Texas Holdem - recent NCL cruisers?

[alexspepa]

I have a question for past Pearl passengers, or any similar NCL ship - trying to decide my sea day activities (besides doing nothing which is great) - I love to play Texas Holdem, and I was wondering if anyone else has played the tournaments or cash games on the Pearl or any NCL ship. I know the tournaments are held on sea days, and I know from as much research as possible for both tournaments and cash games the rake is high. Early threads from 2007 or so indicate the tournaments had as many as 30 entrants, but I imagine that they are now limited to one table?

 

I also know have read tournament seats can be reserved by calling the NCL Casino site - trying to decide if I should do that with 4 sea days, so any help with any experience with the tournaments or cash games would be appreciated.

 

Sailing on April 6 and I thank everyone in advance for their kind replies.

 

Keith

[titangas]

I played in 2 tournaments on the Spirit on my cruise last summer.

The buy in was $60 and there were unlimited rebuys for $60 until the first break.

At the break their is an add-on for $60, which you kind of have to take to maintain your chip status.

 

I won the first for about $1100 ($120 entry fees) less tips.

I chopped the second, I was chip leader by a little and offered, I actually offered on the first and they didn't want to, and won about $700 less tips ($120 buy in).

 

I was chip leader in both at the break, both started with 3 tables , not full. There were not many real solid players, maybe 4 or 5 the rest were pretty much dead money. The person I chopped the second with took third in the first tournament.

 

Did not play any cash games.

[alexspepa]

I played in 2 tournaments on the Spirit on my cruise last summer.

The buy in was $60 and there were unlimited rebuys for $60 until the first break.

At the break their is an add-on for $60, which you kind of have to take to maintain your chip status.

 

I won the first for about $1100 ($120 entry fees) less tips.

I chopped the second, I was chip leader by a little and offered, I actually offered on the first and they didn't want to, and won about $700 less tips ($120 buy in).

 

I was chip leader in both at the break, both started with 3 tables , not full. There were not many real solid players, maybe 4 or 5 the rest were pretty much dead money. The person I chopped the second with took third in the first tournament.

 

Did not play any cash games.

 

Thanks for the excellent information...I hope you are not on my cruise!:)

 

Did you sign up on the ship?

Did you notice if the cash games actually went off? I have read that sometimes they do not get enough players?

 

also blinds and levels in tourney?

Edited March 5, 2015 by alexspepa

[alexspepa]

oh and starting chip stack? is it an all-in fest early?

[LaCal]

Last cruise the poker action was great. Both tournaments and cash games

 

I lost both the tournaments I went in but my GF split between 4 people and each got $888. It was pretty good for that many people splitting

 

Cash games were getting crazy n fun at times with some pots getting close to $500+

 

I came out ahead in the cash games

 

Gotta love the people who sit down with a few hundred $$$ and first thing they say is I've watched poker on tv and always wanted to play

 

Good luck and have fun. Were cruising again soon on March 22nd on the Dawn and can't wait to play

[alexspepa]

Last cruise the poker action was great. Both tournaments and cash games

 

I lost both the tournaments I went in but my GF split between 4 people and each got $888. It was pretty good for that many people splitting

 

Cash games were getting crazy n fun at times with some pots getting close to $500+

 

I came out ahead in the cash games

 

Gotta love the people who sit down with a few hundred $$$ and first thing they say is I've watched poker on tv and always wanted to play

 

Good luck and have fun. Were cruising again soon on March 22nd on the Dawn and can't wait to play

 

OMG getting really excited...so would you say the cash rake is excessive but the pots make up for it? I have found that true on every cruise I have taken...either live dealers or Poker Pro tables.

Edited March 6, 2015 by alexspepa

[LaCal]

Yeah exactly. Rakes excessive but pots made it still worth it

 

One main reason we mainly cruise NCL is because they still have live dealers/chips

 

I think the poker pro tables r ok but love chips in hand

 

I got happy cause I was looking over some dailies on my ship outta New Orleans recently and it looked like they had 3 poker tournaments during the week

 

Great thing about NCL is that there's always loads of CAS players so in turn we've been lucky and there's been lots of people that play poker as well

 

Also I heard my last cruise there was even a whole poker group of over 60 people who arranged beforehand with NCL to have a private poker room set up for cash games

 

One lady said it was for members of the group only but at the end of the week they might accept other poker players to join

 

That never happened that I saw :(

 

And lastly during the tournaments there were a few people pushing all in quick but most were playing fairly tight

[titangas]

Thanks for the excellent information...I hope you are not on my cruise!:)

 

Did you sign up on the ship?

Did you notice if the cash games actually went off? I have read that sometimes they do not get enough players?

 

also blinds and levels in tourney?

 

I signed up right before hand.

