STREETWISE BLACKJACK

Streetwise Blackjack

Al Dente, Part II

By Peter Ruchman

      In last week's column I broke down some of the formulas most commonly used by casinos to determine how your play is evaluated in blackjack. The foundation rests upon a theory the casino needs to calculate their "theoretical win" potential in order to properly evaluate a player's true statue or value. As well as helping to estimate your ""comp rating," the figure is also used to determine how much of a threat each player is‹how much "you" might damage the "drop" and "hold" of that shift. The drop represents the amount of cash collected in the "drop box" located alongside each dealer. When you first sit down at a blackjack table and purchase playing chips, your cash is deposited in this box. The hold represents the amount of money won by the casino, realizing that the dealer doesn't exchange your chips for money when you leave the table -- that transaction only occurs at the casino cage. So these figures need to be reconciled.

      The job of a casino host isn't easy in many respects. There really aren't any texts to study and most guard their inventory‹regular repeat customers‹quite jealously. Some players wrongly view them as guardians of a war chest whose only function at the casino is to say, "No!" You must understand that they are following directives handed down by upper-level management as to their possibilities and limitations. Again, one casino's limit is anothers' starting point. One man who came into Gambler's Book Shop told me he played blackjack at a local Las Vegas casino on regular basis. He was offered comps to any of the property's restaurants on a regular basis. Friends were visiting from out-of-town for about a week, so he played at their Strip casino with them. This was far from the fanciest place in town, but not a dive either. On the last day of their stay, he asked for a comp for a meal for three and was told his play justified a free pass to the buffet. Enraged, he left in a huff and vowed never to return. The host shrugged.

      What we have here isn't a failure to communicate (or ex-communicate) -- it is a lack of understanding of the different standards. Table play in Mississippi is treated differently than the same level of wagers in Atlantic City. Each place in Las Vegas has its own rewards system. Again, a solid suggestion is to inquire as to the expectations of each different casino prior to going ballistic. Find a common ground where your hopes meet the casinos expectations.

      If you have been gambling for many years, you know by now for the most part, the free and easy days are over. Casino life isn't too much different than outside the fortress‹adjust and shop around for the best value and bang for your buck. Remembering that the emphasis in today's casino universe is on the almighty slot and video poker machines with their representative slot clubs, as a blackjack player you just are not going to get the same treatment.

      You have to decide whether you are looking to be the player who tries to maximize comps of a casino or you want to win the money and purchase that steak dinner anywhere you choose. If you belong to the second group you don't need to worry about the players' club cards each casino almost requires that you join.

      They do this for many different reasons. They want a record of your visit for their marketing, accounting, and security departments. These departments create a record and profile to assist them in determining what games you play, how much you bet, how long you played, how much you won or lost, and what type and level of player you are. All of these factors help them determine how much free stuff you get. Most casinos also feature different promotions depending on how you are assessed as a player. You may qualify for a one-time free slot pull with a shot a winning $1,000,000 or you may be eligible for a free weekend stay. It all depends on the casino's assessment.

      In practical terms, a blackjack counter who slides in and out of a casino trying to remain undercover isn't looking for comps. Quite the opposite, the best scenario for this person is not to be noticed at all. A stealth-like Invisible Man is the guiding light of this practice. In an opposite sense, the regular recreational player wants attention, hopes the pit boss looks his/her way when he raises his/her wager and want to accrue "points" toward comps. As Max Rubin points out in the introduction to his book Comp City( unfortunately, somewhat out of date, and hopefully, soon to-be-revised) there are two types of comps: the everyday comps most have come to expect, like "free" drinks, parking, tobacco, funbooks, coupons, souvenirs and other miscellaneous goodies. These comps are available to everyone, the sole requirement is that you simply show up. The second type are more desirable -- RFB or room, food and beverages paid by the house, with the casino's best players getting their transportation on the cuff as well. Also possible are show tickets, limos, golf, and invites to special events. These are the goodies everyone hopes to attain.

      It is crucial to remember that casinos are businesses run by corporations, which, like any other, try to maximize profits. From their standpoint, why give away the store to a customer who isn't going to open his/her wallet to give them a shot? A casino manager recently told me, "We are not in the gambling business." My first reaction was to jump out of my chair. Then I thought about it -- he's right. The men and women who run modern Las Vegas casinos aren't in the gambling business any longer. These days, casinos are in the entertainment business. Nervous eyes are cast by those in the boardrooms and they don't fancy losing streaks.

      I've seen many positives and negatives in my time around the casinos. The experiences range from nightmarish to near strokes of genius. Realizing that it sometimes takes a combination extra effort, fast thinking and imagination on the part of a host, supervisor or floorman to make a customer smile, the rewards can be great as well‹a gratified and loyal customer. The other side is that as a customer, one must remain realistic as to expectation. It's all in your play, a matter of style, taste, and ultimately, bankroll.