Table games - comps

[bp traveler]

Hi we play a lot of craps and black jack and have a hard time understanding why we never get any email offers from Carnival and we also ask to get rated each time we play.

 

We spend plenty in the casinos but the table players just seem to get the bad end of the comps if you ask me.

 

Anybody else a table player on Carnival have any success on getting some comps?

 

thanks

[cb at sea]

Are you playing high enough minimums? That can have an effect on being rated.

[F22Smitty]

Are you playing high enough minimums? That can have an effect on being rated.

 

This last cruise at the carps table I found out that if you play min or above for hours and I mean 5 or 6 hours a day, you will be rated if you ask.

[anthem]

Depends on how you are playing. I know on most cruises (if they have a players club of some sort), if you're playing the minimum (even for hours), you might get rated, you might not. Sometimes you get noticed and some play, but the likelihood of being forgotten is quite high. They will usually notice the green chip players and if you're playing $50 or higher (per bet, not total), you'll pretty much get noticed on any of the ships.

[myobus11]

wife and i were recently on carnival pride,CLOSED casino many nights after HOURS of play ,but at $10 per hand, was told needed to play $25 PER HAND TO BE RATED?????????? CARNIVAL NEEDS TO ADJUST POLICY??

[popsec]

I've always been told you need to be betting $25 per hand for a minimum of 2 hours a day to get rated. I know that when I play slots I can burn thru several hundred dollars a night but when I sit at a BJ table alot of times I can play on my initial $50 for hours. I'm sure the casinos would much rather we play slots ;)

[AndyTheK]

I've always been told you need to be betting $25 per hand for a minimum of 2 hours a day to get rated. I know that when I play slots I can burn thru several hundred dollars a night but when I sit at a BJ table alot of times I can play on my initial $50 for hours. I'm sure the casinos would much rather we play slots ;)

On my first Princess cruise (a Carnival Corp. company with the same Club), I did not ask, did not play to the required level, and so was not rated. On the next cruise, I asked the casino host and was was given the same info as you heard. At the table, I asked to be rated, played to the required level, and they did rate me. Before the third cruise, I called the Players Club and was told what my up front comps would be. When I got to the casino ans identified myself, they were ready for me. Next cruise coming up in a few months - I'll call them about a month before.

 

By the way, when I asked the casino host that time, I specifically asked if the $$25 minimum was per individual bet or for the spread. I was told that it was for the spread but would not include the ("free") odds bet. Seems fair enough to me.

[anthem]

By the way, when I asked the casino host that time, I specifically asked if the $$25 minimum was per individual bet or for the spread. I was told that it was for the spread but would not include the ("free") odds bet. Seems fair enough to me.

 

 

This is true. Very few will rate the true odds (on come or line bets). However, what I was alluding to earlier is that eventhough you bet $10 on the line and $12 on 6/8 for a total of $34 you are very likely to be looked over or forgotten at times. You will have to ask to be rated, and make sure they are keeping track. So yes, theoretically you are over their minimum but frequently being overlooked (especially if you move tables, etc). Which is why I mention that green chip players are more likely to be noticed and rating maintained. This isn't just ship based casinos but everywhere.

[bp traveler]

We are well aware of their "minimums" it is both my dh and I playing and we are always well over each time at craps or bj. Just seems to be really hard to get any comps without doing the slots, which is a bummer.

 

I hear all of these people getting great cruise rates because of their play and i know we play more than they do!

[AndyTheK]

We are well aware of their "minimums" it is both my dh and I playing and we are always well over each time at craps or bj. Just seems to be really hard to get any comps without doing the slots, which is a bummer.

 

I hear all of these people getting great cruise rates because of their play and i know we play more than they do!

A lot depends on which cruise line you sail. It's well known that NCL's casinos are connected to Harrah's, and that comps are much better than on other lines in addition to be tied in with play at Harrah's. Personally, we sail Princess which is one of the "least generous" (I'm being "generous" with my description :)) with their comps. IINM, RCL is somewhere in the middle, but I jave no personal experience with that.

 

In the final analysis, we don't choose cruise lines based on casino comps. Some people do. NCL's policies and available features do not meet our requirements, while Princess does. YMMV.

[popsec]

We are well aware of their "minimums" it is both my dh and I playing and we are always well over each time at craps or bj. Just seems to be really hard to get any comps without doing the slots, which is a bummer.

 

I hear all of these people getting great cruise rates because of their play and i know we play more than they do!

 

I can see it from the cruiselines point of view....if I bring $1000 or so to play with and play back any small (and I do mean, small) winnings I can rack up over 5000 points on a 7 day cruise and the cruiseline ends up with all my money. Whereas if I take $100 to the blackjack table a couple nights I usually walk away with my money....no big incentive for the casino to comp me since I walk away with all my money usually in the end....

