Playing Craps for Comps

This is what I am thinking. Im a member of Harrah's Total Reward Program current status Gold (lowest). I go to Vegas two - three times a year and try to play for comps and the fun of it at the same time. With my current play, I get offers of free basic rooms. In Joleit IL, there is a Harrahs casino that I could accumalte points. My plan is to visit Harrah's Joliet evey other month or so and play with a bank roll of $1,000.00 for several hours. I normally play $5 passline and two come bets with 3,4,5 odds. However since Im playing for comps, Im thinking of playing pass line $5 with 3,4,5 odds and place the 6 and the 8 for $30 each for a total bet between $80 and $90. Im guessing that this would get me more comp points then I would with come bets. Any thoughts on this??? Using WinCraps with a $1,000 starting bank roll Im able to survive up to 5 hrs of play with total wagering in the $11,000's with place bets compared with the $7,500's total wagering using the come bets. The over all idea is to rack up points in Il become a Platnum or Diamond card member then when I go to Vegas, I can just play for fun with min bet and single odds which then I would'nt have to worry about losing my bankroll before the trip is over. Also I'd be able to gamble in non Harrah's properties since I wouldn't care if I didn't get points. Any and all replies welcome. I know the debate is strong on come v place bets, but I think I would be rated higher with the place bets.

My initial thought is: Never play for comps. Only play with an awareness of their comp policy but don't let Comps drive your decision making and wager amounts.

My second thought is: I'm told that Harrah's is even worse than most casinos in not being anywhere near as generous to Table Games players as they are to Slot Players.

I know nothing about Joliet's policies. In Vegas, I don't think major casinos ever "see" a Red Chip if you are being rated. They want to see Green and perhaps Black chips if you want to be rated. Perhaps Joliet is different. I don't know.

I do not think that adding an occasional place bet will up your rating all that much. Most casinos rate you on a mythical "average bet" and often that means whatever the floor first observes about your betting before he wanders away for awhile. Most casinos never rate your Odds Bet which I think is a foolish policy but a commonly encountered one. To be more precise, they only count your flat or place bets bets in rating you. The odds bet has no edge and you can take it down anytime, so they simply don't "see" it.

Now there is no need to ever decline a Comp, but specifically playing for Comps is risky. That "Free" lunch may give you indigestion!

Quote: FleaStiff

My second thought is: I'm told that Harrah's is even worse than most casinos in not being anywhere near as generous to Table Games players as they are to Slot Players.

It would be hard to be less generous than they already are to table game players. As I write in my Harrah's review, I played pai gow at an average bet of $210 for 3 hours and 46 minutes (their records), and was offered $7.56 in comps.

1. Never play for comps.
2. Never play at Harrah's.

Harrah's will comp you based on your "theo", or theoretical loss. Your Pass Line $5 bet is worth seven cents to Harrah's. Your odds bets are worth nothing to them, and will be ignored when rating you. Your Place bets of $30 are worth about 50 cents each to Harrah's. Thus, full action per your proposed method is worth about $1.07 to Harrah's.

It used to be that you would be comped on about 40% of theo. Now, it's more like 20%, and Harrah's is even stingier that that, for the most part. So you could HOPE to get comped about 21 cents per hand for your action, and you might get far less.

You would need to play for about 5,400 hours using this method, to make Diamond level.

Clownkeeper

No one should pay for comp's!
Now with that said I will sit back and wait, for everyone to jump on this post!

Here is my reasoning for making that statement, the longer you stay playing at any game in a casino the bigger chance you have of losing, they all are negative-expection games. What they give back in comp's are not worth what you lost.

Is anybody really that disparate for a room or meals? Where they are willing to risk thousands to get anything free.
I have this argument all the time with one of my buddies that lives on the strip using comp's!
He spends way to much time in the casinos, where he could spend less time playing and I think make more profit by having a house or apt. here in Vegas.

He has been doing this for four years now that I have known him! During the day it's almost impossible to reach him, because he is at the tables!

