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Vegas High Roller Beats Casino Database
A report in the May 1st issue of The Wall Street Journal details how a savvy doctor recently beat the Ceasar's Palace frequent gambler database and obtained thousands of dollars in casino "comps" over the course of a weekend. The featured report in the Journal's new "Weekend Journal" section shows how a 52-year old San Antonio rheumatologist, who runs a string of arthritis clinics, "beat the dealer" on one weekend Las Vegas gambling trip.
Like most Las Vegas casinos, Caesar's Palace "comps" frequent gamblers who wager thousands of dollars per day at blackjack and other casino games. The "comps" include "free" lodging, food, drinks, and other amenities. According to the Journal, most casinos dole out about a dollar's "free" perks for every three dollars they expect gamblers to lose. To qualify for a $650-a-night suite requires four hours at the blackjack tables at roughly $150 a hand.
Each bet or perk a gambler makes or takes at a casino where her or she is "comped" is recorded. A gambler is "rated" for "comps" through income and credit checks and the style of playing, as well as the betting frequency and amount that is bet. In effect, the casinos compute profit-and-loss statements for each "comped" player, hour by hour, day by day. People who provide proof of creditworthiness usually are given more comps than those who play strictly with cash, on the theory that gamblers who can pay off loans can pay off gambling debts.
According to the Journal, the way to beat Ceasar's Palace "comp" database is to understand how much has to be wagered and for how long to qualify for certain comps. Choose a few luxury comps (e.g., a hotel suite) and forego the rest. Play only as long and wager only as much at a casino as it takes to qualify for the comps. If you lose steadily, stop gambling and try to recoup your wagers by gambling at another casino where you aren't comped. If this sounds like work, it is - the doctor featured in the Journal article returned to San Antonio exhausted but with a net gain of $2,700 for the weekend. The article was written by Christina Binkley.