Tell me the secrets of the casino

[NutsAboutGolf]

2 minutes ago, mz-s said:

Slots give more points (points are the main way the casino judges your gambling and decides the perks you'll get). So if you want the perks, do slots.

 

To me the slots are a great way to simply light money on fire, I have NEVER come out ahead on them. So I only do table games. Usually blackjack. That means I may not get as many great offers because I am not a high roller, but it is what it is.

 

Slots on cruise ships have had an historically had a 80% "payback" average, usually land casinos are closer to 90% yet this may have changed since the pandemic.  You also gain far less comps dollar per dollar on a cruise compared to MOST land based casinos.

[CharmCity2000]

2 hours ago, popeyesChickenSandwich said:

Yeah, our last cruise (Aug 2021) was booked with a free balcony offer and some freeplay. When we visited the casino on the first day for the free-play, the host also gave us both free drinks everywhere aboard the ship. On the last night of the cruise the server in main dining room let us know the casino comped the steakhouse entrees so we both ordered lobster.

 

Our strategy is to play the amount you would spend for the next cruise. If you spend $500 in the casino, you'll get a comp that is comparable to buying a $500 cruise .. if you get $1000 its going to be better like more freeplay or a suite.

 

The main consideration here is to not spend more than you would pay for the cruise itself. If you're spending more than the cost of room + drinks then you hit what I call true red (experiencing diminishing returns on the casino offers as well)

This is fantastic advice; thank you.  It's a shame about the table games vs slots.  I just don't enjoy slots.

[urbanhawk]

3 hours ago, hurricane0226 said:

the only machine in the casino that pays out is the ATM, that is the secret.

I partiality agree with this statement.  A few days before I receive my social security check, the ATM can be "as tight", as a slot machine.😬😢!!!

[K_e_short]

3 hours ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Some offers lately are for drinks anywhere on the ship. Those are great.  You don’t earn them while on the current cruise but is may be included in future offers. 

 

I was quoting the post where if you earn a specific number of points you get free drinks.

That offer based on the number of points accumulated over one cruise is only for drinks while playing in the casino.

 

Yes once you play at the casino you get other deals.

[BlerkOne]

Table games are easier to beat - as in the house advantage is less than for slots. That's one reason comps can be better for slots. Do you want more comps or more money?

 

The expected value is still negative for anything you play at sea.

[Calnev1]

5 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

 

 

The expected value is still negative for anything you play at sea.

Well, you can play trivia with no cash outlay and you might win a ship-on-a-stick.   I say that has an expected value of close to zero.  But not negative.  🙂

[Colorado Beach Bum]

5 minutes ago, BlerkOne said:

Table games are easier to beat - as in the house advantage is less than for slots. That's one reason comps can be better for slots. Do you want more comps or more money?

 

The expected value is still negative for anything you play at sea.

True.  But the cruise lines (and some land based casinos) are taking some of that advantage back. Blackjack doesn’t pay 3:2 anymore, hold’em table game doesn’t allow 4x bet and I heard roulette was adding a 3rd green number but I can’t confirm that.  I’m sure there are other subtle but odds decreasing changes. 

[sapphire_407]

Slots are just quarter eaters.  Every push of the button is random.  Video poker gives you options and you should learn how to play correctly.   Don't stay on a machine that isn't paying off.  Won 4K once on the second day of a cruise. 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

4 hours ago, sapphire_407 said:

Slots are just quarter eaters.  Every push of the button is random.  Video poker gives you options and you should learn how to play correctly.   Don't stay on a machine that isn't paying off.  Won 4K once on the second day of a cruise. 

Agree.  If you play by the book you can greatly increase your odds.  There are some land based machines that if played correctly the house has no advantage over the long run.  
 

Wife used to exclusively play video poker.  You definitely get a lot of smaller wins which gives you a lot of money to put right back in.  Because of this you do earn less points per coin in than regular slots. 

[smellywax]

9 hours ago, djefferis said:

 to the $50 crowd or the person who puts a couple thousand through a machine in a week - a cruise can be as good or better than a Vegas property though. 

So you are saying putting a couple thousand in slots on a ship is better than on land in vegas?

[crewsweeper]

19 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

See if they offer table lessons and go in the afternoon when few players are present.  Craps players look like a fun bunch when players know what they are do. Best advice see the player with the biggest stack and do what they do.  

This is called the "hot hand" fallacy.  Each roll is independent of the prior roll.

[popeyesChickenSandwich]

8 hours ago, smellywax said:

So you are saying putting a couple thousand in slots on a ship is better than on land in vegas?

My personal experience: yes.

