Casino Hosts

Am I selling myself short by not finding or requesting a casino host? I just completed my third trip to Vegas and I expect to go back out at every year (worst case, every other). I'd consider myself a low-medium roller (I'm sure that description is debatable). Last trip I gambled away about $1500 over three days and typically are playing $10-15 limit tables (sometimes $25). I have a players card but in the end I didn't get offered much of anything. My stay was at the Flamingo and most of my gambling was at Harrah's properties where I produced the card. Am I just not "asking" enough? Or is having a host the key to getting more?

Or am I too low on the totem pole to warrant any special treatment?

Thoughts?

if your not playing greens and blacks....dont even bother...some properties now dont even rate people betting less than $25.....As a reference, I have a host at MB(recently) and a long time host at GN...when I go for a 3 day weekend I wire down(or they give me a marker) 10-15k.....and in the "host world" I am a "low roller"......

Quote: mcampos68

I gambled away about $1500

If you mean that you lost $1,500, that isn't much. How much action did you give, at what game or games and over how many hours?
Those are the key factors.

That amount should have impressed the Flamingo but lets face it, Harrah's likes slot players, not table game players.
Also, Mandalay Beach is known to have tightened its Comps of late.
Some policies change.
Some places still comp the lower rollers, but anyone doing Green Chip and up should get noticed and rewarded or go elsewhere.

You're too low on the totem pole.

Be happy about that, you are way, way ahead by not being higher. Be who you are and be happy in that skin.

Unless you're Diamond or Seven Stars with Harrah's, you really don't stand a shot at being noticed. Even if you're Diamond, but on the lower rung of that status (as I am), the hosts in Vegas may not want to have anything to do with you. However, if you go to a local property (i.e. Kansas City, Council Bluffs, even Joliet or Hammond to a degree), a Diamond level player will at least be looked after.

Remember, with the exception of the Horseshoe properties, Harrah's bases everything on Reward credits, which are earned during play. They are notorious for not offering a lot, but have multiplier days and easy ways to earn bonus credits. However, players do tend to get comped rooms, which isn't always a cheap comp. I have stayed in the Augustus Tower at Caesars, overlooking the Bellagio fountains twice, and didn't have to pay a penny for it. To me, that's worth it... but I didn't need a host to acquire that; my play was good enough via the computers to get it.

To get a host in Vegas, I would try a lower level property, i.e. Tropicana or even possibly Treasure Island these days. The non-chain properties (with the exception of Cosmopolitan, Venetian/Palazzo and Wynn/Encore) are fighting to get every customer they can. Smaller play may well be rewarded...

Quote: mcampos68

Am I selling myself short by not finding or requesting a casino host? I just completed my third trip to Vegas and I expect to go back out at every year (worst case, every other). I'd consider myself a low-medium roller (I'm sure that description is debatable). Last trip I gambled away about $1500 over three days and typically are playing $10-15 limit tables (sometimes $25). I have a players card but in the end I didn't get offered much of anything. My stay was at the Flamingo and most of my gambling was at Harrah's properties where I produced the card. Am I just not "asking" enough? Or is having a host the key to getting more?

Or am I too low on the totem pole to warrant any special treatment?

Thoughts?

I know that on our last trip to Vegas in May, we stayed at NY NY and received 2 free nights, from past play.
I now have emails for 2 more free nights at NY NY, M Bay, Excaliber, and Luxor.

My play was mostly craps, at $5 - $10 pass line and placing the 6,and 8,or 5,9 if the point was a 6 or 8. I was buying in for $300-$400 and risking about $500-$600 a day on our 4 day stay.
Losses for the 4 day stay was in the $900-$1100 dollar range.

I have never talked to a host, but I did play only in the mornings (not many players at the 8-10am time frame) and I tipped well (pass line w/odds or a hard way) plus I got to know the craps crew very well (reminding me if I missed my odds or asking if I wanted to move the place bet off the point).

Chuck

Quote: mcampos68

Am I selling myself short by not finding or requesting a casino host?

Yes, absolutely.

The two most important words in answer to your question are as applicable to this issue as to the pursuit of nubile women: "Just ask."

Based on my experiences...

Harrah's (now Caesars) is extremely stingy with regard to comps resulting from your table play. I would guesstimate something like 0.02-0.05% of the money you put across the table gets returned in "points" comps. I can play green and black chips for 3 days and I'm lucky to come away with enough comps for a buffet. I have switched over to MGM properties and I'm now getting considerably better comps at nicer properties.

However, you should get offers in the mail for free rooms and other special offers on your next visit. If you don't get them in the mail, go to their website and register your player card info. You should get offers on the website or via e-mail. Again, the offers I got from Caesar's got pretty stingy, and I'm now getting much better offers from MGM properties.

