Tricking Casinos into Giving You $$$

Everybody wants free stuff from the Casino right? In this video we show you how to get the most Comps by maximizing the perceived value of your play. By implementing the right strategies we as players can flip the Casinos comps system in our favor by having the casino think you're betting a lot more money than you actually are.
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0:00 Intro
1:15 Comps or Money
2:04 Casino Comp Formula
3:03 Hacking the Formula
5:30 Camouflaging Play
7:39 How to Ask for Comps

[@PerfectBasicStrategy]

Colin is the 🐐of the BJ community. Always guided by math and facts. Good work

[@Bahamut_Mega]

The best comps in the world come from Cruise ships. I'm a rec player that just likes to play the game at a high skill level. So I don't make any aggressive bests. I play for hours on end at $25 tables. I get comped dinners, bottles, and most importantly free cruises. Most cruises I go on, I pay nothing for the cabin. Which also means my wife gets to cruise for free. In the last 2 years I've lost less then $1,000 at the tables and been given well over $15K in value.

[@dwayneturner7508]

I play 3 card poker and uth on the cruise ships. I wonder if playing bj is better or worse then these games. WPT heads up hold em is the game I am focused on currently.

[@Bahamut_Mega]

@dwayneturner7508 The way comps / promotional offers work is based on the amount of money you bet per hour. So for example in BJ the average number of hands per hour is 50. So if you bet $25 per hand that's $1,250 per hour. Or $5,000 in 4 hours of play. It's also important to meet with a casino host on the 1st sea day and have them keep any eye on your account to make sure your play is being tracked correctly. On a single 14 day cruise I'll bring $1,500 and play for about 10 hours total. That gets me over $10,000 in bets. And on avg I will win or lose about $500. But doing that gets me free cruises for the rest of the year for me and my wife. And most of those also come with free drinks. 😀

[@brianbaker2884]

I got really good at milking comps last year, everything Colin says is true. I used to kind of switch on and off, go play a few tables rated, leave come back and get the money under the radar

[@rdoubled1384]

Buying in with cash seems to be more important that buying in with chips so I always break out cash when changing tables. When buying in, I also buy in with way more cash than I intend to play with and I squirrel away the extra chips as I play.

[@firstnamelastname-up6ni]

It isn't. The pit boss will out down how much you buy in at the table whether it's chips or cash. Just make sure they notice exactly how many chips you put down every time and that they put down every time you take more cash. And the reason it doesn't matter is because they also put down how much you leave the table with, and that's why they want you to color up when you leave. So if you can effective squirrel away chips it can pad your "losses" .

[@DT-ol6nj]

@@firstnamelastname-up6ni I always slowly pull chips off the table to make it look like I lost

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

Also don’t cash out all your chips at once at the cage. Rather come back later, preferably on a new shift to cash out the rest.

[@user-br3ph8qp3g]

@@DT-ol6nj I like the way your brain thinks thx for the tip

[@garywilliam375]

Great advice as always Colin.

[@woodrowbunopaddle]

a small spread 1-4 Green ,and rat holing has kept me in good shape at a low roller Vegas joint for the last 6 years.

[@heckflorian7991]

Great Video. Thanks Colin

[@Charleyking99]

Colin would make the best pit boss💥

[@circleo1992]

I agree. He would probably make a lot of money because he would be able to catch card counters very easily. The only drawback is that he would not have any 6:5 Blackjack tables or any bad variants. It probably just wouldn't feel right to him.

[@Charleyking99]

@@circleo1992 who knows, he may even let them play??😅

[@adammtroutman]

He would never support them; always fight them

[@rhpmike]

Early in my career I saw APs getting backed off hundreds of times, traveling around the country, playing Indian casinos and everything else just to get money down. Then I saw that you could play basic strategy in high limit rooms and only be at -0.27% and could actually be slightly positive with only a 3:1 spread including some camouflage. Combining dealer errors and comp hustling, you can do even a bit better. Playing rated I'm only up about $80k in cash, but easily several hundred thousand in comps. Whether it is flights or limos or cruises or free TVs, phones, computers, watches, or show tickets or excursions, etc., complete with all of the suites dozens of nights per year. Yeah, I'll never be on some team that scores millions off a casino and just burns down the tables. But, you can fly relatively under the radar, have the casinos convinced you're a losing player and absolutely not counting, and still make a bit of money and get treated like a king.

