Pai Gow Poker on Norwegian Gem

[Dicenator]

I'll be leaving on the Gem next Friday, 3/22. In the last 2 months my wife has started playing Pai Gow Poker and it is now her favorite game.

 

On one travel website they said that the Gem has Pai Gow Poker. Can anyone confirm that for me and if they do what is the minimum bet?

 

Thanks,

 

Dicenator

[OvaDaTop]

I too love pai gaw poker. NCL does carry the game but only on the Epic and i believe the new ships will have it also, because these casinos are almost twice the size. On my first Jewel cruise in 12/2010 xmas week, I requested a pai gaw game and was accommodated the 2nd day of the cruise. They took an automatic shuffler from another game and flipped a single deck 6-5 blackjack game that no one played anyway and there was a pai gaw game with a $25 minimum...$25 for pai gaw because of the pushes are not to bad. We had a great time that week with new people learning the game and had a regualr game every night, same people similar to the craps game on a cruise. I had a great run every night and won a whopping 5k that week on the cruise, got the free drink card, and was invited to a free cruise on the Jewel that same summer.

 

Jewel cruise #2 8/2011

 

Requested a pai gaw game and was accommodated although this time they didn't have an extra shuffler so it was done by hand. This was like pulling teeth and it totally sucked. No one was playing so by day 3 they reverted it back to the single deck BJ.

 

Jewel cruise #3 2/2013

 

No pai gaw and I never bothered to request a game this time.

 

A friend of mine who loves pai gaw also cruised the Gem 2 summers asgo to Bermuda and asked for a game but never got one.

 

I would suggest asking for a game with an automatic machine to deal and see what happens...can't hurt but wouldn't hold my breath that they will do it. I can tell you that the ultimate texas holdem table was empty all week as well as 1 BJ game. Good luck!!!!!

[Dicenator]

OvaDaTop,

 

I just returned from 9 days on the Gem yesterday. They did have a permanent Pai Gow table which was located in the back row of table games and it had a $25 minimum bet sign up. I told my wife about it and after dinner she went looking for the table and it wasn't there. I found it a little while later and it had been relocated to the high roller area and now had a $100 minimum bet sign up.

 

My wife went to the casino manager and asked him what was going on. He told her that there was a high roller on the ship who wanted a higher limit. Well screw everybody else. I don't understand why a high roller can't bet his $100 or more on a $25 table. He essentially created a private table for his use only. I'm sure the bet max. was in the thousands range. I went back maybe an hour later and noticed that there was no bonus bet on the table. She won't play without the bonus bet where she wins most of her money when playing Pai Gow in Atlantic City. So the bottom line was that she was OK with not playing.

 

Dicenator

[OvaDaTop]

Thanks Dice....looking forward to your complete review of both the cruise and the casino and craps games.

 

OVA