Tell me the secrets of the casino

[CharmCity2000]

I’ve decided I’m going to venture into the casino on my next cruise.  My preference is craps.  But I’m most interested in learning how the points are awarded.

[Ilovesailaway]

Following this.

I don't usually play in the casino but I know of a couple people who were given free cruise offers recently after playing slots... they didn't play a ton either. Maybe it was because they don't cruise Carnival often? IDK

Whatever it was they triggered something and were sent offers

[urbanhawk]

Not sure about craps, but the land casino I go to play the slots, it takes $2.50=1 point. (and one doesn't earn points on promotional free play). I don't know if this is the same formula, they use on the cruise ships?) I do know the secret of the casinos, is that there is a winner  every time=the house 99% of the time.😯!!!! Happy cruising and good luck!

[crewsweeper]

Bet the pass line.

[Old Fart Cruisers]

2 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

Bet the pass line.

I was told I should pass up the betting line🥴

[crewsweeper]

2 minutes ago, Old Fart Cruisers said:

I was told I should pass up the betting line🥴

Then stay out of the come in roll and bet the pass or don't pass line on the point rolls.  Or take a dice calculator with you.😉

[gnocchi_mommy]

58 minutes ago, CharmCity2000 said:

I’ve decided I’m going to venture into the casino on my next cruise.  My preference is craps.  But I’m most interested in learning how the points are awarded.

The tables don’t seem to award points at a comparable value to the machines. My husband and I have mirror budgets, he plays tables and I play machines- I always get a lot of points and all the great offers. My theory is it’s because I lose more they want me to keep coming back 😅

Edited December 23, 2021 by gnocchi_mommy

[Elaine5715]

See if they offer table lessons and go in the afternoon when few players are present.  Craps players look like a fun bunch when players know what they are do. Best advice see the player with the biggest stack and do what they do.  

[Elaine5715]

28 minutes ago, gnocchi_mommy said:

The tables don’t seem to award points at a comparable value to the machines. My husband and I have mirror budgets, he plays tables and I play machines- I always get a lot of points and all the great offers. My theory is it’s because I lose more they want me to keep coming back 😅

Table player ratingsare subjective so poor tippers and bad attitude can affect rating.  A slot machine doesn't care, they just track play.  

[klfrodo]

If we told everyone the secret to winning, then those of us who know the secret would lose our edge.

Secrets are a secret for a reason. 😉

[BlerkOne]

The secret of the casino is to keep your money in your pocket and you are guaranteed not to lose.

[Colorado Beach Bum]

1 minute ago, BlerkOne said:

The secret of the casino is to keep your money in your pocket and you are guaranteed not to lose.

And guaranteed not to win 😀

[Colorado Beach Bum]

2 hours ago, CharmCity2000 said:

I’ve decided I’m going to venture into the casino on my next cruise.  My preference is craps.  But I’m most interested in learning how the points are awarded.

Craps is my favorite.  Have spent many of hours on cruises at the craps tables.  However, even though I’ve spent as much or more than my wife who plays video poker and slots, she has always earned way more points and it is her that gets the best offers.  I’m now playing slots just so I can get the better offers 😀

If you play table games you have to bet $25+ per hand for hours to earn the points that slot players can earn.  Betting $6 on blackjack or $5 on craps won’t earn you a lot of points.  Prior to offers with free drinks in casino right away it took 1500 points to earn the drink card.  Wife would have hers the first night and I’d be lucky to earn mine by night 5 playing only craps. 

[Will_Dieterich]

https://www.cclpromos.com/carnivalplayersclub/

 

It comes down to $2.50 per point

at 1500 points you get the free booze drinks for rest of cruise

at 5000 you get free drinks for on next cruise.

[klfrodo]

28 minutes ago, Will_Dieterich said:

https://www.cclpromos.com/carnivalplayersclub/

 

It comes down to $2.50 per point

at 1500 points you get the free booze drinks for rest of cruise

at 5000 you get free drinks for on next cruise.

$3750 played for a few "free" drinks for the rest of the cruise.

$12,500 played for a few "free" drinks on your next cruise.

 

I'm thinking the real secret is to own the casino if you want to win.

[djefferis]

No secrets - casinos like losers and no one wins long term.

 

Points values as mentioned are 1 per 2.50 in play on slots - poker machine and table games are approx half that so 1 for every 5 in play.

 

Craps - figure 15 pass line bets per hour

Blackjack/Roulette - 60 spins/hands per hour

 

So if your betting 10 a hand at blackjack - you should be getting rated at 10-15 points per hour of daily play. 
 

Understand that host can influence your rating greatly - tipping generously may help your rating (after all - the casino team is one big family and dealers take care of host) - at the same time it’s unreasonable to play 2 hours a day for 10 minimum and expect your play to be rated significantly higher just because you tipped $50. Sorry - if it were that easy - everyone would do it. 
 

Host are monitored too - if the casino manager sees players are getting rated too highly - they watch more closely. It’s not hard to see when someone is over comping a player. Rating them as a $200 player at 6 hours a day and then observation shows they are more along the lines of 20 dollar player 2 hours for example. 
 

