Casino Novice

[Little Elm]

What are the minimum bets on Craps, Blackjack, Poker? We are sailing on Voyager of the Seas.

[TahoeBob]

Absolutely you can make a decision on blackjack that influences the table.

And like anyone should care. the house does not care because it knows in the long run nothing anyone does will make a difference in the odds. there is just as much of a chance that the outcome by one player will result in a winning hand by another player, as a loss. Many clame to be a expert on 21, and how someone should play a hand, but how many of these players really know how or what the casino thinks about one hand and how it is played. how many of these players have ever worked in A casino and know the truth. It is true that someone will get mad if you don't play like they want you to, because you might get there card. here is the big secret it is not there card, if it is your to turn and you want to hit it is your card not theres.

[Candy]

This is so true. I can't believe how many people get upset when someone does the "wrong" move at Blackjack. They get mad at the person when it leads to the dealer winning, but don't thank the person when it leads to the dealer busting.

Jim says I take all his needed cards, so he won't let me sit at his table. In fact, when I even stand near his table he knows, 'cause the dealer wins every time.

 

Candy the ZuiderPrincess <-- boarding the Mariner on 9/16

[Uncle Fester]

If you're new to the game, I would suggest you check out the Wizard of Odds website. The person who runs it is a statistician by training and a consultant to the gaming industry. He breaks down each game statistically, and has basic strategy chart you can print (basic strategy is playing in a way in which reduces the house edge to the minimum, given the specific rules of the game).

 

He also shows the results of statistical tests about someone "ruining" the table by making stupid plays. He shows that it doesn't make one bit of difference. In the long run, how one player plays has no impact another. This is not to say that it cannot be annoying to other players to see someone hitting a 16 with the dealer showing a 5, or someone splitting face cards, and it may drive you a bit nuts, but it will not impact the randomness of the game.

 

As someone earlier said, relax and have fun. It's a game, not your job.

[phoenix1181]

IMHO if you want to play table games, stay away from Blackjack unless you're able to play with friends or other beginners. You can play Caribbean Stud, Three Card Poker, and Roulette without subjecting yourself to the abuse you'll face at the hands (mouth) of many Blackjack players! :eek: With each of those games, what you do has no effect on anyone else at the table which means you can relax and enjoy yourself instead of worrying about every move you make playing Blackjack.

[hawkfish]

All casinos have quick classes to teach you how to play the various games. Keep you eye on the Compass and it will indicate what classes are being taught when.

 

Keep in mind that dealers want to help you because if they help you, you will have more fun and continue to play longer - it's in their/the casino's best interests to help you understand how to play.

 

If you want to win a bit, avoid roulette - it's easy but has some of the worst odds in the place. Blackjack and Craps have some of the best odds. One simple and fun thing to do is to get a video game for your PC or a hand-held game. It's a great way to become familiar with the rules of play without having to lose any real cash! :)

 

And I wouldn't worry about superstitious people getting angry at the tables - they exist, but they aren't everywhere, and if they get too annoying, just move on.

 

Above all, remember that it's all entertainment -- have fun!

[gnparend]

If you want FUN and just fun then play the 5 cent slots. You typically bet 9 lines 45 cents but you can spend hours just having fun and you are not going to lose all your money.

 

If you want to WIN then use the $1 slots they will pay more and seem to hit more but you lose faster.

 

Blackjack is slanted to the house with the 4 -5 decks but the rule is hit 12 or 13 if the dealer is showing a face card or 9, otherwise wait & see if the dealer will bust. Dealer must hit 16 and hold on 17. You may get lucky.

 

Roulette is a pure luck game and the odds don't favor anyone. Just pick a few numbers and place 1 or more chips (pays 35 -1 ) and place chips on the line between 2 numbers (you win if either hits) or on the corner of 4 numbers (you win if anyone of 4 hits) plus there are other plays and you can pick it up quickly. The split bets pay less but you win some and lose some and have fun playing. If you get lucky you can do well. The house makes money cause not everyone will pick the same number. Most important you don't offend anyone as a beginner because you don't affect their play. Oh Yea you can place your chips on top of anothers players chips if you want the same number. Everyone has unique color chips.