I have guys coming into town all the time and when I ask them where the are playing at there are times I have to ask again, why in the world would you be playing there. Same answer all the time, because we are being comp the room and meals!

When I explain that there are better games in town, they don't care! “Free” is the magic word!

One of the best one I ever saw way a guy ask to get comp a room at Harrahs, the guy bought in for $10,000, the suit said he was going to check his rating, by the time the suit came back to the table the guy had done a re-buy for $10,000 more. The suit ask him on night or two as it was a weekend two nights please, sure we can do that for you Mr.----! As he walked away with is comp, the one dealer I knew was laughing so hard I thought that he was going to fall over!

When the suit handed this guy his comp for the room it was like he was the happiest guy there was!
Big bank rolls does not mean that you have brains.

Same thing goes for the free play they give out on table games, standing at the table a guy buys in for $1500 when his money hit the table all the dealers were asking Mr. ----- where he had been they haven't seen him in the casino lately, his answer was they had stopped sending him free play tickets!

His free play coupon hit the table when he got the dice, it was for $15, the guy lost $800 of his buy-in all for a free $15 coupon free play! If you can't afford to lose, and you can't afford the room don't play, because they comp you a room!

I have never found anything that is 100% free yet, some how it is going to cost you something!

Play like you normally do and don't worry about comp's and you would be better off!

.....

I thought Harrah's was the lowest, but recently on the Dover Downs facebook page, someone asked how much comps they'd receive for 5 hrs of blackjack play at $15 a hand. The answer they got back was $2.50. That works out to a 6.35% comp rate of the theoretical loss for that amount of wager! It's amazing when you have limited competition how low you can comp!

That being, I must second the advice given here - play with what you are comfortable with and deal with whatever comps the casino is willing to give you. Remember, marketing is separate from comps on the visit, so if you're looking for some better room rates, etc. in the future, then 4 hrs of play a day seems to be the magic # for that department these days.

-B

Quote: superrick

I have never found anything that is 100% free yet, some how it is going to cost you something!

Air and gravity are free in most places (air does cost you in an airplane, but it's included in your fare). And I've yet to see a major Vegas casino with a sign saying "Rest rooms are for customers only." ;)

Other than that, Nareed's Vegas Laws clearly state "Never play for comps."

I think there's a small difference between playing for comps and playing for status. Especially at Harrah's, where the cashable comps are laughably bad but the players club is pretty fair and easy to advance in.

I had approximately the same experience as the wiz, playing black on PGP for hours and then not being comped enough to get a meal at the cafe. But at the same time, that session of play was worth about 2000 tier points in the total rewards system. That's a terribly low cash comp rate. But if the points can get you to Diamond in the TR system, you will be somewhat more pampered on your trips to Vegas.

Here is what I'd say: Playing for comps is generally bad, and the tier benefits probably do not make up for it. But, if you were going to play in the Chicago area anyway, then playing in Joliet (or at the Hammond Horseshoe) is a better choice than playing in Elgin or Aurora.

Quote: superrick

Clownkeeper
I have never found anything that is 100% free yet, some how it is going to cost you something!

Play like you normally do and don't worry about comp's and you would be better off!

.....

The situation you describe isn't necessarily "playing for comps", which was the subject of this thread. That player may have intended to play at high stakes anyway--there's no evidence he was playing solely for a comped room.

In fact, by asking for the room comp, he was doing something smart--getting something that he wouldn't have gotten if he hadn't asked for it. Given that it was a weekend, he probably saved several hundred dollars, which would have been the negative EV on several thousand dollars' worth of action.

So don't play just for comps, but if you DO play, make sure you get rated and get the maximum comps you can get. It doesn't cost anything to do so. And yes, yes, I understand that you have to gamble to get those comps, but if you're going to gamble ANYWAY, why not get a free room (and yes, it IS "free" if it doesn't cost you any more than your normal gambling)?.

