Odds

[LVDFW]

I know the house has a clear advantage. (I grew up in Vegas) That being said I was wondering how hard is it to win on a cruise ship? Are the machines tighter than The Strip? About the same? A little looser?

 

What about Blackjack and other table game rules?

[VideoTech]

In general, you can expect the slot machine payback percentage on cruise ship casinos to be low. At least as bad as the big strip casinos, and usually worse. There's also no legal authority over what the cruise ship casinos can do with regard to payback percentage. They are free to set them to whatever they want. As with most casinos, they'll set a mix of different payback percentages across the casino, but all will be lower than you'd find at a good land based casino under regulation.

 

As to how hard it is to win or lose, well, that's about the same as anywhere else. You'll always have some people who hit jackpots, and more who don't.

 

As for the table games, I'm not an expert, but from what others have said, the table games also suffer by comparison to the more liberal land casinos.

Edited January 23, 2014 by VideoTech

[Casino Player]

In general, you can expect the slot machine payback percentage on cruise ship casinos to be low. At least as bad as the big strip casinos, and usually worse. There's also no legal authority over what the cruise ship casinos can do with regard to payback percentage. They are free to set them to whatever they want. As with most casinos, they'll set a mix of different payback percentages across the casino, but all will be lower than you'd find at a good land based casino under regulation.

 

As to how hard it is to win or lose, well, that's about the same as anywhere else. You'll always have some people who hit jackpots, and more who don't.

 

As for the table games, I'm not an expert, but from what others have said, the table games also suffer by comparison to the more liberal land casinos.

 

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO VideoTech: Table games have the same odds as in other casinos. You win and lose the same way. Odds are the same unless they do something different from how casinos operate.

[LVDFW]

I know the odds will be the same, but they can tweak the payouts on games like Let It Ride, Craps (odds on the passline) and things like that.

[sailor_jimc]

No I have not seen them change the payout rates on the "Standard" games like Let it Ride and 3 card Poker. Although the bonus jackpot on Let it Ride is much smaller than you would see on land. They typically limit the big payouts (royal flush etc) unlike land casinos where those bonus payouts are progressive.

 

The do use continuous shuffle machines for the blackjack shoes... and I think they use 8 decks in them... Some would say that is a disadvantage ( I do).

 

And for the slot machines, you won't see the million dollar payouts.. ex: The Wheel of Fortune games, on land the big jackpot can be $250,000 on a quarter machine, a couple million on the $1, on the ship the jackpot is capped at $20,000.

[lex_n_saph]

The do use continuous shuffle machines for the blackjack shoes... and I think they use 8 decks in them... Some would say that is a disadvantage ( I do).

 

The use of a continuous shuffle machine obviates any advantage one may obtain from counting cards. Many shipboard Blackjack tables have also reduced the two-card Blackjack payout from 3:2 to 6:5 (a trend also present on many land-based tables as well). This change is, in my opinion, a much greater disadvantage.

 

Of course, a single-zero Roulette wheel is practically impossible to find shipboard. However, the Craps and Baccarat tables seem to still be consistent with their land-based brethren.

[clcjdn]

On the video poker front, I have first hand knowledge on Carnival of the Double Double Bonus being 6/5 at the $0.25 level and 7/5 at the $1.00 level both are 10 coin machines. On Norwegian, the same machines are 7/5 at the $0.25 level and 8/5 at the $1.00 level and are 5 coins. Depending on where you live, land based casinos are usually either 8/5 or 9/5 for the same game, so higher than these two cruise lines.

[cb at sea]

Odds are worse on cruiseships....especially on Craps! Slots are tight! BJ dealers seldom lose (I don't know how that happens!!)

[Elevens]

Obviously, they won't tell you what their payback for slots are, but it's a safe assumption that they are lower than any land based casino. They have a captive audience, after all.

 

As for table games(Carnival Liberty in Sept):

 

Craps: 2x odds

 

Roulette: Standard 0 & 00

 

Blackjack: Dealer hits soft 17, Double any two cards, Split pairs up to four hands(except aces which receive one card and cannot be re-split), Double after split allowed, No surrender. Optional side bet for a pair on your first two cards(not sure of payouts)

 

Not sure about the carnival games, sorry. Spent most of my time at craps & blackjack.

 

 

I'm almost positive that NCL has 3x4x5 odds on craps, but not sure on their blackjack rules.

[lex_n_saph]

I'm almost positive that NCL has 3x4x5 odds on craps, but not sure on their blackjack rules.

 

NCL's Craps tables are 3/4/5x odds. Their Blackjack rules are similar to that which you describe (dealer hits on soft 17 etc.). Some tables (usually the $5 ones) are 6:5 on a two card 21. Usually, these tables have side bets, as well.

[Erik101]

Compared to Vegas, I always lose in blackjack during a cruise. BUT, I have so much fun because the dealer is usually energetic and all the players (sometimes) are just interested in having a good time!

[VideoTech]

HHHHHEEEEELLLLLLLLLLOOOOO VideoTech: Table games have the same odds as in other casinos. You win and lose the same way. Odds are the same unless they do something different from how casinos operate.

 

Thanks, Casino Player. I understand that - my post was mostly about the payback percentage on slots. While I'm not a table games player, I have seen comment about changes in payouts and so on. But I understand that the odds do not change. Thanks!

Edited January 27, 2014 by VideoTech