dwc13

In general, when you gamble during a cruise doesn't matter as far as earning points. Obviously, some table games supervisors are more competent / player-friendly when evaluating play. It's a good idea to verify your rated play at table games so any discrepancies can be addressed. It also depends on your objective. Is it free drinks while playing at the casino, a rewards program tier level, earning enough points for a limited time cruise specific casino promotion or something else? On my last cruise with Holland America (May 2023), we didn't buy a beverage package. Fortunately, the casino offered free drinks while gambling to those who had earned 1500 points during the cruise. In that situation earning 1500 points earlier was better so I could take advantage of the 'free' drinks sooner. Note that depending upon play / luck, it might be more economical to buy a beverage package in advance rather than trying to qualify for free drinks from the casino. If you're trying to get to the next tier of a cruise line casino rewards program, then it doesn't matter when you earn the points as long as the current annual period doesn't expire during your cruise. If the end date for the current annual period will occur during your cruise and you still need points to achieve the next tier, it might be better to get ahead of the curve and earn points earlier in the cruise. You know, just in case there are great entertainment options or an emergency happens and you're unable to gamble as often as you had planned. However, if you realize you won't be able to achieve the next tier during the soon-to-expire current annual period (during the cruise), then perhaps wait for the new annual period to begin before starting to gamble. For limited time cruise specific casino promotions, the applicable terms will dictate when and how many points you need to earn to qualify.

What matters is type of bets made, average amount bet, and time at the table actively playing. Buy in doesn't matter from the casino's perspective because it has no advantage until chips are actually bet. A player could buy in for $5,000 then pocket $4,500, take a break and cash in $4,500 chips and return to the table to buy in again. FWIW, I buy in on multiple occasions as a form of bankroll preservation and to document I was playing at given points in time. Craps is by far the most difficult game to evaluate because of the variety of bets (and the different associated house edge on each) and the player's ability to press/regress/turn off most of them during a roll.

You're welcome. Enjoy your cruise and good luck in the casino.

Casino hours vary depending upon the ship's itinerary. Gaming operations are (supposed to) shut down when in port (Bermuda is an exception, I believe) and while sailing territorial waters. So if you're cruising around the Hawaiian islands or taking the inside passage on an Alaska cruise, your gambling opportunities might be somewhat limited. Maybe, lol. That being said, live table games tend to open later and close earlier because of staffing considerations. Around 1:30-2am is when table games started shutting down on the cruises I have been on (including Regal Princess), even earlier if there were no players. For live table games already in progress, they'll finish out the current shoe for card games and the last shooter will get to finish his/her roll in craps (however long that might last). Slots open earlier and close later -- I think it depends in part upon how many players remain actively playing slots in the early morning hours and when the ship is expected to reach territorial waters / arrive in port. Eventually slots 'close' so a slot attendant doesn't have to remain in the event of a hand pay jackpot; could also be so the floor boss can get some sleep. Note that there is also an Emerald Princess Casino cruise, which sails out of Brunswick, Georgia. It is not the same ship as Princess Cruise Lines ship Emerald Princess. In the off chance you had that one in mind... Emerald Princess Casino (sailing out of Brunswick, Georgia)

@Euby If you're interested in the underlying math of craps (or other casino games), head over the Wizard of Odds site. House Edge for all the Major Craps Bet How the House Edge for Each Bet is Derived Just remember those numbers are theoretical. In the long run, craps is a negative expectations game. However, short term variance / luck can skew everything; we hope that is the case so we can win while we're at the craps table. Wizard of Odds even has a free craps simulator. I'm not going to link it here, but it's fairly easy to find on that site.

