OK, Let's talk about GAMBLING

[drdaddy]

There are plenty of threads about the cabins, food, tipping, excursions, etc. And these are all fabulous and important topics. But one topic not covered too much is GAMBLING on board.

 

Now, this could be bad or good, depending on your frame of mind. Some people do this for entertainment but some gamble to try to pay for their cruise.

 

What I am curious about is: How is the gambling in HAL ships, especially Zuiderdam? I am interested in Blackjack and Craps. Actually interested in 3 Card Poker too but this ain't Las Vegas. Are the dealers nice or crabby? I like the entertainment part of this. I also figure alot of people play that shouldn't play because they don't know the basic strategy.

 

What are the usual minimums on board and do they vary on the time of day? Also interested in Video Poker and do any of the gamblers out there know if the pay tables are decent or not. I am not by any means a high roller but I enjoy this aspect of cruising very much. Hence, no Disney for me!

 

We were on the Explorer last Sep. and spent a little time at the dice table. Up and down but entertaining. So the last night I figure why tempt providence and I spent most of the time with my DW. Thought I should, since that was our 25th anniversary cruise. Nice of me, no? Well we ventured into the casino and there was not even an inch of room at the craps table. I saw someone I spoke to during the cruise and he said that three guys held the dice for over three hours! Unbelievable. He even offered to let me in a bit but I figured I wasn't going to be the one to stop that streak. So I passed. That was one table I actually could have won some of the money back. Oh well, so goes my luck.

[gizmo]

Hi drdaddy,

 

I love the casino. I play craps and roulette. Roulette is $3 or $5 miniumum bet. I have seen both. Black/Red/Odd/Even are $5 minimum. Black Jack is $5 minimum. Craps is $5 miniumum, and they allow double odds. :) I don't know the max bet.

 

I always found the dealers to be friendly, some being more outgoing than others.

 

For some reason, the craps table on Hal does not draw a lot of people. It is seldom that crowded that you can't get in. Sometimes it sits idle for a couple of hours.

 

One ship had a new dealer. She was a real nice person. She got nick named "No Spin" by the roulette players. She could not keep the ball in the wheel and it went flying all over the place. The pit boss would come over and tell her she was spinning the ball causing it to fly out. Everytime he saw it happen he would say "No Spin". One night the ball landed in Mr. Gizmo's drink. :D The entire table was laughing but the pit boss was beside himself. The players started to kid around with her and say "No Spin" every time she started a new spin. She went along with the fun and I think she everyone's favorite roulette dealer on this cruise.

 

Your craps story reminds me of my best night in the casino on a cruise. Like your story it was the last night but I was one of the players at the craps table. Myself and 2 or 3 gentlemen were playing the entire cruise. I was up and debated about giving it all back the last night. We were sitting at the bar and one guy said he felt lucky and let's go play. We held the dice for cose to 3 hours and all left very happy winners.:)

[drdaddy]

Gizmo,

 

Is it possible that was the Explorer of the Seas last Labor Day? That would be too weird because it is the same exact scenario.

 

But the Craps table is usually quiet on many cruises. We were on Norway for it's "Farewell" cruise transatlantic Labor Day 2001 (Yes, it also encompassed Sep. 11!) They didn't even bring any dealers for the craps table. There were a couple of high rollers on board and they were comped on the cruise because they spent money and they HAD to spend a certain amount and didn't want to play BJ. So somewhere they found some dealers and the table was actually a little busy. These guys were nuts! Money to burn, I guess.

 

$5 minimums on BJ and Craps is good. Prefer $1 - $3 like in Vegas but never seen that on a ship. I can lose it a lot slower but you don't win as fast unless it is hot. But $5 tables throughout the week will work.

 

Seen any Video Poker?

[gizmo]

drdaddy,

 

Sorry, it was not the Explorer, it was the Amsterdam.

 

I have seen the Video Poker machines. I think all the Hal ships have them.

 

Lots of times the minimun $ is lowered on a sea day for the afternoon. The daily program will have it listed.