 

I've been to Vegas multiple times. My wife and I do about the same level of play at Vegas as we do on a cruise ship. In Vegas we will gets suites comped at Cosmopolitan, 2 free buffets, and some freeplay. But then while you're in Vegas you gotta see a show .. that's $500 for 2 tickets. You don't get every meal comped so you gotta decide if you're gonna eat a $20 hamburger and fries on the strip or drive a ways off for cheaper food. AND it's Vegas .. I can't do more than 3 days there with all the constant demands on your attention and street scammers and everything going on.

 

Comparatively, we are very happy taking casino offers from the cruiseline - I feel like the value is definitely there. When we were younger and wanted that Vegas energy ... you gotta do it, there's nothing like Sin City. But now that we're at a point where taking a week and relaxing with the nice people in the hot tub by the sea and getting attentive service from the staff and all the things we enjoy about cruising are just more attractive to us.

[Anyislandwilldo]

I book under a casino offer where i get free drinks in the casino.  I wish they would give you a different comp when you hit 1500 points.  

[NutsAboutGolf]

5 minutes ago, popeyesChickenSandwich said:

My personal experience: yes.

 

I've been to Vegas multiple times. My wife and I do about the same level of play at Vegas as we do on a cruise ship. In Vegas we will gets suites comped at Cosmopolitan, 2 free buffets, and some freeplay. But then while you're in Vegas you gotta see a show .. that's $500 for 2 tickets. You don't get every meal comped so you gotta decide if you're gonna eat a $20 hamburger and fries on the strip or drive a ways off for cheaper food. AND it's Vegas .. I can't do more than 3 days there with all the constant demands on your attention and street scammers and everything going on.

 

Comparatively, we are very happy taking casino offers from the cruiseline - I feel like the value is definitely there. When we were younger and wanted that Vegas energy ... you gotta do it, there's nothing like Sin City. But now that we're at a point where taking a week and relaxing with the nice people in the hot tub by the sea and getting attentive service from the staff and all the things we enjoy about cruising are just more attractive to us.

 

When comparing Vegas properties to Carnival, we shouldn't compare it to the Cosmo; Viking and Crystal is a better comparison.  In Vegas if you stay within either the Caesars or MLife network, you have lots of options including free affordable meals and free shows representing a better value.

 

I've encountered very few scammers on the Vegas strip, I've encountered far more scammers and uncomfortably aggressive vendors on cruise ports (Jamaica and the Bahamas).  On the cruise itself, one could argue the Park West art auctions and $5000 bingo no one ever wins are scams.

[Yankeegirl49]

17 hours ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

I heard roulette was adding a 3rd green number but I can’t confirm that.  

I was in Vegas last month and yes many roulette tables had a tripe 0 green space. 

[djefferis]

13 hours ago, smellywax said:

So you are saying putting a couple thousand in slots on a ship is better than on land in vegas?

For comps - yes 

 

Keep in mind it’s never gonna be an apples to apples to comparison.

 

First - you gotta compare C level Vegas properties to Carnival. 
 

For a C level property - a player bringing in a couple of thousand in 5 days is gonna get what - free buffets and drinks, perhaps a nicer dinner? On Carnival - you could expect a $100-400 casino freeplay and potentially a free inside or at least a generous discount on a balcony (say 50%) and free drinks. 
 

That said - Vegas property pays 92-98% on their slots - educated guess is Carnival is in the low 70s. 
 

It’s all chance though on how that 20% variance plays out. It could be in form of small payouts - slots paying back $1 at a time on dollar spins - or it could come as more frequent jackpots (or both).

 

Slot play is always gonna be where casinos want to be as the players are more reliable and easier to find. I mean there’s a lot more players who don’t mind losing 2k in a week at a slot than their are 20k level blackjack players - and with the edge on blackjack at around 2% - it takes a 20k player to equal a 2k slot player at an 80% payback. 
 

Finally - factor in competition. With Vegas - you can walk to the competition. Try that on your next cruise ! Your a captive audience for a week once your aboard - so they tend to comp better to build loyalty (especially from the start) - similar to how a local non Vegas casino might. Sure - you can go to some other in state property - just like you could go to another cruise line…but it’s less competition and they know once your comfortable- your more likely to remain and less likely to go elsewhere. 

[djefferis]

6 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

This is called the "hot hand" fallacy.  Each roll is independent of the prior roll.

Yes - but in general - the player who isn’t just buying in for 60 bucks is more likely to know the rules of the game and what to do.

 

Here is craps in a nutshell for beginners - pass line and take full odds. You cut the house edge to 1-3% doing that (depends on the amount of free odds you can play) 

[djefferis]

5 hours ago, popeyesChickenSandwich said:

My personal experience: yes.

