The Importance of checking your average bet

I just wanted to let everyone know about my recent experience playing blackjack at the MGM.

I have followed the advice of some of the posters on this forum and (when I remember) I ask the pit boss what s/he has recorded my average bet as.

Normally they are in the ball park but last week at the MGM I played Blackjack for 5 hours on one table and on leaving the pit boss said my average was $300. My initial bet was $300 and after a bad run I drop back to $300 but in no way was my average $300.

After some discussions with everybody in the vicinity (other dealers on slow tables who had been watching, relief dealers and other players) the pit boss agreed to enter my average bet as $750

If I had not checked this I would have earnt considerably less hard comps and express points.
I will always ask in future.

 

You know after reading this! and others complaints, along with mine about MGM INTL, Mlife, etc I wished they're CEO would come to this board and read what people are saying! When undercover boss was on, the episode with MGM's CEO, I kept saying put me on! put me on! I will give them this board among a few other boards, although I have now given it to a couple of host' along with a slot supervisor, who said he would pass the info along to higher ups! so he/they can read what people are saying about the MGM INTL/comps/Mlife/etc. And yet I don't see near the complaints about CET as I do with MGM!

 

I don't think it's intentional. Most of the time the Pit Boss is going to come over when you buy in to enter your card and buy in info. Then he watches a bet or two and leaves. In many cases, the next time he comes back is when you're coloring up (unless you're there a very long time). Therefore he just enters the bet as your average as he simply doesn't know. You still make a good point, in that you should check to avoid being undercomped, but I don't think it's malicious as the previous poster implies.

Also I do understand it's frustrating to be under rated. I have a base bet that I press with wins, and fall back to after losses. I've been rated at my base bet before, when as you stated, that's the MINIMUM you bet and you were frequently betting more as you won, so your actual average was much higher.

 

LOL! who said it was "malicious"? MGM has been lacking in many areas/aspects lately! no one is saying it's malicious...LOL!

 

I said implied. That's the way your post came across, as if it were intentional. Obviously that's not what you meant, but it seemed like you were singling MGM out for the Pit Boss making an honest mistake.

 

The thing is, it also works the other way. If you start out betting 150 and drop to 100, and go back to 150, sometimes the guy is going to miss the time when you were doing 100. So take that into account as well.

The other time they miss rate you that I've seen is when the PB is coming around a lot with the pad and you're betting two spots. If he's not clear that you've got two spots, sometimes he might average in only one.

Usually if you're in the high limit room, they're pretty likely to get it right.

Craps is -- pardon the expression -- even more of a crapshoot. With all those bets flying around especially on a busy table, it's hard for me to keep up with my average bet, let alone the box man who has to watch everybody and the pit boss.

So I agree with the OP -- it's important to check if it's important to you that it's right. Unless you're gaming it yourself, at which point you don't really want to draw the attention. Not that anybody would ever do that.

 

Sorry, but I have to chuckle just a little.

Picture this:

Guy is playing $400 a hand. Asks pit critter at the end what he was rated at. Critter says $200 a hand. Player balks. Pit boss says, okay, i will change it to $400.

My question: How do you know which of these REALLY happened?

a) He changes it to $400
b) He leaves it at the $200
c) Says - go to hell you pain in the ass (to himself), and changes it to $25 a hand. All the while, smiling at you.

?????

 

Cloudi is a little angry with all things MGM these days

 

Because you call your host and confirm the numbers. Or just go to the hosts office and ask the on-duty person, if you don't have a host. They will happily give you the hours and average bet for your current trip.

 

In terms of tracking average bet, I had something very interesting happen to me yesterday during my trip at Aria. I think i recall natedogg or someone else writing about how the casinos reviewed every one of his very large bac bets to determine his ADT. I think I am remembering that correctly and thought it makes sense for someone playing at that level.

So yesterday around 1pm, I sit down in the high limit room at Aria and after about ten minutes of play, a floor supervisor sidles up next to me and starts to say something about an error that was found from the previous evening as the casino reviewed all the bets that had been placed. Turned out, the commission got screwed up the night before and the casino actually owed me $50 (which they promptly reduced from the commission I owed on the current game)! My bets at Aria during the trip ranged from $100 to $3000 per hand. I was surprised to learn that they would review al the bets, let alone all the wagers of a relatively low roller for that room.

