How to Take Advantage of Match Play Coupons

Match play coupons can be found in a number of promotional coupon books, including the American Casino Guide. Some may simply pass over them, given that they are not as easily understood as a “free drink” coupon or your typical 2-for-1 deals.

Most match-play coupons are good for even money bets. So, the pass line in craps, a standard Blackjack bet, and the colors on roulette. You have to take the coupon to the player’s club desk. If you don’t have a card for the particular casino, you’ll have to sign up for one. You really should be doing this anyway if you’re going to gamble in any casino. Hint, create a separate email just for players club cards. Try yourname+casino @ gmail or something like that. It will keep your normal email address clean from the multitude of emails coming from casinos.

At the player’s club desk they’ll give you a special chip or coupon that you’ll place next to your even money bet. I’ve read some resources suggesting that if you don’t want to risk money, you can ask another player already playing if you can place your match-play coupon next to their already placed bet, virtually giving you no risk. The idea is that you would offer the player a portion of the winnings if the bet hits. I don’t have to do any research to tell you that this tactic is most likely not prohibited, but I can tell you with certainty that it’s an ethically flawed premise.

The coupon will be valid with an appropriate minimum bet, most range from $5 to $25, but your particular bet must meet that specific requirement. So, let’s say you have a match-play coupon for $25 and play the pass-line at the craps table. If the bet hits, you would be paid for your $25 bet along with an extra $25 for the match-play coupon. If you lose, you’d only lose your original $25 bet.

I always stress the idea of gambling within your financial comfort zone, whatever that may be. However, when using these coupons you turn a negative expectation bet into an overwhelmingly positive expected value- over 40% in most cases. So, while I’m typically a 5-10 better, I will on occasion jump to $25 if it is warranted with these coupons, simply because it gives me the advantage and I don’t maintain the $25 bets once the coupon has been used- I’ll simply drop down to 5 or 10 or simply leave the table.

These coupons can be found in a number of “fun books” at some casinos. If you’re a new club member, some casinos will offer up promotional books. Don’t simply throw them out; see if they have valuable coupons for your particular game of choice. Again, check out the American Casino Guide if you’re planning to travel to Vegas at all before the end of the year.

feature photo: “Las Vegas” by Perry Quan via CC 2.0