Casino Minimums

[cruiseagain2]

Does anyone remember the minimums for blackjack in the casino?.

 

Thanks

[FLCruise7]

As I recall, there was a $6 table

[cccer]

Yes minimum is $6 for your bet or $5 for bet and $1 for side bet. 6 either way.

[salty dingo]

What are the rules? I'm guessing they are pretty lousy compared to Vegas, 3:2 blackjack, no resplitting aces, no surrender, etc.

[sobenkaj]

standard rules for blackjack I believe. Nothing out of the normal. Last cruise had too many automatic shufflers, wasn't a fan. They do have alot of Fun-21 tables though, I go back and forth on them.

[salty dingo]

standard rules for blackjack I believe. Nothing out of the normal. Last cruise had too many automatic shufflers, wasn't a fan. They do have alot of Fun-21 tables though, I go back and forth on them.

Standard rules are blackjack pays 2 to 1. Lots of Vegas casinos still pay that but the big tourist hotels on the strip only pay 3 to 2 because a lot of tourists cannot tell the difference.

[sobenkaj]

oh if you are considering 2:1 then no, they def pay 3:2. But just meant standard rules for playing in general though.

 

Unrelated, but, craps is the biggest rip-off, can only play 2x on your odds, whereas Vegas is sometimes unlimited. 5x is the normal i've seen.

[ajtrigger]

Standard rules are blackjack pays 2 to 1. Lots of Vegas casinos still pay that but the big tourist hotels on the strip only pay 3 to 2 because a lot of tourists cannot tell the difference.

 

Pretty sure you mean standard blackjack pays 3:2, and the reduced version (including Carnival’s low limit $6 tables) pay 6:5. :rolleyes:

[coevan]

oh if you are considering 2:1 then no, they def pay 3:2. But just meant standard rules for playing in general though.

 

Unrelated, but, craps is the biggest rip-off, can only play 2x on your odds, whereas Vegas is sometimes unlimited. 5x is the normal i've seen.

 

 

 

Craps is actually your best odds in the casino than any other game. The game is based on the rolls of the dice and pays a percentage accordingly. It's a very skillful game, knowing where to bet your money.

[ParrotRob]

Standard rules are blackjack pays 2 to 1. Lots of Vegas casinos still pay that but the big tourist hotels on the strip only pay 3 to 2 because a lot of tourists cannot tell the difference.

 

Standard blackjack rules pay blackjack at 3:2. There are some casinos in Las Vegas that pay 2:1, but only on gimmicky things like suited blackjacks. And even then, those tables offset the increased BJ payouts with other rules that give a higher edge to the house like continuous reshuffle and no resplitting of aces.

[salty dingo]

Standard blackjack rules pay blackjack at 3:2. There are some casinos in Las Vegas that pay 2:1, but only on gimmicky things like suited blackjacks. And even then, those tables offset the increased BJ payouts with other rules that give a higher edge to the house like continuous reshuffle and no resplitting of aces.

Maybe on the strip, but go a block or so off the strip, or downtown, and you will not find any gimmicky 2:1 rules, just straight up blackjack.

 

If Carnival is only paying 6:5, I won't be playing any blackjack on the cruise.

[jakesnana]

Maybe on the strip, but go a block or so off the strip, or downtown, and you will not find any gimmicky 2:1 rules, just straight up blackjack.

 

If Carnival is only paying 6:5, I won't be playing any blackjack on the cruise.

 

Payout for BJ is definitely 6:5 on the $6 table. If you play $10 or more minimum it is 3:2 payout for BJ. The Fun 21 table pays 3:2 for a BJ, but it has many other differences from straight up BJ. It is more like Spanish 21.

[cruisemein]

I'm pretty sure that the blackjack odds on the $25 table is 3:2.

[RS182]

Craps is actually your best odds in the casino than any other game. The game is based on the rolls of the dice and pays a percentage accordingly. It's a very skillful game, knowing where to bet your money.

 

They pay less on the bonus game on the craps table than I have experienced in land based casinos. The odds bets were only 2x, several of us had to be reminded pretty consistently. However, several of us took they craps table for a rough ride, for the casino, on our cruise last week. It was a blast. $6 BJ was 6:5 and a waste of time.

[ParrotRob]

Maybe on the strip, but go a block or so off the strip, or downtown, and you will not find any gimmicky 2:1 rules, just straight up blackjack.

 

If Carnival is only paying 6:5, I won't be playing any blackjack on the cruise.

 

No one in Las Vegas pays 2:1 on standard blackjacks with no other limiting rules. It would be a losing game for the house if they did. The house is not in business to lose money.

[Saint Greg]

Fun 21 has no 10’s in the game. I’d stay away from it. They usually only have one $6 BJ table and it stays loaded. I believe it’s to get more people on the higher min tables or the fun 21 tables where they fleece you.

[Badfinger]

No one in Las Vegas pays 2:1 on standard blackjacks with no other limiting rules. It would be a losing game for the house if they did. The house is not in business to lose money.

 

Yeah but these posters are the exception...winners everyone all the time.

 

Once i had $80 Casino Credit from a promotion. Yeah I could have bought the chips then cashed them out. But decided to play BlackJack. I followed the same rules as the dealer. Took me 45 minutes to lose $10. I got bored and left. Came back two days later again. I think I lost another $6 in about an hour and again was bored. Cashed in all but the $1 chips which I have in my golf bag...use them as ball markers on the green.