[@stevenhelgason8190]

Good info - thanks. Admittedly this is something I could work on.

[@xylliiiking]

Thanks cortny you taught me well hopefully you have yourself a wonderful 2023 hopefully I see you in Oklahoma somewhere burning the tables

[@discgolfteacher]

Collin is the best!! Let's get some comps, baby!!

[@stevenkaz28]

Very interesting. I'm going to start playing in blackhawk, colorado soon. About 10 places to play. Going to use one casino for my "comp" casino and the rest will be id-less lol

[@anthonyhernandez4266]

Awesome. God i can't wait to get into this.

[@BuffaloSoldier-]

This is the best channel on KZbin

[@wildfoodietours]

Thank you for this great advice not just applicable to card counters but to all gamblers. Let's get those comps!

[@nasabob99]

Thank you, Colin for all the great information! Most of the time at some of these MGM properties, they're too stingy with any comps! Yet, they still charge the extra "Resort Fee" regardless! At some of the downtown casinos, ( Golden Nugget ) they charge a fee just because they're on Fremont Street, calling it a "Fremont Street Experience Fee!" Again stingy with any comps for food or drinks! Thank you again Colin! Robert /:-)

[@ststst981]

MGM and vegas in general had a fantastic year in 2022. They tightened comps accordingly. If the market cools off again theyll ramp up the comps

[@nasabob99]

@@ststst981 Thank you for your comment! These hotel/casinos won't even give me a "Senior Discount", and I'm 70 years old! Robert /:-)

[@officertenpenny9792]

Hey guys can someone tell me if the deviations apply to european or no hole card blackjack the exact same way as they do to normal blackjack

[@mahtinown-eel]

I live an hour from a Caesars property. It’s my local spot so after my BJA training, that’s going to become my local spot for this. Thanks for the tip

[@nunya3790]

in baccarat ratings, depending on spot, they give a portion of the time played, played 7.25 hrs alone, got a rating of 2 hours

[@shelley5137]

Do these comps apply to US citizens only? It seems harder for people from the UK for example to get comps.

[@rileybacon2621]

Hey Colin love the video. Could you possibly make a video talking about tribal/Native American casinos? Or is there one already made?

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

We have one in our video course at blackjack apprenticeship.

[@Jim-yw8jf]

I want to use Ken Uston’s APC. Can I plug in this system into your software and get an overall edge results for any given set of rules?

[@ashtray3608]

Can you link me with some other card counters Colin

[@alexclatterbuck7774]

Colin, two questions: On the BJA app, under H17 deviations, I don't understand why 15vA is -1+, vs just being a surrender square that deviates at -2. It makes me think I'm not interpreting the chart correctly, could you explain? If I want to max Comp deviations, could you clarify the resource to do this? 🎉

[@jrizzy626]

I believe it’s -1 and above. So -1, E, +1, +2, and so on.

[@alexclatterbuck7774]

@@jrizzy626 says -1-

[@tntaco07]

Have you ever lied during a backoff to get out of it, like saying you arent counting and just change your bet based on profit/loss at the time?

[@royjonzejr]

Sometimes you can make money playing video poker if the paytable is good and the casino puts on a special promotion where you get 4x the cashback or some other comp that can push you past the small house edge.

[@YourXavier]

Something I've been wondering: What's the normal bet spread for a standard, non-counting player? I.e. how much can you vary your bets before you start standing out from the crowd?

[@awful999]

idk i started playing this game over a week ago and seen people go small to big prettt often

[@kevinmartinez1521]

Great advise as usual Colin. I can barely get $5 match play from my local Indian casino.

[@ststst981]

I heard of a couple who would approach the craps table separately. They would bet high and one would only bet pass line and the other would only bet don't pass. After an hour they would both have a very high rate of play and would regroup later and split their winnings/losses. Only 11s would kill them so they usually broke even or close to even.

[@tomf5823]

and the house should comp them well. they're both losing money doing this- they're just reducing their variance.

