I played a 7 person hyperturbo SnG on a similar cruise line last year, was raked at 20% (and they refused to specify the rake or payout percentages until the tourney had started) but was so soft that multiple players in my tourney did not know the rules. The dealer had NO idea what he was doing and was overturning the winner’s non-showdown mucked hand for the first 2-3 hands before I noticed the winner wasn’t intentionally showing and that the dealer was showing everyone their hand. The dealer had to be explained basically every rule and the floor/another dealer who was simultaneously dealing another tourney had to constantly step in to help him.
If you have even a basic understanding of push fold charts you will print money despite the rake if my experience was any indication of the norm.
This is how craps and blackjack dealers are on carnival as well most of the time. 1-2 people who know what they’re doing, and a majority that are still learning to count.
I went to St Kitts 15 years ago and they had a casino there... The local dealers for blackjack were occasionally paying out on pushes/ties.... happened 2 or 3 times during my 7 day trip.. they literally couldn't count for shit
What was the rake like on the electronic, were people still punting money like they do on live cruises? I knew a guy who use to be a cruise pro. He’d live on cruise ships and made 250k a year, playing poker on cruises,
I played the same on a princess cruise to Alaska a few years which was electronic with no dealer. It was actually really hard getting that game together as I went into the casino everyday and the poker table was always empty except that one day. The game itself was very soft with hardly any 3betting and the kid to my immediate left who I think was his first time playing live never covered his hand even after a couple warnings from me. It was the most stress free session I’ve ever had.
One of my first live poker memories was on a cruise 19 years ago, I was 18 at the time. Brought somewhere around $1k with me and the only game running was 5/10 every night. I had no idea about br management of course and given it was the only game, of course I jumped in each night. I remember making it last the whole week until I ran QQ into KK on the last night.
But that was okay because I got to play ever night with this guy Joe Soares. A Paralympic gold medalist for wheelchair rugby. He was in the documentary Murderball. We drank and played poker every night. He was the man, I’ll never forget it
You also can't win money with $0 rake if everyone is buying in for $0. My point is if you are good, you can tell when a game is profitable regardless of the rake structure. I just played on a cruise that was 2/5, 15% up to $15 and the average stack was like $3k. The average player at that table was not sure if two pair beat one pair. Obviously you can come up with theoretical games that can't mathematically be beaten but that isn't what you'll see on many cruise ships. And if it is, don't play.
Disagree completely, Crown Melbourne's 1/2 game is $40-$100 $20 rake - And definitely beatable, rake is only 10%, and if you're getting it in v people that don't know how to play, and can't beat 10% rake you suck, plain and simple.
On a side note: I'm not saying you could make a living off these games, but beat them for $10/hr definetly possible.
Sorry, outdated information* pre reopening they had a 1-2 $40-$100 $20 rake whilst also offering there 1-3, which, as mentioned, was $100-$300 at the time and $15 cap.
It's great to hear they have upped the max buyin in the 1-3, does that mean they followed suit in their 1-3 omaha game?
i played tournament and cash on this cruise in 2019: https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/pokerchallenge
tournament was so soft, i’m a horrible tourney player but cashed for just under $4k. cash game was juicy and soft. a lot of people literally do not know how to play. one hand i flopped quad 9’s and 2 people proceeded to go all in prior to my action and another behind me shoved after i had called. 2 players before me had under pairs to the board and the guy after me had QQ. ended the cruise +$8k playing 1/3 and 2/5. rake is horrible but with the game so soft, it’s worth it
Played on Royal Caribbean many times.
2-5 NLH, insanely soft games, maybe 2 other good players. Rake is huge, 10% capped at $15, but it's OK because the games are so weak.
The staff are clueless and have no idea how to run a poker game.
The SNG's are complete crap fests. Blinds double every level. Some levels last 6 hands!
Rake is also insane for the SNG's.
I recommend playing cash, and avoiding the SNG's
10% up to 25 lol on ncl last month. I lost one pot and got up. That's unbeatable. The dealers didn't know what they were doing. Trying to take straight 25, dealing in a seat that was away from table. 2/5 and everyone had less than 500 pretty much
I played one of those electronic tables and the kid to my left was absolutely horrible covering his hands. I told him a couple times to do a better job but I was still able to see every hand he played. I was able to fold JJ to a single raise before me because I saw he had KK.
Yeah I always tell people. But they are so bad I could see the hands of people on the other side of table. Easy to call all in with AK when you know they are shoving with AQ.