 

I figure following the same rules as the dealer will just cause me to lose money more slowly as opposed to doing my own thing. Seemed to be correct as most around me buying more chips.

[ParrotRob]

Yeah but these posters are the exception...winners everyone all the time.

 

Once i had $80 Casino Credit from a promotion. Yeah I could have bought the chips then cashed them out. But decided to play BlackJack. I followed the same rules as the dealer. Took me 45 minutes to lose $10. I got bored and left. Came back two days later again. I think I lost another $6 in about an hour and again was bored. Cashed in all but the $1 chips which I have in my golf bag...use them as ball markers on the green.

 

I figure following the same rules as the dealer will just cause me to lose money more slowly as opposed to doing my own thing. Seemed to be correct as most around me buying more chips.

 

That's correct. If you play perfect strategy, you'll lose less than 1%. But... You WILL still lose, albeit slowly. Paying blackjack at 2:1 shifts the edge to to player instead of the house. Which is why it's not done.

[jakesnana]

Fun 21 has no 10’s in the game. I’d stay away from it. They usually only have one $6 BJ table and it stays loaded. I believe it’s to get more people on the higher min tables or the fun 21 tables where they fleece you.

 

Actually, the Fun 21 has no K's. It does have 10's, J's and Q's. Also, if played appropriately, it can be almost as productive as regular BJ. The problem is getting a table full of people to play appropriately. With the absence of the K's, the dealer will not bust as often, you need to recognize that fact. The other options on that table make it a viable option for me and I usually play that as opposed to regular BJ if it's available.

[Frank12]

Actually, the Fun 21 has no K's. It does have 10's, J's and Q's. Also, if played appropriately, it can be almost as productive as regular BJ. The problem is getting a table full of people to play appropriately. With the absence of the K's, the dealer will not bust as often, you need to recognize that fact. The other options on that table make it a viable option for me and I usually play that as opposed to regular BJ if it's available.

Fun 21 has no Queens.

[jakesnana]

Fun 21 has no Queens.

 

I guess it depends on which ship you are on. I know my DH got the "Lucky Ladies" (2 Q of Hearts) winning $125 on the Magic and the Victory playing Fun 21, so there MUST have been Q's in the deck.

[FLCruise7]

There are definitely queens in the deck on the Fun 21 - impossible to win the Lucky Ladies side bet otherwise. I somehow got the lucky ladies with the dealer blackjack on my cruise last year - nice surprise!!

[jaylau17]

It surprised me to learn this, but Fun 21 Blackjack actually has a lower house edge than regular Blackjack (even 3:2 Blackjack), when played correctly.

 

However, for Carnival, it is a more profitable game than regular Blackjack because most people who are used to regular Blackjack don't change their playing strategy when they play Fun 21. For instance, in standard Blackjack, you generally stand on a total of 12 against a Dealer's up-card of 4, the idea being that dealer will bust with a 4 up-card with enough frequency to justify not taking the risk of busting your own hand of 12 by taking a card. In Fun 21, you are actually supposed to hit 12 against a 4, since you are less likely to bust on your 12 (with the Kings taken out) so you have a better chance of making a hand, and the dealer is also less likely to bust with their "bust card" of 4 and is more likely to draw out on you. Another thing people misplay are Fun 21 Double Downs and not surrendering when they whiff their Double Downs. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a player Double Down on 11 against a strong dealer card (like an exposed 10) in Fun 21, snag a useless deuce and ride out the hand hoping the dealer will bust, which will rarely happen in Fun 21. These sorts of mistakes tilt the scale overwhelmingly to the house, since the dealer busts less often but very few people change their gameplay with these new parameters.

Edited May 12, 2018 by jaylau17

[jakesnana]

It surprised me to learn this, but Fun 21 Blackjack actually has a lower house edge than regular Blackjack (even 3:2 Blackjack), when played correctly.

 

However, for Carnival, it is a more profitable game than regular Blackjack because most people who are used to regular Blackjack don't change their playing strategy when they play Fun 21. For instance, in standard Blackjack, you generally stand on a total of 12 against a Dealer's up-card of 4, the idea being that dealer will bust with a 4 up-card with enough frequency to justify not taking the risk of busting your own hand of 12 by taking a card. In Fun 21, you are actually supposed to hit 12 against a 4, since you are less likely to bust on your 12 (with the Kings taken out) so you have a better chance of making a hand, and the dealer is also less likely to bust with their "bust card" of 4 and is more likely to draw out on you. Another thing people misplay are Fun 21 Double Downs and not surrendering when they whiff their Double Downs. I can't tell you how many times I have seen a player Double Down on 11 against a strong dealer card (like an exposed 10) in Fun 21, snag a useless deuce and ride out the hand hoping the dealer will bust, which will rarely happen in Fun 21. These sorts of mistakes tilt the scale overwhelmingly to the house, since the dealer busts less often but very few people change their gameplay with these new parameters.

 

This is exactly what I was stating in an earlier post. What I can't figure out is if other people's play at the table will affect my outcome IF I play correct strategy. I have ALWAYS thought there were more advantages to Fun 21 IF played correctly.