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How to Gamble for Free


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Author: Info Yogis | Total views: 15 | Word Count: 1306 | Category: Gambling | Date: Feb 3rd 2008

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Is it possible to win every time you gamble - Yes - if you play for comps, the more than $1 billion worth of favors that casinos give away every year. Even if you lose at a gaming table, you can get back more than you spend in the form of gratis drinks, meals, entertainment, etc.

Comps (short for complimentaries) occur on two levels. There are classic comps - cocktails, parking and other low-end giveaways - available to just about everyone who gambles.

Better: Premium comps - tickets to shows. limo rides and rooms and meals - are given only to qualified players. While comps are available no matter what kind of game you play, blackjack is the only game where you will get back more than you are likely to lose. People who know how to take advantage of these rewards can get the equivalent of a free vacation with little or no risk.

You do not have to be a skilled gambler to come out ahead.

Why: In blackjack, the casino wins, on average, about 2% of every dollar that's bet. This means that an average player betting $5 a hand probably loses about $5 an hour over time. If you drink two complimentary cocktails (which would normally cost at least $5 each) during that time (and don't make boneheaded playing decisions), you earn twice as much as you spend.

GET RATED TO GET COMPS

Most comps are based on a player's rating - a formula that predicts the casino's potential to win that gambler's money. The way comp systems are set up, a casino typically plans to give back in comps, about 30% of what it expects to win.

Most casinos use the same basic formula - the average bet multiplied by the hours played multiplied by the house advantage - to determine a player's rating.

Example: A player who makes an average bet of $100 in blackjack and plays for one hour (about 60 hands) will be expected to lose $120 ... and will be given a rating that provides the equivalent of about $36 in comps.

Important: Request your free card for the VIP club, something every casino has, though the name may differ. It's the first step to getting rated. Once you have the card, show it to the casino supervisor (floorman) when you sit down at the blackjack table. He/she will write down your name, how many chips you bought and how much you're betting per hand on a rating ticket. When you leave, the amount that you won or lost will also be recorded. This goes to the casino's marketing department, which decides what kinds of freebies you're entitled to.

TO GET MORE

Players can manipulate their ratings by making the casino think that they're spending more money than they actually are. Suppose you are playing blackjack and the casino thinks you're betting $100 a hand 60 times an hour ... when in fact you're only betting $40 a hand for about 45 hands. On average, you'll be losing about $36 an hour - but could be getting back $36 an hour in comps! How to boost your rating...

Get noticed. The floormen are authorized to give small comps even to unrated players, and their supervisors (the pit bosses) can give comps for rooms and for more expensive restaurants. But first, you have to get their attention.

How: Buy in for a few hundred dollars when you sit down at the blackjack table. The dealer will notify the floorman, who has to OK all buyins over $100. When the pit boss looks your way, call him over and ask for a drink - even if you don't really want one. Ordering a drink really lets him know you're there.

Important: Make your largest bets when you see that the floorman is watching you. When he's not, bet the table minimum (to keep your overall wagering down). After you have been playing for an hour, make another large bet or two - then ask the pit boss to buy you a meal. Just say, "May I have two tickets to the buffet or coffee shop, please"

- Play the busiest tables. To maximize comps while minimizing losses, play slowly. The fewer
hands you play, the less money you're likely to lose. A blackjack dealer can deal up to 250 hands per hour to a single player. At a busy table, he might deal as few as 50 hands per hour.

Best: Look for a table with six other players - preferably a friendly table where people (including the dealer) are telling jokes and laughing. Delay as often as possible - but do not be obvious. Show your hand to other players and ask how they'd play it... sit out a hand now and then ... and take your time when it's your turn to cut the cards. All this lets you play fewer hands, but still log plenty of gambling time - an important key to comps.
- Coast during boss breaks. Pit bosses take two 20 to 30 minute breaks during an eight-hour shift, and a longer break for lunch or dinner. You can pad your rating (gambling less than the bosses think) by scaling back to the table minimum while the boss's relief is on the floor, then increasing your bets when the boss returns.

This way, you could have an actual gambling average of $25 a hour, but an "official" average of $150. If you do the above once during every shift you play, you'll increase your comp rating while reducing the risk of losses.
- Look like a loser. Casinos like losers - and give them better ratings/comps. Even if you're a winner, you want to look like you're losing. The only way to do this is to hide chips. Casinos frown on this (it raises suspicions of cheating), but the fewer chips you have on the table after you've been gambling awhile, the more generous the bosses are likely to be with perks.

Try this: Cup your hand over a stack of chips ... squeeze one or two in your palm ... and casually drop them into an inside jacket pocket while pulling out a mint. A woman can drop chips into an open purse in her lap.
- Play with a partner. Some casinos will combine two people on a single VIP card. This allows you to buy in with more front money - one of the keys to better comps. When you play together, the floorman will credit both bets on one rating slip, giving you a higher rating and more freebies.
- Ask for what you want. Many people are too embarrassed to ask for a free meal, a discount on a room, a suite upgrade or other comps. When playing any game in a casino, never hesitate to ask the boss for free drinks or other amenities. If he says no, ask how much more you need to be betting to qualify for additional comps. More often, you'll be given something, even if it's not exactly what you're asking for.

Example: You ask for an unlimited coffee shop comp - you get two buffet tickets.

Important: Always be friendly - and tip often. Even if you're only handing out the occasional dollar (or chip) to the dealer, you'll stand out for your attitude, which will translate into better comps.

Strategies: Tip when the boss is watching. People who seem to be big spenders get better ratings. Or, make a bet for the dealer on your first bet. He'll be more likely to say something positive when the boss later asks about your average bet.

Article Source: ArticleSoft.com



About the Author

Carson Danfield is an "Under the Radar" Internet Entrepreneur who's been quietly selling various products for the last 8 years. Although you've probably never heard of him. there's a good chance you've visited his websites in the past and even purchased some of his products. Get more money-saving travel tips at TRAVEL-ENTERTAINMENT




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