Dec 26 2008
Poker and Comps
So this is a quick note on the issue of poker and comps and players clubs. Before getting into this too much, let me remind you that casinos really don’t make that much money on their poker rooms. They have them for several reasons. First, a lot of the big names in Vegas casinos and their history have been poker players (recreational or otherwise). Second, they attract attention, especially now that poker is televised and very popular. Third, they draw traffic into the casino, as many poker players also eat, drink, and play slots and other games. Fourth, it is kind of standard now. A major casino without a poker room would be very strange. But know that poker rooms do not generate the revenue, per square foot, that other gaming areas do.
That’s because when you play blackjack or craps, and you lose $100, that $100 always goes to the casino. All $100 of it. Same with slots. When you play poker, $99 of that goes to another player, and only a small portion goes to the casino.
This is why it is harder to earn comps playing poker than playing other games. The good news is that generally, they don’t keep track of your betting and lower your rate like they do on the tables and slots. You get an hourly rate, regardless of how many hands you play or how much you bet each hand. On the other hand, the hourly rate is generally very low. I’m sure that as you get into higher limit games, it is higher, but at the level I play at, the rate is usually $1 in comps per hour played.
So there you have a brief explanation on why earning comps may seem harder at the poker tables than on the main casino floor.