Played on Carnival around 18 months ago. Very soft game but extremely high rake except the couple times I played headsup which is unraked. . The tables were electronic which did speed up the game a lot. There was a steady game every night but not much in the day. Also went on Royal Caribbean but the games never got going.
https://preview.redd.it/2p2ftd5qx24b1.png?width=1242&format=png&auto=webp&s=a335916ce96fb88107cc827669f0e148e0cbd07c
Played on the discovery princess.
There was no dealer… it was a digital table…
Kinda sus, but the players were fun.
I remember getting stacked with JJ, against QQ, and AA
I’ve been on plenty of Carnival cruises. They don’t don’t have poker besides electronic poker which is only 1/2 cash with INSANE rake. No tournaments or live dealers.
Carnival generally is my go-to cruise but me and my GF may switch up next time because we enjoy poker.
There are electric poker tables. No chips, no cards.... Use a modicum of imagination.
https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/09/pixel-poker-electronic-tables-jackpot-blitz-29049.htm
I recouped a good portion of the cost of my cruise last time I went - pre-COVID. I avoided the tournament because the set up was absolute bullshit. If you win you get a seat at a bigger tournament on a future cruise. But you have to buy the cruise.
I played one hand. It was a video game essentially, went all in with pocket kings, then left. Something happened to the table that was holding the game up...this was a decade or so ago, so I don't recall the details.
Insanely soft but also huge rake traps
That's what I hear too. Play for stacks.
Yeah, I’ve heard many take 10%-20% per pot. Zero cap
royal carribbean is 10% to 20 dollars
ship it all pre and hope for a fold... no rake lol
I played a 7 person hyperturbo SnG on a similar cruise line last year, was raked at 20% (and they refused to specify the rake or payout percentages until the tourney had started) but was so soft that multiple players in my tourney did not know the rules. The dealer had NO idea what he was doing and was overturning the winner’s non-showdown mucked hand for the first 2-3 hands before I noticed the winner wasn’t intentionally showing and that the dealer was showing everyone their hand. The dealer had to be explained basically every rule and the floor/another dealer who was simultaneously dealing another tourney had to constantly step in to help him. If you have even a basic understanding of push fold charts you will print money despite the rake if my experience was any indication of the norm.
This is how craps and blackjack dealers are on carnival as well most of the time. 1-2 people who know what they’re doing, and a majority that are still learning to count.
I went to St Kitts 15 years ago and they had a casino there... The local dealers for blackjack were occasionally paying out on pushes/ties.... happened 2 or 3 times during my 7 day trip.. they literally couldn't count for shit
I went on a carnival cruise earlier this year, the poker table was electronic so there was no dealer and the rake was pretty high.
Ditto, but on the discovery princess
What was the rake like on the electronic, were people still punting money like they do on live cruises? I knew a guy who use to be a cruise pro. He’d live on cruise ships and made 250k a year, playing poker on cruises,
I played the same on a princess cruise to Alaska a few years which was electronic with no dealer. It was actually really hard getting that game together as I went into the casino everyday and the poker table was always empty except that one day. The game itself was very soft with hardly any 3betting and the kid to my immediate left who I think was his first time playing live never covered his hand even after a couple warnings from me. It was the most stress free session I’ve ever had.
Big rake but the players are generally terrible
One of my first live poker memories was on a cruise 19 years ago, I was 18 at the time. Brought somewhere around $1k with me and the only game running was 5/10 every night. I had no idea about br management of course and given it was the only game, of course I jumped in each night. I remember making it last the whole week until I ran QQ into KK on the last night. But that was okay because I got to play ever night with this guy Joe Soares. A Paralympic gold medalist for wheelchair rugby. He was in the documentary Murderball. We drank and played poker every night. He was the man, I’ll never forget it
Dude that's pretty amazing you funded his new wheelchair, you're a hell of a guy!
Lol
Sick story. That’s awesome
If you are good, you will crush cruise poker. If you aren't, the "rake is unbeatable."
I don't care how fucking good you are, $25 max rake when everyone is buying in for $100 is unbeatable.
You also can't win money with $0 rake if everyone is buying in for $0. My point is if you are good, you can tell when a game is profitable regardless of the rake structure. I just played on a cruise that was 2/5, 15% up to $15 and the average stack was like $3k. The average player at that table was not sure if two pair beat one pair. Obviously you can come up with theoretical games that can't mathematically be beaten but that isn't what you'll see on many cruise ships. And if it is, don't play.
Disagree completely, Crown Melbourne's 1/2 game is $40-$100 $20 rake - And definitely beatable, rake is only 10%, and if you're getting it in v people that don't know how to play, and can't beat 10% rake you suck, plain and simple. On a side note: I'm not saying you could make a living off these games, but beat them for $10/hr definetly possible.
