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Less than $25/hand?

Discussion in 'Comps' started by SW, Mar 5, 2013.

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  1. SW

    SW Well-Known Member

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    I’ve learned to love the game of blackjack. In June, my wife and I will be staying at the Monte Carlo for a week. I’ll be playing $10/hand.

    If you are unlikely to get rated playing blackjack at less than $25/hand at a MLife casino, is it worthwhile to give them your Players card anyways before playing?

    Thanks in advance for any replies.
     
  2. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    Well, afaik if they aren't rating you, you aren't getting anything showing on your card for having handed it to them. They might even just not take the card and say they don't rate play under $x.

    But I don't think there is a consensus on what the cutoff point for rating is at various mLife casinos. They may not all be $25.

    All that being said. even if they tracked your play, you really would not get much of anything.
     
  3. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    Usually they won't even take it if they aren't going to rate you. I know at the Mirage, they won't take it if you're not playing $25/hand. And, I believe they require you to double your bet if you're playing more than one spot (which I like to do). But, I only play under $25 when I'm with friends that won't play higher than that. The better rules and better odds for the player exist at the tables with higher limits and they usually start around $25.
     
  4. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    It varies a ton from casino to casino. At Mirage, I've been flat-out refused on numerous occasions at $15 tables. At Mandalay Bay last year, I actually had a pit boss come over and ask me for my card while playing $15; as he put it, "Might as well get something out of it, even if it's not much." At Bellagio in September, meanwhile, I saw a pair of women hand their cards over while playing $10; when I asked the pit boss about it, he asked me what I usually play and at what bet, and when I told him craps at around $50-75, he said that he could take my card but wouldn't recommend it because it would kill my average.

    Long story short, might as well try. You probably won't get much in terms of actual comps, but you might build up a few dollars in ECs, and the tier points don't hurt either.
     
  5. sceej

    sceej Low-Roller

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    Does it matter what table limit is?

    A lot of times I'll play $25 a hand but prefer to play at a lower stakes table because its a lively table ... not bunch of MIT wanna-bes. As long as I am consistently play $25+ a hand, does in matter if I'm at a $10 table?
     
  6. numeno

    numeno VIP Whale

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    The reason to give them your card is you have no idea how long you will play and if you will increase your bet. If you are 100% confident you will flat bet $10 even if you are up $1000 and there for 4 hours, then don't give them your card.

    Otherwise give them your card. Many places as mentioned above won't even take it. Some will and then just not rate you if they see you lower than $25. It really depends a lot on the pit boss. There is no hard rule that they will not rate below X. Just don't expect to be rated at $10 if the casino is packed.
     
  7. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    Nope, they're rating your bet, not the table minimum. This happens a lot in craps, where the liveliest tables will be $10, maybe $15, but those tables will regularly have people betting hundreds of dollars a roll.
     
  8. chess

    chess VIP Whale

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    I play $10 dollar tables on craps but I usually bet the inside so if the point is 6 i have money on 4,5,8,9,10 = $52 so obviously my rating will be higher than if i was just playing the bare min as in the pass line
     
  9. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    Oh, for sure. I was thinking more about the fact that I often see people at $10/$15 tables with black chips on the pass line, quarters on the hardways, etc.
     
  10. tacallian

    tacallian Low-Roller

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    This doesn't make sense to me. If you're betting $10 a hand for a few hours, that few hours will have a set amount of theoretical loss. Your $10 average shouldn't be used to devalue your higher craps bets as the theo between the two games is entirely different. If you're going to play the game anyway, I don't see how it should hurt you versus doing nothing at all.
     
  11. burdog

    burdog Low-Roller

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    Dealer would not take my card @ MGM last yr @ a 10$ table. Just said it wouldn't do any good if not playing 25/hand.
     
  12. 44inarow

    44inarow VIP Whale

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    I'm pretty sure this has been discussed on the board a few times, but my understanding is that they look at your theo, but also your total average bet; that is, if you played for 8 hours at $75, and then 4 hours at $10, that would get looked at as 12 hours at $53 a hand. The marginal benefits you get from being rated for the 4 hours at $10 are outweighed by the fact that it brings down your trip average, in that you're better off being looked at as a "$75 player" than a "$50 player". Obviously the difference in that specific scenario isn't huge, but that's the general idea.
     
  13. Nevyn

    Nevyn VIP Whale

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    No, the limit doesn't matter, so long as the pit boss sees what your average bet is.
     
  14. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    I completely agree with you and posed this question on the board once too. Whatever you bet is still additional theo, which is the only thing comps should be based on. I guess if you are a high limit player a lower average may just look bad optically and also they may think you are more likely to keep your average the same in the future but not your hours played. I don't know but you're right technically speaking any additional play should only help not hurt. But there's a lot of illogical shit that casinos do in terms of comps so sometimes the simplest conclusion is that they're just idiots.
     
  15. undathesea

    undathesea Grandissimo

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    Actually, a few years ago, I noticed my express comps were directly tied to the table minimum at Mirage and they'd give me half of the table minimum back per hour.

    I didn't always play the table minimum, but if I varied my bet at all and then went back to the table minimum it didn't matter.

    Also, I've been rated at $150 roll at craps at Venetian (you don't start seeing good comps until $250/roll). Playing the same at Bellagio, the dealer told me not to even bother putting up my players card. I know I'd get rated for that... so it just goes to show how different dealers in different casinos perceive your play.

    When in doubt, whip it out.
     
  16. mike_m235

    mike_m235 Tourist

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    Absolutely not. I play two $50 spots and often play a $10 table and I get rated correctly.


    For the original poster, at MC I'd give them your card. I can't say for sure, but I did my last 3 trips there and people were giving them cards who only played low and it didn't seem to be a problem.

    I find the pit bosses at MC very helpful. I'd just ask one of them.
     
  17. ams722

    ams722 Side Bet Shunner

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    Monte Carlo rates BJ at $15/hand and up. I've heard pit bosses say this several times there.
     
  18. dfalk

    dfalk VIP Whale

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    I was curious about this too the other day cause I want to play BJ at the MGM this trip so I emailed Mlife ask asked:

    "Is it true MGM Grand will not rate any black jack that is under $25 a hand?"

    Their reply:
    "We just spoke with VIP services at the MGM who told us that all play is rated"

    I'll just have to go there and see my next trip.
     
  19. ams722

    ams722 Side Bet Shunner

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    I'm pretty sure I was rated at $15/hand there in January. At least, I gave them my card and they swiped it and never commented on my bet size.
     
  20. bige2533

    bige2533 Tourist

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    Does your wife play blackjack at the same table as you? If so, you can have one of you bet $10 and the other $15 and get rated together @ $25/hand.

     
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