6/5 Blackjack now on Sunshine

[coolbolts]

Just off the Sunshine and the first night I sat down at a Blackjack table bet $25 and the first hand I received a blackjack. I expected to receive the $12.50 bonus but my total payout was $30. She could see my confusion and explained that starting with this cruise the payout on blackjack was 6/5. They said Carnival would be rolling it out to the entire line. The exceptions were Fun 21 (No Queens) and the $25 dollar table. I do realize that other casino's now give out 6/5 on low end tables but if you want to be like the other casinos then do not top stop the slot progressive jackpots. I also think that those other casinos do post the payout percentages on their slots.

 

It did not change the number of players, swimming to another ship is not an option.

[nayr30]

Just off the Sunshine and the first night I sat down at a Blackjack table bet $25 and the first hand I received a blackjack. I expected to receive the $12.50 bonus but my total payout was $30. She could see my confusion and explained that starting with this cruise the payout on blackjack was 6/5. They said Carnival would be rolling it out to the entire line. The exceptions were Fun 21 (No Queens) and the $25 dollar table. I do realize that other casino's now give out 6/5 on low end tables but if you want to be like the other casinos then do not top stop the slot progressive jackpots. I also think that those other casinos do post the payout percentages on their slots.

 

It did not change the number of players, swimming to another ship is not an option.

 

Completely takes the fun out of getting Blackjack. I guess I'll be playing strictly on the $25 tables on my cruise in October. How many $25 minimum tables were on the Sunshine? Please don't tell me I'll be limited to just one table the entire cruise. :(

Edited September 3, 2014 by nayr30

[coolbolts]

Only 1 and half the time you had to ask for them to open it up.

[nayr30]

I'm on the Premier Cruise so I'm sure they'll have one open the entire week but more than likely only one.

 

How did you do at the tables throughout the week?

[manmachine]

Only 1 and half the time you had to ask for them to open it up.

 

Same thing on Ecstasy this weekend. I let the casino know that in no way shape or form would I ever play 6/5 BJ. They already use the auto-shuffler. Both 6/5, it is ridiculous.

[Handsome58]

please explain this 6/5 thing in more detail? In terms a non-player can understand. Thanks

[Elevens]

Wow! If this is going fleet-wide, my November cruise will be my last with Carnival.

 

 

please explain this 6/5 thing in more detail? In terms a non-player can understand. Thanks

 

Traditional payout for a player being dealt blackjack is 3:2. Therefore, if you are betting $10 and are dealt a blackjack you will be paid $15. Under the 6:5 payouts, you would only receive $12 for that blackjack. It raises the house edge on the game from ~.65% to over 2%.

[Handsome58]

So we can't bring a gun on the ship but Carnival can ROB us without one. So it seems they [Carnival Corp.] are looking at everything to either cut corners or create more cash flow at the expense of the passengers. I mean they are in business to make money but there are other ways to do that than **** the paying public.

[Namelocg]

Looks like I'll just be playing craps on the Conquest next month!!

[sailor_jimc]

I don't play a lot of blackjack on cruises. Now I won't play any. I won't play it in land casinos where they pay 6/5

 

And for the poster that asked what 6/5 payout means, in true BlackJack when you get a blackjack you get paid 3/2 meaning that for every $2 you bet you get $3 win. For normal wind where you just beat the dealer, you just even even money - bet $5 win $5. In 6/5 you win $6 for every $5 bet. Which completely changes the house advantage and increases the casino expected take on the game.

[Frank12]

That sucks.

If they want to be more like real casinos then they should start providing free drinks when you are gambling!:mad:

[MMastell]

They are just pushing players to tables with higher minimums. They are going to make more off three, $25 and higher, players than they will off of an entire table of $5 or $6 players.

 

The low bet, recreational gambler is not their target. They keep these individuals entertained with low payout blackjacks, auto shufflers and gimmick games.

 

I remember the good old days when the blackjack payout was 2/1.

