Do the casino's ever have Texas Hold Em TOURNAMENTS?

The last Carnival cruise I took, I know they had a Hold Em table (it was actually an electronic table...which I have mixed feelings on, but anyway), but I don't recall them having an actual buy in tournament...

Is that something some ships/casino's will do? If so, can you please give me a few details?

Thanks!

I have done it once on a ship before. It was pretty lame. They had had it set up so that it would end in an hour. The blinds went up so quickly that it was basically blind luck, and not skill, that determined the winner.

I have done it once on a ship before. It was pretty lame. They had had it set up so that it would end in an hour. The blinds went up so quickly that it was basically blind luck, and not skill, that determined the winner.

Wow, an hour? Sheesh. Yeah, that's crazy...

One of the last cruises i was on, they had an actual card table with real cards and chips....multiple days of signups for a tournament. They wanted at least 10 people and never got more than 4 people to sign up. I thought it would be alot more popular, guess not

I’m a big fan of hold em(that’s the only reason I go to casinos here at home), and the last 3 carnival ships I have been on only had the electronic table. I don’t recall a tournament. I’m not a fan of the electronic tables at all...not comfortable with them if you know what I’m trying to say...

I’m a big fan of hold em(that’s the only reason I go to casinos here at home), and the last 3 carnival ships I have been on only had the electronic table. I don’t recall a tournament. I’m not a fan of the electronic tables at all...not comfortable with them if you know what I’m trying to say...

Yes....I know exactly what you're trying to say! When I played on my last cruise, we had four of a kind twice in three hands, and had so many flopped sets with pocket pairs in hand that it was ridiculous...

Even though it sounds like a tourney may never happen, does anyone recall what the listed buy-in was SUPPOSED to be?

Even though it sounds like a tourney may never happen, does anyone recall what the listed buy-in was SUPPOSED to be?

It was $50 the time I did it.

Yes....I know exactly what you're trying to say! When I played on my last cruise, we had four of a kind twice in three hands, and had so many flopped sets with pocket pairs in hand that it was ridiculous...

I think there’s a sizeable rake that the machine takes as well. The one nice thing about the machine though is a small amount of money can usually last awhile. As long as you don’t get that ONE person at the table that thinks he’s in the WSOP and tries to bully the table. Last cruise there were 6 of us that were all playing for about 2 hours. We were all making modest bets, just having fun, and letting our money last. This one guys comes up and sits down and starts betting outrageous amounts. Sucked all the fun out. Got a little ticked off, called his bluff after about 10 hands, took his money, and left lol

I think there’s a sizeable rake that the machine takes as well. The one nice thing about the machine though is a small amount of money can usually last awhile. As long as you don’t get that ONE person at the table that thinks he’s in the WSOP and tries to bully the table. Last cruise there were 6 of us that were all playing for about 2 hours. We were all making modest bets, just having fun, and letting our money last. This one guys comes up and sits down and starts betting outrageous amounts. Sucked all the fun out. Got a little ticked off, called his bluff after about 10 hands, took his money, and left lol

HAHA!! Gotta love it! Sounds similar to my last outing on the ship. I had been playing with a group of really fun people for quite a while, then some guy sits down and starts betting half his stack preflop and on the flop. It was like 6 straight hands, and we'd never seen a turn. So finally, pre-flop he raises something like $30, and I call with 99. Flop comes out something like 2 4 9, rainbow. He bets the pot, which was like $65 at that point, I raised him another $65, and he immediately raises all-in, which was like $200 (of which, I think I had about $140 at that point). So...I mean, obviously, I had no choice but to call, as I had the absolute nuts at that moment. I'm thinking it was quite obvious that he had AA or KK.....right? (That, or pocket 2's or 4's crossed my mind, but I didn't really think that was likely).

So anyways, I call, and he had A7. Un-suited (not that it matters, lol).

Soooo....yeah, that was the easiest couple hundred dollars I'd ever made. HA HA

HAHA!! Gotta love it! Sounds similar to my last outing on the ship. I had been playing with a group of really fun people for quite a while, then some guy sits down and starts betting half his stack preflop and on the flop. It was like 6 straight hands, and we'd never seen a turn. So finally, pre-flop he raises something like $30, and I call with 99. Flop comes out something like 2 4 9, rainbow. He bets the pot, which was like $65 at that point, I raised him another $65, and he immediately raises all-in, which was like $200 (of which, I think I had about $140 at that point). So...I mean, obviously, I had no choice but to call, as I had the absolute nuts at that moment. I'm thinking it was quite obvious that he had AA or KK.....right? (That, or pocket 2's or 4's crossed my mind, but I didn't really think that was likely).

 

So anyways, I call, and he had A7. Un-suited (not that it matters, lol).

 

 

Soooo....yeah, that was the easiest couple hundred dollars I'd ever made. HA HA

Oh wow. I hope that guy is on my cruise next month hahaha

Yes....I know exactly what you're trying to say! When I played on my last cruise, we had four of a kind twice in three hands, and had so many flopped sets with pocket pairs in hand that it was ridiculous...

it's a random 52 card deck every hand. I'm not sure what you are trying to say? the cards are fixed? be serious

it's a random 52 card deck every hand. I'm not sure what you are trying to say? the cards are fixed? be serious

It’s an electronic machine. Not a dealer.

with a 52 card random deck, played it many times so asking, do you think it's fixed?

with a 52 card random deck, played it many times so asking, do you think it's fixed?

