Longest you've lived off comps?

[Dif]

I recently took a road trip to NV with a goal to see how long I could last living off comps. Heavily utilized techniques from "Comp City", and was able to make it almost a month without spending a penny on food or lodging before I got too worn down and decided to call it quits. My stays varied widely, ranging from an underwhelming night in the E L C O R T E Z, to three days full R.F.B. at the W Y N N.

While in W E N DOVER, I found myself racking up comps faster than I could spend them, and had to resort to nightly visits to their nicer steakhouse, trying to rack up the most expensive bills possible (maybe $80 / meal). I still had almost four digits left on my card before I left, but luckily they have gift shops with some nice liquors available. Left a few hundred on my card to utilize on one of their flights should I decide to return. Needless to say it proved to be a very good environment for my earning style.

The one downside, of course, is spending so much time playing rated. As my trip wore on, I found myself getting a little too complacent with covering my tracks and put an end to my trip at some of the first perceptions of heat. To maintain this lifestyle, anything close to a back-off would be an instant killer. Still managed a strong trip win though, almost increased my BR by 50%.

I was certainly quite a BJ bum, and found myself being a bit desperate at first before securing a comfortable flow of sustainment. Examples include:
-Inverting my sleep schedule. Slept as soon as I could check into the room (usually ~3pm-10pm), played all night, then slept from the early morning to checkout (~4am - 11am). This allowed me to get 2 "nights" for the price of one, and spread out my room comps a lot more.
-Total Survival mode on buffets. Whenever I had a buffet comp, I would go for awhile without eating (maybe a day), and then absolutely demolish the buffet. I'm skinny and have a fast metabolism, but surprised myself with how much I could eat. Usually spent over an hour eating. Probably got a good two days worth of calories in one sitting. Then, I would be set not eating for another day.

Anyways, in the end I determined I certainly could "live" this way since I had reached a point of generating more comps than I was using, but boredom, heat, and unhealthly lifestyle probably wouldn't make it practical for the longer term.

[KJ]

I am a little confused about a couple things. 1.) where you using only blackjack play to accumulate these comps and 2.) what level were you playing to do so? I don't play for comp at this level, but 3 days of RFB at Wynn, strictly from BJ play seems like you must be playing a pretty high level for a high number of hours. I can't imagine this wouldn't result in backoffs fairly quickly.

Also, just to clarify: This comment about 2 nights for the price of one. Are you saying that when you checked out at 11am, you did not check into another room until the following day at 3pm? 28 hours later? Yes, that would seem unhealthy.

[White Guy]

KJ. Lol. My thoughts exactly. My experience at the Wynn and the EL C is super sweat shops and you'd have to be insane to play advantage BJ at either for an extended time for comps unless You are only playing for comps in which case you did not "live off comps and not spend a penny" as you are playing a -EV game.

The methods in comp city aren't really for making actual $$, they are for making comp $ in which case you will never be backed off and you are losing $$ on the game.

I would recommend doing almost the opposite of comp city to anyone who wants to make cash instead of comps.

???

[zengrifter]

User is banned, content deleted.

[Dif]

I am a little confused about a couple things. 1.) where you using only blackjack play to accumulate these comps and 2.) what level were you playing to do so? I don't play for comp at this level, but 3 days of RFB at Wynn, strictly from BJ play seems like you must be playing a pretty high level for a high number of hours. I can't imagine this wouldn't result in backoffs fairly quickly.

Also, just to clarify: This comment about 2 nights for the price of one. Are you saying that when you checked out at 11am, you did not check into another room until the following day at 3pm? 28 hours later? Yes, that would seem unhealthy.

1) Yes only BJ. 90-95% straight counting.
2) All levels, varied extensively depending on where I spread my play out. RFB (which I only went for once) came from HL pits, playing as slowly as reasonably possible, with a spread only a hair above break even (typically 1-5 black for the games I simmed). Reference "A.P. for the C.E." by Zender for horizontal betting strategies (dissimilar/averaging). From there it wasn't really an automatic thing, but once a host gets to know you, it's not hard if you're comfortable with your negotiation skills, and took less than 30 mins of play per day. I was usually heads up, but with enough chatter could slow down enough to about 80 hands per hour without looking too awkward. Needless to say BR management and risk aversion gets very delicate up there.
3) Yes indeed, although fortunately I only started out this way for the first week before I was comfortable with the rate at which I would be able to earn more. No way I could sustain that forever.

The methods in comp city aren't really for making actual $$, they are for making comp $ in which case you will never be backed off and you are losing $$ on the game.

I would recommend doing almost the opposite of comp city to anyone who wants to make cash instead of comps.

