Back to book contents Getting Tracked

Now that we better understand some of the terms used by casinos, let's figure out how we can get in on the fun of "earning" comps! First, you need to get a tracking card. To do so, you can either go to the slot club / player's club window (just ask any employee where to go) or you can ask the pit boss for one. I would discourage you from going to the Pit Boss however. Why? Because the pit boss is usually busy enough managing the pit that for him to take the time to take your ID, fill out the paperwork, get you in the system and have someone bring him a card is going to require that you stick around for a while. This may not seem bad if you're winning but, if you're losing, it can be a long and expensive wait.

Instead, go up to the club counter and sign up there. Besides being much faster, they'll better be able to explain to you how their club works. You'll find that they'll explain any promotions that are going on, what type of play they usually are looking for to issue comps, what types of prizes they give away, etc. And sometimes you'll get an extra bonus for signing up such as a coupon book, T-shirt or deck of cards - all things you wouldn't get if you signed up at the table.

One other thing that the club employee can give you is access to a slot host. Before you use your card for the very first time, I recommend asking the employee to please let you speak with a host. (Remember all of the lectures Mom gave you about manners? Be sure to use them! It is much easier to get a comp when you're being nice and friendly. Turn into a jerk and you'll find that the host will follow the rules to the letter to determine if you have earned one!) When the host comes out, introduce yourself and let them know a little bit about you. How long will you be in town? Are you staying at this hotel? Is this your first time in this casino? What is your usual level of play and what types of comps are offered for players at your level? The host will be more than happy to explain how the hotel comps and will remember you the next time you approach him or her. And, should you decide to try to get a comp later, but that person has gone home, telling another host that you had spoken with (Insert name) will carry a lot more weight than if you just say you would like a comp. The host would not want to upset a customer of the person you spoke with and will do everything he or she can to make you happy. (The best part is that the host will probably assume you have a strong relationship with the host you named. Otherwise, why would you know their name and why would they have spoken to you earlier?)

OK. So you've gotten a card and you've established a relationship with a host, what's next? Go play! But whenever you play a game, and I mean any game, be sure to insert your card into the card reader or give it to the dealer. I've seen people say, "I'm not going to put it into the slot machine because I'm just going to put the few quarters that I have in my pocket in." So they do and the machine pays them $5 worth of quarters. Now they play those and at some point they hit $10 more. And that $10 becomes $50. See my point? You never know when you're going to win so you should put the card in every time! You'll also see people playing with their card inserted but they've neglected to notice that the LED display says something like "ERROR" or "REINSERT". This happens so often - just look around the casino the next time you walk through! All of the coins that they put in did not count towards earning the player any sort of comp credit. And when you point this mistake out to them, it can be quite a depressing scene. Since most displays will say "Hello John" or "Hello Mrs. Smith" and show you your current point balance, I always watch the screen and make sure all of the info is shown before I begin putting money in. I advise you to do the same too.

Be sure to remove your card when you're done too. You wouldn't believe how many times I've walked up to a machine and found someone else's card left in it. If I hadn't noticed, all of the play I had done would've given a complete stranger more comps. I've met some people who have told me that they'll leave their card in a dollar machine before they go to bed for the night in hopes that someone won't notice and will earn them points. However, I've also spoken with casino employees who have told me they're wise to this trick and will remove credits earned this way. Why take the risk that they'll take too many credits off?

The most important advice I can give you is to be smart about your play. DON'T EVER PLAY A GAME OR MAKE A BET SIMPLY TO EARN A COMP! Usually, the money you will lose is more than if you just paid for whatever you were playing for. For example, what if you are told that you need to play another 30 minutes of Blackjack to get a free buffet? And let's assume you are making $10 bets, and the dealer is dealing around 120 hands per hour. That means in the 30 minutes of play, you'll be risking $10 * 60 hands or $600. Let's then assume you don't do so well and you lose 60% of the time. That means you have lost 60% of the 60 hands or $360. Since you won the other 40% of the time, you won $240. But the difference is $80, which means you lost $80! Sure, a free buffet is nice. But you could've taken the $80 and bought a much nicer dinner instead! Maybe you're sitting there saying, "Well, what if I won?" That's a fair question. But the casino has the edge; so unfortunately, more often than not, you won't be saying that. Ouch! The truth hurts!