People are convinced that the tables are geared to generate action. I don't like the electronic tables because it removes one of the only tells I am good at reading which is watching people play with their cards and chips. I'm no good at reading faces at all. I've seen wilder action at real tables that at the poker pro.

I see you say "people are convinced", do you really think Carnival fixes a poker game? so you think there might be more than 4 of a kind in a deck? I think your argument is absurd. Ten random people playing poker, mostly not very well. Geared to generate action?

I see you say "people are convinced", do you really think Carnival fixes a poker game? so you think there might be more than 4 of a kind in a deck? I think your argument is absurd. Ten random people playing poker, mostly not very well. Geared to generate action?

Well...I mean...it’s not a theory, the ‘programs’ used to ‘generate random’ hands are not perfectly random. I can’t say with certainty that it’s the same program as what online companies use, but there have been quite a few documented issues over some of their poorly ‘randomized’ hands. I’m not at all saying (and I don’t think the previous poster is either) that the cruise line purposefully does anything unethical, but it’s MUCH different playing fake electronic cards than it is playing real cards, with a real dealer and real shuffle, against real players. Knowing some of the crap some online poker sites have pulled with their random hands just makes me slightly uneasy playing an electronic game.

And no, not saying there are more than 4 of any single card in one deck, haha. But the programs used online are ALLOWED around have hands that generate action. For example, one player has a boat at the exact same time another player has trips with a pocket pair, at the same time as another player is dealt AA. Gonna be quite a bit of action in that pot huh?? Online programs are allowed a certain amount of leeway in that regard, and there have been a lot of complaints about that. So anytime you play an electronic game, I’d think it’s only natural to not be COMPLETELY as comfortable as you would in a fully live game. That seems fairly simple to me.

The electronic table’s speed means you see about twice as many hands per hour compared to playing with real cards so instead of seeing a good hand every 20 minutes you are seeing one every 10 minutes which makes it seem

less random.

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The electronic table’s speed means you see about twice as many hands per hour compared to playing with real cards so instead of seeing a good hand every 20 minutes you are seeing one every 10 minutes which makes it seem

less random.

 

 

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That’s solid point. Hadn’t ever considered that actually. Appreciate the insight.

I DO like that facet of electronic hold em, the increased speed.

On my last cruise on the Magic there was a texas hold'em tournament at the electronic tables. My son won 2nd place and got an invite to another tournament some time in August (I think) where the grand prize is $750k. It is going to be on another ship but he can't go due to school.

On my last cruise on the Magic there was a texas hold'em tournament at the electronic tables. My son won 2nd place and got an invite to another tournament some time in August (I think) where the grand prize is $750k. It is going to be on another ship but he can't go due to school.

Wow! That's awesome!!

I'm assuming he would have still had to pay for his cruise and whatnot? But his entry to the tourney was going to be free?

Wow! That's awesome!!

 

I'm assuming he would have still had to pay for his cruise and whatnot? But his entry to the tourney was going to be free?

For a chance at $750K, I’d gladly pay for my own cruise haha

The last Carnival cruise I took, I know they had a Hold Em table (it was actually an electronic table...which I have mixed feelings on, but anyway), but I don't recall them having an actual buy in tournament...

 

Is that something some ships/casino's will do? If so, can you please give me a few details?

 

 

Thanks!

I'm not into Texas Hold'em per say, I will play but I'm not out seeking a tournament everywhere I go. With that said I have seen a tournament on one of our cruises. The problem is I have been on 4 different cruise lines and can't remember which one I saw it on. Anyway, the tournament that I saw was way longer than 1 hour, I believe there was at least 3 tables. In fact, I was there when they were dealing I believe it was only the 3rd hand and when I returned (at least 2 hours later) they were still playing. I believe it was about hour later when I saw it was down to 3 players, so I had to watch and see who won (I was rooting for the guy that sat at our MDR table every night for a week). About 10 mins later one of the other guys got knocked out (yeah for our table mate). However, the tournament ended after that because the two guys left asked the dealer if they could quit and split the money. The cruise line told them it was up to them, and if you guys split the pot it would be $950 apiece:D. They did a gentlemen's hand shake and that was that, and the money counting began. The cool thing about it all was our table mate for the last 3 nights of the cruise bought a bottle of wine for the table (I do not drink wine:(, but would have taken a beer...LoL). As for my DW and two other people at the table they were happy, happy, happy. Well that was my one and only experience with Texas Hold'em on a cruise ship.

I'm not into Texas Hold'em per say, I will play but I'm not out seeking a tournament everywhere I go. With that said I have seen a tournament on one of our cruises. The problem is I have been on 4 different cruise lines and can't remember which one I saw it on. Anyway, the tournament that I saw was way longer than 1 hour, I believe there was at least 3 tables. In fact, I was there when they were dealing I believe it was only the 3rd hand and when I returned (at least 2 hours later) they were still playing. I believe it was about hour later when I saw it was down to 3 players, so I had to watch and see who won (I was rooting for the guy that sat at our MDR table every night for a week). About 10 mins later one of the other guys got knocked out (yeah for our table mate). However, the tournament ended after that because the two guys left asked the dealer if they could quit and split the money. The cruise line told them it was up to them, and if you guys split the pot it would be $950 apiece:D. They did a gentlemen's hand shake and that was that, and the money counting began. The cool thing about it all was our table mate for the last 3 nights of the cruise bought a bottle of wine for the table (I do not drink wine:(, but would have taken a beer...LoL). As for my DW and two other people at the table they were happy, happy, happy. Well that was my one and only experience with Texas Hold'em on a cruise ship.

Very cool. That's what I'm looking for!!