[@ststst981]

@@tomf5823 yea it's a great way to hedge losses and probably why the casino won't allow 1 singular person to bet dont and pass at thr same time

[@2muchtime26]

My wife and I do this and it's actually just the 12 on the come out roll that you lose money to... everything else breaks even. Statistically you have a 2.78% chance to roll a 12 on any given roll so it gives the house a 2.78% edge on your pass line bet but the free table play , meals, flights, and hotel stays greatly outweigh the occasional loss when a 12 rolls on the come out roll.

[@perc3136]

Do you just randomly ask for a free room or something? Or do you they tell you ?

[@jayrufs]

Instructions unclear: lost my house

[@Officialalmate]

I avoid milking comps just to keep longevity as an AP

[@nonchalantman6246]

Yo Colin, I have a question. I watch one of your videos on how “not” to look like a card counter. One if the methods you conveyed was buying a beer bottle and filling it with water. Can you ask the bartender to do that for you or do you have to go to the bathroom to do it? If you need to fill the water beer bottle in the bathroom, won’t the security find that suspicious in the cameras? And how would you sneak a beer bottle in a bathroom?

[@jackuzi8252]

Unless you have to leave the casino floor, why would you have to "sneak" it? March right in with your beer bottle like you own the place, set it down on the sink counter, take a leak, dump out the beer, fill with water, and walk back out.

[@nonchalantman6246]

@@jackuzi8252 i see thank you. I guess im overthinking it. I’m just asking out of curiosity because i’m not sure if beer is allowed in bathrooms at a casino.

[@danield8094]

I read Comp City based on a suggestion in one of your previous videos. It says that casinos consider their house edge as 2% for blackjack, but depending on the rules, the edge for blackjack can be below 1%. Do you know if casinos really rate your theo based on a 2% edge?

[@tomf5823]

comp city is super outdated.

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

It's still industry standard for AP's to understand the comp system.

[@anthonyhernandez4266]

​@@tomf5823 please explain

[@tomf5823]

@@anthonyhernandez4266 comp city was written in 1995 or so. the casino tracking systems for issuing comps are way more sophisticated today than they were back then so they're a lot less likely to overcomp. Pit bosses also had a ton of leeway back then to write comps where as today it's just the computer spitting out a number. Casinos are also way more corporate now than they were almost 30 years ago.

[@ethanazeez7427]

Do you need a players card to get comps bc I thought u never wanted to give up id

[@Cowtymsmiesznego]

He literally talked about that... but yes, you do. If you don't wanna give up id then you won't get comps. It's a tradeoff.

[@EOSPN]

Hey Colin! I'm a fan of yours but I have a tip you can make a video on if you want it? Lmk. I just want a shout out 😂. I do it all the time at the table and everyone tends to copy me so I think its a great idea lol

[@Ebaniez]

Hi not sure if you will see this comment… however i was wondering… do any casinos let you double down a blackjack? I know in other videos you have talked about how some types of blackjack games have the worst odds like “BJ PAYS 6:5” for example… however, would you be stealing enough edge from the house if you were to DOUBLE BJ at that very table, instead of taking the horrible payout? 😅😮

[@mentar1048]

Colin: One of the main reason why I am a bit skeptical about the Comp approach is that I feel that things are changing very fast, and any book about comps is likely to be outdated really soon. At least I felt that over the last 2-3 years, Las Vegas has strongly clammed up when it comes to comps. And most of the BJ resources I've used over the last 10 years have seen a significant decline in participation, so my worries about outdated advice have only increased. Is my skepticism unreasonable?

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

The game is always evolving. But the goal is to know all the ways to generate value and use the best option(s) at your disposal.

[@sexygeek8996]

Comps in general have been declining, not just for blackjack. 50% off restaurant coupons used to be common but I haven't seen any in the last few years. Also, the value of a comp is what you would be willing to pay for it, not the higher price they charge people who are paying.

[@circleo1992]

Here's what a casino would look like if Collin owned one: Card counters would get backed off very quickly. There would be no 6:5 Blackjack tables or any bad variants. I'm not sure about the other games, but they would probably have good rules. People who play Blackjack very poorly would get more comps (still not enough to compensate for the extra lost money) Side note: I'm so glad that you're making more videos now. Even though you uploaded so many lessons on Blackjack, there's still a lot to know. In the future, you should make a few videos about things that aren't related to actually playing Blackjack that card counters have to deal with. These include budgeting for food and hotels, travel time, and travel costs. You can see how important these are if you watch Steven Bridges. Steven actually said that even during a trip, he spends less than half of his active time actually counting cards.