 

There is also a Black Jack tournanment and Slot tournaments.

 

The Norway not having dealers for the craps table sounds really weird !

I have sailed on the Norway and the craps table was always packed.

[CruisinNana]

I also love the casino! Rarely win, but love it anyway. When the budget for gambling is gone, so am I!

 

I do know the basic "book" rules for blackjack, but lots of folks on the last cruise did not. The pit boss was nice enough to open a $15 minimum table so that those who knew the "book" rules could play without the novices, and we did have a full table. Don't get me wrong.....I love to play with beginners when they want help and I love to help them. Some want to play "their" way, which is fine because it is their money; I just mosey on along to another table so I can lose my fair share but feel as if I lost because it was the luck of the draw rather than some other reason. :D :D :D

 

We are on the way to Biloxi this weekend. Wish me luck!!! ;)

Dee

[cruise freak]

The dealers on the Zuiderdam are wonderful. Very friendly. Made friends with casino manager (not on their anymore) and he would change cards when we wanted and change dealers to who we wanted. We didn't win but had a great time. We mostly pay 3 card poker and the minimum was $5.00. The payouts were pretty much like Vegas. The video poker is awful. The machine prepick the cards you should hold and if you play max bet be careful as some $1.00 has $10.00 max play. The other slots don't pay out much either. Stick with the tables. I did see quite a bit of people play craps and the table was full alot of the time. I didn't pay attention as I don't play that. Good luck and occasionally we had drinks bought for us by the pit bosses. They do have a players club that you get cash back from so ask about it and remind them everytime you play so you will be rates. You can use the the cash back on any Carnival owned ship.

[CruisinNana]

They do have a players club that you get cash back from so ask about it and remind them everytime you play so you will be rates. You can use the the cash back on any Carnival owned ship

 

I didn't know that!!! Thanks for the info. How and when do they give you cash back? What kind of bets and how much time do they expect??

Dee

[cruise freak]

Go to http://www.oceanplayersclub.com and it will explain. You are supposed to get a check when you get back but I have had trouble getting it and have e-mailed them in the past to receive it. The check can be cashed at the cashier window in the casino and you can use it for anything you want.

[Tatka]

I also love the casino! Rarely win, but love it anyway. When the budget for gambling is gone, so am I!

 

I do know the basic "book" rules for blackjack, but lots of folks on the last cruise did not. The pit boss was nice enough to open a $15 minimum table so that those who knew the "book" rules could play without the novices, and we did have a full table. Don't get me wrong.....I love to play with beginners when they want help and I love to help them. Some want to play "their" way, which is fine because it is their money; I just mosey on along to another table so I can lose my fair share but feel as if I lost because it was the luck of the draw rather than some other reason. :D :D :D

 

Dee

I agree! I really hate when dealer has 6 and somebody has 12 or 13 and they want to add more cards.

 

We usually play in Foxwood. (We have only two casinos "next" to us in CT, Foxwoods and Moghican Sun but both are beautifull) :)

 

My DH only plays on $100 tables cause he figured out he usually loses less there than at $15-$25 tables. :cool:

 

I noticed a new for me rule on Splendour ots. If dealers have "soft" 17 (with Ace) they continue to add cards.

[jetfixer03]

I wish they would add poker! Everybody else in the world is jumping on the poker bandwagon, I'd love to see them do it too.

 

Chris J

[CruisinNana]

I agree! I really hate when dealer has 6 and somebody has 12 or 13 and they want to add more cards.

 

We usually play in Foxwood. (We have only two casinos "next" to us in CT, Foxwoods and Moghican Sun but both are beautifull) :)

I've never been to Foxwoods nor Moghican Sun, but will definitely visit both one of these days. I hear they are very nice.My DH only plays on $100 tables cause he figured out he usually loses less there than at $15-$25 tables. :cool:

I'm afraid it would make me too nervous to play at a $100 table. $25 minimum is as high as I will go even though with my progression, I place lots of bets higher than $25. I leave that kind of betting for the casinos.....too many things I want to buy on a cruise with my money!

