Questions about HAL casino table games

[Euby]

I've got a cruise on the Eurodam in a few months.  I'm thinking of playing some table games in the casino. 

Any suggestions on what to play that will allow me to stretch out my time best?  It's too easy to kiss away $50 (example) in a slot machine in a matter of seconds. 

 

I've heard that craps may be a good option.  I've never played it before.  Do the HAL ships have a particular type of table (i.e., different bets available than usual)?  I'm interested in something that I can play for an hour and not worry too much about breaking my bank.  I'd rather play low risk/low reward for a long period of time.  Any suggestions on learning how to play and the best bets to make?

 

Any other games that are low risk / long playing time?

[WVU_Neal]

On 2/29/2024 at 3:49 AM, Euby said:

Any suggestions on what to play that will allow me to stretch out my time best?  It's too easy to kiss away $50 (example) in a slot machine in a matter of seconds. 

 

I'm quite familiar with casino games as well as those on the HAL ships. I tend to play games that offer the player the lowest house advantage. That game would be craps. Best bets are Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't Come. Those bets offer 1.41% house advantage. Odds on those bets are at no house advantage. Craps is a lot of fun to play, especially when there is a full table. It's fast with a lot of action. The disadvantage is that it is too easy to get a lot of money out on the table. If you want to give it a try, and you should, definitely take some time and learn the game and the odds before you board. Learn the layout, the odds, and which bets offer you the best advantage.

You might try Roulette. I play rarely as the house advantage is around 4%. Slower than craps. I don't play slots. The closest would be video poker, but the games on the HAL ships have horrible pay tables.

 

Good luck to you.

 

[dwc13]

I play live craps and baccarat at my local casino and while on a cruise if the casino has those live tables.  

 

If you're looking for a live table game of chance with a very low house edge, consider playing Baccarat if available. It is as close to a fair coin flip as you can find at a live table game in a casino on a cruise ship. Card dealing rules are set in advance -- there are no subjective hit/stand options like in blackjack. Aside from being a very simple game for the player, the house advantage for an 8 shoe game is 1.06 % on a Banker bet and 1.24% on a Player bet. Ignore the Tie bet unless it is down to the final few hands of the shoe and there hasn't been a single tie. 

 

IMO, live craps is the most entertaining table game in a casino. Sticking with Pass Line / Come, Place 6 & 8 bets will help keep the house advantage to a minimum while you learn the game. You can make a optional odds bet on a Pass Line / Come bet. The house has no advantage on the odds bet, so it effectively lowers the house advantage on the Pass Line / Come bet. However, betting odds also increases bankroll volatility (because there is more at risk). Also keep in mind while there is no house advantage on the odds bet, the house still has a lower advantage on the higher total amount wagered (Pass Line / Come bet + odds bet). 

 

Provided there are others at the craps tables, you can bet as often -- or infrequently -- as you want. Except for contract bets (Pass Line / Come bets, Put bets, any bonus bets), you can turn off / take down your bets at any time by telling the dealer before the dice are tossed. Note that you can always take down / turn off odds bets.  

 

Cruise ship craps tables attract plenty of players who haven't played or don't regularly play craps. Etiquette that might be followed at a craps table at a land-based casino...more often than not will not be followed aboard a cruise ship. That being said, there are a few things I'll mention: 

1. Know where the dice are at all times. Don't be the person who wasn't paying attention / didn't look before reaching into the table to buy in / bet and the dice hit their hand, resulting in a 7 out.

2. The time to make bets or ask for check change is when the dice are at the center of the table. Same with buying in (cash, room card). 

3. Once the shooter has the dice, don't make any bets and keep your hands outside of the table. 

4. Be vigilant about your bets. Know where they have been positioned by the dealer/stickperson, as well as the amount of each such bet you have made. Sometimes the dealer/stickperson will erroneously take down one or more of your bets. 

5. Don't assume the dealers/stickperson will pay a winning bet properly. Sometimes they forget to pay a winning bet at all -- speak up promptly if either happens to you. You should know the proper payouts for each bet you make.  

6. You don't have to shoot the dice (unless you're the only player at the table). You can pass the dice to the next person. Players take turns shooting dice. 