[MercedMike]

More advanced players like to play hands based on certain odds,and everyone kind of relies on the next guy to hold the line and make the move that statistically are more advantageous to everyone. If one person makes moves that are not statistically favorable, it affect the rest of the table. There is no "right way" but there is a way to play that statistically improves your chances of winning. It is still chance....:)

 

I can see you make the move that statistically is more advantageous to YOURSELF. But how can it be more advantageous to EVERYONE? A move I make can't influence anyone else's chances of winning, and certainly can't influence the dealer's chances of winning. Unless, of course, there is a card counter at the table. But they are banned from playing almost everyplace, aren't they? And remember even the MIT genuises ran into a huge losing streak.

 

And who is to say that I have to play statistically? If I choose to gamble based on gut feelings that the next card "feels" like a 10, I am entitled to follow my instincts, am I not? In fact, the way I choose to play is just one more random element in a random game.

 

I am not much of a gambler. I am a trained mathematician and understand statistics very well. (That's why I don't gamble much.) I just don't believe it is true in any way that one player's actions can affect another player or the dealer. It can, of course, affect which card falls to which player. But that is part of the randomness of the game. Nobody "owns" a card until it is dealt to them. I still think it is all superstition.

 

I'm not going to play on the ship anyhow -- just interested in the mathematics of it.

[MercedMike]

If you're new to the game, I would suggest you check out the Wizard of Odds website. The person who runs it is a statistician by training and a consultant to the gaming industry. He breaks down each game statistically, and has basic strategy chart you can print (basic strategy is playing in a way in which reduces the house edge to the minimum, given the specific rules of the game).

 

He also shows the results of statistical tests about someone "ruining" the table by making stupid plays. He shows that it doesn't make one bit of difference. In the long run, how one player plays has no impact another. This is not to say that it cannot be annoying to other players to see someone hitting a 16 with the dealer showing a 5, or someone splitting face cards, and it may drive you a bit nuts, but it will not impact the randomness of the game.

 

As someone earlier said, relax and have fun. It's a game, not your job.

 

Yep, that's what I said. The math says I can't hurt anybody else.

 

What superstition says is another thing. Can I comb my troll's hair at the blackjack table without affecting other players chances?????:D

[rhsmd]

If other players think your "bad play" effects their chances, then they are the ignorant ones. It's all a matter of randomness in the cards, so you are just as likely to help as to hurt no matter what you do. The only one you can hurt with a "bad play" is yourself.

 

unfortunately you are wrong. your "incorrect" play affects all of the following cards and who gets what.

i am a poor BJ player, and for this reason i don't play. i don't like the nasty mumbles at the table. i stick with craps. ( best odds of any table game) ( i.e. lowest house advantage.)

[Little Elm]

Can I use my little card I got in Vegas that says when to hit, stand, and double down?

[rhsmd]

actually a fun game to try is let it ride.

i've done quite well in that game.

wife always wins big at nickle slots.

[MercedMike]

unfortunately you are wrong. your "incorrect" play affects all of the following cards and who gets what.

i am a poor BJ player, and for this reason i don't play. i don't like the nasty mumbles at the table. i stick with craps. ( best odds of any table game) ( i.e. lowest house advantage.)

 

 

Of course it affects what card comes next. But -- NEWS FLASH -- before the game there is something called "shuffling the deck" which is done to RANDOMIZE the cards!! If I play randomly, it is just further randomizing the cards!! Nobody "owns" any cards. Nothing I do changes the ODDS any other player is playing against. It might change their superstitious belief in Lady Luck, but that is all. Part of what Lady Luck does to them is give them "hunch" players to sit next to!

 

Of course, if somebody wants a 10, and I draw "his" ten, he will scream like a wounded walrus and pound on the table and cry! But that is just play acting ... if he seriously believed he owned that card and I had some obligation to play so he got it, he needs to be locked up!

