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[WTMHouston]

My experiences with comps:

1. Not all casinos are the same. Find out in advance the rules and what they expect. Make it a point to meet, greet, and be friendly towards casino hosts (or whatever a particular place calls them). They are more likely to be nice to you if you have been nice to them. It is these folks, not the pit bosses, who will ultimately determine what you get.

2. If you want comps of any kind, you must have a players card. Do not play anything without a players card.

3. The casino is generally looking at both average bet and time played. They have computer programs that will figure out theoretical loses based on these factors. Comps are generally based on an allowance based on whatever computer model they are using.

4. Getting basic meals (cafe or buffet) comped is not a big deal and most pit bosses will give you a meal comp voucher if you have been playing for a while with $25+ average bet on the table. Don't think that this is a free comp. It is not. It will be recorded in their computer. In my experience, it is generally better to pay for your meals up front and then let it get comped on the back end. If you get lots of meal comps as you go along, some casino hosts will say "we have already comped you $100+ in meals."

5. In my experience, they will not generally comp rooms unless you play at least 4 hours a day with an average bet of $50 or more. If you want a suite (as I do in Vegas), you need to plan on having an average bet at or exceeding $100-$150 -- again depending on the casino and the real costs of the suite. They have some flexibility here, but not much. They may reduce your room rate to the "casino rate," but are unlikely to comp it unless you meet the basic time and bet requirements.

6. I try and establish a line of credit at the casino so I do not have to carry big wads of cash. I'd much rather take $5K in markers than carry around $5K cash. Taking the marker also ensures that they record your buy ins.

7. Whenever you get up and leave a table, talk to whoever has been rating you to confirm: (1) that they have all of your buy-ins; and (2) that they have your average bet figured correctly. This is the only chance you will ever have to make sure it is right. Once it gets into the system, it will never be changed. Also, if a shift change if approaching, ask the pit boss before the shift change how you have been rated. Games with single bets are easy to figure, at least so long as you are not significantly changing the amount of your bets. Games with multiple bets will vary from casino to casino. I once had a pit boss rate my Let It Ride play at $225 (the full three bets of $75 each). Some places will only rate it at one bet, which really pissed me off. The majority will rate it at 1.5 times the single bet. Just find out so you will know. Most places will not rate you at Let-It-Rride unless you are playing at least $15 per space on the bet.

8. I will also occasionally try and put $100 or greater chips away in my pocket. You always want to appear to minimize your winnings and maximize your losses. This works really well around shift change and deck change time. This is also nice if you happen to hit a big hand or two and end up in a situation where taxes may become an issue. Those chips pulled back may just help pay some of your taxes.

9. Be careful what you play and what you ask to be rated on. If you have been playing $50+ black jack hands, you do not want to go play $10 hands at some other table -- at least you do not want to be rated for it. It will kill your average bet very quickly. In some casinos, time of play is more important than a borderline average bet. Find out in advance and have your play rated accordingly.

10. Not all casino hosts are created equal. Some are looser with comps than others. Take the time to figure it out. Simply talking to them and checking on your "status" at least a couple times a day will give you some ideas.

11. Last, and most important, play the games not the comps -- which is the same as not letting the tail wag the dog.

Edit -- Jared's suggestions on playing at full tables and taking breaks (short ones) will also help. Just make sure that neither activity gets in the way of your gambling strategy.