 

I noticed a new for me rule on Splendour ots. If dealers have "soft" 17 (with Ace) they continue to add cards.

This makes the odds better for the house, but when you are on a ship, it's the only game in town, and I love it so much, I don't even care!!!!!

[elmorejj]

Dee, good luck in Biloxi my favorite casino down there is the Beau Rivage. They have good food too!!.....jean :cool:

[AirGorilla]

I think that your questions about Craps and BJ have been answered, but I'm not so sure about Video Poker. They have several machines on the ZUI, in quarter, dollar and five dollar models. The payoff tables on jacks or better are LOUSY. The scale was 6/5 on full house/flush, instead of the 9/6 that exists on "good" machines.

 

Best of luck to you!

[jhannah]

Casino action is fun ... both to participate in and to watch. Players just have to remember that the odds are always in favor of the house. That's why they're in business and stay in business. Sure, the player wins and wins big sometimes. But that's just the process of intermittent reinforcement to keep you coming back. The rule to any sort of gambling (casino or stock market) is to not risk more than you can afford to lose. Go with $10 or $10,000 ... whatever. When that's gone, quit! Too many people in my hometown don't seem to understand this basic principle. At any rate, enjoy yourself ... and good luck!

[RevNeal]

I have a gambling addiction. I love to play Black Jack. I'm GOOD at playing Black Jack. No ... I mean REALLY GOOD at playing Black Jack. I used to go to Las Vegas and play (at the Hilton) for hours and hours, and both win and loose a great deal of money. If I lost the money I came with, I would take out markers and keep playing myself into a hole. If I won I would keep playing either until I lost it or until it was time for me to fly home. I would often check my calendar and make reservations for my next trip with VIP services before leaving. I was THAT addicted.

 

I had it BAD. Some people can control it ... for them it's not addicting. For me, it was. It was harming my spiritual life, my personal life, and my ministry.

 

In 1997 I went to Vegas on a Monday and came home on a Wednesday having lost every dime I had gone there to spend (and owing quite a bit on a marker which I didn't know how I was going to pay off). As it happened, I was scheduled to go on a "Walk to Emmaus" spiritual retreat the very next day -- Thursday. I went on that retreat, and during the chapel time on the 2nd night I gave to God this destructive behavior of mine. I came home from that retreat, finished paying off that marker -- God gave me the resources to do it through several unexpected gifts from friends and church members -- and have not been back to Las Vegas since.

 

On cruise ships I have been tempted, many times, to sit down at the Black Jack tables. I've actually fallen to that temptation a handful of times: I've played a bunch of hands, lost (or won, it didn't matter) ... and felt guilty afterwards. I know that playing Black Jack is dangerous for me, and that I shouldn't do it. When I break down and sit at the table, I know I'm sinning against myself and God. I know that I shouldn't do it, and I pray for the strength to avoid it every time I board a ship. I've been amazed at how God has managed to keep me from the tables on some long cruises ... and sad at how my own bent to sin has lead me right to the tables even on short cruises.

 

Now, the poker and slot machines are like video games for me ... to me, even though I know they're gambling, they don't feel like gambling because they don't have that personal interaction that Black Jack carries with it. So, I will -- sometimes -- sit down and play a poker machine. I've even won money at them. Sadly, when I've won I've, sometimes, taken that as license to go sit down in front of a dealer at a Black Jack Table. That is a temptation I must always avoid.

 

I'm not a prude about gambling. If one looks upon it as entertainment, and doesn't bet the farm or become addicted to it, it's not all that different than any other game one must pay a fee to play. But, for me, Black Jack is dangerous ... I know that's not necessarily true for others, but it's true for me.

 

How about a nice game of Gin? :)

[cruise freak]

I am glad you kicked your addiction. Good for you.

[CruisinNana]

Gin it is!!!!! Good for you, Rev. Keep the strength and the faith!

