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Low roller comp-room strategy- Am I on the right track?

Discussion in 'Comps' started by savage810, Oct 9, 2013.

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  1. savage810

    savage810 Low-Roller

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    I used to get free mid-tier CET rooms all the time, as well as comps at a few downtown properties. I am not able to get out to Las Vegas as frequently as I used to, and I have also spent the last few trips doing a lot more exploring, so my play has really been diluted over a number of properties for the last couple of years.

    The result: comp rooms are all but dried up. CET gives me nothing anymore.

    So, I have a week-long trip (Orleans and Golden Gate) coming up and was thinking about a strategy to hopefully increase my comp room options for the future. I figured I would post it here and let you experts tell me if I am off-base or I am on the right track.

    Note: This is not about chasing comps. I am not going to go anywhere I do not want to go, or play for the sole purpose of comps.

    My thoughts are that comps are based on what you risk in one day, so maybe I should just concentrate my carded play at a particular casino (or linked casinos, like CET, Mlife, etc) just one or two days. For instance, on a Saturday I hit all the CET's I want to visit on the Strip, and that is my day instead of mixing Mlife and CET that day. Sunday I could just hit Mlifes. If I want to stop by PHo for a bit on Sunday just to get an Earl of Sandwich, I shouldn't play with my card in there.

    It would make me seem more valuable to play 8 hours in one day vs. 8 hours over 2 days. Is that right?

    Also, I am assuming that an hour played at Caesars will mean as much to CET comps as an hour played at the Quad, assuming the same game and denomination. I play mostly slots.

    Appreciate your advice.

    :beer:
     
    Last edited: Oct 9, 2013
  2. paperposter

    paperposter MIA

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    [
    Also, I am assuming that an hour played at Caesars will mean as much to CET comps as an hour played at the Quad, assuming the same game and denomination.

    Appreciate your advice.


    not really . depending your level of play you might actualy get more from the quead than ceasars


    lets say you play 300 a hand at bj at both places same amount of time.
    ceasars see that play all the time the quad doesnt so a little sweet talk and tipping the dealer might get you a better rating ,just my 2 cents but on theory it should be the same but you will get better attention from the quad.
     
  3. Kickin

    Kickin Flea

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    Your strategy to concentrate all your day's play under a single rewards program is right. A single day of high ADT should help you more than 2 days of half the ADT.

    If you have preference for certain properties though I would just concentrate my play at those instead of hitting a bunch of its sister properties in one day. That will help with property specific offers. Especially at MGM casinos, less so at CET one where offers are more widespread. Since you're a low roller that would mean sticking to some mid-tier property at MGM if you find something you like. Places like NYNY and Luxor for example seem very liberal with offers.
     
  4. sco5123

    sco5123 VIP Whale

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    Just as a reminder, CET will charge resort fees for rooms if you are not high in status. Luxor and Excalibur will charge resort fees on all their "comped" rooms.

    Here's some tips:

    1. Focus on one property in each program.

    2. Play for several hours if you can. Put in 4 solid hours a day and you are in a good range for comps usually.

    3. Each "day" in a casino is different based on the program and the property. For example, in some places in CET, the "day" ends/starts at 6am, so make sure you do not start at 5am and play for 3 hours because then it will look like 1 hour one day and 2 hours the next instead of 3 hours on one day. I am not sure when the Mlife "day" ends, but I know you can't go wrong between 12noon and 12am at either program.

    4. If you really want people to throw offers at you, play slots (without VP/tables). They will love you.

    5. They give slot players great comps because slots have horrible odds. It will take VP and table players so much more to impress the programs but they have a better chance of winning. Also, they love it when you play at progressives and penny slots, which have even worse odds among slots.

    6. They love it when you play at the same machine for a long time particularly worse-paying machines.

    7. Pay attention to your coin-in (this is the points that you can read when you put in your card--every program has different point scheme so find this out). This will be how much money you recycled through the machine over the length of your session. It's not about how much money you actually had in your hand to play with to start with; it's how much you played, won, played again, won, played again...you know, just keep giving them back their money. And they will love you.