There might be but I hardly ever look at baccarat videos on YouTube. Search 'baccarat tutorial' or something similar. I did a quick search and the link below is a decent introduction to baccarat. Note that it doesn't cover bonus bets such as Dragon or Panda that might be offered. As a general rule, bonus bets for any casino game are high risk / high reward. Dragon and Panda bonus bets are definitely long shot and carry a high house advantage (like the ATS in craps). How to Play Baccarat - Everything You Need to Know I have played many shoes of baccarat over the years. In an earlier post I mentioned coin flip while talking about this game. IME, baccarat can be more streaky than any other game in the casino. For example, I have seen 24 consecutive Banker wins; obviously, this is an outlier, but mini runs of 3-8 straight for one side are fairly common and can occur multiple times in a shoe. In all my years of playing baccarat, I have never played through a complete (start to end) 8 deck shoe with less than 3 ties. So if there hasn't been a tie and there are only a few hands remaining in the shoe, that would be one of the few times I would consider making a Tie bet.

Last time my wife and I were on a Holland America ship was in May 2023 aboard Nieuw Statendam on a Norwegian Fjord cruise out of Amsterdam. Nice ship. At the time of our sailing, the casino had a single 12' craps table. $5 minimum bet, $500 maximum bet, 2x odds, 2x Field 12. If memory serves, some of the hardways bets had lower limits. The craps table layout was very basic aside from the very popular All Tall Small bonus bets (ATS). Winning ATS bonus bets were paid the same as Las Vegas Strip casino payouts: Roll the All Small (2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) before ANY 7 and get paid 30 to 1. Box person will say 'Small completed' if this bet is a winner. Roll the All Tall (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) before ANY 7 and get paid 30 to 1. Box person will say 'Tall completed' if this bet is a winner. Roll the All All (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) before ANY 7 and get paid 150 to 1. As the various numbers are rolled by the shooter, the box person will mark that number as having been 'hit'. When only 1 number is needed for the All All, it gets very exciting. You'll know if this bet is a winner if someone has bet it. Box person will confirm by saying 'All completed' if this bet is a winner. What makes the ATS difficult -- aside from rolling a 2 or 12, for which there is only 1 dice combination for each -- is ANY 7 will wipe out the ATS bets. That includes a come out roll 7, which is a winner on the Pass Line but a loser for the ATS bets. It's actually not terribly difficult to hit one side (i.e., Small or Tall), but hitting the All is extremely difficult. Some casinos require ATS bets to be in increments of $5 in order to speed up a reset (after a come out roll 7) and to simplify the math involved on a payout. Nobody wants to calculate a winning $13 bet, especially on tables that have the good payout schedule (34x/175x/34x). If you choose to make a ATS bonus bet, you don't have to bet all 3 ATS bets. You can bet 1, 2, or all 3 of them.