I have interacted with hosts at several properties, and I've never been offered anything that I didn't merit through their regular promotions program. Once I asked for tickets to Celine Dion. The host said he could provide them, but he couldn't offer a discount and he couldn't make any guarantees regarding how good the seats would be. Never mind, I'll get 'em through the website. Once I asked for "front of the line" treatment for dinner at Toby Keith's. Sorry, the restaurant is not actually affiliated with the hotel/casino so the host has no influence. On my last trip, I asked a host to make reservations for me and a friend at the Crazy Horse show (I had a 2-for-1 ticket offer from a mailing). When I got to the ticket office to pick up my tickets on the night of the show, I found out that she screwed up and got me tickets to David Copperfield instead. I was able to change my tickets at the last minute, but the Crazy Horse tickets that I got at the last minute were much worse than if I'd just ordered them myself originally.

Hosts don't look at what you actually lose, they look at what you will "theoretically" lose. You seem like a smart player who doesn't overbet his bankroll. They won't be interested in you unless you are throwing greens and blacks on the felt, and preferably at the center bets in the craps table. You just hit an unlucky streak.

To get more for your table games play, play off-strip or downtown. If you must play on the Strip, play at the MGM properties.

I think hosts at most strip properties won't look at you with play in the range you described UNLESS you really stretched that loss over a lot of playing time and with a decent bet. I asked to check in with a host at TI on our recent three day trip and my 7 hours of play @ $40 average bet was unworthy of a thing...I did not hit either the $100 average bet or 4 hour a day threshold, so I was basically not worth much in their eyes.

What playing in that range (that is where I am comfortable and where I will play...I'm not betting more just to "pay" for a free room or to get a suite I'll barely be in) will do is pretty much get offers for three or more nights in the future. Realistically, that is all I need. If I can get the nights on marketing offer, I don't have to "impress" anyone with my play and I can play wherever I want to play as opposed to being obligated to a particular casino.

I did have an average bet of $49 hours with 8 hours a day on one trip...at roulette...and they liked me pretty well. Then I realized why when I looked at my bankroll!! It dwindled way too quickly...

Good luck!!!

Thanks for all the replies and input. Really, I had no delusions of where I fit in on the totem pole of players :)

I just wasn't sure if I was just failing to ask enough. Thanks for the reality check though.

While I have fallen in love with Vegas and expect to be there on a regular basis I think I'm pretty happy with staying a relatively low roller. I know just getting the email offers for special room rates alone (since I've stayed at MGM and Harrah's properties) will pay off down the road. I'm comfortable leaving my level of play where it is even if it never results in special treatment.

The comments about the Harrahs program are right on. I used my card whenever I spent any money and any time I gambled. I had a decent amount of mileage for my gambling spend (I played for a lot of hours) and I really got nothing much for it.

On the bright side I complained a lot about the conditions of my room at the Flamingo and the guest services manager eventually called me and comped two of our nights to make up for it. I will give them that much (but I'll still never stay there again). If I ever stay at a Harrahs property it will be either Caesars or PH. More likely I'll be going back to an MGM property.

My advice is that if a host offers his services, accept them! However, it probably won't help to ask for one. If your play is worthy of a host, trust me, a host will find you. You are welcome to ask what kind of play it takes to get one, and I think any casino will tell you, more or less. Of course, the nicer the property, the harder it takes to get a host. For example, at Circus Circus, a $25 average bet might be enough, but at the Venetian, $500.

I think the average gambler would probably get more from these "hostesses" who wander amongst the gamblers and start out by saying: "Hello honey, are you going out". But many of that type of hostess run out of the room with a gambler's wallet.

Quote: FleaStiff

I think the average gambler would probably get more from these "hostesses" who wander amongst the gamblers and start out by saying: "Hello honey, are you going out". But many of that type of hostess run out of the room with a gambler's wallet.

That is the best answer (if I am not insulting the Wizard).....

Quote: FleaStiff

But many of that type of hostess run out of the room with a gambler's wallet.

One could argue that's better than the type of hostess that has the gambler wire the money directly from your account to theirs.

Ah the Ukranian Hostesses!

Yeah, I was surprized when I got an email from a host at The Venetian and was invited to some sort of craps tournament (didn't even know such things existed) but then I recalled how I was gambling after that Screwdriver met the meds I'd been taken and I guess I merited a host based on that sort of play.

Now, I don't think I'd rate a host at Circus Circus.

You're probably lucky you can remember it at all. Alcohol and meds tend to black me out pretty solidly, can't imagine tossing dice while on that combo. Props to you sir.

I don't know. It seems like a high proportion of zombies have phenomenal runs of luck gambling.