Quote: superrick

Clownkeeper
No one should pay for comp's!
Here is my reasoning for making that statement, the longer you stay playing at any game in a casino the bigger chance you have of losing, they all are negative-expection games. What they give back in comp's are not worth what you lost.
Play like you normally do and don't worry about comp's and you would be better off!.....

That is why I phrased it as playing with an awareness of comps. Its should not drive you to bet excessively. A comp should never dictate your actual decision, it should simply be one of the factors that you consider.

If you are two hours and forty-five minutes at a craps table, that three hour rating carries weight, but those fifteen minutes might indeed cost you. Being aware of this is sensible, being ruled by it is not.

Comps are a sweetener, akin to sugar in your coffee, but you have a right to take it black.

I like being RFB. I don't eat more often because of it. I simply charge the meal to my room rather than my credit card. Little things like that. I had been betting at the 400 level (or 100 level if that place doesn't rate the odds bet) and then on impulse reached for a table limit 5k chip but then decided that was absurd since I'm a very low roller and I instead reached for the 1k chip. I was already under the gun to get my bet down before the dice rolled, I probably thought poorly and acted unwisely but I never once thought how it would up my average bet. Comps did not enter into my decision making. Excitement, recent roll results and alcohol were my decision making factors, not comps.

Getting Diamond at Harrahs is easy if you really want it. You can get a card in one day if you run something like $25,000 through a machine. But I tend to agree with those who say to just play and see what turns up. Going after certain card levels instead of concentrating on trying to win something is what the majority of losers do.

I agree with Jerry (gasp!). There are better / easier ways of making Diamond. Usually they involve video poker at regional Harrah's properties (not Vegas) during multiple point promotions. You can sometimes make money and make Diamond. You have to keep an ear to the ground, and be in the right place at the right time, though.

Quote: FleaStiff

Excitement, recent roll results and alcohol were my decision making factors, not comps.

Haha, alcohol (the most basic comp), was your decision-making factor. When I start making mistakes in Pai Gow, it's time for me to stop getting "comped."

Quote: teddys

I agree with Jerry (gasp!). There are better / easier ways of making Diamond. Usually they involve video poker at regional Harrah's properties (not Vegas) during multiple point promotions. You can sometimes make money and make Diamond. You have to keep an ear to the ground, and be in the right place at the right time, though.

I have never seen a "multiple point promotions" that adds TIER points. TIER points are what is needed to add to your account to achieve Platinum and Diamond levels.

All "multiple point promotions" add REWARD points which are added to your comp account.

In my opinion only two things matter when getting lots of comps. Does the pit boss know you(do you talk to and interact with the pit boss) and does the pit boss observe your intital bet(I always bet twice the table min on first bet when the pit boss is rating you.) It can be a game but if they rate you at an average bet of $25 vs $10 you will get better comps. Also in my opinion if the pit boss knows you they are more generous with the average bet and when they have to enter your avaerage bet again they will simple hit return on the keypad instead of looking at what you are now betting. That has been my observation.

Quote: FatGeezus

I have never seen a "multiple point promotions" that adds TIER points. TIER points are what is needed to add to your account to achieve Platinum and Diamond levels.

All "multiple point promotions" add REWARD points which are added to your comp account.

I'll admit to not knowing the specifics of the Harrah's system. You may or may not earn tier points. However, the multiple point promotions can take away a lot of your expected loss, so if you have a sufficient bankroll, you can "play forever" and keep racking up the tier points in addition to the extra "bonus" points, which can be converted to cash. So the increased status level is kind of a secondary effect of the promotions.

There is also diamond-in-a-day, which I think has been discussed on other threads.

Harrah's rewards system has been discussed at length. Basically, their strength is that they provide steeply discounted hotel rooms to most of their members with any play. Their weakness is the cash comps they give out once you get there, especially for table games. Their model is different than most others and you have to know how to work it. The Diamond club at Harrah's is an achievement for which you get some pretty decent comps including 1/2 off show tickets, priority taxi / valet / cashier / dining access, free upgrades, etc. So most people who pound the table games at Harrahs looking for comps should try to get the Platinum and Diamond status to receive tangible benefits.