I play live craps and baccarat at my local casino and while on a cruise if the casino has those live tables. If you're looking for a live table game of chance with a very low house edge, consider playing Baccarat if available. It is as close to a fair coin flip as you can find at a live table game in a casino on a cruise ship. Card dealing rules are set in advance -- there are no subjective hit/stand options like in blackjack. Aside from being a very simple game for the player, the house advantage for an 8 shoe game is 1.06 % on a Banker bet and 1.24% on a Player bet. Ignore the Tie bet unless it is down to the final few hands of the shoe and there hasn't been a single tie. IMO, live craps is the most entertaining table game in a casino. Sticking with Pass Line / Come, Place 6 & 8 bets will help keep the house advantage to a minimum while you learn the game. You can make a optional odds bet on a Pass Line / Come bet. The house has no advantage on the odds bet, so it effectively lowers the house advantage on the Pass Line / Come bet. However, betting odds also increases bankroll volatility (because there is more at risk). Also keep in mind while there is no house advantage on the odds bet, the house still has a lower advantage on the higher total amount wagered (Pass Line / Come bet + odds bet). Provided there are others at the craps tables, you can bet as often -- or infrequently -- as you want. Except for contract bets (Pass Line / Come bets, Put bets, any bonus bets), you can turn off / take down your bets at any time by telling the dealer before the dice are tossed. Note that you can always take down / turn off odds bets. Cruise ship craps tables attract plenty of players who haven't played or don't regularly play craps. Etiquette that might be followed at a craps table at a land-based casino...more often than not will not be followed aboard a cruise ship. That being said, there are a few things I'll mention: 1. Know where the dice are at all times. Don't be the person who wasn't paying attention / didn't look before reaching into the table to buy in / bet and the dice hit their hand, resulting in a 7 out. 2. The time to make bets or ask for check change is when the dice are at the center of the table. Same with buying in (cash, room card). 3. Once the shooter has the dice, don't make any bets and keep your hands outside of the table. 4. Be vigilant about your bets. Know where they have been positioned by the dealer/stickperson, as well as the amount of each such bet you have made. Sometimes the dealer/stickperson will erroneously take down one or more of your bets. 5. Don't assume the dealers/stickperson will pay a winning bet properly. Sometimes they forget to pay a winning bet at all -- speak up promptly if either happens to you. You should know the proper payouts for each bet you make. 6. You don't have to shoot the dice (unless you're the only player at the table). You can pass the dice to the next person. Players take turns shooting dice. 7. There is a rail below the top of the table for your beverages. 8. Have fun playing within your means/bankroll. Craps can be really fun, especially when the table is hot. 9. See #1 above. If you want to learn the basics of craps play, YouTube videos are probably a good starting place. YouTuber Color Up has a few beginner craps videos. Keep things simple when you're starting out. There is *NO* strategy / system that can guarantee a winning craps session. None. Ultimately, how you fare at a live table game largely depends upon your timing (and also your bankroll and betting). If you're playing at the right table at the right time, you have a much better chance of enjoying a good session. If you're playing at the wrong table and/or the wrong time, you're likely going to lose. But you already know that. The other night I played craps at my local casino (7 craps tables, all open). My table was up and down; it was a grind. The one behind me, a player made the All All 2x on the same roll and there were a few other good rolls. Later that night (after I had switched tables), a player on the table across from me made a 5 point Fire and hit the All All. Right time, wrong tables for me that night. Enjoy your cruise and good luck at the tables.

My wife and I recently took a short cruise (1/23 - 1/26) aboard Icon of the Seas. This was the final sailing before the 1/27 maiden voyage. It is a very nice ship. The casino on Icon of the Seas is large and very nice. On a cruise, I play craps and baccarat unless neither is an option. Fortunately, there were 2 x 12' craps tables and 1 baccarat table in the casino. A few observations from having played multiple craps sessions during the cruise: Rule #1: Both dice must hit the back wall or it is an automatic 'No roll'. No exceptions. At least this rule was consistently applied (for better or worse) by all of the box personnel. Rule #2: Dice thrown more than @1' higher than the player's chip rack would receive a 'Too high toss' warning. Not sure if they would have passed the dice or called no roll for continued offenses. Suffice it to say, I and several others had to completely change the way we tossed the dice because of this rule. There are no bonus bets (i.e., Fire, ATS, Repeater, Hot Shooter, etc.). $10 table minimum, but somehow a $5 Field Bet can be made. Smh. Try that in any other casino... Variable odds: Under $25 PL/Come/DP/DC gets up to 1x odds. If the bettor makes (or increases to) a $15 PL/Come/DP/DC bet and the Point is 6 or 8, up to $25 odds bet can be made. If the point is 4, 5, 9 or 10, only up to 1x odds even if the PL/Come/DP/DCbet is $15. A $25 PL/Come/DP/DC bet gets up to 2x odds. A $50 PL/Come/DP/DC bet gets up to 3x/4x/5x odds. Vig on the Buy 4/10 is upfront. As a group, the craps dealers were decent for a cruise ship craps table. Most knew basic payouts fairly well. Bets were correctly spotted most of the time. However, proper procedures (i.e., first take down losing bets, then travel/pay come/DC bets,...; paying winning bets using the correct hand depending upon which side dealer was on) were inconsistently followed. Finally, as a group the box personnel didn't properly rate average bet for my play. I'm not going to sugar coat what happened -- they were either not paying attention, incompetent and/or trying to short-change me. It was comical how short they were from what I had actually bet during multiple craps sessions. After my initial 3+-hour gaming session (closed the table), I asked the pit boss how I had been rated (buy in, time at the table, average bet). Since I had charged all buy ins to the room and received receipts, they couldn't dispute the first 2 items. However, for average bet the figure they came up with was about 1/3 to 1/2 of where it objectively should have been. I pressed early and often, so I know I had much more wagered on non-come out rolls to handily offset lower amounts bet on come out rolls. There were enough decent rolls, too. I politely explained how I had bet and expressed my concerns to the pit boss, who told me he would look into the matter. Never heard back from him about it -- shocking, right? Same thing happened the next 2 sessions; by that point I had figured something was amiss. Perhaps it's a sign I should save my gambling $$$ for my local casino, which has a tie in with MSC Cruises, and Holland America / Princess, which have far superior craps game (including ATS bet). If you're concerned with how you're being rated at table games -- be sure to periodically ask the box person / pit boss how they're rating you. This is more important on a cruise, where you might not see the same casino personnel for months. At your local casino, you'll probably see the same box personnel far more frequently so they'll probably be more inclined to give you a fair shake.