 

Get real, folks. If I ever do slip my mathematical reasoning enough to decide to sit at a blackjack table, I will play my hunches intuitively and Devil take anybody who thinks I am playing "incorrectly"! I am sure the dealer will be just as happy to take my money as theirs!

 

Oh, and incidentally -- the odds that guarantee that the players overall long term loss will be smaller than in other games become the "best" odds? I would tend to call them the "least bad" odds!!!

[hoosiermarty]

We recieved $l00 in casino credit on our last cruise. They put it on your sea pass and you can use it for anything you want. We used it to pay our tips and I drank a few cans of diet coke. So, you don't have to use it in the casino at all. If you want to get the money out in cash, do just like another poster said and ask for chips. Then just cash them in later and you will have $225 in cash.

[CAT GIRL]

Can I use my little card I got in Vegas that says when to hit, stand, and double down?

 

Yes, you can. Please do.

[Conanc]

I won $250 on the slots on the last sea day on our cruise! What a way to end the cruise....that was nice but not typical! :)

[DON M.]

Of course it affects what card comes next. But -- NEWS FLASH -- before the game there is something called "shuffling the deck" which is done to RANDOMIZE the cards!! If I play randomly, it is just further randomizing the cards!! Nobody "owns" any cards. Nothing I do changes the ODDS any other player is playing against. It might change their superstitious belief in Lady Luck, but that is all. Part of what Lady Luck does to them is give them "hunch" players to sit next to!

 

Of course, if somebody wants a 10, and I draw "his" ten, he will scream like a wounded walrus and pound on the table and cry! But that is just play acting ... if he seriously believed he owned that card and I had some obligation to play so he got it, he needs to be locked up!

 

Get real, folks. If I ever do slip my mathematical reasoning enough to decide to sit at a blackjack table, I will play my hunches intuitively and Devil take anybody who thinks I am playing "incorrectly"! I am sure the dealer will be just as happy to take my money as theirs!

 

Oh, and incidentally -- the odds that guarantee that the players overall long term loss will be smaller than in other games become the "best" odds? I would tend to call them the "least bad" odds!!!

 

Iam one of those serious BJ players that get upset over "bad" play, but in reality you are absolutely right. If players stray from basic strategy you can win or lose because of it- it will even out in the long run. No one knows what cards are coming. The reason the house holds a 2 to 3 % advantage in Bj, is not because of how the players play but because you have to go FIRST.

[gaileeh]

Generally, slots are the worst bang for your buck. On some ships they are a little looser on the first night, but after that may as well light that money on fire. Unless you have fun watching your money say bub-bye :eek: and giving it to the casino, go for the slots. Just remember the ship is in international waters, there is no gaming commission rules they have to adhere to.

[DON M.]

Generally, slots are the worst bang for your buck. On some ships they are a little looser on the first night, but after that may as well light that money on fire. Unless you have fun watching your money say bub-bye :eek: and giving it to the casino, go for the slots. Just remember the ship is in international waters, there is no gaming commission rules they have to adhere to.

 

In the absence of government regulators, the cruise ship casinos operate under the guidelines of the ICCL( INTERNATIONAL COUNCIL OF CRUISE LINES.

The Iccl guidelines call for a equipment purchased and installed on cruise vessels to " meet the regulatory standards of the Nevada Gaming Control Board. or other licensed jurisdiction for payback and internal software".In U.S. casinos, regulators seal slot and video poker machines, and casino operators cannot access the internal software unless a member of the regulatory agency is present.

In the cruise world, there is no independent regulator to oversee what is done to these electronic gaming devices after they are put into operation.- so who knows what they are doing at 3 am.

[rhsmd]

Of course it affects what card comes next. But -- NEWS FLASH -- before the game there is something called "shuffling the deck" which is done to RANDOMIZE the cards!! If I play randomly, it is just further randomizing the cards!! Nobody "owns" any cards. Nothing I do changes the ODDS any other player is playing against. It might change their superstitious belief in Lady Luck, but that is all. Part of what Lady Luck does to them is give them "hunch" players to sit next to!