The other comp programs do reward you decently with RFB based on a decent percent of theoretical loss but you don't get the cheap hotel room to begin with nor do you ever get the front of the line. I guess the difference is how you feel about comps. Do you want to get the cash up front to do whatever you want, or do you want to get special treatment by making it to the next tier?

Thanks for all the replies. I can see the argument for risking ruin just for comps, but I still think this is a good plan. I can play with a decent bankroll, which according to Win Craps simulations should last for several hours of play. I can build Tier points to advance in status membership and If I go on Mondays, I get 10x the comp rating. As far as Harrah's policy on table game ratings, the last time I was in Vegas I played for 1 and 1/2 hours betting $5 pass and come with 3,4,5 odds and was rated around 600 tier points. If I can acheive 1,000 points a visit at Joiliet, I should become Platnium in 4 visits.

Quote: Clownkeeper

If I can acheive 1,000 points a visit at Joiliet, I should become Platnium in 4 visits.

Even if you do get to Platinum, you maintain Platinum but you start all over again with ZERO points starting Jan 1. Hold off for a few weeks and reschedule those trips to January and start your way to Diamond status.

Quote: FatGeezus

Even if you do get to Platinum, you maintain Platinum but you start all over again with ZERO points starting Jan 1. Hold off for a few weeks and reschedule those trips to January and start your way to Diamond status.

Actually, I believe your tier score carries over to the next year, so he would be set for 2011.

Of course, if he went ahead and did wait to Jan 1st, he would be Platinum for 2011 and 2012.

At least I think that's how it works. I've never moved beyond puny Gold, so I haven't had much motivation to make complete sense of Harrah's tier score requirements.

Quote: Clownkeeper

If I can acheive 1,000 points a visit at Joiliet, I should become Platnium in 4 visits.

I guess it was inevitable that Harrah's would hit upon the idea of building a casino in a prison. Talk about a captive audience....

Quote: mkl654321

It used to be that you would be comped on about 40% of theo. Now, it's more like 20%, and Harrah's is even stingier that that, for the most part. So you could HOPE to get comped about 21 cents per hand for your action, and you might get far less.

My experience is that Harrah's does, in fact, comp at 40% of "theo", but only if you reach 7Star status. If you are less than Diamond, the comps are laughable. If you reach Diamond, you start to receive offers/benefits that are more substantial. When you reach 7Star, you start realizing the full 40% benefit. For example, one benefit of 7Star is that you and your SO will be flown to any Harrah's property (up to $1,200 combined airfare), be given a $500 F/B credit, a free suite for up to 5 nights, and airport transportation. All with no expectation (well, none required) of action. You still have to know how to "milk the system", but you can realize 40% - and maybe more - of your theoretical back in comps if you are 7Star.

Maybe this is an appropriate spot for this question --

There has been a lot of comment about Harrah's not giving much recognition to table game players. I am a low roller, and naturally, my Harrah's card is Gold. What I have noticed is that I actually earn points when I play at non-Vegas locations, but in Sin City, it is as if they don't even know that I came to the table. Is it a known fact that for the same level of play the Harrah's corp. Las Vegas properties rate players less than the same corporation's properties in other locales? I have played at their non-Vegas casinos in Biloxi, Tunica, Laughlin, Southern Indiana, New Orleans, Rincon, Atlantic City, and even once at Cherokee. I have particularly noted the better points awards at Laughlin, Biloxi, and Tunica compared to Las Vegas.

Quote: Doc

Maybe this is an appropriate spot for this question --

There has been a lot of comment about Harrah's not giving much recognition to table game players. I am a low roller, and naturally, my Harrah's card is Gold. What I have noticed is that I actually earn points when I play at non-Vegas locations, but in Sin City, it is as if they don't even know that I came to the table. Is it a known fact that for the same level of play the Harrah's corp. Las Vegas properties rate players less than the same corporation's properties in other locales? I have played at their non-Vegas casinos in Biloxi, Tunica, Laughlin, Southern Indiana, New Orleans, Rincon, Atlantic City, and even once at Cherokee. I have particularly noted the better points awards at Laughlin, Biloxi, and Tunica compared to Las Vegas.

