Question of the Day - 17 May 2021

[Editor's Note: For this answer, we went to our man behind the casino curtain, Andrew Uyal.]

As usual when we talk about rules, policies, and procedures at casinos, they all vary from place to place.

For example, it's not uncommon in the high-end Strip casinos not to qualify at all for a rating if you’re making a less than $25 average bet. If you’re hanging at the $10 or $15 tables, you might receive zero reward credits toward comps. That said, most Strip casinos rate all play, but the variables can be quite different.

It’s important to keep in mind that each different company likely has a different algorithm for calculating reward points. If you play the same game with the same average for the same amount of time at Cosmo, Wynn, Aria, and Caesars Palace, you’ll probably get four completely different ratings. 

Why? Well, the first and foremost variable is the supervisor doing the rating. I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: Table-game supervisors are busy people. Sometimes this works out in your favor. It’s quite common for a supervisor not to realize a player is gone until 10, 20, even 30 minutes after he or she has left the game. It’s possible to rack up points for that time when you aren’t even playing. Of course, the reverse can also happen. All table-game players are familiar with seeing their players cards sit on the pit podium waiting for the supervisor to get around to swiping it in, while they lose bet after bet and wonder if their play will ever get rated.

Even if a supervisor gets your time exactly right, what are you betting when he or she happens to glance at you? Whatever is it, it's likely to be your average. If you happen to be betting low in the heat of a big losing streak, you might get underrated. Conversely, you might be betting large when you’re pressing into a winning streak.

All this was covered in Max Rubin's classic book on ratings and comps, aptly titled Comp City. It's going on 25 years old, but the concepts still apply and it's still available as an e-book via Kindle ($9.99). Max, a former casino boss, highly recommends pushing out your biggest bets when you first sit down at a table and hand the dealer or floorperson your players card, which is when you're most likely to be sized up as a player by the supervisor. This doesn't always work, but if you're playing for comps, it's generally worth trying.

Meanwhile, it’s never a bad idea to politely ask the supervisor about your rating if you have any questions. The nicer your approach, the more likely it will work out in your favor.

There are a few other similar staff-related variables, but I won't get into those here. In my experience as both a supervisor and player, all these variables end up being a wash in the long run.

Is there an objective quantifiable explanation for your different ratings at different casinos or even the same casino? Probably not. Unlike at the machines, where your reward credits are based pretty much entirely on the money metrics, the fact is that ratings at table games are more subjective than not. So to a degree (sometimes large), this can work in your favor.