How to increase "player rating"

As a result of a move, I have just started gambling in Foxwoods. I am trying to figure out what to play to best increase my so called "player rating" to receive the best comps. It is clearly not just their loyalty care points. My friend and I are at the same number of points and he clearly is getting better offers. When I asked a casino host, she said he had a "better player rating."


Thanks for any help.

Quote: bostonimann

As a result of a move, I have just started gambling in Foxwoods. I am trying to figure out what to play to best increase my so called "player rating" to receive the best comps. It is clearly not just their loyalty care points. My friend and I are at the same number of points and he clearly is getting better offers. When I asked a casino host, she said he had a "better player rating."


Thanks for any help.

When a question like this arises, it's usually because the casino rates on "daily average" or "trip average" either in addition to, or instead of, total action. Many casinos consider the player who concentrates his/her action into a smaller number of sessions to be more valuable than the player who spreads his action out.

A rather insidious trap in this regard is if you play through the boundary between one "slot day" and the next (the division could be at midnight, but it could also be at, say, 3 AM). If your player rating is based on average daily action, you might be rated much lower if you play late at night, because your daily average will suffer, being divided among two "slot days".

Of course, the only way to know for sure is to ask that slot host. Press her for details on WHY your friend's rating is better than yours--I do strongly suspect, because the vast majority of Foxwoods' customers are daytrippers, that it has something to do with daily average.

It has been my experience that "points" are generally awarded on a fixed $$$$ action, or coin in basis. However, a hidden "reserve" account builds up that is based upon the true HA for the game(s) you play. Your offers are based not only on your raw points, but also on what you have built up in this reserve account.

Using the Harrah's Total Reward program as an example, suppose your friend put $1,000 in action during a one hour Roulette play, and you put $1,000 coin in playing Video Poker. You would both end up with 100 base reward credit points. 1 point per $10 put in action.

However, your friend would also earn 100 Bonus Reward Credits for playing a high HA game. So, after this play you would have $1 in Reward Credit comps (100 points) and your friend would have $2 in RC comps (200 points).

But, it doesn't end there. The total comps you have earned is roughly 40% of what Harrahs earned on the HA of your play. The blended HA for VP is considered to be about 2%, so 40% * 2% * $1,000 = $8. The HA for Roulette is 5.26%, for a total comp value of 40% * 5.26% * $1,000 = $21.04

In this hypothetical example, you and your friend both put $1,000 in action. At the end of the day, you both will have exactly 100 base reward credits (tier points), worth $1 in "cash" comps.

You will also have an additional $7 in reserve for future offers, to be used as the complex Harrah's computer system deems appropriate.

Your friend will have an additional $1 in "cash" comps (100 base + 100 bonus reward credits), and he will have about $19 in reserve for future offers (about three times the amount you have.)

I'm not sure how the Foxwoods program works, but it probably isn't too much different - at least in principle - than the Harrah's program. How the computer system decides to structure the offers depends - as mkl suggests - upon your individual playing patterns.

If you are a day tripper, the computer system may decide to offer you a free room in order to entice you to stay longer. If you normally stay overnight, then the computer system may decide to offer you a multi-day tournament entry in order so that you might stay even longer. If they see you aren't charging any meals to your room, they may give you some food offers so that you won't go off property to eat. But, the "value" of the offer will depend upon how much you have in your reserve comp balance account.

Usually a casino's "day" is determined by them pursuant to Treasury regulations regarding financial reporting. As Midnight is extremely busy in a casino, most casinos choose 4:00am or some similar time. Comp computers may or may not utilize the same "day". Also some people who check out of a room but then gamble are often viewed by the computer has having made a short trip so the computer's view of your most recent gambling trip is 'small time player'.

If you are being rated by a busy floorman, start off with a good impression. When you first hand in your card and he is about to process your information, be making large bets (and perhaps include a Toke bet right from the start). He will start off with a favorable view of you and if he gets distracted by players at other tables that "halo effect" may help you.

Quote: scotty81

suppose your friend put $1,000 in action during a one hour Roulette play, and you put $1,000 coin in playing Video Poker. You would both end up with 100 base reward credit points. 1 point per $10 put in action.

However, your friend would also earn 100 Bonus Reward Credits for playing a high HA game. So, after this play you would have $1 in Reward Credit comps (100 points) and your friend would have $2 in RC comps (200 points).

If you said slots instead of Video Poker, I would have said casinos view that the other way around, since slots incurs less payroll expenses. Not sure how they feel about video poker...

The rating is simply (hours played)*(hands per hour)*(house edge). This will show the value of play over a short period of time, generally a single trip. What casinos do with this depends on the casino itself. MGM casinos tend to comp back a certain percentage of it. Harrah's casinos will consider it in making future offers, but if you want comps now, use your points.

