Blackjack rules on the O'dam

[cruzermon]

I really wanted to title this "Can I smuggle liquor into the Casino in my jeans on formal night", but thought better of it.:)

 

I seem to have a good handle on what to expect on the rest of the cruise from reading this board, so at the point my only questions are about the casino--actually quite a few questions, so please bear with me.

 

Searching prior posts wasn't entirely clear on what the rules of BJ are on the O'dam, so I'll ask again. Dealer stands on soft 17? Double on any 2 cards? Multiple resplit of pairs, probably 4 max? Double down on resplit pairs? Surrender? I'm guessing no resplitting aces. I'll have to generate the appropriate strategy tables for DW to play from.

 

How many BJ tables are there and do they have many $5 tables and is it easy to get a seat there in the evenings?

 

And lastly, do they served comped drinks at the tables?

 

Thanks.

[Randyk47]

I'll take a crack at what I remember.

 

1. Dealer hits soft 17's....not good.

 

2. Yes, double on any two cards.

 

3. Yes, resplit of pairs. Don't know limit.

 

4. Don't remember surrender....I don't play that way so I never give it any thought.

 

5. No resplitting of aces.

 

6. I only remember 3 regular blackjack tables and 2 were $5 minimum. Not all always open every night so it can be hard to get a seat and other nights very easy. I think it depends on the group for a sailing.....ours was obviously not a big blackjack crowd.

 

7. In all my cruises I've been comped one drink one time. Typically cruise lines don't comp drinks like Vegas or Reno. On the Oosterdam I played with a fellow from Canada almost every night. He dropped some serious change (several thousand) over the week and if he got comped it was not obvious to me.

[FoxyTerrier]

Yes, all the rules you listed are correct. There are also some variation tables.

 

One is Fun 21 - it has funny rules such as 7-7-7 pays like a BJ - they will have a rules card at the table.

 

BJ w/ a side bet - if you make the side bet and get a BJ you spin a wheel and get what comes up on the wheel - max is $500. If you make your side bet $5 you get 5 times what comes up on wheel for a max of $2500. If you choose not to play the side bet it is just normal BJ.

 

At least one day on the cruise there will be a BJ tourney and a night of Open 21 where you get to see all the dealers cards w/ some slightly different rules.

 

My experiences are Open 21 is harder than it seems. I have never made it into a BJ tourney finals, but it's fun to play and watch the finals.

 

I like Fun 21 and love playing the wheel, but have yet to get a $500 on the spinner.

 

Have seen may odd BJ players on the ship - more than in a regular casino. Like people splitting face cards, and continually taking hits when a dealer has a 3,4,5, or 6 showing. It's best to just leave and go to another table insteading of try to explain how one should play.

 

My favorite casino story is from our Noordam Baltic cruise. My father and I are playing 3 card poker pretty hard and not having a good go of it. We decided to play a little roulette. It had been pretty loud and rowdy over there all evening, but there was room for us. My dad's lucky number is 17. He plays a stack on 17 and then all the numbers around it. I just put a $5 on 17. First spin - you guessed it 17. It was late cashed out and called it a night. All the others just looked at us w/ open mouths - Sooo funny.

 

The next night we are still reeling about our 17 and were at 3 card again. My father hits a straight flush and on the next had gets a 3 of a kind which he shows me. I am so excited for him that I hadn't even looked at my cards. When I look I had a straight flush on the same round. The pit boss came over after the first straight flush and seemed pretty annoyed when we had a 3 of a kind and straight flush on the same round. So we cashed out, laughed it off and left. He was pretty nasty to us the rest of the trip - like we were taking his personal money.