Again - remember casinos love losers and LONG term everyone loses. That doesn’t mean you can’t win - just over years of play you will lose. Cruise casinos are great because your a captive audience and your there a short period - if you lose - you’ll either chase trying to recover or you get “lucky” and win back some of the loss. If you actually WIN up front - they know the urge to keep playing is there and their is a good chance they can recoup some of those winnings - plus you’ll be more willing to come back again (and again). 
 

Playing for comps is fine if you like to play and cruise - but if your a serious gambler - stick to land based programs. The value to the serious player is on land - to the $50 crowd or the person who puts a couple thousand through a machine in a week - a cruise can be as good or better than a Vegas property though. 

[K_e_short]

1 hour ago, Will_Dieterich said:

https://www.cclpromos.com/carnivalplayersclub/

 

It comes down to $2.50 per point

at 1500 points you get the free booze drinks for rest of cruise

at 5000 you get free drinks for on next cruise.

 

And remember the free drinks are only when you are playing at the casino. You need to be actively sitting at a machine, or at a table to get the free drinks.

 

[Colorado Beach Bum]

2 minutes ago, K_e_short said:

 

And remember the free drinks are only when you are playing at the casino. You need to be actively sitting at a machine, or at a table to get the free drinks.

 

Some offers lately are for drinks anywhere on the ship. Those are great.  You don’t earn them while on the current cruise but is may be included in future offers. 

[hurricane0226]

2 hours ago, BlerkOne said:

The secret of the casino is to keep your money in your pocket and you are guaranteed not to lose.

the only machine in the casino that pays out is the ATM, that is the secret.

[NutsAboutGolf]

What a lot of people don't realize, doesn't matter how much you win or lose, all comes down to "coin-in" aka how much money you put into the machine or on the table.  I played at the $6 BJ table and occasionally played two hands, even so I accrued far more points at video BJ betting $1 hands.

 

IMO, find a multi-game machine, play blackjack, pull up a strategy card on your phone (you can use a physical strategy card at the tables but not your phone), if the daytime and there isn't any bands playing, bring headphones and listen to an audiobook.  You probably won't lose too much and who knows, you might actually win something; that's about as reliable as a method to build tier points without losing your shirt as you're going to get.

 

 

[popeyesChickenSandwich]

1 hour ago, Colorado Beach Bum said:

Some offers lately are for drinks anywhere on the ship. Those are great.  You don’t earn them while on the current cruise but is may be included in future offers. 

Yeah, our last cruise (Aug 2021) was booked with a free balcony offer and some freeplay. When we visited the casino on the first day for the free-play, the host also gave us both free drinks everywhere aboard the ship. On the last night of the cruise the server in main dining room let us know the casino comped the steakhouse entrees so we both ordered lobster.

 

Our strategy is to play the amount you would spend for the next cruise. If you spend $500 in the casino, you'll get a comp that is comparable to buying a $500 cruise .. if you get $1000 its going to be better like more freeplay or a suite.

 

The main consideration here is to not spend more than you would pay for the cruise itself. If you're spending more than the cost of room + drinks then you hit what I call true red (experiencing diminishing returns on the casino offers as well)

[gnocchi_mommy]

5 hours ago, Elaine5715 said:

Table player ratingsare subjective so poor tippers and bad attitude can affect rating.  A slot machine doesn't care, they just track play.  

Lol husband is a big tipper, and they always seem to like him. He gets us free steakhouse meals and sometimes a bottle of wine  while on board, but the points value doesn’t increase. I’m on several casino related groups and consensus is tables simply don’t earn as many points,

period.

[NutsAboutGolf]

Just now, gnocchi_mommy said:

Lol husband is a big tipper, and they always seem to like him. He gets us free steakhouse meals and sometimes a bottle of wine  while on board, but the points value doesn’t increase. I’m on several casino related groups and consensus is tables simply don’t earn as many points,

period.

 

Back in the day, pit bosses would be the person to rate players who would have flexibility for players who varied their bets and therefore could get away with rating a player a bit higher.  Some casinos and high limit tables may still do this.  However on carnivals BJ and Roulette tables and most casinos the dealers have to enter players bets accurately on their table mounted keypads.

[Will_Dieterich]

1 hour ago, gnocchi_mommy said:

Lol husband is a big tipper, and they always seem to like him. He gets us free steakhouse meals and sometimes a bottle of wine  while on board, but the points value doesn’t increase. I’m on several casino related groups and consensus is tables simply don’t earn as many points,

period.

Just because you play more hands.  I play Craps in casino and during a single roll on a table, if I switch to a video crap machine I get 5-7 rolls in the same time.

[mz-s]

Slots give more points (points are the main way the casino judges your gambling and decides the perks you'll get). So if you want the perks, do slots.

 

To me the slots are a great way to simply light money on fire, I have NEVER come out ahead on them. So I only do table games. Usually blackjack. That means I may not get as many great offers because I am not a high roller, but it is what it is.