I play machines pretty regularly at Mlife properties, but it's been a while since I've played tables. Out of curiosity, is the minimum bet for table play rating at Mlife properties still $25, or has this changed? Also, I realize that point earning with table game play can't be quantified as easily as with machine play, but generally speaking, is there a way to come up with a very rough estimate of how many tier credits are earned based on amount and duration of play?
I think it varies per casino. I think Luxor and Excalibur for sure will rate $15 or what ever the lowest amount paying 3/2 for a BJ.
I usually stay at the Mirage and they will rate you for any size bet. I always throw my card down even at 10$ BJ table.
Those below $25 are not "rated" in terms of comps. Yes they write down you buy in and color up, and possibly your total time played. That's for accounting purpose. Even if you don't have a card, they still do it. But for theo calculation, don't count on it.
I haven't done it recently, but 2 or 3 years ago (maybe longer) a few of us did calcs and we all came up with basically the same number - 30 to 33 TCs per $1 of theo generated. Which is very similar to slots. You do have to guesstimate what theo % and hands per hour they are using for a given game, but a couple of people have posted numbers that let you reverse engineer that. Slots: 10 TCs per $3 coin in. The ballpark theo on slots is 10%, so you are generating 30 cents of theo on a $3 spin. You're getting 10 TCs, so that works out to 33 TCs per $1 of theo on slots. Tables, using craps as an example: $100 per hand bet $76/hr in theo or $1.25 in theo per minute (this comes from two different sources and is based on 60 hands/hr and 1.25% HA factor). 1 hour of play should get you 2,280 to 2,508 TCs (30 to 33 TCs per $1 of theo). You can use the $1.25 theo per $100 per minute to come up with a calc for a smaller average bet.
Blackjack is generally rated at 50-60 hands per hour. If you are playing heads up against the dealer you could easily be playing 150 hands per hour but this won't change the theorhetical in your favor comp-wise
Basically every MLife casino (besides Aria) will rate you no matter how small your bet is. Aria still requires $25 per hand to be rated. I'm speaking from experience. I've been rated playing $10 Pai Gow Poker at pretty much every MLife property.
Mlife is going to hate me after my upcoming trip. 2 nights at Aria 1 end, Bellagio tail end, RC/FP both ends, and my plan is to only give them 2.5 days of craps with max odds and only PL/Come bets and blackjack. Probably close to 0 slots and a very limited amount of table games. I think I'll get comp'd for a hostel on the next trip. By the way, Mlife properties won't comp your odds in craps.
From one of the same sources I mentioned earlier, you get $0.875 in theo per $100 bet per minute for BJ at MLife (or Aria, at least). I would expect that their systems are sophisticated enough that the box can enter certain variables like play speed or skill level, but who knows how often they actually use it. He had multiple sessions of different lengths and average bets, but the theo % per $100 per minute always worked out to be the same number. Same with craps, exactly the same theo % for every session regardless of the avg bet or time.