy]

1) Get a players card at every casino you might even stick 25 cents into a slot machine at.

2) Most casinos don't use the players cards for Poker, but some do like Skankosphere and Imperial Palace. But players cards are how you get "into the system" to get freebies and offers.

3) Downtown casinos are generally much more aggressive in comps.


Comps work based as a percentage of the House EV.

Let's say you play blackjack, and the house EV is 1% for the game you play.

Over a period of one hour, you lose $500 total, but the total churn is $12,000 (that is, the total amount won and lost over one hour, all hands combined). This $12,000 is called your "handle".

If the house EV is 1%, then the house assumes that with a handle of $12,000, they made $120. This despite the fact that you lost $500, the house only considers the "theoretical" advantage relative to your HANDLE.

The typical comp is 20% of the theoretical EV - in this case that's 20% of $120, or $24.

Thus the comp value even though you lost $500 is a whopping $24.



Poker does not have this kind of EV for the house - they only get the rake, which is modest compared to other table games. And that rake is generated with 9 players, not one, so the comps are similarly reduced to a very low order.


If you want to stay in LV cheap, stay downtown, or off strip like Sam's Town or Palace Station. Tropicana has specials right now as they are closing soon for a major rehab. Also there's the Frontier if you don't mind an armpit, but it's cheap.

Downtown, Binion's and Freemont are generous with comps just for getting a players card.


Poker related comp expectations at a few places in LV:

Binion's: After 3 hours a play, get a small meal comp for $8
Golden Nugget: After 3 hours a play, get a meal comp for $10
Imperial Palace: Get $3 comp to players card per hour off play.
Stratosphere: Get a meal for 4 hours of play.
MGM: Meal comps, and a $40 reduction in room rate for 5 hours of play.
Luxor: Get a $5 meal discount for 3 hours of play.


NOTE: to get a comp you MUST ASK. they don't just hand them out - squeeky wheel gets the grease.

For more on B&M rooms in LV and comps. see:

http://www.allvegaspoker.com/


AB

[pythagoras345]

I called them 1-877-321-WYNN. Asked for poker room. Comped room for 6 hours poker play at any level. Comp points are above and beyond, starting at $1 hr at low levels and up to $2 hr at higher levels.

Now that is what they publish and advertise for all, even for donks like those that posted here with negative comments, so that means with some tips and friendly conversation, more is available!

[AlienBoy]

Wow - I LOVE the Wynn!

Damn - a FREE ROOM for 6 hours of 4/8??!!??! There's your positive EV right there!!!!

AB