The big mystery of the formula is the house edge. It is not necessarily what you'll find on this site. For example, casinos tend to assume about 0.8% for blackjack, although the house edge may be much less with basic strategy and liberal rules. Casinos don't like to tell you the house edge percentages they assume, but you can figure it out if they tell you your "rating" and you know exactly how hard you played.

Quote: Wizard

Harrah's casinos will consider it in making future offers, but if you want comps now, use your points.

The problem with the Harrah's points is that they only represent about 10% of your total earned comp value. If you want comps now, then you can only get 10% of what you have earned. The real value in the Harrah's program are the perks associated with Diamond, and Seven Star in particular. And, even then, a Seven Star that has earned their tier points at a high HA game gets much more in offers than a Seven Star that has earned their rating at VP.

Quote: scotty81

The problem with the Harrah's points is that they only represent about 10% of your total earned comp value. If you want comps now, then you can only get 10% of what you have earned. The real value in the Harrah's program are the perks associated with Diamond, and Seven Star in particular. And, even then, a Seven Star that has earned their tier points at a high HA game gets much more in offers than a Seven Star that has earned their rating at VP.

That isn't what happened to me at Harrah's LV. As I wrote in my Harrah's review, I played 3.8 hours of pai gow, at an average bet of $210. The value of that play should have been about $392. They gave me reward credits worth $7.56. That is 2% of theoretical. I asked for the discretionary comp, and the woman I asked looked like I asked her firstborn child, and replied that they just go by points.

Quote: Wizard

That isn't what happened to me at Harrah's LV. As I wrote in my Harrah's review, I played 3.8 hours of pai gow, at an average bet of $210. The value of that play should have been about $392. They gave me reward credits worth $7.56. That is 2% of theoretical. I asked for the discretionary comp, and the woman I asked looked like I asked her firstborn child, and replied that they just go by points.

That's why no one should give their business to the Evil Empire. For example, I am a .25 VP player and a $5 Pai Gow Poker player. I stayed for three days at the Gold Coast with $40 in food comps and $20 in slot play thrown in--this was based on about a $3000 daily coin-in and 6-8 hours of $5 PGP play on my previous trips (they were nice enough to show me all the details). If I value the room at a modest $40/night, I got $180 in comps and free play for a theoretical loss of about $60. Not only that, after I had used up the food comps (at their KILLER Chinese restaurant, Ping Pang Pong), I had the temerity to ask for a lunch buffet comp based on my pitiful little $5+$1 PGP bet. The floorman was happy to give it to me, and again the next day. I would imagine that a $200+ average bet THERE would get you the moon, the sea, and the stars.

(Oh, and I still earned slot club points, which can be used for free play, at 0.2%.)

The Harrah's hosts have zero power for any discretionary comps. Everything is decided by the computer system, and - in a nutshell - if you aren't at least Diamond you don't get any comps except the paultry points. It's the hidden balance that gets you the free rooms, tournament entries, extra food credits, free play, etc... When you reach Seven Star, you are guaranteed a room anytime you want with 48 hours notice even if you don't have any reward credits to spend at all.

If all you wanted was a suite anytime you wanted, and a few extra goodies (a $500 dinner, etc.) you can essentially buy your way into Seven Star. Just give them $1 million in VP action (100,000 tier points). If you are really good, and come in at expectation, you should be able to get in for about $3,000.

Plus, you will have $1,000 in points to spend.

Quote: mkl654321

I am a .25 VP player and a $5 Pai Gow Poker player. I stayed for three days at the Gold Coast with $40 in food comps and $20 in slot play thrown in--this was based on about a $3000 daily coin-in and 6-8 hours of $5 PGP play on my previous trips (they were nice enough to show me all the details). If I value the room at a modest $40/night, I got $180 in comps and free play for a theoretical loss of about $60. Not only that, after I had used up the food comps (at their KILLER Chinese restaurant, Ping Pang Pong), I had the temerity to ask for a lunch buffet comp based on my pitiful little $5+$1 PGP bet. The floorman was happy to give it to me, and again the next day.

I'm happy to know that because I plan on making a trip to LV in October and I'm going to stay at a Boyd Property (Was thinking ST, but maybe Orleans or GC) That's about what I play, so I'm glad to know that I can expect to be treated decently.

Quote: TIMSPEED

I'm happy to know that because I plan on making a trip to LV in October and I'm going to stay at a Boyd Property (Was thinking ST, but maybe Orleans or GC) That's about what I play, so I'm glad to know that I can expect to be treated decently.

The bconnected.com website has all the offers at the affilaited casinos together on the site: Orleans, California, Main St Station, Gold Coast. I've gotten the best offers from Main St., where I have a monthly three free nights +$40 food credit, and Gold Coast as I mentioned. The offers from Orleans are a bit weaker: 2 free nights every 2 months +$10 food credit, but I also get invites to free slot/video poker tournaments where the EV is about +$75, so it evens out (I get a free room with the tournament, too).

