Dummies Guide to the Casino

[tempus137]

1 hour ago, Mike45LC said:

Slot players get much higher comps than table players do.  As a table player, this is one of my frequent complaints.   Video Poker gets a lower rate of comps than slot players (roughly 50% of the slot play comps), because the expected rate of return for the casino is lower.  

 

Play BlackJack for $5 per hand for 10 hours straight, and you will get zero -- literally!  Most casinos don't bother to rate anyone playing less than $25 (or higher) per hand.  And even the large bettors don't get as much in perks as the same size bettors on slots.

 

I used to go to one of the big casinos in AC, & the best comps went to the slot players. Table game players got significantly fewer comps and the poker players (live, not video) got the least.

 

I had fiends where both played often. She played slots & he played black jack. They usually played the same amount of time, and even though his bets were higher than hers, she got the better comps.

[neverbeenhere]

Perhaps, She was a better (or is that worse) fiend?  

 

Bet the limit!

[pablo222]

On 8/9/2019 at 6:10 PM, Mike45LC said:

 

The casino (whether Vegas or cruise ship) specifies the  payout percentage to the vendor of the machine and the vendor programs that into the machine's chip.  The chip can be switched out to change the payout percentage. 

Exactly.

 

Ever see a slot-tournament in a land-based casino?

They rope off a block of machines.

In the old days, they would change out a board -- now, I assume they can do it remotely.

The tournament machines pay off like crazy.   This generates lots of excitement for

the observers...

 

Carnival's Ocean Player's Club runs the casinos onboard carnival corporation ships.

The is a company incorporated in Panama.   Why would they have the slightest

interest in Nevada regulations, or any other location?

 

I have never seen anything from the Ocean Player's Club that says we follow the rules of _________.

 

A long time ago, on the old Royal Cruise Line, they followed Atlantic City rules.

They had lots of dealers from AC...

 

 

 

 

[Cinerama]

On 8/15/2019 at 3:07 PM, tempus137 said:

I used to go to one of the big casinos in AC, & the best comps went to the slot players. Table game players got significantly fewer comps and the poker players (live, not video) got the least.

 

I had fiends where both played often. She played slots & he played black jack. They usually played the same amount of time, and even though his bets were higher than hers, she got the better comps.

 

At least in Vegas you get free drinks. 

[Thrak]

2 hours ago, Cinerama said:

At least in Vegas you get free drinks. 

 

I find that, if I sit at a bar and play on the blackjack/poker/whatever machines built into the bar they give me free drinks as long as I'm playing. They don't give me premium drinks but I like straight bourbon/rye/scotch so it's not a problem. I generally don't get scotch though as I can handle Beam just fine but Cutty Sark is just nasty.

[MixerDave]

On 8/15/2019 at 3:07 PM, tempus137 said:

I used to go to one of the big casinos in AC, & the best comps went to the slot players. Table game players got significantly fewer comps and the poker players (live, not video) got the least.

 

I had fiends where both played often. She played slots & he played black jack. They usually played the same amount of time, and even though his bets were higher than hers, she got the better comps.

 

I worked with a woman who played penny slots - lost her car - walked to the casino - forced to move in with her mother because she lost her house!

[suzyed]

On 8/15/2019 at 1:36 PM, Mike45LC said:

Slot players get much higher comps than table players do.  As a table player, this is one of my frequent complaints.   Video Poker gets a lower rate of comps than slot players (roughly 50% of the slot play comps), because the expected rate of return for the casino is lower.  

 

Play BlackJack for $5 per hand for 10 hours straight, and you will get zero -- literally!  Most casinos don't bother to rate anyone playing less than $25 (or higher) per hand.  And even the large bettors don't get as much in perks as the same size bettors on slots.

 

Never got a comp.

 

[AmazedByCruising]

 

On 9/20/2019 at 9:47 PM, Cinerama said:

 

At least in Vegas you get free drinks. 