Ponant offers cruises in North America https://us.ponant.com/destinations/north-america And in other locations throughout the world. https://us.ponant.com/cruises Far smaller ships than the large cruise lines. This is not a mass-market experience.

Now that the RTX 4080 Super has officially been announced, you can get ready to order it. The good news is at 246 watts AGP, it will likely use less power than that 14th Gen Intel CPU you're planning on buying.

C'mon, 10GigE fiber ring...

At some point supply could substantially outpace demand given the new, larger ships that are currently under construction / planned in the upcoming years that will add to existing capacity. But if that happens, the cruise industry could take a page from the oil companies' playbook and take excess capacity offline in an effort to cut costs and prop/stabilize prices.

I started off with Freestyle, then WordStar before migrating over to WordPerfect. WP5.1 for DOS was one of the greatest programs ever written for the PC. Right up there with SimCity. The printer support and formatting capabilities WordPerfect 5.1 for DOS had in the pre-Windows era was mind-boggling. Even today there are legions of users who continue to use WP5.1 for DOS on Windows 10. https://mendelson.org/wpdos/ Here's the capacity rust drive you should get for your new build: https://slickdeals.net/f/17217304-22tb-western-digital-ultrastar-dc-hc570-3-5-7-2k-rpm-sata-6-0-gb-s-internal-hard-drive-370-free-shipping?src=category_page Do you have a large format Epson / Canon / HP printer for printing out your digital images?

My wife and I had a comped balcony room for a 7-day Caribbean cruise on sister ship MSC Seashore in Fall 2022 courtesy of my local casino. Very nice ship with really good pizza -- the privately held parent company was founded in Italy and is owned by an Italian family. Seashore had a very nice casino...except there was no craps table. The explanation I received is craps is dead in Europe -- it is -- and that's where the parent company is headquartered (Switzerland). Plenty of slots and roulette tables, including a single zero table (try finding that on a US-based cruise line, lol). MSC Cruises is a European cruise line that has been making a concerted effort in recent years to break into the North American market. Some things (entertainment, food) will be different from you have experienced on NCL and Royal Caribbean, but I definitely recommend giving MSC a try. MSC Yacht Club ("ship within a ship", kind of like NCL Haven) gets high marks from people who have booked those rooms. We haven't yet decided to try Yacht Club but we have booked balcony rooms on 2 MSC cruises this year and are looking at a third one.

Seems like they're encouraging some players to bet $60 PL, $60 DP (and $1 or $2 midnight bet on the come out if they want to hedge against the 12 being rolled) for the privilege of betting 3x/4x/5x odds. It's an easy calculation for PL w/full odds payouts if the odds are 3x/4x/5x (7x PL bet). Besides, it's better (in theory) for the players than 2x odds, which is the craps equivalent of a 1366 x 768 laptop display. Note: I'm aware $50 PL/DP was the minimum required for 3x/4x/5x odds per the OP's post. However, $60 PL & DP bets work 'perfectly' with a $2 12 on the come out roll and allows for more odds. So the cost for the opportunity to bet max odds is $2 per come out roll in this scenario. Obviously, a come out roll sequence of 7 7 11 7 2 3 7 2 11 3 7 7 2 10 would not be ideal for this type of hedging, but that's not going to happen too often, right? I know, hedging is theoretically worse, but losing a single unhedged $60PL bet if the 12 rolled would have paid for that $2 12 bet on the come out 30x. BTW, if you're thinking about laying odds on a DP bet, take your chips and go play roulette. 😏