The trick is combining the right amount of AP with comp hustling. Slow play games with only enough of a spread to stay +EV at home, and make your money elsewhere. Also use whats published as only a building block to tailor your strategies around.

BUT if I were only going for comps I likely would not count much/as much: Counting and AP comping are not entirely complimentary.

100% agree. Maximum profit was not the goal for this trip, although I did end up comfortably positive (+8% BR).

[BJGenius007]

I recently took a road trip to NV with a goal to see how long I could last living off comps. Heavily utilized techniques from "Comp City", and was able to make it almost a month without spending a penny on food or lodging before I got too worn down and decided to call it quits. My stays varied widely, ranging from an underwhelming night in the E L C O R T E Z, to three days full R.F.B. at the W Y N N.

While in W E N DOVER, I found myself racking up comps faster than I could spend them, and had to resort to nightly visits to their nicer steakhouse, trying to rack up the most expensive bills possible (maybe $80 / meal). I still had almost four digits left on my card before I left, but luckily they have gift shops with some nice liquors available. Left a few hundred on my card to utilize on one of their flights should I decide to return. Needless to say it proved to be a very good environment for my earning style.

The one downside, of course, is spending so much time playing rated. As my trip wore on, I found myself getting a little too complacent with covering my tracks and put an end to my trip at some of the first perceptions of heat. To maintain this lifestyle, anything close to a back-off would be an instant killer. Still managed a strong trip win though, almost increased my BR by 50%.

I was certainly quite a BJ bum, and found myself being a bit desperate at first before securing a comfortable flow of sustainment. Examples include:
-Inverting my sleep schedule. Slept as soon as I could check into the room (usually ~3pm-10pm), played all night, then slept from the early morning to checkout (~4am - 11am). This allowed me to get 2 "nights" for the price of one, and spread out my room comps a lot more.
-Total Survival mode on buffets. Whenever I had a buffet comp, I would go for awhile without eating (maybe a day), and then absolutely demolish the buffet. I'm skinny and have a fast metabolism, but surprised myself with how much I could eat. Usually spent over an hour eating. Probably got a good two days worth of calories in one sitting. Then, I would be set not eating for another day.

Anyways, in the end I determined I certainly could "live" this way since I had reached a point of generating more comps than I was using, but boredom, heat, and unhealthly lifestyle probably wouldn't make it practical for the longer term.

You could live this way, but you are going to die. I mean, you are going to die young.

[bigplayer]

It's been done. I know several players who spent years living in casino hotels and had no other home address other than a mail drop somewhere. Checking in and out of hotels every 2 or 3 days gets very old after a while and you eventually learn to always book overlapping hotel accommodations so you never have to change your sleep cycles to get out of a room by 11am.

[White Guy]

I could never stay in hotels moving around for more than 2 weeks tops. Anymore and I would probably go crazy.

I don't want to get off topic but I am just curious as I have stayed and played The Wynn. I love the rooms and the hotel but I still am having a hard time believing this.

1.) $100 minimum in their HL room?? I have never seen anything like this.
2.) A host for playing $100? I didn't get a host, had a hard time getting anything comped other than my room and I never be less than black.
3.) This was a while back though, maybe things have changed in the comp department but as far as I have seen lately in the BJ playing department a 1-5 spread or even a 1-8 would not do you any good as you're lucky if you see 68% of the cards in a shoe game and 50 in a DD.

[Dif]

How many posts until I can PM?
Anyways, I'd encourage you to investigate their sister for your answers.

[White Guy]

How many posts until I can PM?
Anyways, I'd encourage you to investigate their sister for your answers.

I think 10 posts. Thanks for the info.

[sagefr0g]

currently for a time period of a bit less than a year, had 159 days of plus ev action (only a small percentage of which was bj), for which 86 of those days were comped hotel room days, then about two meals comped a day for each of those 159 days, also assorted trinkets and shows given away, plus over five grand of half bonus play and half 'gratis' cash.
the previous year was similar but much less bonus and 'gratis' cash, cause it was a different joint, this action was a large percentage of bj.
pretty significant gas savings when you can camp out in a hotel room for a significant portion of your action.
also, time away from the homestead makes for less domestic costs such as groceries, heating and cooling sorta thing.

[Blackriver]

I've been a resort hopping vagabond +80% of the last 18 months. Spend a lot on flights (I think I could get these comped and might in the future). I've gotten stuck with a few resort bills lately because there were other opportunities. I used to kill the comps the way you do but not with counting. I was only ever paying tips and taxes which DO add up. If my goal was to evade bills 100% I could have but sometimes that's not what maximizes EV.