Paradise Poker UK
The Wacky World of Poker Comps
All players get free drinks. The quality of waitress service varies from casino to casino, but cocktails are a standard automatic free amenity, too, in the poker room, as long as you tip.
Next comes food. "Most of the rooms have gone to the computers," says Ed, who's managed Vegas poker rooms for 20 years. "You hand over your club card, you're swiped in and you earn a buck an hour in comps."
In other words, the first thing you need to do is sign up for the casino slot club. It's free and fast, and the card you're issued (which looks exactly like a credit card) is your comp pass. Hand it to the brushman or manager of the room coming in and going out so that your time playing is tracked. The more you play, the more you get, though this being poker, the limit on what you get is low.
According to the "Poker Room Comp Policy" at the MGM Grand website, "Players logged into Raked Poker Games will get $1 in comp value per hour for their initial 10 hours of live play in a 24-hour reporting period." Similarly, at the Wynn, low-limit players earn $1 an hour; players at $30-$60-and-up tables get $1.50. At the Gold Coast or Orleans, you earn $1.25 an hour for your first four hours, then $1 an hour after that with a max of $9 a day.
After finishing your session in the poker room, you can go to the slot club booth or the restaurants themselves, hand over your card, and your meal is discounted by the number of your comp dollars. For example, at the Orleans, which has a Subway franchise, some players log five or six hours, then use their comp for a six-inch sandwich.
Not all the casinos use this system, so be sure to ask when you arrive, if the room isn't tied into the computer, find out how you do get food comps for your poker play.
Room comps are essentially unknown for poker players (play video poker for room comps). But the "poker room rate" is nearly universal. This is a discount, usually around 25 percent, off your hotel accommodations, which is arranged through the poker-room manager (don't call reservations to get the poker rate). Most Vegas poker rooms require from four to six hours of play to qualify for the deal. Keep in mind that the poker rate is per room, not per player. If the requirement is six hours, two people can put in three hours apiece.
A few poker rooms lay out food for players on occasion. Imperial Palace, for one, offers cookies and bottled water. Circus Circus, for another, sometimes puts out doughnuts and coffee.
Also inquire about bonuses and jackpots. Luxor, for example, offers daily high-hand bonuses. From 5 to 9 p.m., the top four hands get paid $500, $400, $300 and $100 respectively. Elsewhere, four-of-a-kinds might pay $20, with $50 for a straight flush and $100 for a royal.