 

I've been to Vegas multiple times. My wife and I do about the same level of play at Vegas as we do on a cruise ship. In Vegas we will gets suites comped at Cosmopolitan, 2 free buffets, and some freeplay. But then while you're in Vegas you gotta see a show .. that's $500 for 2 tickets. You don't get every meal comped so you gotta decide if you're gonna eat a $20 hamburger and fries on the strip or drive a ways off for cheaper food. AND it's Vegas .. I can't do more than 3 days there with all the constant demands on your attention and street scammers and everything going on.

 

Comparatively, we are very happy taking casino offers from the cruiseline - I feel like the value is definitely there. When we were younger and wanted that Vegas energy ... you gotta do it, there's nothing like Sin City. But now that we're at a point where taking a week and relaxing with the nice people in the hot tub by the sea and getting attentive service from the staff and all the things we enjoy about cruising are just more attractive to us.

Exactly - EVERYTHING in Vegas comes at a cost. Food/shows add up fast.

 

Cruises give you genuine free food and entertainment options if you like. Are they on par with the best Vegas has to offer - no. But Vegas is filled with showrooms of acts that on on par with what you see on a ship. 
 

Food - again buffets are buffets. Ship is not that much worse than most non strip hotel buffets.

[gnocchi_mommy]

23 hours ago, Will_Dieterich said:

Just because you play more hands.  I play Craps in casino and during a single roll on a table, if I switch to a video crap machine I get 5-7 rolls in the same time.

That makes total sense!

[cruisingguy007]

It takes a bit to get what I like to call "set-up" in craps. That is betting pass line, insurance on that bet, and six and 8 covered as a min, usually a few field bets also. That is what I would focus on, the rest I play by feeling or past table/roller results and they get put up or taken down conditionally/situationally. Stick with come out bet, pass line, insurance/maximizing taking odds and covering six and eight (in increments of $6 min). It usually takes around $30-$40 or so to get set up each time initially (at a $5 table) and getting wiped out (craps) of all positions can be up to double that or more (depending on position(s), pick up roll wins (or lack thereof), working/not working on come out etc. It's a very fun game with lots of ways to win, but also lots of ways to lose as well. Stick to the higher odds bets first (pass line, odds on pass line, and 6/8) and work your way into the higher risk bets as you feel more comfortable or see patterns (theoretically the dice have no memory but everyone knows what patterns I'm talking about). Black Jack is another good option. Craps and blackjack, besides videos poker, have the best odds where skill can make a small but measurable difference.  

[cruisingguy007]

1 hour ago, gnocchi_mommy said:

That makes total sense!

 

Unless bubble craps. "Come on, push the button! Hurry up mofo! I said push the button!" gets old after while. Getting yelled at constantly by the virtual chick and other slow players can be annoying but it is a great way to slow play and make your play stretch or when you go on a bad run and can't catch a break at the tables. 😄  

[cruisingguy007]

3 hours ago, djefferis said:

Yes - but in general - the player who isn’t just buying in for 60 bucks is more likely to know the rules of the game and what to do.

 

Here is craps in a nutshell for beginners - pass line and take full odds. You cut the house edge to 1-3% doing that (depends on the amount of free odds you can play) 

 

Everyone like to mention the dice have no memory or the "hot hand fallacy" but when you've played at the same table for a while and you watch the same roller average 8-9 rolls per cycle and hit box cars several times each previous rolls, that one in thirty-six odds don't seem so bad...lol. Even better when you hit it after some crap master at the table tells you that you shouldn't be betting that "long-shot" and you just laugh thinking of all the other times you could have made more. The dice may have no memory, but I do!     

[Elaine5715]

12 hours ago, crewsweeper said:

This is called the "hot hand" fallacy.  Each roll is independent of the prior roll.

What fallacy?  If the player with the biggest stack is doing something and a newbie wants to learn, watch them

[Elaine5715]

On 12/23/2021 at 1:56 PM, Will_Dieterich said:

https://www.cclpromos.com/carnivalplayersclub/

 

It comes down to $2.50 per point

at 1500 points you get the free booze drinks for rest of cruise

at 5000 you get free drinks for on next cruise.

There is no longer the get free drinks next cruise option if you get 5000 points  

[Calnev1]

5 hours ago, cruisingguy007 said:

 

..... and you just laugh thinking of all the other times you could have made more. The dice may have no memory, but I do!     

I enjoyed reading your post!  But as a math and probability guy, I think you have a selective memory.  In the casino, we like to remember the times we won (or could have won). And we conveniently forget the times we lost (or would have lost). 

 

I play in the casino and have fun.  But I know who  wins in the casino in the long run.  And its not the customer.