Holy Cow! $15 Poker Rake on the Liberty!!!!

My husband and I thought $10, which is what we have always seen on cruises, was obnoxious, but for the first time we were confronted with a $15 rake on our Thanksgiving Liberty of the Seas cruise. To put this in perspective for those unfamiliar with poker, most casinos in Las Vegas have a $4 rake!!! With that $4 rake we get free booze, points towards food, a smoke free room and people who know how to run a poker game. For $15 on the Liberty we got nothing. The floor personnel ignored us, the game was run poorly, they couldn't even seem to manage a wait list.

My husband and I enjoy a couple of hours of poker in the evenings while cruising but if this is the new thing, we are out....maybe we will run our own game in another area of the ship.

My husband and I thought $10, which is what we have always seen on cruises, was obnoxious, but for the first time we were confronted with a $15 rake on our Thanksgiving Liberty of the Seas cruise. To put this in perspective for those unfamiliar with poker, most casinos in Las Vegas have a $4 rake!!! With that $4 rake we get free booze, points towards food, a smoke free room and people who know how to run a poker game. For $15 on the Liberty we got nothing. The floor personnel ignored us, the game was run poorly, they couldn't even seem to manage a wait list.

 

My husband and I enjoy a couple of hours of poker in the evenings while cruising but if this is the new thing, we are out....maybe we will run our own game in another area of the ship.

On NCL the rake is 10% with a $25.00 cap The game is 2/5 NL . Brutal. Quiz..If 10 player all buy-in for $200.00 how long before the rake takes all $2000.00 in action ? Can't compare cruise ships to Vegas. No competition at sea.

On NCL the rake is 10% with a $25.00 cap The game is 2/5 NL . Brutal. Quiz..If 10 player all buy-in for $200.00 how long before the rake takes all $2000.00 in action ? Can't compare cruise ships to Vegas. No competition at sea.

1. Another good reason to avoid NCL

2. About 3 hours

3. Only mentioned Vegas to give a comparison.

Even though there is no competition at sea they could at least run a pleasant, smooth poker game and offer us a drink every couple of hours. $15 is too much, and it reeks of greed. :(

A ship's casino is NOTHING like Vegas...not remotely!

A ship's casino is NOTHING like Vegas...not remotely!

In many many ways they are different!

1. Another good reason to avoid NCL

2. About 3 hours

3. Only mentioned Vegas to give a comparison.

 

Even though there is no competition at sea they could at least run a pleasant, smooth poker game and offer us a drink every couple of hours. $15 is too much, and it reeks of greed. :(

I'd much rather see a more reasonalble cap of $8.00 max. I'll pay for my own drinks.

I'd much rather see a more reasonalble cap of $8.00 max. I'll pay for my own drinks.

For sure, but the fact is it's $15. :(

Wow, Think they just have not adjusted from the East Coast yet. Texans as a whole are not big gamblers. Did you happen to see the minimum for the blackjack tables?

Wow, Think they just have not adjusted from the East Coast yet. Texans as a whole are not big gamblers. Did you happen to see the minimum for the blackjack tables?

I'm sorry, I did not notice.

We had a nice, large group of nightly poker players and the game was always 2/5 no limit, and we almost always had a waiting list. They could have had 2 tables going most nights but as I said earlier, they have no idea how to run a poker game/room.

Everyone hated the rake but we played anyways....we were a pathetic bunch of poker addicts. :D:D

Thats insane! I almost feel, from the ships I've been on, that they really don't want to even have poker games unless its a sit n' go set up or qualifier for something. With rakes that high it's probably the case

Wow, Think they just have not adjusted from the East Coast yet. Texans as a whole are not big gamblers. Did you happen to see the minimum for the blackjack tables?

On our 11/13 cruise, the minimums were usually $6, and $5 on the single deck games. The first night I think they were $10. All other table games were $5 minimums.

We had a nice, large group of nightly poker players and the game was always 2/5 no limit, and we almost always had a waiting list.

If they have a $15 rake and don't provide drinks, yet still have a waiting list, I don't think you'll see them doing anything to lower the cost or increase the perks.

Texans as a whole are not big gamblers.

Gonna have to call BS on that one. We've done MANY Galveston cruises and the casino is always busy. And if you think Texans aren't big gamblers, I'd advise you to drive around the parking lot of Winstar in Oklahoma. The world's biggest casino - and most of the cars have Texas tags.

I am surprised the poker table was busy. In 24 cruises I hardly ever see anyone at them.

Most of the poker players on our cruise were Texans, they talked of their plights to find a game, apparently some of them have casinos close some have to drive 4 hours to get to a poker room. Some of them had private weekly home games. I never played any other games in the ship's casino, but it was very busy every night of the cruise. So I would think Texans do like to gamble!

Personally I prefer the casino on the ships better than Vegas. In Vegas it is all about hands per hour, the more the better, on the ship the dealer will chat with you during play, will patiently wait for you while ordering or signing for a drink, will patiently wait while you are chatting with table mates, etc.

I don't play hold 'em on the ships, for other reasons than the rake (though I would never sit down to a $15 rake). The Hold 'em table was right behind the black jack table I played at on the last cruise. Full of arguments and the casino staff allowed it. Just about everyone at the table at different points in time should have been asked to leave (then escorted out if they didn't).

Most of the poker players on our cruise were Texans, they talked of their plights to find a game, apparently some of them have casinos close some have to drive 4 hours to get to a poker room. Some of them had private weekly home games. I never played any other games in the ship's casino, but it was very busy every night of the cruise. So I would think Texans do like to gamble!

Well it is called Texas Hold em isn't it ;)