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The shopper's adage of "If you have to ask how much, you can't afford it" gets turned upside down in a casino.

Savvy gamblers know that asking can get you something at the best possible price: free.

Casinos from Las Vegas to Atlantic City to Mississippi to Western Pennsylvania frequently give complimentary meals and other freebies to players who pop the question.

"When it comes to comps, it always boils down to ask," said Anthony Curtis, publisher of Huntington Press and LasVegasAdvisor.com. "You have to ask for what you want and see how they react."

Why would casinos give you two passes to a buffet or cover your tab at the coffee shop? If you enjoy yourself, you're likely to gamble more. With its built-in edge at all games, the casino is likely to recoup its cost — and more — sooner or later.

Comps typically are based on your average bet, how long you play, the speed of the game and your theoretical loss.

That formula is one reason you should present your player's card whenever you buy in at a table game. Some casino hosts advise not playing until a floor person checks you in, to guarantee that all your play is tracked.

Whether you win or lose a session usually doesn't matter for comp purposes.

Floor supervisors at Rivers and The Meadows have the authority to issue comps to players, casino representatives said.

Don't be shy about asking. It's common in a casino.

In "The Frugal Gambler," queen of comps Jean Scott suggests phrasing your request this way: "Have I played enough to get a buffet comp (or whatever you're after)?"

If you can't get the comp you want, don't get discouraged. Ask how much more play you need to qualify.

"We are very much in the spirit of saying yes whenever we can," said Heidi Hamers, director of marketing for The Meadows said. "We may not be able to offer you a meal at Bistecca (steakhouse) based on your play, but we could offer a discount at the food court."

Rivers Casino has a team of hosts to handle guest requests, general manager Todd Moyer said. He said five to six hours of play at a $10 blackjack table would earn a buffet comp.

Generally, the comps will be loaded onto your player's club card. If you are being treated to a coffee shop or restaurant, ask how much the comp is for so you're not surprised if you have to pick up part of the bill.

Comps do not cover tips. You should tip the servers just as you would if you were paying the bill out of your pocket.

One important point: Don't bet beyond your comfort level just to get a comp. Say a blackjack player decides to chase a steakhouse comp by moving from a $10 minimum to a $50 table. At a slow pace of one hand per minute, an hour's worth of play now involves $3,000 worth of bets instead of $600.

A string of five or six losses, which happens all too frequently, would cost $250 or $300 rather than $50 or $60. The difference is the equivalent of two buy-ins for most $10 bettors — and enough to pay sticker price for the meal.

When I'm tempted to chase a comp beyond my betting level, I think of a guy I saw on a casino vacation a few years back.

He sidled up to a $25 blackjack table around 2 a.m. Although he looked like he would have trouble meeting the table minimum, he slapped a purple $500 chip, called a "barney," into the betting circle.

No change, he said; he was betting it all on one hand.

He lost.

The guy looked around for a second or two before bellowing to no one in particular, "Can I get a comp?"

He got his wish. A floorman wrote him a comp for one breakfast buffet, worth about $6. And the buffet wouldn't open for at least three hours.

Money trail

For the week ending Aug. 29, Pennsylvania's nine casinos had gross slot machine revenue of $42.98 million on bets totaling $553.3 million. The state's tax take is based on the gross revenue. Gross slot machine revenue for Western Pennsylvania casinos:

$4.66 million

Rivers, on bets totaling $58.37 million

$4.9 million

The Meadows, on bets totaling $59.68 million

$3.48 million

Presque Isle in Erie, on bets totaling $43.23 million

Question of the week

Where can I find out more about comp strategy?

Check out "The Frugal Gambler" and "More Frugal Gambling," both by Jean Scott, and "Comp City" by Max Rubin. Log onto message boards at LasVegasAdvisor.com or WizardOfVegas.com. Read trip reports to get tips from other players.

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