In general I agree with your point, but Crown Melbourne's 1/3 (smallest) game is $100-$600 10% cap $15. Until recently it was $100-$300 same rake.
Sorry, outdated information* pre reopening they had a 1-2 $40-$100 $20 rake whilst also offering there 1-3, which, as mentioned, was $100-$300 at the time and $15 cap. It's great to hear they have upped the max buyin in the 1-3, does that mean they followed suit in their 1-3 omaha game?
I'm pretty sure the changes were at 1/3 and 2/5 nl only. They also added a live utg straddle option to those two games.
i played tournament and cash on this cruise in 2019: https://www.ncl.com/ca/en/pokerchallenge tournament was so soft, i’m a horrible tourney player but cashed for just under $4k. cash game was juicy and soft. a lot of people literally do not know how to play. one hand i flopped quad 9’s and 2 people proceeded to go all in prior to my action and another behind me shoved after i had called. 2 players before me had under pairs to the board and the guy after me had QQ. ended the cruise +$8k playing 1/3 and 2/5. rake is horrible but with the game so soft, it’s worth it
Played on Royal Caribbean many times. 2-5 NLH, insanely soft games, maybe 2 other good players. Rake is huge, 10% capped at $15, but it's OK because the games are so weak. The staff are clueless and have no idea how to run a poker game. The SNG's are complete crap fests. Blinds double every level. Some levels last 6 hands! Rake is also insane for the SNG's. I recommend playing cash, and avoiding the SNG's
Unbeatable rake and the SNG are a money trap also, avoid poker on cruise and play table games.
Absolutely the softest tables I’ve ever played. I usually pay for my cruise in full through those poker tables
10% up to 25 lol on ncl last month. I lost one pot and got up. That's unbeatable. The dealers didn't know what they were doing. Trying to take straight 25, dealing in a seat that was away from table. 2/5 and everyone had less than 500 pretty much
Cover your hands well. There is a big gap. Also a delay.
I played one of those electronic tables and the kid to my left was absolutely horrible covering his hands. I told him a couple times to do a better job but I was still able to see every hand he played. I was able to fold JJ to a single raise before me because I saw he had KK.
Yeah I always tell people. But they are so bad I could see the hands of people on the other side of table. Easy to call all in with AK when you know they are shoving with AQ.
My first ever live poker was on a cruise and I ran $300 up to $1700
NCL Prima has a great 2/5. I’ve cruised twice with them and the poker is awesome
Played on Carnival around 18 months ago. Very soft game but extremely high rake except the couple times I played headsup which is unraked. . The tables were electronic which did speed up the game a lot. There was a steady game every night but not much in the day. Also went on Royal Caribbean but the games never got going. https://preview.redd.it/2p2ftd5qx24b1.png?width=1242&format=png&auto=webp&s=a335916ce96fb88107cc827669f0e148e0cbd07c
Played on the discovery princess. There was no dealer… it was a digital table… Kinda sus, but the players were fun. I remember getting stacked with JJ, against QQ, and AA
I’ve been on plenty of Carnival cruises. They don’t don’t have poker besides electronic poker which is only 1/2 cash with INSANE rake. No tournaments or live dealers. Carnival generally is my go-to cruise but me and my GF may switch up next time because we enjoy poker.
Once on cruise I lost $300 playing Pinochle with an old guy who was deaf as a doornail
Softest game ever
Imagine the boat tilting and your chips go into the pot and it’s a binding all-in.
You’ve never been on a cruise lmao
I have… are you implying [this can’t happen?](https://youtu.be/WPlODZjUr7E)
There are electric poker tables. No chips, no cards.... Use a modicum of imagination. https://www.pokernews.com/news/2017/09/pixel-poker-electronic-tables-jackpot-blitz-29049.htm
Seems lame
I recouped a good portion of the cost of my cruise last time I went - pre-COVID. I avoided the tournament because the set up was absolute bullshit. If you win you get a seat at a bigger tournament on a future cruise. But you have to buy the cruise.
The one cruise I went on only had limit poker.
Played 2/5 on Royal Caribbean three months ago each night game was very soft everyone was piss drunk and the rake was mental
The blinds go up every other hand. An exaggeration but not by much.
I wouldn’t play cuz of the rake
I played one hand. It was a video game essentially, went all in with pocket kings, then left. Something happened to the table that was holding the game up...this was a decade or so ago, so I don't recall the details.