About the author – Max Rubin
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Name: Max Rubin
Location: Nevada / California, USA
Fields of expertise: Blackjack, comp systems, player-behaviour economics, casino analytics
Professional experience: Over 40 years in the gambling industry
Position: Member of Blackjack Hall of Fame, organiser of Blackjack Ball, casino consultant
Contact: Info@fishin-frenzy.uk
My name is Max Rubin. I have worked in the gambling industry for decades — first as a professional blackjack player and dealer, later as a casino consultant, speaker and author. My specialisation is comp systems: how casinos assess players, who gets VIP-status, free rooms, meals or bonuses, and who stays unnoticed.
I authored Comp City, a book that reshaped how many players view comp schemes: you don’t need to be a high-roller to receive comps — you need to understand how casinos rate players, and how the economics of your presence works in their favour.
My approach has always been the same: separating myth from structure — games are not about luck, but about systems, probabilities and house-player dynamics.
Why this profile exists
Casinos are rarely understood correctly. They are not halls of chance but machines of retention. Every comp, drink, upgrade or invitation is a controlled investment.
This space documents:
how comps are triggered and tracked
why certain play rhythms unlock VIP treatment
what behaviours casinos reward, ignore or supervise
when player value turns into surveillance instead of service
I focus on actual cases and behavioural notes from casino operations: not wins, not losses — just the mechanism of the interaction
Career timeline
1970s — casino table staff, firsthand view of player monitoring
1980s — blackjack team participation and early comp-economy study
1994 — Comp City published, redefining comp-awareness among recreational players
1994–2003 — essays on player categorisation, card-counting stigma and comp marketing
2004 — inducted into Blackjack Hall of Fame
2005–2010 — commentator for national blackjack broadcasts
2010–2020 — advisory roles for casinos refining loyalty and risk-flagging systems
2021–present — independent speaker and comp-structures analyst
What you will find here
how a casino labels players: time-focused, risk-focused, comp-focused
why comps accumulate faster through presence than through high stakes
practical examples of guest tracking — beyond chips and hands
where casino hospitality overlaps with control and risk evaluation
This is not about “beating” casinos nor idolising them. It is about observing a commercial system with behavioural lenses.
Aim
The aim is not to romanticise or demonise casinos but to explain:
a comp offered is not generosity — it is an algorithmic response to projected value.
Casinos invest in gamblers with patterns, not impulses.
Recognition is not random; reward is not sentimental.
Principles of approach
comp-policy analysis based on practical evidence, not superstition
separating casino hospitality from psychological pressure
understanding status tiers as economic measurement tools
no promotional language, coaching or affiliate ties
Publications
📘 Comp City — the book that re-framed comps as a measurable exchange, not a perk.
📗 Editorial contributions on loyalty design, identity flags and risk evaluation.
📙 TV commentary on blackjack tournaments and behaviour-metrics used by casinos.
📒 Keynotes at blackjack circles and hospitality-strategy conferences.
Speaker & media work
🎤 National blackjack commentary
🎤 Staff briefings on card-counter recognition
🎤 Industry interviews about ethical comp deployment
Additional source
Blackjack Hall of Fame
American Casino Guide interview
Blackjack Apprenticeship profile
TV archives & blackjack broadcasts