    8. Dropping off their radar and then playing hardcore is a good thing! They will "never" forget you.

    9. $400 on slots in a day over several hours will usually bring some goodies at most properties. I find this to be the golden ticket. Some people who do much less can get fair comps. If you can afford it, play for the darn comps. You were going to spend that money anyway.

    10. If you were a newbie, some places require playing at a casino at least twice before they start sending "real" offers. But if you let it rain, once should be enough.

    11. Focus on the highest properties you are interested in. The lower properties will definitely take interest from focus at a higher property. FOcus on the lower properties may not get you attention at higher properties until greater established play is made.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Oct 9, 2013
  5. sybgal

    sybgal VIP Whale

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    We found out the hard way about comp'd rooms with CET. Stayed free at Paris for many trips (2 per year) but the last time we stayed there - they had remove my fav machine but it was still at Bally's, Rio & IP - so I played at those casinos more that Paris. Well, when I checked the calendar for free rooms for my next trip.... Paris was not feeling any love for me...lol. No free rooms.....but free at all the other properties. Our last 2 trips - Paris put the machine back in & I played there more. So - 6 months after 2 trips of giving them a lot of play - the comp'd rooms are available again. So - learned that which casino you play more is where you get the free rooms.
     
  6. billyinpg

    billyinpg Low-Roller

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    It's a tough question to be sure but bear with this comp newb "cause this is how it's worked for me so far.

    Last July we did 8 days at TI, The majority of our play was at TI as well. Previous to that we did 4 days at Flamingo and gave CET maybe half of our play.

    We are not high rollers at all maybe $300 each per day on VP but we end up with a ton of coin in when we play because we won't stop unless we hit something big.

    So back to July we maybe put in $1000 to $1500 coin in each, over 2 days play. We did the same at Bellaigo and also Mirage.

    We are back home and get SFA for offers, then a trickle of kind of shitty reduced rate offers but just for myself. These offers come from CET and TI, nothing from Mlife at all but in late Aug we get absolutely flooded with CET/ TR stuff. Not real offers of comps but rather just advertising.

    This continues until the beginning of Sept. Around then I get a real offer or whatever for a Paris slot tourney with free entry and a 3 night comp room at Flamingo. Wow I think I should take advantage as it covers my birthday but there is just no way to make it time wise. ( I also think it's a bit odd that the comp rooms are at the Flamingo)

    Aside from that nothing and worse yet my GF is pissed that she didn't get that offer as she had way more coin in that trip that triggered this.

    Fast forward to Oct.1 I get another random mail from CET/ TR and it says exclusive to me, My GF get's nothing. I check it out and now I have Any night to a max of 3 comped at the Rio and not just a basic room but an upgrade to a Samba. WTF I've never been within a mile of that place but OK we have the time so it's booked.


    So now onto the theory time.

    I could be way off base but here goes. The first time CET/ TR knew we existed was last Christmas at Flamingo where they got $3000 to $4500 coin in from myself. Nothing until July when I reappear on their radar with less play but in a span of 8 days and they know I am not staying at any CET/ TR property.

    It seems to me that they want my lowly level of play and they think they may get more if they put me up for a few nights. It would also seem that they track a little more than we think such as where or why we are staying elsewhere. I am still a little WTF over the Rio comp but a free room is a free room sort of.

    An aside to this is in checking my GF TR calendar last night she has CP rooms for the same days at a rate of $3 less than the Quad. LOL

    FWIW my TR level is the base with sub 2000 TC and sub 100 RC.

    None of it is making any sense to me as on the surface I shouldn't get a damn thing unless my theory holds a tiny bit of water.
     
  7. kel3420

    kel3420 VIP Whale

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    Play where you want to receive offers not just any MGM or CET casinos, hoping to get offers from all in their "list". Another poster said as much in an earlier response.