 

Of course, if somebody wants a 10, and I draw "his" ten, he will scream like a wounded walrus and pound on the table and cry! But that is just play acting ... if he seriously believed he owned that card and I had some obligation to play so he got it, he needs to be locked up!

 

Get real, folks. If I ever do slip my mathematical reasoning enough to decide to sit at a blackjack table, I will play my hunches intuitively and Devil take anybody who thinks I am playing "incorrectly"! I am sure the dealer will be just as happy to take my money as theirs!

 

Oh, and incidentally -- the odds that guarantee that the players overall long term loss will be smaller than in other games become the "best" odds? I would tend to call them the "least bad" odds!!!

 

 

i agree. thanks.

i personally don't like the hurried pace of BJ and the dirty looks and mumbling. i'll stick with the dice and let it ride.

[TahoeBob]

Just remember the ship is in international waters, there is no gaming commission rules they have to adhere to.

this is true they don't have to , but ships that leave out of the USA follow rules set down by the Nevada gaming commission.

 

http://cruisecritic.com/features/articles.cfm?ID=489

 

Question:

After gambling in various casinos on land and seeing some large payouts by slot machines I cannot once remember seeing a payout more than $500 on a cruise ship. Is the cruise industry held to any standard, given the fact that they are in international waters?

 

Answer:

Per the Cruise Lines International Association (the cruise industry's marketing arm): "[As in land-based Las Vegas resorts], all equipment purchased and installed on cruise vessels will meet the regulatory standards of the Nevada Gaming Control Board or other licensed jurisdiction for payback and internal software."

 

Based on those standards, "All shipboard gambling operations will be inspected by each member line's internal audit department on a regular basis, not to exceed 12 months."

 

Every licensed jurisdiction in the USA as far as I know follows the same rules as set by Nevada Gaming Control Board, with the execption of Indian gaming and there age limit.

[cruiseorbust]

TohoeBob...

 

Regarding "Question:

After gambling in various casinos on land and seeing some large payouts by slot machines I cannot once remember seeing a payout more than $500 on a cruise ship. Is the cruise industry held to any standard, given the fact that they are in international waters?"

 

I have seen some very large payouts on ships...$4,000+ on slots. They usually have a showcase window that will show snapshots of players that got paid large amounts...many will be on your ship currently. I know several people that have won large amounts on video poker as well as $1 machines, and quarters. I saw someone win $2,000+ while playing only one quarter. The odds are against you big time, but if you are in the right place at the right time you could be the one! Just set your limit before you even walk into the casino. Don't go in with the frame of mind "if I just put one more quarter in maybe I will win big"...chances are you can kiss that quarter goodbye!

[tim_alabim]

unfortunately you are wrong. your "incorrect" play affects all of the following cards and who gets what.

QUOTE]

 

Right, and if one bad play gets made, it ruins the entire 6 deck shuffle. I don't think that anyone would play if that were the case

[MikeNJ1109]

In general, I tend to avoid cruise ship casinos, as the reputation is that they are "black-holes" for your money. Overall, the only time I'll gamble will be if I have a match-play coupon in our C&A book. I also do not play slot machines, as a previous poster noted the odds are not that great...usually, my game is Craps, as I bet a certain way to keep the house advantage to as bare a minimum as possible.

 

That being said...on my first cruise about 10 years ago (RCL's Explorer of the Seas) I ended up playing a couple of the (then) new video slot machines...they had a 25 cent minimum, but I'd always play the max coins allowed. For whatever reason, I kept hitting $500 jackpots here, $1000 jackpots there...ended up using the winnings to pay our ship-board tab, bought Caviar & vodka before dinner one night for the family, and still had enough left over to put $2500 into the bank.

 

It was a lightning strike, something that'll never happen again....

 

Michael