Blackjack Rules/Tables

[Sugarlandsooner]

Can any BJ players tell me what are the typical rules at the blackjack tables on RCCL. Trying to decide how much gambling I will be doing based on the table rules.

 

Thanks for the help, will be on LOS in 3 weeks.

[Squirty27]

Can any BJ players tell me what are the typical rules at the blackjack tables on RCCL. Trying to decide how much gambling I will be doing based on the table rules.

 

Thanks for the help, will be on LOS in 3 weeks.

 

Hubby and I would like to know, too. Thanks

[Panda3]

check the casino boards here on cruise critic you may get more answers. If I remember it was las vegas style rules.

[awestover89]

Blackjack pays 3-2, you can take even money as insurance if the dealer has an ace faceup. Dealer always hits on soft 17 or under, stands on hard 17 or higher.

 

Splitting aces you only get one card, other splits you can hit as much as you'd like.

 

Not sure if it's on all ships, but on Radiance last month they also had a second bet option that paid out if your first two cards equaled 20. 4-1 for any 20, up to 1000-1 if you got two Queen of Hearts.

 

This was my first time playing blackjack so I'm not sure how the rules compare or what other rules you'd be interested in.

[Lady Chew]

Is it an actual RULE that you have to make an instant response to the dealer? I love blackjack, but it takes me a minute to add up my cards, mentally review the odds and then decide what to do!

 

The dealers never seem to mind, but man! some people can get really upset if you take more than a few seconds to decide. (and I know where to sit to give myself more time)

 

I've never experienced this impatience anywhere in Vegas or any land-based casinos, only on cruise ships.

[Merion_Mom]

#1 rule: you WILL lose money.

 

:D

[Squirty27]

#1 rule: you WILL lose money.

 

:D

 

 

Lol, yep. Have played in Vegas. Can certainly happen lol. I think I came out ahead $60 on the Breakaway. Not too bad.

[jeditden]

#1 rule: you WILL lose money.

 

:D

 

True, but if you play the right way, it's the best odds in the house at 50/50 dealer/player.

 

-Split ONLY aces and eights

-Stay away from any side bets. Insurance, 20's, etc.

-Doubling down can be complicated on when to do so. My advice is to stay away until learning the situations.

-Don't think you'll get rich. Just go in and have fun. Make conversation with the dealer. Throw a tip their way if you have a good run of hands in a row. Most of the time, they'll ride your gravy train and play it on you.

[Sugarlandsooner]

So pretty standard rules, thanks. Played many times before just know that sometimes they modify the rules to make them more house-friendly.

[CAT GIRL]

Is it an actual RULE that you have to make an instant response to the dealer? I love blackjack, but it takes me a minute to add up my cards, mentally review the odds and then decide what to do!

 

The dealers never seem to mind, but man! some people can get really upset if you take more than a few seconds to decide. (and I know where to sit to give myself more time)

 

I've never experienced this impatience anywhere in Vegas or any land-based casinos, only on cruise ships.

 

Hi Laura,

 

I play blackjack all the time. When I first learned to play I downloaded

it onto my computer and it would let me know when I made a "wrong" move. Blackjack for me is black and white. I hit when I'm supposed to hit and I stand when I'm supposed to stand. I don't play by "feel". Anyway,

a bit of practice will make you more comfortable so you can play faster.

If I get a lot of small cards I will ask the dealer what I have. If you do

that a time or two you may find that the dealer will automatically tell you what you have. So rather than trying to add it up in your head , just ask.

Just don't sit in 3rd base if you're new. I'll play with you if we ever cruise

together again.

Anita

[BekkaW]

True, but if you play the right way, it's the best odds in the house at 50/50 dealer/player.

 

-Split ONLY aces and eights

-Stay away from any side bets. Insurance, 20's, etc.

-Doubling down can be complicated on when to do so. My advice is to stay away until learning the situations.

-Don't think you'll get rich. Just go in and have fun. Make conversation with the dealer. Throw a tip their way if you have a good run of hands in a row. Most of the time, they'll ride your gravy train and play it on you.

 

Agree with this :) if you play this way you will generally have fun and make your money last a few hours (or even win!)

