To Host or not to Host

I have been told by a couple of folks that I should investigate getting a Casino Host. Coincidentally, I receive an unsolicited email from someone who purports to be an "Executive Host" where I play regularly.

I think I do a good job of disguising my success at Blackjack, which is modest. I am on speaking terms with a few dealers, floors, and waitresses. I would hope that I come across as an ordinary person who has a gambling problem, coupled with enough discretionary income to not worry about losing. I accrue enough comps on my own for the occasional promotional coupon, and enough play-money dollars to eat and drink for free any time. I get occasional offers of free musical events. I am content with all of this and want most of all to avoid being noticed. I play at the lowest-level table I can find when I get there. I don't want to mess with what has been working.

My impression is that my increased playing level, along with what looks like a lot of losing lately (persistent green-chip ratholing) has garnered the unsolicited email.

I am quite happy down here in steerage, but occasionally wander through the high-limit pit and wonder what it's like in First Class.

Is having a Casino Host like being on a "first name basis" with another used car or life insurance salesman? I don;t want to schmooze, i just want to engage in my slightly profitable hobby.

Host or No Host?

Sounds like you don't need a host. After all, what can they provide that you're not already getting?

Note that they may know about the rat holing. The host offer may be an attempt to figure out if you're an AP that should be barred or not. Since an AP would probably not want a host, it might be a good cover for you to get one.

You absolutely do not need to schmooze with your host. The rest is up to you.

Apparently you play enough coin to fit their design. That's how I got a host; the PB said I should have one "at your level of play". I wouldn't have gone looking, as I'm pretty much a red-chipper.

I think it depends a lot on the casino or chain. MGM, Sands, Wynn, I barely register with them. CET, GN, the D, Boyd, some other smaller places, they put on the dog for me. AC & LV Hilton (both gone) were extremely generous.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Note that they may know about the rat holing. The host offer may be an attempt to figure out if you're an AP that should be barred or not.

I'm not saying it's never happened, but I think it's very unlikely.

Hosts are almost always on the player's side, AP or not.



I would get a host unless there is something really out of whack with your account. Perhaps You keep winning, your losses are extremely unlikely(from rat-holing), you only play the best games available like (9/6 etc.), you only play during point multipliers and promos.

Quote: AxelWolf

Hosts are almost always on the player's side, AP or not.



I would get a host unless there is something really out of whack with your account. Perhaps You keep winning, your losses are extremely unlikely(from rat-holing), you only play the best games available like (9/6 etc.), you only play during point multipliers and promos.

I'd agree with Axelwolf that hosts don't care how you play as long as you're not cheating. They have incentives for you to win and stay at the table longer (they get a small percentage of your theo). The hosts are always on the player's side. However, only get a host if you feel like you need things beyond what you're getting offered. i.e. I get offers for 2 tickets to concerts all the time. If I want to invite more people I'd have to pay out of pocket for 2 more tickets...But, with a host I can tell him I need 4 tickets, and he can easily accommodate 4 tickets comp'd.

Hosts are often an APs best friend. They are compensated based on a player's theoretical loss, which can be quite high. It does not bother a host when the player wins. However, hosts are incentived by the casino to minimize what they give out. I view hosts as an independent agent between the player and casino who can definitely help argue the player's case to get more comps.

As long as your play is very solid, and you like first class, then I don't see any down side to getting a host. However, I've been offered one at properties where I have marginal play and am fine with what I already get and have turned them down. A host will nag you to come and play and will push you to play hard. Unless they have something I want, which is generally not the case anymore, I don't need a host on my case.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Note that they may know about the rat holing. The host offer may be an attempt to figure out if you're an AP that should be barred or not.

When I said that, I didn't mean that the host would say you're an AP, but that the management thinks you are and merely want to know your reaction to being offered a host.

Of course, not being an AP myself, and without my own host, it didn't occur to me that an AP would even consider getting one.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

...Of course, not being an AP myself, and without my own host, it didn't occur to me that an AP would even consider getting one.

I have a host at most of the different properties we AP at. I started to type out why, but I think I'll just leave it at it can be a very good thing for many reasons for an AP to have a host.

I guess my real goal is to not mess up what I think is as good a situation as I can have, given my objective, which is to play under the radar and not be noticed, stealing a piece of cheese from the larder, but not so often that they notice that there is too much missing cheese. I play profitably enough for my own ego, and maybe wouldn't want to find out that I'm not that good if I up my spread or try to play in the deeper end of the pool.

A host is for me more attention than I am used to, whether they are on my side or not. And I know enough about temptation that I could probably be coaxed out to the deep end - know thyself.

Maybe I'll at least respond to the email and see if it's just a blanket piece of spam that a host has to send out to non-hosted players who hit some kind of playing level. "Gee, little ol' me - why I'm just so happy that a host would even talk to me!"

For the most part, it sounds like you do not need a host. If your main concern is BJ, and staying under the radar, I'd say what your doing is working, so don't worry about anything else. Just save the contact and if you ever need a room or something on the fly that a host could actually help with, then give them a call. Even if time has gone by and they don't remember you, they'll just look up your play and if you still warrant comps they'll comp you.

At a lot of properties now days hosts seem to not really be able to do much (for my 'medium' play) at least. The medium and lower, in my experience, don't get completely discretionary comps to give out, thus, they just go by the numbers and what comps you've earned, which anyone on here should be aware of how to redeem themselves. Thus, most people wouldn't even have any use for a host.

An example is one casino I used to go to did away with table game comps (as in paper comps from the pit for food, etc). It's all done on your card... So if I need a comp to eat, go to the gift shop, whatever, I can just use my card. So for someone that just plays blackjack... what's the point of having a host? I had my former host there tell me directly their host positions were semi-meaningless at that point.

I think the main "fear" of an AP getting a host is if the AP is playing unrated. The host may say he'll bump you up to the next tier level or two, asks for your ID, and he'll go make you a card. The problem is if you've already been backed off there or in their chain, are in databases, or you just don't want your play to be tracked going forward.