[@iONLYbetWHENiWIN]

hey ron am i being rated or am i counting cards??

[@fljetgator1833]

🤣

[@allegrocube2663]

Let's say you join a table halfway into a game and you have no idea what the running count is... What do you do!

[@dcshoeco79]

Misleading - former floor person We can rate you from other tables we're watching, we ask the dealer if we're unsure what average bet to give. If you have alotvl of black or green in front of you will give you more attention. Lastly. We make up an estimated win/loss igt/bally system will.show your average bet history

[@bryangwk]

Would you say local casinos that you want to keep are better for comps?

[@tmtmtlsml]

Unless you live in Vegas, local casinos tend to not have many amenities to offer a returning player. Certainly not on the level of airfare, cruises, and limousines. Plus those casinos tend to be smaller and therefore more prone to heat when betting amounts that could potentially net those rewards

[@bryangwk]

@@tmtmtlsml thanks for the info my local just has a decent resort i had in mind and prolly a rice cooker lol. Ill keep in mind vegas for the big hits

[@lilricky2515]

Why do you have to memorize the basic strategy charts? You're allowed to have them at the table. Hell, they sell them in the gift shop. Yes, its good to understand them, and eventually you will learn/memorize them, but its not a no-no to have them in front of you.

[@jacobyjacoby4029]

Do a video about working at a casino

[@mr_oyaji4469]

I play ultimate texas holdem at a cruise casino with basic strategy to get free cruises. It's the slowest table game. BlackJack just too quick. How long you sit there worth the most.

[@TheBlackCat1337]

yes. but the longer you sit, the worse your health. I would rather get 20$ less in comps then deal with a blood clot.

[@mr_oyaji4469]

Damn, I can't imagine how sad your life is to compare entertainment with health. I guess you don't eat at the buffet or actually sit to watch shows or movies.

[@TheBlackCat1337]

@@mr_oyaji4469 Thanks for the reply. I just have a preference to do larger bets in short spurts to get my points and comps currently in my local casino. On the health aspect, I've just seen too many people that get carried away following a system and lose too much of themselves. When you are healthy I find the entertainment aspect a lot more stimulating. So I try to add healthy routines into each of my visits to help preserve this entertainment throughout my endtime. I do get free shows weekly, food comps, room comps and free play that cover most of the month without going past 7 hours of play time weekly.

[@CaptainPhen]

Where I live the casino charges at the entrance and asks for your ID, so you're pretty much rated from the beginning

[@DoYouEvenRift]

Damn where is this??

[@CaptainPhen]

@@DoYouEvenRift South America. And there aren't as nearly as many casinos as in the US so you gotta play your cards carefully

[@sarabrucker7847]

Could you do a video on stadium blackjack? TI offers 3-2 stand on 17 games in a stadium with a live dealer for a dollar. Is it because they can pay one dealer to deal to a ton of people? Because it’s so slow (from what I see in videos)? Are they countable or do they constantly shuffle? Etc. I’m guessing the tips for the dealer are extra bad?!

[@MrJenten10]

Just returned from the Atlantis Nassau Bahamas played Black Jack 3 k buy in 100 per hand every day 2 hours per day bounced between 50 75 and 100 ph, 12.5 hours of play total for 4 days at average bet of 104,, went to Casino host desk before check out asked if i qualified for anything....... NO,, was the answer They were looking for 4-6 hours per day of play and a larger amount per hand to even qualify for a comp dinner or buffet. I was there on a comp buy two nights at 125.00 per night, with two nights comp from a previous visit where i played craps and not for a lot 66 inside occasional pass line with odds bet,,Told me i barely qualified for the existing stay, when i booked the stay they said minimum four hours of play for the entire stay to cover the offer of 125 for two nights with two nights comp...Ended up 1,300 ahead from blackjack and craps on the last night. A bit dissapointed

[@mumbles2840]

Its so weird seeing casino’s that i recognize in shots they use for effect like little creek