My play at all three casinos is .25 video poker and minimum-bet pai gow poker. I've averaged about a $200 loss per three- or four-day stay this year, but last year I hit three royals and was way ahead. I'm obviously getting a very good deal from all three properties.

I also like the fact that I alternate properties, so I get offers from all four, but the points I earn are cumulative on my slot card account, so I'm the second highest tier (Emerald), which I wouldn't have been just considering my play at any one casino.

Quote: mkl654321

That's why no one should give their business to the Evil Empire. For example, I am a .25 VP player and a $5 Pai Gow Poker player. I stayed for three days at the Gold Coast with $40 in food comps and $20 in slot play thrown in--this was based on about a $3000 daily coin-in and 6-8 hours of $5 PGP play on my previous trips (they were nice enough to show me all the details). If I value the room at a modest $40/night, I got $180 in comps and free play for a theoretical loss of about $60. Not only that, after I had used up the food comps (at their KILLER Chinese restaurant, Ping Pang Pong), I had the temerity to ask for a lunch buffet comp based on my pitiful little $5+$1 PGP bet. The floorman was happy to give it to me, and again the next day. I would imagine that a $200+ average bet THERE would get you the moon, the sea, and the stars.

(Oh, and I still earned slot club points, which can be used for free play, at 0.2%.)

Quote: mkl654321

The bconnected.com website has all the offers at the affilaited casinos together on the site: Orleans, California, Main St Station, Gold Coast. I've gotten the best offers from Main St., where I have a monthly three free nights +$40 food credit, and Gold Coast as I mentioned. The offers from Orleans are a bit weaker: 2 free nights every 2 months +$10 food credit, but I also get invites to free slot/video poker tournaments where the EV is about +$75, so it evens out (I get a free room with the tournament, too).

My play at all three casinos is .25 video poker and minimum-bet pai gow poker. I've averaged about a $200 loss per three- or four-day stay this year, but last year I hit three royals and was way ahead. I'm obviously getting a very good deal from all three properties.

I also like the fact that I alternate properties, so I get offers from all four, but the points I earn are cumulative on my slot card account, so I'm the second highest tier (Emerald), which I wouldn't have been just considering my play at any one casino.

This is all extremely useful information. Perhaps we can start a thread where people post their offers and the action they gave at various LV casinos?

I'll start:
Gave $13,300 in action on 5-play $.25 VP to Palms in a day, got an offer for three nights' stay and $125 in slot play. Used it. Got upgraded to Palms Place on a weekend, where the rooms go for $600-$800, so think I did pretty well on that one :). I am still getting offers from them for two to three nights, plus $75 free play and spa entry. (At least I think they are offers -- they don't actually state "comped" but I haven't asked them about it yet).
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Gave, oh, let's say $12,000 in action to Tuscany in a day on $1 VP and $.25 five-play, got offers for three free nights and $25 in slot play pretty much every month since. I haven't used the offer yet.
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I have also given a fair amount of action to the Gold Coast, but not nearly as much as the above properties, and spread out over a couple days, so have never gotten anything substantial from them, but haven't checked my account recently either.

Speaking of Harrah's, has anyone read the recent BusinessWeek article with the Harrah's CEO? I guess he is the guy that started the trend of comping the middle-aged, slot playing woman, rather than chasing whales. The article goes into some detail about the Harrah's computer system, though it doesn't give any great info on how they literally determine comps.

Its a rather interesting article. One thing I noted was that the CEO had never really gambled in his life and didn't know much of anything about the gaming business. He was a professor who studied putting value on customer service.

The easiest way to earn comps at the Harrahs casinos is to have two players use the same card. I play table games and my wife plays the slots with my card. You need 11,000 points to become a Diamond player. It doesn't make sense if both of you have 7,000 points each at the end of the year and not reach Diamond status. Playing on one card would have accomplished this.

One side note. I was swiping my card at one of the kiosks the other day for some slot offers the casino was offering. The guy next to me swiped his card and said out loud "I never get any offers". I looked at him and he started telling me that at one time he was 7Star. You need 100,000 points to be 7Star. He only had 96,000 points and the casino wouldn't give him the extra 4,000 points!!!!!!!!

100,000 points is equal to $500,000 in slot play. A half million dollars in action and the casino wouldn't let him maintain his 7Star status because he was 4,000 points short.

As a small player- $25 pai gow/ $10 BJ, Harrahs still sends me offers for free nights at all of their Vegas properties, now even includes Caesers. I play probbaly 6 - 8 hours a day... usually will accumulate probably $1 per hour in comps-- but the free room is separate. I don't consider the empire evil....