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Best Table Game for Comps?

Discussion in 'Comps' started by boxofbirds, Jun 6, 2014.

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  1. boxofbirds

    boxofbirds Royally Flushed

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    Was wondering what game, in your experience, is the best for comps? Maybe it's a game at a particular casino, or maybe something that you enjoy and seems to get some good comps? Or do you know of a game that maybe gets rated better than it should in regards to theo/ha. Better yet if you have some actual data.

    I've read a lot about the different house advantages for different games, but seems like that's not always the full story. And I know you shouldn't play for comps, but I love table games and always up to try something new!
     
  2. hillwood24

    hillwood24 High-Roller

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    Typically roulette is the table game that results in the most comps. But that's because it has a really high house edge compared to the other games.
     
  3. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    i would agree roulete playing striaght up on the numbers big money they love suckers like that.
     
  4. BeeeJay

    BeeeJay President of The Red Lobster Hostess Satisfaction

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    :wink2::evillaugh:evillaugh:evillaugh:evillaugh:evillaugh:wink2:
     
  5. TIMSPEED

    TIMSPEED Money’s on the way, with CashNetUSA

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    Let It Ride is A-#1 for comps (however, it's also the WORST game plus it goes FAST if it's not a FULL table)
    Three Card Poker is a close second though.
    But roulette is up there too
     
  6. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Yes, blackjack. Which is what arguably makes it the best table game for comps as well, even though it earns comps slowly.

    If you play perfect basic strategy your actual house edge is lower than the house edge they rate you at. As far as actual data I know that for the top BJ games at MGM casinos (house edge ~ 0.28%) you earn theo at a little over half a bet per hour. They probably rate the game speed at 75 to 100 hands per hour, implying they are using a house edge of between 0.5% - 0.75%. If you're getting 30-40% back in comps you are almost getting back as much in comps as your actual theo (assuming you play perfectly and probably not at a heads up table which can be a lot more hands per hour).
     
  7. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    If comps are a % of theo, then it doesn't make any difference between games in that respect.

    What you'd want is something with lower volatility, so you can rack up theo with a lower risk of busting out. At the higher end of HA, I'd say that would be the even money bets in roulette; at the lower end, baccarat and BJ, with BJ probably better because of what Kickin said.

    And getting overrated is huge. A few well-timed tips and rapport with the box can work wonders. I got rated $150 for 4 hrs at craps once when I actually played $30 for 2 hrs, because of the way I handled an incident at the table.
     
  8. boxofbirds

    boxofbirds Royally Flushed

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    Thanks, lots of great info!
     
  9. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    Completely agree with Chuck on how tipping and overall attitude can help your rating.

    I'm an active tipper when playing dice (and any game really but craps is my main game)...when I shoot I always place "all the way" and I will always put the dealers across with me. I also do horn high yo dealer yo on the come out.

    Pit bosses always inflate my rating because of tipping. At the palazzo last trip they had me about $50 higher than I was playing.

    As for the easiest to get comps the roulette wheel is a huuuuge way to catch a casino's attention. Before I turned into a full blown Vegas nut my girlfriend and I traveled out for our inaugural trip. I was still nervous in the dice table and my girlfriend only seemed drawn to the wheel...we sat down at IP's roulette tables for about three hours. Although it's a high variance game I was able to stretch $300 out for that time. Literally the following week from us returning home the free room offers were rolling in.
     
  10. gradytripp

    gradytripp High-Roller

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    I would put those the other way around, unless you've got insider info from a casino employee or something. I always seem get more points from Three Card than Let It Ride. But Three Card can be brutal and I now won't let myself lose more than $100 a trip at it. (Yes, per trip.) Last trip, I sat down and lost six straight hands, losing $105 and that was it.

    Also, Let It Ride, hand-for-hand, seems slower to me than Three Card. You can draw it out, too... should I pull back? Should I let it ride? Hmmm. That kind of thing. It's pretty easy to slow the pace if you want to.
     
  11. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    This has happened to me more times than I can count. Maybe not to that degree, but I'm regularly rated $50-60 above what I'm actually playing at craps, even taking into account the fact that I'll sometimes press. The only exception was at MGM, where the a new pit boss came in right before I colored up, and told me he had me rated at $30 despite my never having less than $40 on the table, not counting odds. Even the dealers (who I'd been tipping well) were like, "Um, I think he had more out there", and he wasn't having any of it.
     
