Casino Comps – Sometimes, it is Difficult 

It’s difficult to adhere to the One Big Day rule but it has given me more benefit than I would have received had I not followed it and has stretched my limited bankroll.

An obvious way to concentrate your play is to go to the casino less frequently. I know this is a bummer but if you play once a week, or even every day, you’re going to have to accept what you’re getting. You don’t have to change all your patterns immediately, though. Start trying to concentrate your play and see if you get better offers (casino comps) and build from there.

The reason that the casino prefers that you put in big days is because you take more risk doing that. You’ve got one day to get your points in. If you go with the flow and play more when you are winning and less when you are losing, you can manage your money better (that is, if you are disciplined—I’d argue a huge benefit of One Big Day is that you can let loose because you HAVE to get the points in that day! This will be made up for by the restraint you exercise when it’s NOT a Play Day.)

Those Casino Perks Cost Money

Another reason the casinos prefer more play in less trips is the cost of the perks they give you. If you’re going to the casinos less, you’re eating and drinking less comped food and beverage and using less free play. Now, if you’re local to a casino and frequently take advantage of tier based benefits that have value to you, an entirely different strategy can be employed. In that case, you’re not going to receive free play and comped rooms, etc. so you don’t have to play for certain offers. An example I can give you is my recent strategy adjustment for gaming at the Borgata because I’ve been unable to trigger any comped rooms in a year of play. I get Mlife Gold status with a match and the games and comp rate are decent enough to merit playing there and earning casino comps for the Amphora Lounge and the restaurants and staying somewhere else or driving home. Even playing at the B Bar is break even to me personally. Though, with that said, I still adhere to the One Big Day rule, but if I win enough, I lower my coin in amounts. I MAY trigger a monthly mailer, so I don’t want to completely burn them.

Let’s say that for a weekend trip, you do your One Big Day on Saturday. Use your food comps, on Friday night or Sunday, if you must, BUT DO NOT SHORT PLAY ALSO!  If you play AT ALL on Friday night or Sunday, your theo will be halved and could possibly be split by three.

Don’t forget the beginning of the series: The Big Play Casino Gambling Day – Part 1 and also Part 2.

If you have free play or free bets to redeem on multiple days, then you have to pre-plan how you’re going to structure your play. I’ve just triggered weekend room comps and generous free play at the Atlantic City Golden Nugget and I get free play 20 days out of the month. I want to continue to receive weekend room comps but if I were to take advantage of all the free play, those room comps would disappear. The AC Golden Nugget is a small property so they have limited room availability on the weekends. On the other hand, the daily free play I am receiving is a lot to me, so it doesn’t make sense to leave it all on the table. So, I stay one weekend a month and play on the trip days that I receive free play, with the goal of keeping my ADT as high as my bankroll will allow. My theo is going to be lower than if I were just playing One Big Day but I am trying to find out what the lowest possible ADT is that I can have and still receive weekend comp rooms. I am risking my weekend rooms by doing this and my free play amounts are certainly going to go lower in subsequent month’s mailers, but I only have so much bankroll. It is only by strategizing this way, that I triggered weekend casino comps and free play to begin with, but I’ve also pushed my bankroll to its limits.

Be Strategic – One Property at a Time

Another way to keep your offers going is to play big and infrequently at one property at a time. If you can manage a hiatus at a property for a year or more, before you put a Big Day in, even better! Essentially, you are staggering casino play at properties by different stages of loyalty. You run out your offers at properties that downgrade you at the same time that you schedule a huge play day after a hiatus at another property. If a property is treating you well, then continue to give them the minimum play that will trigger the offers you want.

If you MUST play at a property on a day that you shouldn’t and you don’t want to be downgraded, then play without your slot card. Though, you should limit this as you get NO additional benefit without registered play (though this is always better than short playing. Just stick with a small session amount.) Stay and play at properties where you are running out offers, but do plan some time when you don’t enter the property at all. You may need a hiatus of up to two years.

Expand Your Casino Horizons – Visit Other Markets

Take trips to other markets. Big corporations that have properties nationally may send you introductory offers to visit properties in other regions. Don’t waste these offers as they are ripe for Initial Big Play too. Put in that big play and then decide what you are going to do, based upon what you receive for the next trip. You will receive different offers than a local would, but the same basic principle applies—more play in fewer trips. If it comes to it, you can run these offers out and stage hiatuses as well.

To wrap this series up, I feel obligated to mention that everyone who plays in Atlantic City is going to have the opportunity to use the Big Day Concept when the Hard Rock and Ocean open. DO NOT—I repeat—DO NOT saunter into those new casinos and check them out with Short Play!  DO NOT use a slot card until you are prepared to play as big of a day as you can manage. Those casinos do not have data on you. They will be evaluating you for casino comps based upon the first play you do. That will be the time to run out your offers at any other properties in Atlantic City that aren’t treating you right! Although, those other casinos may have to offer more incentives to keep their existing players and there may be opportunities to re-establish yourself at those properties while receiving more benefits and casino comps.