My Alaskan Vacation -- June 27, 2004

The Wizard's News
June 27, 2004

My Alaskan Vacation

For those who may recall, last year I won a Caribbean cruise at the Global Interactive Gaming Summit and Expo in Montreal, sponsored by Casino Pays. Since I wasn't particularly thrilled with my previous trip to the Bahamas, I opted for an Alaska cruise instead, and Casino Pays kindly agreed. However, we had already planned a vacation to Hawaii that summer, and my wife couldn’t get the time off until the next Alaska cruise season. Thus, we finally embarked on our journey on June 2. I documented the adventure in detail, which I highly recommend you check out (unfortunately, the link is no longer available).

I’ve often been questioned about what it's like to gamble on cruise ships, and I can finally share my experience, particularly aboard the Carnival Spirit on the northbound cruise to Alaska from June 2 to June 9, 2004.

To start, I must mention that the casino was impressively spacious, featuring a wide selection of contemporary slot machines and pristine gaming tables. Live musical performances were available during the evenings. The dealers were not only professional but also spoke excellent English; they were all required to have at least a year of prior dealing experience. Unfortunately, drinks came with a cost—sodas and alcoholic beverages were not complimentary anywhere on the ship, including in the dining zones. The casino operated whenever the ship was out at sea, with an age restriction of 18 years for gambling. I'm curious about how this legality stands since the ship seemed to operate outside international waters. Below are my observations for each game.

Blackjack

The operation followed the rules typical in Atlantic City. Specifically, they used 8 decks, the dealer must stand on a soft 17, players could double on any of the first two cards, splitting after a split was permitted, surrender was not an option, the dealer peeked for blackjack, and players could resplit to at least four hands (which I did on one occasion). Under these conditions, the house edge registered at 0.43%. The betting ranges varied, spanning from $5 to $200 on most tables and from $10 to $300 on another table that I didn't see in operation. One particular game featured a Wheel of Madness side bet, allowing bets between $1 and $5.

Double Exposure

Interestingly, they also offered a variant of blackjack known as Double Exposure, referred to as Face Up Blackjack. The game adhered to standard rules with some specifics: 8 decks were in play, splitting was limited to just once, doubling was permitted only on hands totaling 9 to 11, and the dealer stood on a soft 17. In this case, player blackjacks won outright and paid at even money. According to Stanford Wong's Blackjack Edge software, the house edge under these conditions was 0.64%.

Craps

Two times odds was allowed.

Caribbean Stud Poker

The standard rules were in play for the next game. The side bet adhered to a payout structure of 50/100/500, with the jackpot meter displayed at $16,141.

Let it Ride

Conventional rules applied here as well, with the side bet structured according to a pay table of 4/8/25/50/75/100/2000/10000, reflecting a significant house edge of 26.93%.

Roulette

Basic double zero game.

Three Card Poker

In the Pairplus game, they used a pay table of 1/3/6/30/40, resulting in a house edge of 7.28%, with Ante bonuses structured at 1/4/5, which translates to a house edge of 3.37%. It’s worth noting that this game was dealt by hand.

Video Poker

Unfortunately, the pay tables left much to be desired. Below are the specifics from one machine that accepted coins ranging from 25 cents to $2, with a maximum bet of 10 coins:

• Jacks or better: 5/6 pay table. Return = 95.00%.
• Bonus poker: 1/3/5/8 pay table. Return = 94.18%
• Double bonus: 4/5/8 pay table. Return = 94.19%
• Double Double Bonus had a 5/6 pay table, providing a return of 94.66%.
• Aces Bonus employed a 4/6/9 pay table, with a return that remains unknown.
• Joker Poker (aces or better) followed a 5/6 pay table, yielding a return of 93.78%.
• Deuces wild: 2/2/3/4/10/15/25 pay table. Return = 94.82%

Players could obtain a players card, but I regrettably neglected to inquire about its specific benefits.

Slots

While I don't have the exact theoretical returns, the selection of popular modern games, primarily from IGT, was quite good.

Advertiser Spotlight: Brandy has a unique promotion where they refund your losses, up to $500. Here’s how it operates:

• You deposit an amount and if you lose it all within the first three hours.
• Brandy will provide you with a Play Bonus matching the total loss.
• You can use this Play Bonus money to wager and withdraw any winnings, but the bonus itself cannot be withdrawn.

I'm inclined to call this a 'phantom bonus' since the bonus disappears if you attempt to withdraw it.

Here are the other rules:

• To qualify, the entire deposit must be lost within three hours of the games commencing.
• Players are required to wager their deposit five times across a minimum of 50 hands.
• Bets made on Baccarat, Craps, Roulette, and Sic Bo do not count towards this requirement.
• It's important for players to refrain from withdrawing funds until after they have received the rebate.
• Players must wager any rebate a total of four times before they can withdraw it.
• The refund will be deducted from any withdrawal request; for instance, if you have a balance of $1100 and choose to withdraw the max, Brandy will automatically subtract the $500 refund, resulting in you getting $600.
• As soon as you request a withdrawal, the bonus money will no longer be available.

My advice is:

• Deposit the full $500.
• Engage in games like blackjack or jacks or better. Here’s my blackjack strategy card for Playtech casinos, along with my Jacks or Better strategy. optimal strategy and simple strategy .
• Play in a measured manner to ensure you meet the 5x wagering requirement without exhausting your bankroll too soon.
• Utilize double-up bets in video poker as they count towards meeting the play requirement, so take advantage of that option to your comfort level.
• Once you have fulfilled the play requirements, aim for an ambitious target, such as $2000, or risk losing your entire stake.
• It's likely that you may exhaust your funds in this pursuit, at which point you would receive the Play Bonus refund. Then, either meet the 4x wagering requirement or forfeit it entirely.

Here's my experience with this promotion:

• Deposited the full $500.
• Went bust shooting for my high goal.
• I received the $500 Play Bonus refund without needing to reach out.
• Turned that into $2068.50.
• Cashed out my winnings.

More information can be found in our reviews of our sponsors (link has been removed). You can visit Brandy (link removed) if you'd like to experience this promotion yourself.

Win the Wizard's Stuff

There will soon be a competition exclusively for newsletter subscribers. It’s called Win the Wizard’s Stuff, and I’ll explain the details in the next edition.

Written by: Michael Shackleford