 

RCI usually runs tournaments on sea days for $20 entry, that can be a fun way to learn. Even just go and watch to see how other people play. I confess I sometimes split 10s against a 6 in tournament.

 

On a side note, I have tended to play by the 'no side bets' motto, but last weekend went to my local casino and there was a group of young people who were playing the side bets hard. It was 'perfect pairs' and more than once they got it. Betting $25 was paying out $625! I started to rethink side bets...

Edited June 18, 2016 by BekkaW

[Lady Chew]

Hi Laura,

 

I play blackjack all the time. When I first learned to play I downloaded

it onto my computer and it would let me know when I made a "wrong" move. Blackjack for me is black and white. I hit when I'm supposed to hit and I stand when I'm supposed to stand. I don't play by "feel". Anyway,

a bit of practice will make you more comfortable so you can play faster.

If I get a lot of small cards I will ask the dealer what I have. If you do

that a time or two you may find that the dealer will automatically tell you what you have. So rather than trying to add it up in your head , just ask.

Just don't sit in 3rd base if you're new. I'll play with you if we ever cruise

together again.

Anita

 

Would love to cruise with y'all again!!

[IsanTom]

The rules are simple! You place your bet ($10) and the dealer gives you 2 cards. The dealer then asks if you want a hit (another card), if yes, they ask you hit again, you

say no. Then the dealer plays their cards and then you turn over your cards and if you beat the dealer you win. If the dealer beats you, you lose! Okay?

[Sugarlandsooner]

The rules are simple! You place your bet ($10) and the dealer gives you 2 cards. The dealer then asks if you want a hit (another card), if yes, they ask you hit again, you

say no. Then the dealer plays their cards and then you turn over your cards and if you beat the dealer you win. If the dealer beats you, you lose! Okay?

Thanks, I know how the game is played, was looking for the specific house rules. Casinos can alter the rules to make the game more or less advantageous to the player.

[payitforward]

True, but if you play the right way, it's the best odds in the house at 50/50 dealer/player.

 

-Split ONLY aces and eights

-Stay away from any side bets. Insurance, 20's, etc.

-Doubling down can be complicated on when to do so. My advice is to stay away until learning the situations.

-Don't think you'll get rich. Just go in and have fun. Make conversation with the dealer. Throw a tip their way if you have a good run of hands in a row. Most of the time, they'll ride your gravy train and play it on you.

 

I would agree with almost all of this except:

-I split aces, twos and eights.

-Even if you haven't mastered the REST of the double down scenarios, always double down on 11.

 

Have fun!

[manmtnmike]

Is it an actual RULE that you have to make an instant response to the dealer? I love blackjack, but it takes me a minute to add up my cards, mentally review the odds and then decide what to do!

 

The dealers never seem to mind, but man! some people can get really upset if you take more than a few seconds to decide. (and I know where to sit to give myself more time)

 

I've never experienced this impatience anywhere in Vegas or any land-based casinos, only on cruise ships.

 

Yes, typically...but ask the dealer to total each deal outloud, so you can hear them. Most will comply willingly. Good Luck!

[albether7]

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

[mk-ultra]

Is it an actual RULE that you have to make an instant response to the dealer? I love blackjack, but it takes me a minute to add up my cards, mentally review the odds and then decide what to do!

 

The dealers never seem to mind, but man! some people can get really upset if you take more than a few seconds to decide. (and I know where to sit to give myself more time)

 

I've never experienced this impatience anywhere in Vegas or any land-based casinos, only on cruise ships.

 

Absolutely not. The dealers are usually very well tuned-in to how well you play and if you're struggling will announce your count as they give you new cards to help you out. If anyone at the table gives you a hard time -- they're a jerk. We all started out not being able to instantly count our hand.

 

Listen to your dealer. If they ask, "are you sure?" they're very much pointing out you've made a choice that's not in your best interest. Also, feel free to ask, "what's the best thing to do here?" if you're unsure about what to do. Dealers are actually your buddy; they're not trying to rip you off. They get tips when people do well, and they're more than happy to help coach you about how the game works.

[proggieus]

True, but if you play the right way, it's the best odds in the house at 50/50 dealer/player.

 

 

not true

 

with perfect strategy there is a House advantage of ~.44 percent, its small but it is till there.