7. There is a rail below the top of the table for your beverages. 

8. Have fun playing within your means/bankroll. Craps can be really fun, especially when the table is hot. 

9. See #1 above.

 

If you want to learn the basics of craps play, YouTube videos are probably a good starting place. YouTuber Color Up has a few beginner craps videos. Keep things simple when you're starting out. There is *NO* strategy / system that can guarantee a winning craps session. None. 

 

Ultimately, how you fare at a live table game largely depends upon your timing (and also your bankroll and betting). If you're playing at the right table at the right time, you have a much better chance of enjoying a good session. If you're playing at the wrong table and/or the wrong time, you're likely going to lose. But you already know that. The other night I played craps at my local casino (7 craps tables, all open). My table was up and down; it was a grind. The one behind me, a player made the All All 2x on the same roll and there were a few other good rolls. Later that night (after I had switched tables), a player on the table across from me made a 5 point Fire and hit the All All. Right time, wrong tables for me that night. 

 

Enjoy your cruise and good luck at the tables.

Edited March 8 by dwc13

[dwc13]

On 2/29/2024 at 2:49 AM, Euby said:

 

I've heard that craps may be a good option.  I've never played it before.  Do the HAL ships have a particular type of table (i.e., different bets available than usual)?  

 

 

Last time my wife and I were on a Holland America ship was in May 2023 aboard Nieuw Statendam on a Norwegian Fjord cruise out of Amsterdam. Nice ship. 

 

At the time of our sailing, the casino had a single 12' craps table. $5 minimum bet, $500 maximum bet, 2x odds, 2x Field 12. If memory serves, some of the hardways bets had lower limits. The craps table layout was very basic aside from the very popular All Tall Small bonus bets (ATS). Winning ATS bonus bets were paid the same as Las Vegas Strip casino payouts: 

 

Roll the All Small (2, 3, 4, 5 & 6) before ANY 7 and get paid 30 to 1. Box person will say 'Small completed' if this bet is a winner. 

 

Roll the All Tall (8, 9, 10, 11, 12) before ANY 7 and get paid 30 to 1. Box person will say 'Tall completed' if this bet is a winner. 

 

Roll the All All  (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12) before ANY 7 and get paid 150 to 1. As the various numbers are rolled by the shooter, the box person will mark that number as having been 'hit'. When only 1 number is needed for the All All, it gets very exciting. You'll know if this bet is a winner if someone has bet it. Box person will confirm by saying 'All completed' if this bet is a winner.

 

What makes the ATS difficult -- aside from rolling a 2 or 12, for which there is only 1 dice combination for each -- is ANY 7 will wipe out the ATS bets. That includes a come out roll 7, which is a winner on the Pass Line but a loser for the ATS bets. It's actually not terribly difficult to hit one side (i.e., Small or Tall), but hitting the All is extremely difficult. 

 

Some casinos require ATS bets to be in increments of $5 in order to speed up a reset (after a come out roll 7) and to simplify the math involved on a payout. Nobody wants to calculate a winning $13 bet, especially on tables that have the good payout schedule (34x/175x/34x). If you choose to make a ATS bonus bet, you don't have to bet all 3 ATS bets. You can bet 1, 2, or all 3 of them. 

[Euby]

Thanks!  That is very informative.  I've bookmarked some Color Up videos on YouTube.  Is there a comparable "channel" for learning Baccarat?

[Globaler]

On 3/8/2024 at 6:14 AM, dwc13 said:

I play live craps and baccarat at my local casino and while on a cruise if the casino has those live tables.  

 

If you're looking for a live table game of chance with a very low house edge, consider playing Baccarat if available. It is as close to a fair coin flip as you can find at a live table game in a casino on a cruise ship. Card dealing rules are set in advance -- there are no subjective hit/stand options like in blackjack. Aside from being a very simple game for the player, the house advantage for an 8 shoe game is 1.06 % on a Banker bet and 1.24% on a Player bet. Ignore the Tie bet unless it is down to the final few hands of the shoe and there hasn't been a single tie. 

 

IMO, live craps is the most entertaining table game in a casino. Sticking with Pass Line / Come, Place 6 & 8 bets will help keep the house advantage to a minimum while you learn the game. You can make a optional odds bet on a Pass Line / Come bet. The house has no advantage on the odds bet, so it effectively lowers the house advantage on the Pass Line / Come bet. However, betting odds also increases bankroll volatility (because there is more at risk). Also keep in mind while there is no house advantage on the odds bet, the house still has a lower advantage on the higher total amount wagered (Pass Line / Come bet + odds bet). 

