Table games and the 4hr 'requirement'

This was a topic the Wiz and I discussed briefly at the coffee this month. It seems like 4 hrs of play is becoming a factor in determining pit comps. I know in AC, the Harrah and Trump properties use this criteria. On my last trip, both MSS and NYNY told me it was a requirement. This trip also showed more of the DT vs Strip differences. At MSS I was .1 hrs short - the floorperson made a call and I got some comps. At NYNY I was 15 min short and they told me to go play 20 mins more @ 25 or higher. I had a plane to catch and wasn't going to play for comps, so I let it be. I don't expect anything betting at my level but always ask.

I would think that casinos would be wanting to cultivate loyalty thru comps in this economy, but it appears they have to pay for their debt payments somehow.

-B

Quote: toastcmu

It seems like 4 hrs of play is becoming a factor in determining pit comps.

It's almost a knee jerk reaction. I get the same answer all the time: 4 hours @$25 and you get a room. It almost doesn't matter what the price of the room is. For a while, Boyd gaming was specifying point amounts (usually 20K points). The Plaza hotel above the bus station was giving away rooms for only 500 points per day on slots. But those rooms are frequently $22 per day midweek. Main Street Casino downtown has 20X points on craps, but they don't rate the odds at all.

If you were playing $1000 hands and trying to double $50,000 the probability that you double before going bust at baccarat betting on the player is about 20%. If you go somewhere with 20X odds at craps then the probability is 47.5%. I figure you could sit in a 5 diamond casino and collect excellent comps for betting $1K hands, or you could go to one of a dozen casinos that offer your 20X odds or better at craps. If you insist on a 4 diamond hotel, you can go to the Marriot in Summerlin, otherwise the choices are all 2 or 3 diamond or non-rated. But the discrepancy in your chances of doubling your $50K are so huge that I can't understand why you would play for comps.