[F22Smitty]

At the craps table if you have fun and interact with the other players, dealer, and bit bosses you will be noticed and if you place bets for the team you will be noticed.

 

I got the drinks on us card on the third day of our eight day cruise and I never made green chip bets, but I did play a lot of bets for the boys when I was up and had a lot of fun with everyone.

 

After the first day everyone knew my name and I knew there's.

[Jeffffffs]

The house edge at blackjack (playing basic strategy) is often less than 1%. Assuming 50-60 hands an hour, someone playing $10 a hand would "theoretically" be expected to lose about $5 (note, actual results are irrelevant). Assuming the house gives back 10-20% of your theoretical loss as comps, that player would have "earned" less than $1.00 in comps. It's really not worth the pit bosses efforts to try to keep track of this level of play.

[Jeffffffs]

We are well aware of their "minimums" it is both my dh and I playing and we are always well over each time at craps or bj. Just seems to be really hard to get any comps without doing the slots, which is a bummer.

 

I hear all of these people getting great cruise rates because of their play and i know we play more than they do!

 

 

As AndyK mentioned some cruise lines (NCL) are better then others for comps. And even at land based casinos, table game players (at low-mid levels) do not earn anywhere near the comps that they should. It seems to me that casinos intentionally focus on developing their slot players and do not care as much about the low level table players. As a craps player, it seems that you really need to have an average bet over $100 (and consistent hours) to get serious consideration.

[anthem]

As AndyK mentioned some cruise lines (NCL) are better then others for comps. And even at land based casinos, table game players (at low-mid levels) do not earn anywhere near the comps that they should. It seems to me that casinos intentionally focus on developing their slot players and do not care as much about the low level table players. As a craps player, it seems that you really need to have an average bet over $100 (and consistent hours) to get serious consideration.

 

Without doing the math too much - an average slot player pulls around 500 pulls an hour. Let's say its $1 for each pull, that is $500 in play per hour. If the average payout is 90% (which is probably high for a ship) - that means the house makes $50/hour of play. For higher slots, that goes up incrementally - if its $5/spin, then its $250/hour, etc. That is with no human labor, etc, etc. On table games, you have labor costs tied with that as well. For blackjack/craps, with smaller bettors the range of bets are quite small. The average player that bets $12 on 6/8 along with the pass line is averaging maybe $36 at a time. With the odds for the house 1/6 or less vs slots - you can see where they would prefer to concentrate their players.

 

Now, on larger gamblers, the numbers are a bit different. Not only once you cross that magical threshold where they pay attention to you - but the size of bets are usually not as "restricted" as a smaller player. A smaller player - has a much tighter range of bets. A larger player playing $100, may take $240 on the inside, or might take $440 on the inside. The range and play just jumped drastically. So yeah, a red chip player doubles his bets and is now playing $50-$75 on the table. The black chip player just took all the hard ways for $100 across. Much more dollars at stake and larger players have greater ranges which means more theoretical dollars coming in for the house.

 

A little convoluted explanation - but basically the smaller denom players are more 'disciplined' for lack of a better term. The larger players put a lot more dollars at play and those numbers help the house.

[Jeffffffs]

 

A little convoluted explanation - but basically the smaller denom players are more 'disciplined' for lack of a better term. The larger players put a lot more dollars at play and those numbers help the house.

 

I don't think its a matter of "discipline," but just the way (I perceive) casinos treat table players. I usually play at CET properties. If I played $44 inside for 4-6 hours I would expect comps of $5-10/hour using traditional calculations (avg. bet x house edge x decisions per hour x 10-20%)...but I do not think the average player actually earns nearly that much in points at most CET casinos.

 

However if I bet $110 inside, but otherwise played the same disciplined way, I would recieve points at the same (non preferential) rate but I would also likely be entitled to a host and receive RFB (or at least LFB) privledges.

 

I am sure there is more involved in the casinos calculations, but my point is that table players do not recieve the full "comp value" for their play until their play exceeds some threshold.

[anthem]

I don't think its a matter of "discipline," but just the way (I perceive) casinos treat table players. I usually play at CET properties. If I played $44 inside for 4-6 hours I would expect comps of $5-10/hour using traditional calculations (avg. bet x house edge x decisions per hour x 10-20%)...but I do not think the average player actually earns nearly that much in points at most CET casinos.

 

However if I bet $110 inside, but otherwise played the same disciplined way, I would recieve points at the same (non preferential) rate but I would also likely be entitled to a host and receive RFB (or at least LFB) privledges.

 

I am sure there is more involved in the casinos calculations, but my point is that table players do not recieve the full "comp value" for their play until their play exceeds some threshold.

 

Essentially we're saying the same thing - except trying to explain it is a bit difficult. . . that larger denom players are closer to full rating than smaller ones.