 

While playing BJ (just 5,10,20, not exactly crazy) I asked the dealer to call a waiter. He asked the pit boss, who asked someone else (not sure what role), who went to get a waiter and then the drink was on the casino. I even had a beverage card and just wanted to get the attention of a waiter, thinking the dealer would simply have a button to press. After that they were very carefully looking at my glass to see it didn't get empty. Just mentioning you'd like a drink helps a lot. 

 

[Thrak]

5 hours ago, AmazedByCruising said:

Just mentioning you'd like a drink helps a lot. 

 

In Reno, Vegas, etc. They love for players to drink. The more the better.

[lynn2002]

what are the minimum bets on the blackjack table.

[High Flyer]

23 minutes ago, lynn2002 said:

what are the minimum bets on the blackjack table.

$6.

[PrincessLuver]

On 8/9/2019 at 3:18 PM, mdpseattle said:

 

The statement that I made was that unless the casino is doing something nefarious, in cahoots with the slot manufacturer they are unable to request a payout lower than the Nevada rules, which is 80%.  The implication of posts on the forum were that somehow the slots of cruise ships are worse payback than those in Nevada.  That is not true (unless they are violating their rules) -- the slots are the same ones found in Nevada.  I think the assumption that many make is that the cruise lines are out to screw us at any opportunity they can so of course they would set them at 80% and not a percentage point more to make as much profit as possible and also because their isn't competition casino across the street.  The truth is we don't know what the payback is, but it is the same requirement as Nevada.  And based on my personal experience playing the casino slots it is a very similar experience to Vegas land based casinos.  I don't feel like I lose more and faster than I do in Vegas.

 

I highly highly doubt what you say.....no way is a cruise ship casino like a Las Vegas casino and no way are the payouts the same because nobody knows what the payouts are supposed to be on all casino games.  The Nevada State Gaming Commission controls all games and casinos in Nevada but nobody knows who  is doing what on a cruise ship casino....almost like an Indian casino where payout percentages are not known.  The majority of machines are not even like the machines in LV.  One thing that is good in a cruise ship casino is that you can play multiple hands on in a card game (such as Blackjack) for the minimum bet and not have to double or triple the bet like you do in LV....

[MsSoCalCruiser]

13 hours ago, Thrak said:

 

In Reno, Vegas, etc. They love for players to drink. The more the better.

The last time we were in Vegas, it was really hard to get a drink.

[suzyed]

Personally, I do better in LV.  I don't think I have ever come out ahead on a cruise but I have in Vegas.

[c-boy]

9 hours ago, MsSoCalCruiser said:

The last time we were in Vegas, it was really hard to get a drink.

where were you ?

[MsSoCalCruiser]

2 hours ago, c-boy said:

where were you ?

 Caesars palace, Park MGM, Aria, Excalibar and Luxor.

[tanyaewa]

On 8/10/2019 at 2:18 AM, AndWe said:

I have sailed on the Crown Princess three times.  The first two times, there was a machine (a Heidi beer machine) that paid out great.  Mind you, the pays were $50-max $500, but it was a fun game to play.  I was on the ship in June and they did something to that machine.  Not one person won anything.  I watched it for the 10 days and lose, lose, lose.  Then I noticed that a machine that I hit big on my last trip was also not paying.  Near the end of my trip, I won $850 on a $1 machine and immediately changed machines to another $1 machine that paid me $750.  Later that evening I noticed a creepy looking man in a suit opening all the machines I had just won on and he was adjusting some wires!!  I asked him if he was rigging the machines -- if looks could kill.  He was not just changing the paper, but had tools and all the wires out of the machine and was re-routing them.  Hum, makes you wonder.  I will be on the Golden Princess soon, so I hope that one isn't as slimy.  I will never said on the Crown again.

Interestingly - on the Crown last September my husband sat down at a machine and promptly won, won, won and won again until he reached about $1000.  He then lost about  $100 and decided to call it quits.  The entire rest of the cruise that machine was “out of order”. My husband was very sad lol