“Increase Your Casino Comps: Insider Strategies Revealed”

Intro to Calculating Comps

Before understanding how to maximize your comps, you might want to take a moment to understand how exactly they’re calculated by casinos. Understanding your theoretical loss (referred to commonly as simply “theo”) is key when aiming for better comps. Theo represents your current value to the casino, and savvy players can leverage strategies to increase their theo without changing the way they play.

Theo is a simple calculation: hours played × hands per hour × house advantage. While hours played are in your control, the game's speed and the house advantage varies. Casinos use standard multipliers for games to estimate theo based on average bet and playtime. So– how do you improve your theo to get better comps?

Know the Game's Dynamics

Each game offers distinct house advantages and pacing. For instance, a roulette player earns substantially more theo compared to a blackjack player for the same play duration and bet amount.

Choosing games strategically impacts your theo. While blackjack has a low house advantage, your actual theoretical loss may differ significantly from the casino's calculated theo, offering a good opportunity for increased value.

Always Utilize Your Card When Playing at the Casino

You should always prioritize using your card when actively playing at any casino! Casinos will generally reinvest at a higher rate for your first offer because the second trip for casinos is the hardest to get. Come prepared to play at your highest level or wait till next time. There is no second chance for first impressions. If you are playing on a cruise- use your players card every time you play! If you are playing at a land-based casino- be careful of what you use your players card for because each session is counted as a trip, impacting your overall play average. If you’re only at a table for ten minutes or so this could lower your comps in the future, so be sure to show off your strengths as a player each time you use your card! 

Be Observed by the Pit Boss Upon Table Arrival

Casino ratings often rely on the old school methods: the pit boss manually records your details on paper, noting your average bet, your first bet, and the duration of your play. The initial bet usually garners attention from the pit boss, but depending on busyness, your following bets might go unnoticed. To ensure that your highest bets are recorded, draw the pit boss's attention to yourself when you play a larger bet; this might take a bit of finessing, but it’s well worth the outcome!

Inquire About Your Ratings at the End of Your Session

Checking with the pit boss ensures your ratings are accurately noted, especially on busy nights when slips may be misplaced. Additionally, engaging the pit boss might subtly enhance your ratings, leading to increased comps. Even small adjustments like elevating your average bet from $90-$100 may not seem like much, but it means you will earn 11% more comps or extending playtime by a half an hour more will increase comps by 14%. Get them both and you just increased your comps by at least 25%! Lastly– we recommend you always tip the dealer, as their support could be the difference between those adjustments. 

Share a Players Card with Your Companion

Request a duplicate card from the players club. Joint play stats look “beefier” in the casino. One fully comped room is better than receiving two half priced rooms, whenever you're planning on staying together anyways. Most players club benefits include plus one anyways. We at URComped utilize both guest’s play to maximize your comps when staying together in rooms or cabins. 

Opt for Tables with More Players

Here’s a very simple yet effective tip: choosing crowded tables slows down gameplay, deviating from the casino's expected pace. The casino assumes 75 hands per hour for blackjack. Because the game is slower due to more people, you're only playing 50 hands an hour, but you'll be earning comps at a 75 per hour level.