Yep. Vegas is the stingiest. There's a good reason for that--if you're in Vegas, playing at a Harrah's property, and you say, "Screw this dump!" and walk out the door, down the street, and into another casino, that will probably also be....a Harrah's casino!!!!

Quote: mkl654321

I guess it was inevitable that Harrah's would hit upon the idea of building a casino in a prison. Talk about a captive audience....

LOL. In NEVADA it is not illegal to have a casino in a prison and the casino concession in a prison is a good moneymaker. The bars and slot machines just outside the County Jail get alot of action. The odds there are probably not good but better than being inside the barbed wire fence.

Everything I've ever read from serious players says Harrah's is the worst for table games, both for cash-equivalent comps and room offers.

I usually play around $100 a hand; my craps play at HET is limited to a few hours here and there, but I checked my rating after each session, and I've never noticed ANY points in my account attributable to table play. As far as I can tell, they track it separately, same as MGM and Sands.

Quote: Chuck

Everything I've ever read from serious players says Harrah's is the worst for table games, both for cash-equivalent comps and room offers.

I usually play around $100 a hand; my craps play at HET is limited to a few hours here and there, but I checked my rating after each session, and I've never noticed ANY points in my account attributable to table play. As far as I can tell, they track it separately, same as MGM and Sands.

Really? I almost exclusively play table games, and I've got a (albeit low) tier score at Harrah's. I do on occasion throw some money at a slot machine, but even playing the table minimum of $5 on craps makes my tier score bump up a few points.

You know, like less than ten, but whatever.

Quote: Chuck

Everything I've ever read from serious players says Harrah's is the worst for table games, both for cash-equivalent comps and room offers.

I usually play around $100 a hand; my craps play at HET is limited to a few hours here and there, but I checked my rating after each session, and I've never noticed ANY points in my account attributable to table play. As far as I can tell, they track it separately, same as MGM and Sands.

I play at a lower level than you state, only occasionally having a total of $100 on the crap table at a time (with a cheap-table minimum on the line). As I noted above, I get (some) points for that play at non-Vegas Harrah's properties but frequently zero at the Las Vegas properties.

On the other hand, I disagree with you about room offers. That seems to be where Harrah's excels, offering discounts or free rooms to almost every card holder (I thought). My wife and I have five nights (Mon through Friday) booked for free in mid-December at Rio. Yes, it's a slow period, but five free nights including a Friday seems like a pretty good offer to low rollers.

I regularly get mailers for free/cheap nights at other locations. I currently have the following room offers for November: four 2-night free stays at Grand Biloxi, two free nights in Tunica, and two free nights in Laughlin. I have not yet received a November mailer from Southern Indiana, but the past few months they have been offering single free nights twice a month.

Let me clarify:

Harrah's is definitely the loosest when it comes to free rooms overall. I have 200-something points, and I can get 5 free nights any time at their bottom 5 properties.

We know that all chains value table players less than slot players. But Harrah's appears to value table play less than the other chains, that's based on accounts from several table-only players.

Next trip, I'll have to do a craps-only session at HET and see what happens to my points.

