Goosey

Many of the strip properties don't rate you unless you're betting $25/hand BJ. I actually had a rude dealer who refused to take my card because I started off with $10 bets. I told her I usually bet more than $10 but I was just chilling and like to start off with something small to see how the table is. The dealer told me she'll put in my card when I start betting $25. With that said, I have never had that happen to me before. My card usually gets taken and rated for whatever. But I don't think I'll hand in my card anymore since I don't bet enough in BJ usually to help my usual dice average.

baccarat_king

Always a benefit, unless, as stated your very small play (for a very short period of time) might be in conflict with your rather large betting patterns. (for the balance of your stay)

Basically, you never know when/how a casino marketing machine will go fishing for new customers; or how far down (low roller) into their database they will go with new offers.

With regard to worrying about if it will "just make us look silly" --- the entire comp game is a continuous back and forth. If you are playing it ("gaming it") properly, you are always asking for the world, and getting a bit less (or a lot less) in return. At the "low roller" level, you need to be even more pushy and aggressive (and especially aggressive that the pit rates your action properly i.e. higher than you deserve). All "low rollers" look a bit silly sometimes, but that's just part of the game. And, it's really nothing to fret, since as a "low roller" you are not wagering substantial sums (of course, another data-point that is also relative).

As also mentioned, it's a great time to just pick-up those luxury hotel rooms at a great price, wager however you like, and just possibly, you'll receive a future marketing offer for more than you "deserve."

Playing for "comps" has never been a particularly good idea, and is probably an even "less-good" idea if a "low roller" at a "high end" property.

Now, if you take the "low roller" action to Sahara or Excalibur (or any number of lower end properties), your "action" will get a lot more "respect."

Indy Racer

I had this happen a while back, don't remember where or when though. But I had it in my head that they don't rate unless you play $25/hand.

Just got back from a 3 day trip to the Encore and played the $10 tables. Each time I gave them my card, they were more than happy to take it. While I didn't play long (an hour here, an hour there, no more than 5 hours total) I ended up getting an offer of 4 free buffets!!! Was able to get some of that changed to a breakfast at one of the cafe's and banked a few buffets for my next trip.

I think Casino's are making a concious effort to go after the lower roller as times are tough and they can't ignore them anymore.

Goosey

How did you know about your offer of 4 buffets? And the buffets are bankable? That's awesome. I know that buffets are generally the easiest to get at casinos, but at least the MGM ones need to be used on the day you get it.

OverThereTooMuch

When I was at Encore/Wynn, I had to ask at the Red Card desk. I was told that the buffets would stay in my account for some period of time (IIRC, it was a year...definitely wasn't something short like 30 days).

Per other comments here, there's no website for the Red Card...if you want to find out what's available to you, you have to call or go to the desk.

Indy Racer

That's exactly how I did it. Red Card desk at the Encore. Interestly I noticed the Red Card desk at Wynn always seemed to have a big line. but there was hardly any line over at the Encore. Granted time of day probably impacts that, but this was at 10 pm on a Tuesday.

Goosey

I've been meaning to ask this for a while. In terms of VP, what type of machines ($5? $10?) would be say the equivalent of playing $150/hand?

goheelswks

Signed up for the Club Grazie (sp?) card at the Venetian while starting what turned out to be a 3am-1pm blackjack binge, fueled by Jack Daniels and then Diet Coke (but never mixed! ). Was a bit astonished to check my online balance and see, "$0".

More than a little annoying, given that it was a $25 table where I bet between one hand at the minimum up to three hands at $100+ each and tipped very well the entire time, even through a shift change. Not sure how I could/should have avoided this "dis" in the first place.

baccarat_king

To the best of my knowledge, Club Grazie (online) only reflects your machine (Video Poker and Slots) play. For any details on your table game play, you need to call them directly.

I also don't think you earn cash back, points for redemption or Grazie points form table play. Though, you can earn points now from hotel $$ charged to your room folio.

DataPlumber

$125 is definately low, IME. Mandalay Bay is $250, and based on the parent company and comparables; Bellagio and Mirage would be in the same ballpark.

baccarat_king

VP is an issue of coin-in (and sometimes coin-in and overall time @ the machines) more so than anything else. The lower the denomination, the longer that "coin-in" requirement will take, but also the lower the RoR (Risk of Ruin) with regard to the game.

So, if you are told that you need $30K coin-in per day for room/F&B (just making up a number) :

On a $1, VP machine ($5 per spin) would require 6,000 spins (hands)
On a $5, VP machine ($25 per spin) would require 1,200 spins (hands)

paulTX

How do they rate craps?

I usually play on average with about $150 on the table to start with and depending how it goes will press up etc (but not too much).

So if I had a $30 6&8, $20 5&9, $20 on the pass plus $30 odds ($150 total), what would that be rated at "per hand"?

Sorry if that's a stupid question, but I was once told by a buddy that it would rate at $30 per hand as that was the highest bet on any one number. I thought it should rate at $150. I've never actually asked anyone how I was rated so it's my fault for not knowing!

baccarat_king

paulTX, not a stupid question, and your buddy was wrong.

The dice rating is basically a cumulative rating of all your action/bets on the table. Of course, this can vary dramatically, so it's a bit subjective (and definitely worth it to ask how they are rating you). [also, some properties and bosses will boost your rating if you are betting more of the high house edge prop bets] Based on what you said above, if those bets were consistent I'd say you should be rated between $100 and $175.

If you are at a table for a while, and once you become comfortable with the dealers, it's always good to find an entry into discussing your rating.

For example, during my only dice session at Encore the other day, I said "Hope you're rating me OK, as I'm cheating on Sheldon this trip... I hope at least a $12 average.... " --- response, "we have you down for around $120/average, but it's going to be a bit more than that, I'll adjust it sir, how does around $160 sound?"

#1 rule of being rated (especially at very subjective games like dice), is to make the boss aware that you are interested (concerned) with your rating. You just need to try to make light of it a bit. You want to be "concerned", but not come across as "too concerned."

paulTX

Thankyou baccarat_king, that's very helpful info.
I usually try to be very sociable with the dealers and will "tip" them by making regular small bets on their behalf. Funny thing is that the only time I didn't ask them what bet they wanted I went ahead and did a $10 Yo bet for them and it hit!! I guess that would have been a great time to start talking about my rating

baccarat_king

WOW! $10 Yo for the dealers! I sure hope you also had something for yourself on the Yo. Me, I either bet 2-ways ($5 Yo, $4 for me and $1 for the dealer --- or equivalent hard-way splits) or, preferably I just put a bet for the dealers (usually $5/$10) on top of my odds, while I'm shooting --- since I prefer to stay away from the props. I can't stand making a wager for the dealers if I'm not also up on that wager!