 

the only bet in any casino with no house advantage is the Odds bet in craps, but in order to place it you must also have a pass or do not pass bet made which raises the overall house advantage on the "pass" combination of bets to ~ .00606%(at the 2X odds allowed on RCI ships at table min) and on the " don't pass" to ~.0042%(same 2x Allowed at table min)

 

making these the best bets in the casino,

 

unless you are looking to get rated for Casino Royal Discounts-

 

The odds bets wont count at all and your passline calculated rate would be very minor, you would have to play for a very long time and at a very high average bet to get anything from passline/odds only play.

 

 

now if you bet a lot of the other bets you might rack up Casino Royal points pretty fast since they carry a pretty large house advantage but then again you have a significant amount of money exposed to a very high house advantage(every other bet on the table is anywhere from 1.5%-16% House advantage)

 

I saw one player who pulled $400 off of his seapass card 5 or 6 times- I wanted to tell him that he was bucking essentially a 5% house advantage before he even placed his bets but didn't feel it was my place.

 

 

 

 

[rt1092]

Blackjack only pays 6 to 5 unless you are at a $25 and up table. So no even money.

[proggieus]

Without exception they said that unlike Vegas or Atlantic city, there is no mechanism to ensure that the pay-offs are fair...

 

Have you noticed a decline in big winners over the years?

 

They say they oversee their own machines....LOL Think about it...not meeting budget?? Just tighten the pay-outs.

 

No institution will objectively oversee themselves, esp with no overseeing agencies. They play in international water and have the sit. Vegas could only dream about.

 

Think about it...

 

Al

 

 

Except the companies that MAKE the machines do not make them specially cruise ships-

 

 

 

The machines can not be altered without physically changing the ROM chip inside. Now who knows what the payout is programed for, but I do know that its not changing week to week or day to day.

[FPP777]

Just a note on something to expect. I went on Liberty last June. There were many people in the casino who have never been in a casino before. This is where they will learn to play. If you are a buy the book player, try to control yourself when someone doesn't hit a 3 against the dealer 10 or hits against a dealer 5. It took me a few hands to figure that out. After that, I just went with it.. Nothing I could do about it and I wanted to enjoy myself.

[Bkchero]

Blackjack only pays 6 to 5 unless you are at a $25 and up table. So no even money.

 

This. It’s not 3-2. Makes a big difference.

 

That being said I was up about $150 at the end of my last cruise. Covered my extra tips to our cabin steward, MDR waiter and assistant, favorite bartender and the counselors in Adventure Ocean. I was up more but gave some back on the last day, but walked away before I gave it all back. That is the hardest thing to do . . .

[SRF]

Even some of the Vegas casinos are not paying 3-2 any more. :( BIG house edge.

 

And Royal even cuts that. If you have a $6 bet (minimum of $6 on the table last cruise in August), 6 - 5 should pay out $7.20, but they give you an even $7.

 

And what you split depends on the dealers up card. You should split 9s against anything except a dealer 7 , 10 or Ace. 7s against dealer 2 - 7. etc.

 

Not splitting or doubling properly increases the house odds.

 

And it doesn't matter how the other players play, your odds are based on YOUR play. Yes, sometimes they will cause you lose a hand, but just as many times, they will make you win a hand you would have lost.

 

This has been proven statistically, and with many millions of hands simulated on the computer. The base odds charts that tell you what to do based on your hand and the dealers up card, was originally created by running over 4 BILLION hands on a computer back in the 60s.

 

And no, you will not get rich playing blackjack. Even with card counting. Team playing can help, but still, not going to make huge amounts.

[jor689]

just got back from oasis. $6 minimum tables, $10 minimum tables. lots of them, they pay out 6:5 for BJ. Lucky ladies side bet (terrible odds) from $1 to $25.

 

Anything over $15 tables ($25, $50, $100 minimum) had BJ pay 3:2. Much better and less novices playing the $15+ tables. Gentleman from Colorado and I both won over $2,000 at a $15 minimum table with 8 deck shoe. No automatic shuffler, hand shuffling so it was easy to ace track. Each of us nodded to each other and could tell he was counting cards, just like me.