How to Maximize Your Rating with the Pit Boss

When you’re gambling at the table games at a casino and want to get comps, you still present your players club card.

But the casinos can’t track your action electronically to determine how much money you’ve put into action.

They instead use an estimate that’s based (in part) on your rating by the pit boss.

That’s the person in charge of the dealers in that area of the casino. He decides what your average bet has been – that’s your rating.

If you’re betting $5 per hand on blackjack, the casino multiplies that by how many hands per hour you’re playing to get your estimate hourly action.

Your comps are based on that.

To get the most comps from the casino, it’s important that you learn how to maximize your rating with the pit boss.

The First Step Is to Always Join the Players Club

Joining the players club at the casino is easy enough to do. The casino will have a desk where you’ll present your identification and fill out a form. You’ll provide information like your address and phone number.

The casino will, in turn, provide you with a plastic card that looks a lot like a credit card. This is what they use to track your play. When you’re playing slots and video poker, the card tracks your action as you play to the penny.

When you’re playing casino games like blackjack, craps, roulette, or another table game, the pit boss rates you for your average bet size and estimates how many bets per hour you’re making.

You get comp points based on that estimate.

The comp points generally equate to about 0.2% of your action in comps and rewards.

At an average blackjack table, you might see 80 hands per hour.

If you’re rated as a $5 player, you’ll get credit for $400 per hour in action.

But if you’re rated as a $25 player, you’ll get credit for $2000 per hour in action.

Over time, that adds up.

Most Gamblers Aren’t Flat Bettors

Most gamblers don’t just repeatedly make the same sized bets. They raise and lower their bets based on hunches. Card counters often raise or lower the size of their bets based on the count.

The pit boss should account for this when rating you, but if he doesn’t realize that you’re ranging your bets, he can’t make that adjustment.

It’s allowed – even recommended – to ask how you’re rated and to gently advocate for yourself that you should be rated higher.

I was playing real money blackjack at Harrahs once several years ago, and I was ranging my bets from between $10 and $100. I asked the dealer what I’d been rated at, and she told me I’d been rated as a $10 bettor.

I pointed out that I’d been ranging my bets from between $10 and $100, but she wasn’t eager to call the pit boss over to change my rating.

I’m older and more confident now, and I’m able to make my point diplomatically, so I think it would work out differently for me now than it did then.

Another Example and Factors that Might Affect Your Rating

Here’s an example I read about on a player’s forum.

One player was playing $10 but occasionally betting up to $50 or $60. He was using some kind of progressive betting system, but it doesn’t matter what that system was for purposes of this example.

His wife was also playing, and she probably bet even more than her husband.

But when they finished, they swiped their players’ club cards at the kiosk and saw that the husband had 1600 comp points versus the 800 comp points that his wife had.

Why did the pit boss rate the husband higher?

My guess is that it’s at least a sexist thing. Casinos probably still think that men are more likely to put a lot of money into action.

But there are other factors that might affect your rating:

If you wait until someone from the floor comes over to get your card and then place a relatively large bet, they’ll see it. For example, a $5 bettor at the blackjack table might be wise to bet $20 or $30 on a hand just to be seen betting that much.

You might also try placing a bet for the dealer on a hand. Even though the dealer gets the winnings, it’s still action for the casino, which should improve your rating.

Being friendly doesn’t hurt, either, with the dealer and with the pit boss – if the pit boss has time to talk, that is.

In fact, don’t do anything that will get you on the wrong side of the staff. Don’t ever argue or make any kind of fuss at all. Your job is to be the nicest guy in the casino.

Asking at the End of a Gambling Session

Not all of those techniques work all the time, but here’s a technique that will work a higher percentage of the time:

At the end of your gambling session, ask the pit boss how you were rated. If they rated you as betting less per hand than you hoped, diplomatically state your case that you put more money into action than that. Point out that you were pressing your bets and placing bets for the dealer.

If you were well-behaved during your gambling session, the dealer will probably confirm that you were betting more per hand than the $5 or $10 you were betting most of the time.

The difference in comps based on just getting rated at $20 per hand instead of $10 per hand is significant. It’s worth the effort to state your case, especially if you’re able to do it politely.

Pay Attention to When They’re Paying Attention to You

If you pay attention, you’ll notice when the pit boss is watching you gamble. When he’s watching, place bigger bets and tip generously. When he’s not watching you, bet less.

That’s the easiest way to maximize your rating with the pit boss.

Just pay attention and act accordingly.

And I can’t state strongly enough how important it is to tip generously. The pit boss has to deal with his crew all night, and that’s much easier when the dealers are happy.

The best way to make dealers happy is to tip generously.

How the Handle Works

Most casinos don’t use the actual house edge for blackjack when calculating comps. They standardize it on the basis of what their average (or slightly better than average) player might achieve.

For example, you might find a blackjack game where the house edge is only 0.3% if you play with perfect basic strategy.

But most blackjack players don’t play perfect basic strategy, so the casino might assume that their average player loses 1.3% of their average bet.

Your comps are actually based on a percentage of your expected loss at that 1.3% rate.

If you can keep your edge to that 0.3% number, you might even be able to show a slightly positive expectation just based on the comps that you’re getting.

But the biggest factor is the size of your bet, as rated by the pit boss.

I read one anecdote about a gambler who was flat betting $200 per hand who convinced the pit boss that he was actually a $650 per hand player. He only raised the size of his bets twice during the entire session.

Think about the difference between the expected loss in both those situations.

80 hands at $200 per hand is $16,000 in action. With perfect basic strategy of 0.3%, that’s an expected loss of $48.

If they calculate that at $650 per hand, though, they’re assuming you put $52,000 into action. And if they assume you’re losing 1.3% of that, you’re looking at $676 in assumed losses.

Which situation results in more comps for you?

Conclusion

How do you maximize your rating with the pit boss?

You can try multiple techniques. The first is to bet more when the pit boss is watching you. The next is to make sure you’re a likable gambler and a good tipper.

The last, and best, is to ask how you were rated at the end of your gambling session and ask for some consideration by pointing out that you were changing the sizes of your bets.