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[Spikey]

My local casino, which is pretty well my only choice unless I go interstate, started up Rapid Baccarat about 6 months ago.  The minimum bet is $10 which I like, but you can bet up to $1k which I rarely get close to.
The rules are a variation where a banker win on 6 pays 1:2.

The food comp was quite generous when we played I thought.  Assuming a house edge of 1.2%, then basically what was happening was that for every $10k in turnover, they got $120 in rake, and they gave back $10 in vip points and $50 in food and beverage comp.  I could easily turnover $5k in a day if I went in.

So basically I was getting free food and drink, on Friday or Saturday night would indulge in the red wine and have a good time blah blah blah.  The casino capped the comp at $100 so one couldn't bank up too much, you had to use it.


Well last week they chopped the f&b comp by 10.  I jumped up and down to many incompetent hosts and service desk personnel who thought I was stupid and eventually found some manager who came back with what happened.  Some accountant had done end of year accounting and had worked out that they were paying too much f&b comp.  The technician who set it up then admitted to typing in the wrong percentage by mistake.  The casino is saying we had too much comp and they're not going to put it back the way it was.

So I'm a bit depressed now.  I used to have a reason to play (apart from the fact that I am in fact up on baccarat), and also a reason to slow down and have a good time when my comp got too high.
Whilst I knew that the comp was pretty good compared to other games such as the pokies, I didn't think the casino had made a mistake, I thought because they only needed one dealer that services 20 stations on Rapid Baccarat that they could afford to give more f&b comp back to the players.

So basically now when they take $120 in rake they give back $10 in VIP points and $5 in f&b comp.  It's not the same.  That extra $45 (per session or two) makes a big difference to me.

Whilst I could in fact multiply my minimum bet by 10 and get the comp amounts back to what they were, I'm not going to do that, the rake ends up too much and I'm not ready yet.  I'm not ready for variance x10 lol.

Well I don't know the point of this post other than to vent and say it's the end of a good era for me.  If I ever find a casino with a similar structure then I would go and live there I think.  If someone knows a good deal somewhere then let me know.

[21 Aces]

But seriously, I haven't really gotten into the whole food and drink comp thing yet which is why I could probably be having more fun.  Maybe  search for more local posts on-line or articles?

[soxfan]

If ya want generous food/room comp and free booze then head to Reno, lotsa generous joints there, hey hey.

[greenguy]

I haven't really gotten into the whole food and drink comp thing yet...

Hey, you should.
That's where the real money is. 

[Spikey]

If ya want generous food/room comp and free booze then head to Reno, lotsa generous joints there, hey hey.

I have only been to Vegas in the US, but I'll tell ya what, next time I go to US I'll check out Reno, hey hey

[Spikey]

But seriously, I haven't really gotten into the whole food and drink comp thing yet which is why I could probably be having more fun.  Maybe  search for more local posts on-line or articles?

Whilst baccarat is fun and interesting, there's no point spending you're whole life sitting in front of the dealer (probably chasing too).  Food, beverage and other entertainment is now also important in my life.  And the more free it is the better.

[21 Aces]

'$300 per hand for 3.5 to 4.0 hours a day'  Let's say very conservatively with 20 plays per hour over 3-4 shoes of baccarat.  That's $24,000 of 'Value at Risk'.  Sure comps are a plus, but are they even worth considering versus your play?

Update:  I now see '40-60% of the shoe' and '4 shoes per hour' so we are really speaking about 28-32 or so plays per hour on the low end which equates to well over $30,000 'Value at Risk' on the low end.

This looks interesting:
'THE EXPERT'S GUIDE TO COMPS'
By Henry Tamburin

Believe me, I want to play big where the amount won is relevant and of course I want to get all the stuff that goes along with. And it should be enhanced play to make the experience better - NOT the way I play now.

So I will add to my list
Here are some initial stakes goals:
- Entertainment Note: 1-10 sessions. 
- Car Note:  1-2 sessions.
- Residence Note: 3-5 sessions.
- Start receiving comps and play well enough to pay for myself and others at the table - Every session.

[21 Aces]

Ok I was referencing this: 'The Mirage rates all baccarat shoes at 1 hour each no matter the length or how many hands you play. '