Quote: Clownkeeper

This is what I am thinking. Im a member of Harrah's Total Reward Program current status Gold (lowest). I go to Vegas two - three times a year and try to play for comps and the fun of it at the same time. With my current play, I get offers of free basic rooms. In Joleit IL, there is a Harrahs casino that I could accumalte points. My plan is to visit Harrah's Joliet evey other month or so and play with a bank roll of $1,000.00 for several hours. I normally play $5 passline and two come bets with 3,4,5 odds. However since Im playing for comps, Im thinking of playing pass line $5 with 3,4,5 odds and place the 6 and the 8 for $30 each for a total bet between $80 and $90. Im guessing that this would get me more comp points then I would with come bets. Any thoughts on this??? Using WinCraps with a $1,000 starting bank roll Im able to survive up to 5 hrs of play with total wagering in the $11,000's with place bets compared with the $7,500's total wagering using the come bets. The over all idea is to rack up points in Il become a Platnum or Diamond card member then when I go to Vegas, I can just play for fun with min bet and single odds which then I would'nt have to worry about losing my bankroll before the trip is over. Also I'd be able to gamble in non Harrah's properties since I wouldn't care if I didn't get points. Any and all replies welcome. I know the debate is strong on come v place bets, but I think I would be rated higher with the place bets.

Playing for comps is a bad bet as discussed, but if one wants to play for comps I would rather do the following:

1. Bet one unit on the pass line on the come-out roll.
2. If point is 4,9, or 10 simply take your free-odds at your comfort level.
3. If point is a 5,6,8 take at least 1x free odds up to your comfort level
4. Place two units of the remaining 5,6,8
5. Put one unit on the field
6. Replace losing field bets with winning place bets, same-bet the place bets letting them ride.

This will give you a win on anything but a 7 each and every roll. Should also get you some better ratings on the higher-house-edge field bet.

I call it the "modified iron cross" and it has been a proven moneymaker for me. At a monte-carlo night a guy tipped me $20 for teaching him about it!

Harrahs owns all of the properties pretty much on the east side of the strip from Planet Hollywood to the Royale, Caesar's palace, and Rio. If I get tired of Harrahs... I walk across the street to ... sigh... MGM.

Quote: boymimbo

Harrahs owns all of the properties pretty much on the east side of the strip from Planet Hollywood to the Royale, Caesar's palace, and Rio. If I get tired of Harrahs... I walk across the street to ... sigh... MGM.

From Rio, you can go across the street to Gold Coast. They have low-minimum craps going most any time, I think.

Quote: ElectricDreams

Actually, I believe your tier score carries over to the next year, so he would be set for 2011.

Of course, if he went ahead and did wait to Jan 1st, he would be Platinum for 2011 and 2012.

At least I think that's how it works. I've never moved beyond puny Gold, so I haven't had much motivation to make complete sense of Harrah's tier score requirements.

Wrong!!!

TIER credits are not carried over to the next year. REWARD credits are good for six months. As long as you bet $1 within a six month period, you carry over your REWARD credits.

On January 1st, EVERYONE'S TIER account is reset to ZERO. You have to start your quest to acquire 4,000 credits to get to Platimum and 11,000 credits to get to Diamond.

If TIER credits were carried over to the following year, everyone would become DIAMOND.

Quote: FatGeezus

Quote: ElectricDreams

Actually, I believe your tier score carries over to the next year, so he would be set for 2011. ...

Wrong!!!
...
On January 1st, EVERYONE'S TIER account is reset to ZERO. You have to start your quest to acquire 4,000 credits to get to Platimum and 11,000 credits to get to Diamond.

Just to clarify this for me (I'll stay "Gold" anyway).... I understand that tier points don't carry over, but does tier status earned in one year not carry over to the next? If not and it took 364 days to earn a level, one would never draw any benefits. I know that with my frequent flier account, if I accumulate enough miles for a premium status during a year, I get the benefits beginning immediately and continuing through the next year. Thus, if I accumulate the required miles every year, I draw the benefits continuously. With Harrah's, do you mean that nobody has any tier status but gold for the first week of January?

Quote: Doc

Just to clarify this for me (I'll stay "Gold" anyway).... I understand that tier points don't carry over, but does tier status earned in one year not carry over to the next? If not and it took 364 days to earn a level, one would never draw any benefits. I know that with my frequent flier account, if I accumulate enough miles for a premium status during a year, I get the benefits beginning immediately and continuing through the next year. Thus, if I accumulate the required miles every year, I draw the benefits continuously. With Harrah's, do you mean that nobody has any tier status but gold for the first week of January?

