Blackjack Rules By Ship / Line?

[grod19]

Hi all:

 

I'm a blackjack player (both tournament and live table) in real life and I will take my first RCI cruise on May 8. Here's a thread I found discussing the blackjack rules on RCI in case anyone's interested:

http://boards.cruisecritic.com/showthread.php?t=821079

 

However....that thread is a couple of years old. Does anyone have anything to update on RCI? I'm curious, naturally.

 

Susan

 

Not having read the entire thread you posted here is what I remember from Jan 2010. dealer hits soft 17, double any 2, split up to 4 hands (can only split aces once). it was a 6 or 8 deck shoe. BJ pays 2-1. This was at the 10 dollar table. I think the rules changed a little for the single deck and the wheel of madness. There was an optional side bet. If your first 2 cards = 20 you win, odds vary based on suited cards, matching cards etc. otherwise you lose.

 

If you have any other questions that I didn't cover I can probably answer them.

[AV8rix]

Not having read the entire thread you posted here is what I remember from Jan 2010. dealer hits soft 17, double any 2, split up to 4 hands (can only split aces once). it was a 6 or 8 deck shoe. BJ pays 2-1.

 

Huh? Are you serious or is that a typo? Or did you mean that insurance pays 2:1? I can't imagine a 2:1 payout for a natural ANYWHERE, let alone on a cruise ship .. where the players' edge is always smaller than a land casino (for instance, the house hits on soft 17 :mad:). But if you are correct, then I guess I'll be spending my entire 2-week cruise in the casino :).

 

 

This was at the 10 dollar table. I think the rules changed a little for the single deck and the wheel of madness. There was an optional side bet. If your first 2 cards = 20 you win, odds vary based on suited cards, matching cards etc. otherwise you lose.

 

If you have any other questions that I didn't cover I can probably answer them.

 

Thank you very much for your input. The rest of the info that you provided is exactly what I wanted to know.

 

Susan

[grod19]

sorry you are right i cant type, I meant to say insurance is available at 2:1 and BJ is 3:2, brain moving faster than fingers can type

[SSN-716]

Splitting tens increases your odds of making one winning hand into two losing hands!

[brookerme]

http://www.oceanplayersclub.com/AboutTheClub/CasinoGames.aspx

[Spurs Fans]

There are two things that any serious blackjack player will do while scouting a table to play. First, never sit down at a 6:5 table. Second, never sit at a table where someone splits 10's. (If they are sitting when that happens, they will get up and leave.)

 

My experience is that casino's and ships cater to people who have no idea how to play blackjack. People see the game and assume that all rules are the same as in football and basketball. Nothing could be further from the truth. The odds of winning in BJ are closer than any game you will find in a casino when the casino plays by the rules. But each minor adjustment that the casino makes to the rules, will increase the odds in their favor, thus resulting in more money to them. BJ is a game of odds and the odds will turn out as scheduled in the end. By the uninformed playing rip-off games like 6:5 BJ, they only encourage casinos to continue their ways.

 

Someone was correct earlier when they said that splitting 10's is a sure fire way of turning a winning hand into 2 losing hands.

[Silverscreencruiser]

http://www.oceanplayersclub.com/AboutTheClub/CasinoGames.aspx

 

That rules sheet is not up do date. On Carnival cruises, the rules were changed about three years back so the dealer now hit Soft 17s.

[Silverscreencruiser]

There are two things that any serious blackjack player will do while scouting a table to play. First, never sit down at a 6:5 table. Second, never sit at a table where someone splits 10's. (If they are sitting when that happens, they will get up and leave.)

 

It doesn't bother me if someone at the table splits 10s or does any other stupid play. That won't affect my chances of winning or losing one bit. It does slow the game up slightly (as does a player who thinks about what he should do), but I'm out to have fun not to play the maximum number of hands in an hour.

 

But I would steer way clear of any table offering 6-5 blackjacks.