Don't Play For Comps

Later in this chapter we'll give you some practical suggestions for getting comps, but before we do that it's important to review the cost of comps and how they figure into your price for fun. Qualifying for comps can be a bottomless pit.

It's certainly OK to accept them, and negotiating for them is fine, but never let your betting patterns be dictated by what the casino is giving you for "free." It's not free if you wager more to get it. Comps earned by betting are at least three to four times more expensive than paying cash.

Were you planning to sit at that table for X hours over the next X days? If yes, then take the comp. But don't play longer or bet more just for a room or meal.

Both examples are based on the host formula we showed you previously. The game is blackjack.

Let's say the actual house edge is only one percent because the players are using basic strategy. The host thinks the players have average skill so she's comping them at an expected loss rate of two percent.

Both players have a total bankroll of $3,000. Both have a modest unlucky streak followed by an equally modest lucky streak at the end of Day 2. The first streak is forty losses out of sixty hands; the second is the other way around.

the cost of comps

The overall house edge