[@neatstuff1988]

Wait. You live in Seattle but you got cops in Las Vegas. Please explain

[@bankai7995]

Meanwhile im over here struggling for a free meal 😂😂😂

[@jessecullen4244]

Most of the time these things aren’t as relevant as just being a higher betting player. Most of the time “high rollers” are more valuable for the casino than these things

[@bankai7995]

@@jessecullen4244 exactly thats mostly why i never get anything. I always olay unrated

[@sarry419]

1 thing you could do to increase your comp value to a slight cut into your EV is tip your dealers on the regular. The last time I was in vegas I was staying at a casino I was at before and staying on comps. i only played there once during my trip and that was after being crushed by a local joint I went to sit down at the roulette table. 300 in greens I tipped every win, I was tipping between 10-30%. I kept winning with house money and was +700 after 2 hours. Same dealer the entire time. They told me it would be a workout moving their tipbox when they colored me up and out. I never asked for additional rating. When I checked out less then 12 hours later I was moved up a tier and my offers for free play and dining doubled. Treating the staff well can sometimes replace losing for comp value.

[@tomf5823]

you were playing games with a 5 percent house edge you should be comped well. i'm sure it helps somewhat to tip but you were tipping a ton.you likely gave up more in tips than you got in extra comps.

[@Arrowstompin]

I don’t think tipping has anything to do with it. Roulette is one of the biggest house edge games in a casino. The more time you spend playing games like roulette or ultimate Texas Hold’em, the better rating you’d get vs other games. Also, casinos probably don’t like good tippers - that’s chips that are never coming back on the table.

[@tomf5823]

@@Arrowstompin owners of the casinos probably don't but the pit bosses are generally going to be friends with the dealers and want them taken care of.

[@iamanoob9747]

6:58 Double down hard 12 for less?

[@marshal1808]

Some high-end casinos have monetary requirements before they let people gain access to their facility, so people don't scam the casino. Hypothetical say, $100, 000 dollar payment is required first. No money, no playing for people, money first this time ⚠️.

[@bjccounter5810]

If Colin were to run a casino: You're play is bad. This is how you do it.

[@paulklemer]

Can you make money just by playing the comps game?

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

It is possible. Can’t say much more.

[@paulklemer]

@@Blackjackapprenticeship wow now I got to figure out how to do it 🤔

[@JC-dt7rn]

It is possible 😊 100%

[@paulklemer]

@@JC-dt7rn how my friend?

[@JC-dt7rn]

You have to listen closely as the KZbinr is speaking in code. He giving you the definition without showing you. I think this KZbinr charges 5K for his class. What’s the value for knowing how to get free steak & lobster buffets and other casino perks for life ?

[@Hustlewithserg]

Does anyone no good casinos in California?

[@JC-dt7rn]

Yep Valley View ( SD ) are very generous

[@sexygeek8996]

I hate seeing people get rewarded for being stupid. That's why I fully support the idea of gaming the comp system.

[@endlessunivese9350]

that's why i never use my comps anymore

[@ochenhetree]

If you have a little spiritual help you are unstoppable

[@mikesmigielski7273]

Sorry, but getting comps is based on how attentive the floor person is in the pit. Depending on their mood, you may not get rated at all so I don’t even bother.

[@endlessunivese9350]

i am scammed by wind creek casino no beer are any alcohol for over 4 year's and still don't pay me real money even with free play won in drawings

[@stephenkearny1504]

But why inform the casinos of all this?

[@firstnamelastname-up6ni]