Lower fares for earlier bookings is similar to how Amtrak prices long distance (non-regional) passenger tickets. IMO, the price guarantee within 72 hours of making a reservation at Princess Cruises official website is kind of weak, considering how far out the cruise line will accept bookings and enjoy an interest-free loan. As long as the deposit is fully refundable then I suppose it's not that big a deal to cancel and re-book if there's a better deal later, but 72 hours...that's basically just for show.

Just had to give you a hard time about shooting JPEG since you are a professional photographer. JPEG is good enough for me unless I'm taking "once-in-a-lifetime" shots...like a UFO, the Loch Ness Monster or the Indians, er, Guardians celebrating a Game 7 World Series win. Your article on RAW vs. JPEG was interesting and informative. Did you use Ami Pro to write the article? That word processor went the way of 1-2-3, dBASE, WordPerfect, WordStar, Quatro Pro, Netware, ProComm Plus <queue sounds of a modem dialing a phone number>, and SimCity (RIP, Maxis). FYI, the link for how the JPEG algorithm compresses files in your article is broken.

Wait -- you're shooting JPEG with your new a7rV? Oh, the horror. I'm surprised the camera even allows that setting. Must be AI taking over... 🤣 In your revised BOM, you listed a working storage SSD (Crucial T500 2TB Gen 4 NVMe) as well as a 12GB legacy drive for rotational storage and a Crucial T700 1GB Gen 5 NVMe boot drive. TBW for the Crucial 2TB drive is 1200TB. Since you probably will not be mining crypto or operating a server with 24x7 continuous writes of huge files to that drive, I think you'll be okay. Just a hunch. I know I won't come close to exceeding the TBW on mine. That being said, I do understand your rationale -- which I agree with, especially given the speed of RAM. DDR5 prices should continue to come down in the future and modules with faster speeds will become available in volume as production ramps up. I'll probably upgrade my 3700X build to 64GB RAM (from 32GB) but that can wait until I get a new GPU.

96GB RAM??!? Are you running multiple VMs? My EliteBook 845 G10 came with 64GB RAM installed. I only bought that model because the 32GB model (and 16GB model -- not that it was even considered) was far more expensive. Go figure, right? I also bought 2 Crucial T500 2TB NVMe drives (1 for a backup) but haven't yet installed in the laptop; on the to do list. Good to see an old rust drive in your build, lol. Nvidia is expected to announce additions to the RTX 40 series GPUs at CES on January 8th. I'll put you down for a 4080 Super. I have used Synology NAS for a long time starting with the Disk Station DS207. Currently have a 4 bay DS916+ installed. No problems at all, other than the 3TB WD Red drives I purchased years ago are half full now. The Synology DSM software is solid, user friendly, has lots of features and is continuously updated. On the flip side, Synology hasn't always been cutting edge on the hardware side. If you're looking to use the NAS as a media server, also look at QNAP and Asustor. Or check out TrueNAS Core (formerly FreeNAS) and build your own. I thought it would be like running my own mail server (PITA to maintain), which is why I didn't go that route and went with the DS916+.