If you achieve diamond in 2010, you'll be diamond in 2011. But you'll also start 2011 with 0 tier points. If you earn less than 10000 points in 2011, your 2012 level will revert to gold or platinum (depending on your 2011 point total).

Quote: Doc

Just to clarify this for me (I'll stay "Gold" anyway).... I understand that tier points don't carry over, but does tier status earned in one year not carry over to the next? If not and it took 364 days to earn a level, one would never draw any benefits. I know that with my frequent flier account, if I accumulate enough miles for a premium status during a year, I get the benefits beginning immediately and continuing through the next year. Thus, if I accumulate the required miles every year, I draw the benefits continuously. With Harrah's, do you mean that nobody has any tier status but gold for the first week of January?

It didn't used to be this way. I made Diamond just before they gutted all their decent VP nationwide, so I stopped playing at Harrahsized properties altogether, except for a couple of short sessions up at Lake Tahoe--and they kept me at Diamond for three more years. I did get kicked downstairs to Gold at the beginning of this year, and they sent me a very nice letter ("Hey, Bozo, you're not giving us any action, so up yours!") explaining why.

Harrah's is adding more levels to their Total Rewards program:

Scum
Lead
Tin
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Plutonium
Unobtainium

The good news is that you only need to earn 1000 points to advance from "Scum" to "Lead".

Quote: mkl654321

... Harrah's is adding more levels to their Total Rewards program:

Scum
Lead
Tin
Gold
Platinum
Diamond
Plutonium
Unobtainium

Obviously you skipped (or renamed) 7-Stars. Does anyone have info on the alleged "Chairman" level? Just curious.

Quote: Doc

Just to clarify this for me (I'll stay "Gold" anyway).... I understand that tier points don't carry over, but does tier status earned in one year not carry over to the next? If not and it took 364 days to earn a level, one would never draw any benefits. I know that with my frequent flier account, if I accumulate enough miles for a premium status during a year, I get the benefits beginning immediately and continuing through the next year. Thus, if I accumulate the required miles every year, I draw the benefits continuously. With Harrah's, do you mean that nobody has any tier status but gold for the first week of January?

Sorry, that's what I meant: your tier status carries over, not your score.

Quote: rdw4potus

If you achieve diamond in 2010, you'll be diamond in 2011. But you'll also start 2011 with 0 tier points. If you earn less than 10000 points in 2011, your 2012 level will revert to gold or platinum (depending on your 2011 point total).

To get to Diamond level you need to get 11,000 points. They increased it from 10,000 points about 2 years ago.

If you were to achieve 11,000 points today (Nov 12, 2010), you would immediately become a Diamond player. They would issue a Diamond card with an expiration date of March 2011.

Sometimes before 3/11, you will be issued a new Diamond card with an expiration date of 3/12.

While the card is good thru 3/12, you still only have 1 year Jan to Dec to try to earn 11,000 points to get a Diamond card for the following year.

This is why I mentioned in one of the earlier posts that I recommended that the poster reschedule his Nov and Dec trips to Jan of next year. It would be unlikely that he would get Diamond in such a short time and he would be better starting his goal of getting Diamond in Jan. 2011

This was a few years ago but the best way to get comps from Harrah's is to win a sattelite online for the WSOP. I paid $320 in 2006 to enter a sattelite, qualified for the $10k main event, automatically got upgraded to diamond and stayed at that level for about 2 yrs getting free rooms and meal vouchers. I am by no stretch a diamond player either.

My fault, that's not how you spell satellite :-P

Alas, that is how I spell it.
I wonder if you stayed at your arbitrarily high level for only two years that it might have been worth it for you to have somehow inflated your play so as to maintain the impression of being a higher roller than you actually are.

We all enjoy the comps but really feel the primary focus should always be on the gambling itself. Its Craps not Comps. We want to milk the comp system if possible but not be overly distracted by it.