Because of the rebuys they actually allow late entry up to first break.

There were a few clowns "all in" early but nothing too out of control. I am a pretty tight player early and on -- there was one guy I busted like 4 times and he kept rebuying.

 

I do not remember the blinds, but it escalates kind of fast after the break where you have to start making moves.

 

My trip was a 12 night Europe cruise, with only 2 sea days. So I only went to the Casino a couple of nights to play black jack and I didn't notice any cash games going on. I wasn't really interested after hearing about the rake though.

 

I wasn't even going to do the tournament, but my wife convinced me, and after the first I kind of had to do the second.

[JohnIreland]

OMG getting really excited...so would you say the cash rake is excessive but the pots make up for it? I have found that true on every cruise I have taken...either live dealers or Poker Pro tables.

 

 

10% capped at $25

[Froggitt]

Thanks for the excellent information...I hope you are not on my cruise!:)

 

Did you sign up on the ship?

Did you notice if the cash games actually went off? I have read that sometimes they do not get enough players?

 

also blinds and levels in tourney?

Might be a Europe thing, but Jade in Jan 2015, cash game never got off the ground any evening.

 

Tourney is crap. After the break someone goes "all in" almost every hand. More skill in the Bingo or Slots tourney.

[alexspepa]

thanks to everyone who replied for all the info...we have 4 sea days so looks like I will have some tourney action to look forward to.

 

HAL, Celebrity and Princess limit the tournaments to 10 players, so I am happy to see that NCL has multiple tables.

[Guindalf]

Tourney entry on the Dawn in January was $80 with the same rebuys and add-ons as above.

 

I was told the tournament rake is 25%

Edited March 6, 2015 by Guindalf

[skeeter195]

I was on the Gem 3 times in the past year. Here is how the poker went.

 

Tournaments:

-$80 entry and unlimited re-buys for the first 2 levels(30 min each)

-$80 add-on at the end of the 2nd level if you want

-2000 chips to start and 4000 for the add-on

-100-200 blinds to start, then 200-400, 400-800, 500-1000, 1000-2000, 2000-4000 at this point it is almost always over

-30 min for the 1st 2 levels, then 15 min levels(they want the tournament over quick)

25% rake

 

Cash:

2-5 no-limit

$60-$500 buy-in

10% rake up to $25

Very slow game and a lot of chasing

There is money to be made if you hit and run. That said, it is an unbeatable game in the long run though with the 10%.

In January I was involved in 3 pots over $1000 and one over $2500.

 

The whole scene is more of a fun atmosphere. You can make money in both as most players are really bad. You have to get lucky though with the high rakes.

[LaCal]

I was on the Gem 3 times in the past year. Here is how the poker went.

 

Tournaments:

-$80 entry and unlimited re-buys for the first 2 levels(30 min each)

-$80 add-on at the end of the 2nd level if you want

-2000 chips to start and 4000 for the add-on

-100-200 blinds to start, then 200-400, 400-800, 500-1000, 1000-2000, 2000-4000 at this point it is almost always over

-30 min for the 1st 2 levels, then 15 min levels(they want the tournament over quick)

25% rake

 

Cash:

2-5 no-limit

$60-$500 buy-in

10% rake up to $25

Very slow game and a lot of chasing

There is money to be made if you hit and run. That said, it is an unbeatable game in the long run though with the 10%.

In January I was involved in 3 pots over $1000 and one over $2500.

 

The whole scene is more of a fun atmosphere. You can make money in both as most players are really bad. You have to get lucky though with the high rakes.[/

 

Thx for all that info.👍👍

[alexspepa]

I was on the Gem 3 times in the past year. Here is how the poker went.

 

Tournaments:

-$80 entry and unlimited re-buys for the first 2 levels(30 min each)

-$80 add-on at the end of the 2nd level if you want

-2000 chips to start and 4000 for the add-on

-100-200 blinds to start, then 200-400, 400-800, 500-1000, 1000-2000, 2000-4000 at this point it is almost always over

-30 min for the 1st 2 levels, then 15 min levels(they want the tournament over quick)

25% rake

 

Cash:

2-5 no-limit

$60-$500 buy-in

10% rake up to $25

Very slow game and a lot of chasing

There is money to be made if you hit and run. That said, it is an unbeatable game in the long run though with the 10%.

In January I was involved in 3 pots over $1000 and one over $2500.

 

The whole scene is more of a fun atmosphere. You can make money in both as most players are really bad. You have to get lucky though with the high rakes.

awesome post...thanks a lot.

 

guess i better bring a decent bankroll!:eek:

[Dallas girl]

Great info - thanks everyone!

[alexspepa]

Great info - thanks everyone!

 

I agree...these are the best responses I have ever gotten when posting on this subject.