Hi Don - The others in this thread -- @pierces and @mz-s -- have also built their own gaming rigs / desktop computers. They're every bit as knowledgeable and qualified to weigh in on the matter. Hopefully between the 3 of us, we can provide you with things to consider. Off the top of my head: 1. You indicated you currently have a heavy 17" gaming laptop but at the same time you don't run any programs that involve "high level graphics". What types of programs & games do you plan on running? Is Linux support required? 2. By 'higher end micro computers' are you talking about an Intel NUC or similar type device? For example, are you looking at something similar to the following devices? https://www.amazon.com/Intel-NUC-12-Enthusiast-NUC12SNKi72-Serp/dp/B0BZ1RG2Z1/?tag=pcgamesn-20&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/MINISFORUM-Venus-Series-UM773-Lite-Mini-/dp/B0BXWHGFH1/?tag=pcgamesn-20&th=1 https://www.amazon.com/Beelink-SER3-Mini-PC-AMD-Ryzen-7-3750H-P/dp/B0B3ML3FXT/?tag=pcgamesn-20 3. If you are considering a NUC / similar device, the build itself is usually pretty straight-forward (if needed); however, sometimes driver support is lacking. Make sure you understand what you're getting, as many of these devices are sold 'bare-bones' so you have to provide memory, storage, operating system, etc. Also do your diligent research, as there are some relatively unknown companies offering these devices; after purchase service / support from some of these vendors if needed might prove challenging. 4. The obvious advantage of a new laptop (perhaps a smaller, lighter one) over a NUC / similar device is it can still be used without bringing additional items when you are away from your 2 homes, while a NUC / similar device can't. In addition, some laptops will have more powerful GPUs than can be found in the best NUC / similar device (if that is important). Size and weight usually favor the NUC / similar device. Cooling, not so much, so a power-hungry CPU that generates excessive heat isn't a plus. 5. Some newer laptops can be powered by smaller, lighter-weight USB-C chargers, which is great when traveling. I'm guessing your current gaming laptop has a heavy charging brick. 6. NUC / similar devices are often mounted on the back of monitors, signs or another surface, or left freestanding on a desk. It's unclear to me how durable these devices are and how well they will hold up if they're often being transported. 7. Check the types and version and placement of USB, HDMI, Display, and Ethernet ports and other connections. NUCs and similar devices typically have some located on the front and others on the back side. Are there enough and are they conveniently located? Check the Wi-Fi and Bluetooth version. Dave

Very nice build! I haven't seen many cases where the sides are open so I was initially looking for fan openings, lol. Seasonic Focus Platinum -- excellent PS. I have an older Seasonic PS powering an i5-4670K and Nvidia GTX 750 build, all housed in a Lian Li case. That desktop is relegated to handling income tax filings these days. I take lots of pictures and video while traveling but I don't do much post-processing in Photoshop, Lightroom or Premiere. That's a skillset on its own. For the most part, good enough is good enough for me when it comes to photography. Sounds like you use PS & Lightroom regularly. The 43" monitor probably makes editing images easier than a smaller 27" one.

I'm going to wait at least until Zen 5 is released -- and the future of AM5 becomes more settled -- before seriously thinking about a new build. If Zen 5 is the end of the line for AM5, I might have to push out the build until the next platform arrives. In the interim, upgrading the ancient RX 580 graphics card in my 3700X build is at the top of the list (thanks to Flight Simulator 2020 and Cities Skylines 2). That probably also means a 5800X3D or 5700X drop-in CPU replacement. In addition to the EliteBook 845 G10, I also picked up an inexpensive used ThinkPad T480s from eBay for travel. The T480s is 3lbs, has USB-C charging, and a full-size SD card reader, making it very useful for quickly backing up photos while on travel. Cellular service and wi-fi is often sketchy at best in many national parks and other remote locations, so uploading to the cloud can be problematic. And since it already has a few road warrior scars, I won't mind if/when it gets dinged up a bit more.

Rock solid, stable and quiet are good things for a PC build. No Windows registry edits is a bonus. Enjoy! I have my own version of a case that wasn't constructed with sound dampening as a priority: the Antec Three Hundred. Can't complain about airflow, though, which is why I bought it years ago. The build it was originally intended for never happened and it remained boxed for ~10 years. I finally ended up using it for the Ryzen 3700X build. Next build I'll get a new case.

I don't think 253w under load is the ceiling for those Gen 14 CPUs. Regardless, there is no doubt i7-14700K and i9-14900K are capable of hitting high frequencies and putting up very impressive single thread and multi thread numbers. BTW, I Googled the 43" Gigabyte AORUS monitor you mentioned. Interesting, even has a built-in KVM.