 

Take care,

Mike

[ncovert]

They are just pushing players to tables with higher minimums. They are going to make more off three, $25 and higher, players than they will off of an entire table of $5 or $6 players.

 

The low bet, recreational gambler is not their target. They keep these individuals entertained with low payout blackjacks, auto shufflers and gimmick games.

 

I remember the good old days when the blackjack payout was 2/1.

 

Take care,

Mike

 

As you are saying, most casual players will not know any different and it raises the take for the casino... everybody wins (well in their eyes)...

[YorN]

That sucks.

If they want to be more like real casinos then they should start providing free drinks when you are gambling!:mad:

 

No thanks. Go that route and the slots will be full of people sitting at penny slots getting free drinks playing 1 line and minimum bet and spinning once every 15 minutes. I see this all the time in Atlantic City casinos - it's quite popular among the newly legal drinkers.

[ExFed drvr]

Just off the Sunshine and the first night I sat down at a Blackjack table bet $25 and the first hand I received a blackjack. I expected to receive the $12.50 bonus but my total payout was $30. She could see my confusion and explained that starting with this cruise the payout on blackjack was 6/5. They said Carnival would be rolling it out to the entire line. The exceptions were Fun 21 (No Queens) and the $25 dollar table. I do realize that other casino's now give out 6/5 on low end tables but if you want to be like the other casinos then do not top stop the slot progressive jackpots. I also think that those other casinos do post the payout percentages on their slots.

 

It did not change the number of players, swimming to another ship is not an option.

 

Same thing Panama Canal cruise on the Legend. No one was playing at the reg Blackjack tables and the 2 fun 21 tables were always full..Dennis

[humpdaddy]

Are there any 21/3 games and can you explain the fun 21 tables

[coolbolts]

Variation of blackjack with no queens. Totally different strategy. The problem is if you stick to the strategy of when to hit or stand you get a lot of dirty looks from the other players who think you play the same as regular blackjack. here is some advice from a las vegas gambling expert.

 

 

My recommendation to all blackjack players, card counting or not, is to stay away from Super Fun 21. The overall odds of Super Fun 21 are deceivingly poor for the player. Some of the more favorable player rules available in this game can often trick players into thinking the terrible “even money” payment on blackjacks is tolerable. It isn’t.

 

A quick way to make this clear is to compare the difference in the house edge of a regular blackjack game and a Super Fun 21 blackjack game at a casino like the Bellagio in Las Vegas. The house edge of the Super Fun 21 version of Bellagio’s double deck is roughly 6X as high as that of the regular double deck blackjack (S17, DAS). Hopefully that says enough.

[coolbolts]

Here are some of the strategy hints.

 

With all that taken into account, that leaves the following Super Fun strategy for soft totals:

 

Soft 13: Double if the dealer shows 5 or 6; hit against anything else.

 

Soft 14: Double if the dealer shows 4, 5 or 6, but just hit against 4 if the soft 14 consists of 3 or more cards. Hit against all other dealer up cards.

 

Soft 15, soft 16: Double against 4, 5 or 6, but just hit against 4 with three or more cards and just hit against 5 or 6 with four or more cards. Hit against all other up cards.

 

Soft 17: Hit against 7 through Ace. Double against 2 through 6, except just hit against 2 or 3 with three or more cards; hit against 4 or 5 with four or more cards, and hit against 6 with five cards.

 

Soft 18: This is our most complex decision in Super Fun 21. Hit against 9, 10 or Ace. Stand against 2, except hit with three or more cards. Stand against 7 or 8, except hit with four or more cards. Double against 3 through 6, except hit against 3, 4 or 5 with four or more cards and hit against 6 with five cards.

 

Soft 19: Double against 6, except hit with five cards; stand against all other up cards, except hit against 10 with four or more cards and against all others with five cards.

 

Soft 20: Stand, except hit with five cards.

 

Soft 21: Stand.

 

Pair splitting is a little less complex. Just as in regular blackjack, we always split Aces and 8s and never split 5s or 10s.

