47. Cruisin' the Coast
(Don't miss my "Blackjack System" in the POSTSCRIPT at the bottom of the page)
Well, in Chapter 46, cars were doing the Cruisin'. In this chapter, I'm cruisin' on the Sterling Casino Cruise ship. I think there are actually several casino cruise ships around Florida, but I'm going to tell you about the one that docks at Port Canaveral. The trip is free, the buffets are free, and the shows in the bar at the back (oops .. stern) of the ship are free! Can't beat that price, eh? If you just go for the free stuff, you can have alot of fun. If you like to gamble, as I do, then it might end up costing you a little bit -- OR, if you WIN, it can actually be profitable. Thus far, after three cruises, I'm losing a little. I plan to try one more and, if my system doesn't come through for me, I guess I'll quit cruisin'.
2003 ADDITION: Well, I went back and tried again. Lost again, but got to see Elvis! They had impersonators of Elvis and Buddy Holley on this trip. Anyway, I've decided to give up on the cruise ships. I think they are a little too time-limited. On this last trip, my count (see system below) only got up to 10 once and it didn't pay off that time. The rest of the day, the deck was just about average, so I slowly lost the rest of my "stake". Oh well, maybe I'll try horse racing when the season starts.
I also noticed that they've got a very nice 180-site campground within walking distance of the ship, right on the beach, with a 1500-foot fishing pier! It's Jetty Park Campground, 400 East Jetty Road, Cape Canaveral, FL 32920, