Headed out on a Carnival cruise in a couple weeks and want to practice Blackjack strategy specific to Carnival rules. Info on the internet seems to be a bit incomplete. Based on what I know so far: $6 tables pay 6/5 and use automatic shufflers (continuous shuffling) $25 tables pay 3/2 and use shoes. Unlimited splits except on aces. Nov 05, 2019 Hi All Ive just been on a cruise on the Cunard Queen Mary 2, departing from Hamburg on 27 October 2019 returning to Hamburg on 01 November 2019. Before the cruise I was looking for the casino rules on blackjack but I couldnt find anything. So for anyone elses benefit here they are: 1).
thlf
This was taken out of Hurricane Mikey's trip report on a cruise ship. I thought it was an interesting srew job.
There was one table in particular that I thought was amazing--it had the best rules I've ever seen on a Blackjack table. It was an eight-deck shoe, but any 21 was an automatic winner, no waiting for the dealer to make a hand and maybe push--if you drew to a 21, you got paid instantly. And if you got a blackjack, a 5-card 21, a 6-7-8 21, or a 7-7-7 21, you got paid instantly at 3:2 (no waiting to see if the dealer got a blackjack, either). You could double after *any* card, not just the third one, double after splits, re-hit split Aces, and they offered late surrender. I couldn't believe it! It was like the most amazing set of player-friendly rules ever!
Then, three days into the cruise, I found out that there we no queens in the deck. WTF? Nope, they didn't have that posted anywhere on the table, nor where they offering up that info voluntarily. You had to ask. That's 32 fewer chances to get a blackjack, a HUGE advantage for the house, so I immediately colored up and quit playing as soon as I learned that. I just never noticed that there were no queens coming out. It turned out that all of their blackjack tables had some sort of god-awful Harrah-fied rules, so after that, I avoided the blackjack tables altogether.
There was one table in particular that I thought was amazing--it had the best rules I've ever seen on a Blackjack table. It was an eight-deck shoe, but any 21 was an automatic winner, no waiting for the dealer to make a hand and maybe push--if you drew to a 21, you got paid instantly. And if you got a blackjack, a 5-card 21, a 6-7-8 21, or a 7-7-7 21, you got paid instantly at 3:2 (no waiting to see if the dealer got a blackjack, either). You could double after *any* card, not just the third one, double after splits, re-hit split Aces, and they offered late surrender. I couldn't believe it! It was like the most amazing set of player-friendly rules ever!
Then, three days into the cruise, I found out that there we no queens in the deck. WTF? Nope, they didn't have that posted anywhere on the table, nor where they offering up that info voluntarily. You had to ask. That's 32 fewer chances to get a blackjack, a HUGE advantage for the house, so I immediately colored up and quit playing as soon as I learned that. I just never noticed that there were no queens coming out. It turned out that all of their blackjack tables had some sort of god-awful Harrah-fied rules, so after that, I avoided the blackjack tables altogether.
Wizard
Administrator
I agree, that is not right to not disclose the modified deck to the players. What would prevent them from removing a few aces as well? Administrator
I was deceived at first by the game Triple Action Hold Em at Binion's, which uses eights to aces only. Maybe the felt mentioned it somewhere, but I played several hands before I realized something was fishy, and the dealer confirmed my suspicion that there were only high cards in the deck.
It's not whether you win or lose; it's whether or not you had a good bet.
Doc
I may have already posted this a long time ago, but I'm not sure.
I was on a cruise ship half a dozen years ago in which some players suspected incomplete decks of cards. The casino was not open 24 hours, and when it opened for players to enter, the cards were already shuffled (supposedly) and in the shoes, ready for the deal. We never got to see them spread on the table face up, as most of us were accustomed to seeing when a table was first opened. The dealers and supervisor claimed that the decks were standard and complete, and I had no well-based reason to doubt them, but a fair number of my fellow players thought that there was a distinct shortage of face cards. No, the casino was not willing to spread the cards for examination, even at the shuffle, claiming that it would delay play, or some such. I only played BJ when the crap table was not open for business. The dice certainly appeared to have the standard number of pips.
I was on a cruise ship half a dozen years ago in which some players suspected incomplete decks of cards. The casino was not open 24 hours, and when it opened for players to enter, the cards were already shuffled (supposedly) and in the shoes, ready for the deal. We never got to see them spread on the table face up, as most of us were accustomed to seeing when a table was first opened. The dealers and supervisor claimed that the decks were standard and complete, and I had no well-based reason to doubt them, but a fair number of my fellow players thought that there was a distinct shortage of face cards. No, the casino was not willing to spread the cards for examination, even at the shuffle, claiming that it would delay play, or some such. I only played BJ when the crap table was not open for business. The dice certainly appeared to have the standard number of pips.
benbakdoff
Foxwoods and MGM in Ct. buy the cards for their eight deck shoes pre-shuffled. When changing cards they are not in order when spread on the table.
mkl654321
That's 32 fewer chances to get a blackjack, a HUGE advantage for the house, so I immediately colored up and quit playing as soon as I learned that. I just never noticed that there were no queens coming out. It turned out that all of their blackjack tables had some sort of god-awful Harrah-fied rules, so after that, I avoided the blackjack tables altogether.
I suppose fraud is not a crime on the high seas. This would certainly be both fraud and cheating if it happened on dry land.
The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality.---George Bernard Shaw
FleaStiff
No, the casino was not willing to spread the cards for examination, even at the shuffle, claiming that it would delay play, or some such.
Heck no! I'd never play that way. I've been on Day Boats wherein the shuffling is done in domestic waters but the gambling doesn't start until the boat is in international waters. Sure they don't allow curious passengers to mill around when they are filling the table's banks, but during the shuffle of multiple decks into a shoe anyone with a mind to can watch. It does not in any way delay play to demonstrate the casino's honesty!LostWages
I've been able to memorize the Wizard Strategy simple exceptions by Jeff Pepper (only 18 cells to remember!). We're getting ready to go on a Carnival Cruise trip, and I verified that they do have 3:2 blackjack, but the minimum bet starts at $10. That's a bit rich for my pocket. They do have $5 minimum to play 6:5 blackjack or '21'. I am going to play recreational with a modest bankroll of $500. This will be my first time on a live blackjack table.
Any advice from those of you with more playing experience?Eat real food . . . and you won't need medicine (or a lot less!)
HeyMrDJ
Pretty sure you'd be better off playing the $10 min at 3:2, would last longer.
billryan
BJ on cruises is glacial slow, so you should be okay at $10.
LostWages
I'm comfortable and disciplined enough to know my limits, so I'll stay away from 6:5 '21'. Tks!Eat real food . . . and you won't need medicine (or a lot less!)
LostWages
Tks, Bill!Eat real food . . . and you won't need medicine (or a lot less!)
TwoFeathersATL
I've been able to memorize the Wizard Strategy simple exceptions by Jeff Pepper (only 18 cells to remember!). We're getting ready to go on a Carnival Cruise trip, and I verified that they do have 3:2 blackjack, but the minimum bet starts at $10. That's a bit rich for my pocket. They do have $5 minimum to play 6:5 blackjack or '21'. I am going to play recreational with a modest bankroll of $500. This will be my first time on a live blackjack table.
Any advice from those of you with more playing experience?
$10min/$1000 max 3:2 BJ was available. CSM dealt, H17, no surrender, Split to 4, DAS, NRA etc.
The $6 min table(s) are not Blackjack, but Fun21, SuperFun21 or some other variant with TOTALLY different Basic Strategy for play.Blackjack Rules On Cruise Ships
If you think you know the 'simplified Basic' from WOO (Pepper?) you probably don't in a live game setting.
You will prolly lose your money if you do play that Strategy perfect.
The more perfect you play, the longer it should take to lose.
Many people enjoy the hell out of playing, most lose.
Don't play with money you would mind losing. And yes you could win, happens frequently.
The longer you play, by Basic Strategy, the more likely you are to lose all your money, fact.
The are Advanced Strategies available, Basic is just a good foundation.
The practice game on WOO is good for practice, easy game to play.
Blackjack Rules On Cruise Ships 2018
Seems to be seriously skewed in the players favor over the long run in my experience.
Have a fun cruise! 2Feathers
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
gordonm888
1. Remember the casino is open only when the ship is not in port and not within 2 hours of U.S shores.Blackjack Rules On Cruise Ships Schedule
2. Also, realize that the casino is completely unregulated and Carnival has been on a campaign to increase revenues from their casinos. Ask a wide-open leading question of your dealer such as 'Is this game the same as the Blackjack game that I play in Las Vegas?' which gives the dealer the opportunity to tell you about any weird differences form conventional BJ. Heaven help you if they've deleted Queens from the deck, lol.3. Watch for dealer mistakes. The dealers are usually not the world's best - for instance, they usually work another (non-casino) job on the ship when the casino is closed.
So many better men, a few of them friends, were dead. And a thousand thousand slimy things lived on, and so did I.
Joeman
3. Watch for dealer mistakes. The dealers are usually not the world's best
Yes! I was on a Carnival cruise last month. I was playing UTH & chatting with the dealer. He said that he had never played a hand of poker before Carnival made him a dealer!As to the OP, the last two Carnival cruises I was on, the minimum was not $5, but $6 -- they are encouraging you to place a $1 side bet. I know you said you checked, but things change without notice in casinos, so don't be surprised if you see minimums at $6. Like the others have said, I would play the $10 3:2 tables over the $5 (or possibly $6) 6:5 tables.
The good news is that a cruise ship casino is a good place to play live for the first time. You will very likely have the company of other first-timers at the tables. Even with the recent proliferation of casinos around the country, you will still find people on a cruise who have never set foot in a casino before. In my experience, the atmosphere in on-board casinos is relaxed and as stated above, the pace is typically very slow.
My advice is to play for short periods at a time and set a session win/loss limit. For instance, if you buy-in for $80, leave when you hit $160 or $0, or after 45 minutes if you haven't reached either limit. You may win, but you are more likely to lose, and when you lose, it can go fast. It would suck to lose your trip bankroll on the first day of a 7-day cruise!
And watch out, they will bring you drinks while you gamble, but they aren't free like they would be in Vegas!
'Dealer has 'rock'... Pay 'paper!'
TwoFeathersATL
1. Remember the casino is open only when the ship is not in port and not within 2 hours of U.S shores.
2. Also, realize that the casino is completely unregulated and Carnival has been on a campaign to increase revenues from their casinos. Ask a wide-open leading question of your dealer such as 'Is this game the same as the Blackjack game that I play in Las Vegas?' which gives the dealer the opportunity to tell you about any weird differences form conventional BJ. Heaven help you if they've deleted Queens from the deck, lol.
3. Watch for dealer mistakes. The dealers are usually not the world's best - for instance, they usually work another (non-casino) job on the ship when the casino is closed.
There is no 'two hour rule' to/from US shores. It varies wildly, and is distance based. Alaska cruises have some special considerations. Just ask once on-board and they can give you approx times both coming and going ;-)
Not sure about the 'Carnival has been on a campaign' remark. My impression is that Carnival's casino operations are contracted out to Oceans Players Club, as are several other cruise line's operating from US and a bunch more overseas. The terms of $$ flow between the parties is a mystery to me.
Royal Caribbean operates it's own casinos.
Norwegian I'm not sure about except there is a part ownership connection between major stakeholders in CET and Norwegian. Hence Norwegian Cruise promotions etc at CET properties.
And one last thought, you can't access gambling related sites (WOO) thru Carnival's onboard Internet service, they are blocked. You can send a hello to the Forum from a connection if you find one in your ports of call.
Youuuuuu MIGHT be a 'rascal' if.......(nevermind ;-)...2F
LostWages
Tks for your add-on to Gordon's post, as well as your original and informative share about your experience. I will take your comments into consideration. I think I have the right frame of mind for a first-time cruiser (this coming Oct) and a first-time blackjack player in a live casino. I am also remembering that I'm playing primarily for recreation, so it's good to know the casino 'pace' will be slower than what one might have in Vegas. For bankroll, I had a similar thought to play in short sessions of 15-20 min to get my feet wet, TKS!Eat real food . . . and you won't need medicine (or a lot less!)