    We mainly stay at Ballys, but in the last several trips we have tried other CET casinos, thinking we would make a permanent move, but keep coming back to Ballys. I can still get free rooms at Ballys, but the marketing offers for tourneys, free play, dining, etc, or the recent two free room, friends and family coupons they sent, were all from Paris, since we stayed there last. And I didn't like Paris, lol. This upcoming trip, we are back at Ballys, so now I will start getting the marketing offers from there

    So don't play at Quad if you want to stay at Caesars. If you gamble enough, you can get the free or reduced rooms at all CET casinos, just not the other perks. If that is important to you. I love the perks myself and have gotten into tournaments, a D&B purse that I use for all my Vegas trips, free play, dining certificates, restaurant and pool credits, etc.

    :beer::beer::beer:
     
  8. LA2VegasTrekkers

    LA2VegasTrekkers High-Roller

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    I don't claim to be an expert, but this is totally counter to my experience. I am low Diamond at CET. We almost exclusively stay at Flamingo, but we have stayed at Caesars several times recently also. We play at all CET properties, sometimes more or less at one than another depending on how we're feeling and what games they have available. But when I get offers, they are for all properties. It will be 3 nights at any property plus free play, or five nights at any property plus food comp, or 4 nights at any property plus entry into a tournament/party at a certain property. It doesn't seem to matter where we play at all.
     
  9. kel3420

    kel3420 VIP Whale

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    Yes, you're right, I can get most of the offers from other CET casinos, and always free rooms. But my best offers, free coupons, more free play, better tourneys, etc all come from the last casino I stayed at. Maybe they come from two different places? One, a general marketing that covers all properties and another directly from the casino or host?

    For example, since I stayed at Paris last, that's what I get in my snail mail almost daily. Everything else is "generic, shall we say" offers from CET. I won't get an offer for Caesars in the mail for example, but there will be offers online. I didn't get my $100 Ballys Blue pool coupon his year, but did get some Gordon Ramsey stuff and two coupons to give away for two free nights at Paris. But after I get back from Ballys next week, I will then not receive anything more from Paris, but again from Ballys.

    OMG, does that even make sense? Lol.
     
  10. heatherlovesvegas

    heatherlovesvegas VIP Whale

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    Yea I signed up at Venetian on a whim on my last trip. Played for maybe an hour, $50 after breakfast and before I left town. They've been sending me non-stop slot tournament/3 free night offers. I've gotten 3 or 4 in the last month. I'm surprised. Sure, it may dry up once they see my real play, but hell, the rooms there are expensive, I'll take 3 free nights if I can get it!

    As far as CET and Mlife go.. I have no idea.. I'm Pearl at Mlife, and only once have I gotten 1 free night anywhere. But, I still get some pretty great room rates. I go on a lot of small trips to Vegas. I guess it could just be screwing up my average or something. Mandalay Bay seems to send me the most offers, followed by Aria, although the Aria deals are never good enough for me to take them up on it. Also I linked up my card with my Mom. I think that was a mistake too. She doesn't gamble as much, and doesn't go on every trip with me. Could be bringing me down. CET sent me a slot tournament, I have to pay for, with rooms I have to pay for. No thanks haha.
     
  11. savage810

    savage810 Low-Roller

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    Does being a hotel guest effect this? In other words, if I am staying 5 days at a casino hotel, would I still want to concentrate my play over just a couple days at that casino, rather than giving them some business every day (same total business)?

    :beer:
     
  12. DonnyC

    DonnyC VIP Whale

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    Not to hijack the thread....but also not to start a new one,

    If i use a MyVegas Reward and don't play at a MLife prop that day, does that affect my ADT -as they know I am in Vegas that day and used my card.
     
  13. topcard

    topcard Here's to $10 3:2 two-deck, $5 Craps, and $5 UTH!

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    I think it does.
    I used to stay at 4-Queens quite often. And I always play there every day of every trip (when I'm downtown).

    When I stayed there and played, the free room nights kept coming.
    Then I had 2 or 3 trips where I stayed at the Fremont.
    The 4-Queens offers disappeared and have never returned, but my play at their casino is about the same as it ever was.
     
    Annual Spring Trip!
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