  12. boxofbirds

    boxofbirds Royally Flushed

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    So do you try to tip only when the floor person/pit boss is watching? Obviously with craps there's always someone watching but with other table games they aren't watching the whole time. I'll give that a try. I usually tip some, but maybe if I time it right I can leave a better impression.

    Also roulette isn't that bad HA compared to most slots! Especially if you can find a single zero wheel. I haven't actually played it at all in Vegas. Will probably stick to mostly BJ, but some roulette could be fun.
     
  13. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    To be honest, I don't think tipping affects blackjack quite as much as it does as craps, or at least, not in my experience. Bottom line, it's pretty easy to tell how much you're betting in blackjack; though some people press/vary, many more just flat bet, plus you've only got one bet in front of you at any given time. Whereas in craps, there's definitely more judgment involved.
     
  14. RockyBalboa

    RockyBalboa Front Line Winner

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    A good crew will let the pit know if you're taking care of them. They'll also pass it along to the next crew at shift change.

    I've picked up some of their lingo when telling the pit when he's entering the ratings. So when they say "stick left is friendly" or something like that as they pat the toke box lets them know to rate well.
     
  15. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Besides being easier to tell how much you're betting in blackjack, it also makes a lot less sense to tip for a bump in ratings given the low edge of the game. By all means tip for normal tipping purposes, but if you're trying to tip extra just for a bump in ratings its likely a losing proposition. At least in BJ, I don't really know how craps is rated.

    Using the $50 ratings bump as an example, on BJ that would equate to about an extra $10 in comps per hour. But if you're tipping enough to be seen as extra friendly or a "George" its going to be a lot more than an extra $10/hr. Unless you're in a real grind joint.
     
  16. boxofbirds

    boxofbirds Royally Flushed

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    Yeah I meant tip my normal amount at BJ, but do it when the floor person is at the table watching the game. For maximum karma.

    But sounds like what others are saying it's more important at Craps. I haven't played a lot of craps, my first try at it was last fall, so not sure where/how to tip. I just would give a $5 or so when I cashed out. What's the most efficient way to tip at Craps? i.e. What way gets the dealers the most money with least amount out of my bank roll? Can you just toke in front of your bet like at BJ?
     
  17. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    I don't play a lot of craps either. But the way I like tipping in it is to put a nickel for them on a hardway if its also the point. So if the point is 8 I'll throw a red out and say "hard 8 for the dealers", or sometimes throw out $10 and say "two way hard 8". When the point is 5 or 9 I don't toke anything, but I typically on most other points - assuming the crew is fun which they usually are. They have always seemed extremely grateful and I think they can also tell I'm not too craps savvy and I feel like they look out for me. If I actually color up with any chips I'll toke the smaller chips then as well. But I usually don't have any chips lefts to color up.
     
  18. Chuck2009x

    Chuck2009x VIP Whale

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    I don't go out of my way to do that. I put the dealers on the line every time I shoot. If the box happens to be at the table when that happens, then yeah, I make sure he hears it. You can also catch their eye, crack a joke, etc.

    I tend to play more in the daytime; sometimes I'll just walk up to a dead table and get a few greens, one for me one for them, start a conversation, shoot until I seven out. Or I've hung around when a table empties out and just shot the shit for a while with the box and the crew. It gets filed in the memory bank.

    Also, if you're going to toke at the end of a session, and you're coloring up, get your toke out there BOOM! right when the box says your total.
     
    Last edited: Jun 11, 2014
  19. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    I tend to just put them on the line with me; I almost always do it on the very first roll (both so the box notices, and for good karma), and then very occasionally after that. More frequently I'll toss a two-way hardway or C/E, since I'm only betting those for a dollar anyway and adding an extra dollar is no real skin off my bankroll.
     
  20. chonglosaxon

    chonglosaxon MIA

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    Playing pass and the dont at high levels. With close to equal amounts. Throw in a few place bets and tip well. If tou get away with it, its liw risk and you will have your pha in the thousands.
     
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