 

Here's the full strategy for splitting pairs in Super Fun 21:

 

2, 2 or 3, 3: Split if the dealer shows 2 through 7; hit against 8 through Ace.

 

4, 4: Split against 5 or 6; hit against all other up cards.

 

5, 5: Double down.

 

6, 6: Split if the dealer shows 2 through 7; hit against 8 through Ace.

 

7, 7: Split if the dealer shows 2 through 8; hit against 9 or Ace. Surrender if the dealer's up card is a 10.

 

8, 8: Split.

 

9, 9: Stand if the dealer's up card is 7 or 10; split against all other up cards.

 

10, 10: Stand.

 

Ace, Ace: Split.

 

The play that probably looks a little odd to you is that we always double down on a pair of 5s, even against a 10 or an Ace. Why? Because Super Fun allows us to surrender on any number of cards, and if we draw a bad card on our double down, we can always surrender one bet instead of losing two.

 

On double-down hands that turn out badly, regardless of whether we're starting with hard totals, soft totals or pairs, we surrender with 16 or less against a dealer's 8, 9, 10 or Ace, and also surrender 17 against an Ace

[jilly08]

Does anyone know if they messed with the odds on 3 card poker?

 

thanks,

Jill

[rok233]

Does anyone know if they messed with the odds on 3 card poker?

 

thanks,

Jill

 

Not sure but if they haven't I'm sure it's coming. Carnival has the worst casino at sea and working hard to make it even worse! :eek:

[coachj]

no change on 3 card poker odds. Freedom also went to 6/5 odds on the premier cruise last week. also tripled the number of 25 dollar tables. could not find a seat at the 10 dollar tables while the 25 dollar table sat empty or had only one or two players. vented my anger at the pit bosses who claimed that vegas has done the same. but vegas has 5 times the overhead of a ship casino. dealers also get screwed on tips when blackjack occurs since they get only one to one tip.

[Tutontow]

Wow! If this is going fleet-wide, my November cruise will be my last with Carnival.

 

 

 

 

Traditional payout for a player being dealt blackjack is 3:2. Therefore, if you are betting $10 and are dealt a blackjack you will be paid $15. Under the 6:5 payouts, you would only receive $12 for that blackjack. It raises the house edge on the game from ~.65% to over 2%.

 

I totally agree. My September cruise will be my last with Carnival. When I play $25.00 BJ I can drive 30 minutes and go to the HardRock and play a $25.00 double deck game that is a blast.

 

It looks like it will be adios Carnival, hello NCL.

[RuthlessBoss]

I totally agree. My September cruise will be my last with Carnival. When I play $25.00 BJ I can drive 30 minutes and go to the HardRock and play a $25.00 double deck game that is a blast.

 

It looks like it will be adios Carnival, hello NCL.

 

Why bother pay for a cruise when you can have more fun at your local casino?:eek:

[Tutontow]

no change on 3 card poker odds. Freedom also went to 6/5 odds on the premier cruise last week. also tripled the number of 25 dollar tables. could not find a seat at the 10 dollar tables while the 25 dollar table sat empty or had only one or two players. vented my anger at the pit bosses who claimed that vegas has done the same. but vegas has 5 times the overhead of a ship casino. dealers also get screwed on tips when blackjack occurs since they get only one to one tip.

 

You can find plenty of 3:2 BJ in Vegas at the $15.00 level and you get free drinks anytime you play and not just at the discretion of the casino host like Carnival does. I normally see the newbie super low rollers playing BJ on cruise ships. They don't have a clue and Carnival is banking on that.

 

Well at least when I am playing green chips on Carnival I most likely will have an empty table.

Edited September 8, 2014 by Tutontow

[Tutontow]

Why bother pay for a cruise when you can have more fun at your local casino?:eek:

 

A cruise is more of a getaway/vacation. The HardRock is more of a day out.

 

I will say I play a whole lot more serious at the HR. That DD game is an absolute blast.