Take my word for it... Colin is wrong about a couple things right off of the bat. Industry standard for blackjack hands per hour will be 50-55, 70 is incredibly generous. For comps , if they rate you at playing $100 you will get nowhere near $30. You'll be lucky to get $15. Most places will probably give you like $6-10 on points. If they still have hosts that can give discretionary comps, they'll probably laugh at you and maybe they'll have the decency to tell you no but most will just walk away. There's a lot of gatekeeping there. Something he doesn't touch on, but some of the comments have said, is to tip dealers ( if you're playing for comps, and be friendly with players that get along with dealers and pit bosses. Unfortunately pit bosses have a little too much influence over your rating and ergo, your comp. Get on their good side and they'll pad your rating and be slow to pause your rating, if at all. They will also pretend they didn't see you squirrel away chips, which can help, at least at casinos that don't use rfid chips. Unfortunately at those casinos those tactics aren't as effective, if at all. With the time being brought up, playing at a busy table will slow play down and give you less hands to get good counts(lowering ev) , but will slightly pad your comp. Also, be vigilant of your "trips" to the casino. Don't go and just play bonus play or any type of free table play. Don't go for 3 days and go balls out for 2 days and then play like 30 minutes the third day ( with your card). That will tank your average and how the casinos views your value. Most of all, if you're able to catch the eye of a casino host..... give them "gifts"..... discreetly. They are limited in what they can do because the number one indicator is play, but there are ways to get a few extras juuussttt above the tier you play and they'll think of you first when the opportunity arises. It doesn't mean you'll get high end event tickets or the nicest suites, but they'll find creative ways to maximize your comp and when there are events that needs bodies to fill them no matter the play they'll think of you first. This is important at the casinos the hosts still have some say because it is difficult to build up theo at the tables and most of the biggest comp earners are going by their actual loss because it is not uncommon to have the biggest players have actual losses that are significantly higher than their theos. You don't want to be one of those players, so having a host who will get you those extra freebies will go a looooonnnggg way.

[@tomf5823]

different casinos have different computer systems. and some pit bosses are lazier than others. some casinos use a straight hold for bj as their advantage, some have different ratings for different skills if players and some have different setting for hands per hours and an attentive pit boss will switch it up depending how full the table is.

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

Make mistakes that cost very little. Standing on 16 vs a ten. Hitting 12 vs a 4 etc.

[@ToshiroKushekei]

Standing 16v10 is not a low EV mistake.

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

@@ToshiroKushekei yes it is. You should hit it if the count is negative. You give up very little if you stand on it on the first hand. Only a 5 gives you a winning hand. And likewise with 12vs a 4 ., you should stand on it if the count goes positive. Standing on 16 vs a 7,8,9, and A gives up a lot. Never do that unless the count goes super positive. In today’s blackjack, you will never get a chance to make those plays profitably.

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

@@ToshiroKushekei you just make those low costing mistakes if you want to get comps from the casinos and do it when the pit boss is at your table. You want the casino seeing make these plays when they check your play. And only do them with small bets. Always play correctly with your bigger bets. I stood on 12 Vs an Ace at Harold’s Club on the first hand with the pit boss watching. I had a $1 bet, and he immediately offered me a drink. That one play gave me 2 hours of good play and I took over $200 from. This was in the 70s and against a single deck with good penetration. Standing on 12 vs an Ace is one of the worst possible plays that you can make. I considered it as a tip for the house. I actually won the hand! I did the same thing at Fitzgeralds Club by stand on soft 16 against a 6 on a $1 bet. That hand also won!! 5 minutes later the count went up and I played 2 hands at $20 each, doubled one of then and won both. I wouldn’t have seen those hands had I not made that bad play. But after that, they shuffled up on every hand so I left.

[@tomf5823]

12 vs 4 is an awesome one bc it comes up less often than 16 vs 10 by a lot and you look like a total moron. 16 vs 10 is close as well but some people hit an some people stand. almost nobody hits 12 vs 4.

[@emmanuelvacakis4463]

@@tomf5823 since 16 Vs a ten comes up so often, you should only make the wrong play occasionally. The casinos track your play as well as your bet variation to determine if you are counting cards. 16 vs a ten is the main hand that they look at. If you stand always when the deck is rich and hit when it’s lean, they know you are counting. So make the wrong play sparingly. Remember that you are only doing it to get more comps. 13 vs a 2 is another close one. In fact it’s actually right to hit 13 vs a 2 against a single deck if it’s a ten and a 3.

[@garyjandereski9253]

Don't go after indian casino comps lol

[@aafedtfamily]

Comp City is over 20 years old… C’mon man! LOL There’s no way that can be relevant.

[@Blackjackapprenticeship]

Plenty of valuable books are 20 years old. I have an AP friend making mid 6-figures and he swears by valuable the book still is to him.

[@paulklemer]

Dont skin the casino...let them live and milk them little by little