I never asked what my average bet was, but I'm starting to suspect that no matter what the table supervisor enters, it will be adjusted based on the review (at leats in the high limit room)

 

because most pit bosses are reasonable people and not out to screw you. if you're nice to them and throwing the dealer tokes throughout your play, you can expect them to be pretty good to you. i've had some that wouldn't adjust my rating even after i asked nicely, but they said so upfront. the ones that have agreed to change the rating have always come through and i will expect that to continue. most people in life aren't out to screw you.

 

After shifter and I played at MGM a few months ago i remember to ask 80% of the time and 100% of the time after playing baccarat and craps (the games where I play the highest).

I feel that I'm rated the best at MGM. Maybe that's just my perception but on this last trip I played at Harrah's on the main casino floor and was rated at $200/hand, in the high limit room at Red Rock at $100/hand, and the high limit room at Mandalay Bay at $300 the first night and $1400 the 2nd night. I never placed a bet down on any of those tables less then $100 and I generally spread my bets between $100-$400 with a rare big bet of $700-$800 if a shoe is following a nice pattern. I'd say that I did play a little higher as the shoes at MB were less choppy and pressed it a little harder but never had a bet down of more then $800.

So I felt under rated at Red Rock but was too tired to argue with someone over $75 when its not a normal place I play.

I was rated pretty accurately at Harrah's as $250 is pretty much the avg of a $100-$400 spread.

As for MB who knows why I ended up with a rating that was nearly twice my largest bet for one night. We did play for a longer time and were tipping/chatting with the dealers and floor people who were much more personable and fun to play with then at RR or Harrahs. I've had similar experiences at MGM and NYNY which leads me to believe that MGM in general is more liberal with their ratings.

 

lol! I'm a little angry with condescending critters in general..lol! but okay I don't like when someone says I stated "Malicious" or "Implied"...good heavens to betsy..lol! but okay in all fairness, they (MGM) is aggravating me, to my very last nerve. I'm okay now though, as neither one is correct!

Also I don't play table games, unless it's roulette, which is not very often, but couldn't you periodically ask the pit boss, to check and see what your rated play is? to NOSTRESS a player does have the right to see what they are being rated at, my brother has checked his play periodically, I might add he sits for hours on end at times.

 

The pit boss may or may not tell you, or if you're at Blackjack, you may not have a really convenient way to talk to him as he's often back a bit. I've asked from time to time with varying results. I do make it a point to ask if they are changing shifts and a new pit boss is coming on. The dealer will tell you the shift times if you chat him/her up.

 

Although I'm not at the $100 level, I figure chatting up the bosses and dealers would be the best way to keep the ratings accurate. Being friendly with them about the nonimportant stuff would probaby make it easier to discuss the important stuff, in a conversation.

 

they don't like to answer in the middle. they'll usually say something like they don't know, you're not finished playing. this sounds kind of snarky, but it's actually true. they just keep notes on different bet amounts that they see. only at the end do they compile all the notes and come up with an average. don't bother them during play as it will just annoy them. just ask at the end when they have a chance to look through all their notes and come up with one figure. that's the only time it will do you good anyway.

 

If it's important to you, you can talk to the pit boss when you buy in and let him know what you're playing. For example, as I buy in, I might ask a question I know the answer to. Like: "Hey, my host told me I need to play $100 a hand. I'd rather play two spots at $50 -- does that still get rated as $100 a hand?"

Of course I know that it does. But by asking a reasonable question, I've now put it in this guy's mind that I'm playing $100.

 

It's always worth checking if the rating is going to impact on comps. I check if it's a lengthy session or even a short session, if my bets have been high. When I've checked with a host at the end of the trip I have never felt I had been rated lower than I deserved.

 

If you are being rated - no matter your level - it is worth your time to check your rating and love up against the pit boss a little. Don't be scared to ask, 9 times out of 10 I can get a bump up. The bumps don't really help me get anything extra but if I ever do want something silly I feel my host can accommodate with out issue.

 

Something to keep in mind:

Busy night, the critters are watching 15-20 ratings at once. If all those players kept bugging them about their ratings.......

When I am in the pit:

Be nice to me (1-1.5X your avg bet)
Be nice to the dealer (1-1.5X)
Tip the dealer (2x-3X)

"Constant" bugging me about your rating....once is fine (chopped 10-25%)
Dont tip at all (Table minimum rating, unless you clobber me and I have to justify a big loss)
Table hop like crazy (Dont even throw me your fucking card, I wont chase you).

If that blows your mind, read shifters posts until your eyeballs bleed. He nailed it.