 
Strike
when they ask
Dear
Mark,
When a pit boss approaches and introduces
himself, then asks if there is anything
I need, is that an appropriate time
to ask for a comp? Danielle, M.
Absolutely.
Anytime pit bosses or casino hosts
offer you anything, they're not
going out of their way to be overly
friendly, but your level of action
probably warrants some casino perks.
Meaning, your cash play deserves
a comp, and since they're asking,
you should start taking.
Your reply, Danielle, from this
moment forward, should be immediate
and direct. "As a matter of
fact, there is," you should
reply. "What are the chances
of you comping me a dinner?"
Why do you have to be forceful?
Because even though most floor personnel
have some form of comping authority,
you generally have to initiate the
request. There are times that you'll
find your front-line pit boss can't
board you for the night or allow
you to go on a champagne and escargot
feeding frenzy in their gourmet
restaurant, but a buffet or a show
room pass is within their limits.
If they balk, the standard "Maybe
I should take my patronage next
door" always seems to work.
Strike when they ask, Danielle,
because if your bankroll or bet
size spirals downward, the casino's
gratuity will probably wane accordingly.
Dear
Mark,
I got in a beef with casino management
in New Jersey over how rudely I
was treated on a blackjack game.
Not only did I decided not to play
at this casino anymore, but I stopped
payment on a $20 check that I had
written there. Well, I think it
has come back to haunt me because
recently when I tried to cash a
personal check in Las Vegas, the
cashier refused. What's the big
deal? It was only $20. Anonymous
The
"big deal," at least in
the casino industry's eyes, is that
you stiffed them. And the penalty
for your ingenuous act? Blackballing
you from cashing checks in most
casinos nationwide. When you tried
to cash that check in Las Vegas,
the cashier most likely ran you
through Central Credit-the TRW of
the gaming industry. Bingo, you
came up hot. A little disagreement
and $20 later, you're an undesirable-according
to a computer of course.
Solution-that is if you want to
cash checks in a casino again-is
to pay off the check, include a
graceful apology, then, with knee
pads on, appeal to the cage manager
to get your indiscretion taken off
Central Credit's computers. Still
peeved and won't give in? You could
always cash checks for $10 or less.
Though casinos are required to comply
with federal laws on credit approvals,
some get around that by issuing
credit for $10 or less without a
Central Credit check. No, it's not
the appropriate way to handle your
predicament, but then, I believe
in betting only what you can afford
to lose and avoid check cashing,
and casino credit, altogether.
Dear
Mark,
Why is it that when so many dealers
get halfway through the deck, they
shuffle up? It really slows down
the game. David V.
Because
management has egg-shell nerves
when it comes to players using their
brains-card counters. This fallacious
behavior is unjustified and to casino
executives whose belief is that
their quarterly reports are in jeopardy
by cerebral thinkers I offer a personal
challenge: Conduct time and motion
studies of your blackjack games.
What the stewards of gambling will
find out is that blackjack becomes
more profitable for the casino when
the dealer's shuffle points are
deeper. By allowing additional deck
penetration, the dealers will pitch
more hands per hour and the action
will more than make up for an occasional
loss by a card sharpie. Besides,
they employ pit bulls to run off
the counters anyway.
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