Dee

[CruisinNana]

Dee, good luck in Biloxi my favorite casino down there is the Beau Rivage. They have good food too!!.....jean :cool:

 

 

Thanks, Jean! The Beau is where we are staying and we are looking forward to every minute. There are 12 of us going to surprise a friend for his 60th birthday!

Dee

[Tatka]

What we do is.. We are taking certain amount of money that we can afford to lose at this moment... Lets say $100. If we lose we go home right away, if we win we continue to play.

 

This is a golden rule: continue while you are winning, stop if you are loosing.

 

Many people do exactly opposite: if they are loosing they think that they will start winning at some point and will return money they lost!

[iluvcruzin]

Wow RevNeal.. Thanks for sharing your story. Gambling can be addictive just like anything else. Your offering up for assistance seems like it really helped you. I'm sure it's a struggle just like with compulsive addition but I pray you keep a strong foothold.

 

I like the cassino's but only as entertainment. I prefer Jim's Hometown but have played an afternoon of BJ on a cruise ship before. I'm not into crowds so I seldom go at night (remember I haven't sailed HAL yet so there could be a different environment than what I'm accustomed to). I don't go to the gambling boats we have here. They play with too many decks - and again it's the crowd thing.

 

Hope you have a fabulous time in Biloxi Dee. My niece works as a dealer at the Imperial Palace. I've only visited Biloxi & Gulfport a couple times but it seems real nice. Enjoy your trip!

[Orcrone]

Revneal,

 

That was a great testimony and brave of you to share it with us. My hat's off to you.

 

As far as DW and I we never gamble. If I were to win $500 I'd be happy, but not thrilled. But if I lost $500 I'd be real ticked at myself. So for me the thrill of victory is much less than the agony of defeat, so I just avoid the casino.

[RevNeal]

I want to re-state something I said above; based on some of the E-mail I've received, I need to make sure that I'm understood on this issue.

 

Black Jack is wrong for me. It became addicting, and so I had to give it up. But I'm not about to assume that, just because this was the case for me, such is necessarily the case for everyone else. I'm sure that a great many people can sit down at a Black Jack table, responsibly play, and then get up and walk away. I couldn't. Anytime gambling becomes addictive, and people, families and finances are destroyed, it should be given up. If, however, one can play it as an entertaining game, with the "bet" being the "fee to play the game," then I don't see a problem with one playing.

 

My mother plays roulette. She's good at it, though I don't see how; she enjoys it, and makes a little money doing it (she frequently gets he fee back when she plays). But it's not an obsession for her. She also controls her play and only risks a certain, limited amount. That's the way people should play ... if the decide to play.

[RevNeal]

Thanks, all of you, for sharing your kind words and well-wishes. :)

[CruisinNana]

Hope you have a fabulous time in Biloxi Dee. My niece works as a dealer at the Imperial Palace. I've only visited Biloxi & Gulfport a couple times but it seems real nice. Enjoy your trip!

 

Thanks, Maureen! Hope your niece likes the Imperial. I've always wondered if I would like to be a dealer, but I am just too old!!! I just retired, and I am having fun being a bum for the first time in my life after working in education for 37 years!!! :D :D

Dee

[Lois R]

So, On the Zuiderdam...are the cheap tables....5.00 minimum for blackjack?....

I love to play...and thankfully, I can walk away pretty quickly. I always start out with 40.00......and hopefully win back my own 40....and then win a bit more...and play with the house's money:) ....yea I know...it doesn't alway work that way...;) but most of the time it does:D ....lets see...I usually go in spurts....I will win my money back..then win 25.00 and collect that from the window. So it will be collecting 65.00....LOL I am such a cheap date LOL LOL.

My problem is...I always put one 5.00 chip down....and the hands go on....and I win...and win again.....well, of course the one time I bet 10.00...the dealer wins:eek: ....LOL...always happens LOL

 

Anyway...glad to know the dealers are nice!!! And I do know the basics...and Tatka......I know better than to take a hit when the dealer has a 5 and I have 12...let that dealer bust!!!