 

Provided there are others at the craps tables, you can bet as often -- or infrequently -- as you want. Except for contract bets (Pass Line / Come bets, Put bets, any bonus bets), you can turn off / take down your bets at any time by telling the dealer before the dice are tossed. Note that you can always take down / turn off odds bets.  

 

Cruise ship craps tables attract plenty of players who haven't played or don't regularly play craps. Etiquette that might be followed at a craps table at a land-based casino...more often than not will not be followed aboard a cruise ship. That being said, there are a few things I'll mention: 

1. Know where the dice are at all times. Don't be the person who wasn't paying attention / didn't look before reaching into the table to buy in / bet and the dice hit their hand, resulting in a 7 out.

2. The time to make bets or ask for check change is when the dice are at the center of the table. Same with buying in (cash, room card). 

3. Once the shooter has the dice, don't make any bets and keep your hands outside of the table. 

4. Be vigilant about your bets. Know where they have been positioned by the dealer/stickperson, as well as the amount of each such bet you have made. Sometimes the dealer/stickperson will erroneously take down one or more of your bets. 

5. Don't assume the dealers/stickperson will pay a winning bet properly. Sometimes they forget to pay a winning bet at all -- speak up promptly if either happens to you. You should know the proper payouts for each bet you make.  

6. You don't have to shoot the dice (unless you're the only player at the table). You can pass the dice to the next person. Players take turns shooting dice. 

7. There is a rail below the top of the table for your beverages. 

8. Have fun playing within your means/bankroll. Craps can be really fun, especially when the table is hot. 

9. See #1 above.

 

If you want to learn the basics of craps play, YouTube videos are probably a good starting place. YouTuber Color Up has a few beginner craps videos. Keep things simple when you're starting out. There is *NO* strategy / system that can guarantee a winning craps session. None. 

 

Ultimately, how you fare at a live table game largely depends upon your timing (and also your bankroll and betting). If you're playing at the right table at the right time, you have a much better chance of enjoying a good session. If you're playing at the wrong table and/or the wrong time, you're likely going to lose. But you already know that. The other night I played craps at my local casino (7 craps tables, all open). My table was up and down; it was a grind. The one behind me, a player made the All All 2x on the same roll and there were a few other good rolls. Later that night (after I had switched tables), a player on the table across from me made a 5 point Fire and hit the All All. Right time, wrong tables for me that night. 

 

Enjoy your cruise and good luck at the tables.

Great write up for someone who has never played craps and about what types of players are on a cruise ship. The only other thing I would add is don’t ask questions standing next to the roller and please don’t ask what happens if he rolls a 7.

[dwc13]

7 hours ago, Euby said:

Thanks!  That is very informative.  I've bookmarked some Color Up videos on YouTube.  Is there a comparable "channel" for learning Baccarat?

 

There might be but I hardly ever look at baccarat videos on YouTube. Search 'baccarat tutorial' or something similar. I did a quick search and the link below is a decent introduction to baccarat. Note that it doesn't cover bonus bets such as Dragon or Panda that might be offered. As a general rule, bonus bets for any casino game are high risk / high reward. Dragon and Panda bonus bets are definitely long shot and carry a high house advantage (like the ATS in craps). 

 

How to Play Baccarat - Everything You Need to Know

 

I have played many shoes of baccarat over the years. In an earlier post I mentioned coin flip while talking about this game. IME, baccarat can be more streaky than any other game in the casino. For example, I have seen 24 consecutive Banker wins; obviously, this is an outlier, but mini runs of 3-8 straight for one side are fairly common and can occur multiple times in a shoe. In all my years of playing baccarat, I have never played through a complete (start to end) 8 deck shoe with less than 3 ties. So if there hasn't been a tie and there are only a few hands remaining in the shoe, that would be one of the few times I would consider making a Tie bet.  

 

 

 

 

[dwc13]

 

@Euby

 

If you're interested in the underlying math of craps (or other casino games), head over the Wizard of Odds site.

 

House Edge for all the Major Craps Bet 

 

How the House Edge for Each Bet is Derived

 

Just remember those numbers are theoretical. In the long run, craps is a negative expectations game. However, short term variance / luck can skew everything; we hope that is the case so we can win while we're at the craps table. 

 

Wizard of Odds even has a free craps simulator. I'm not going to link it here, but it's fairly easy to find on that site.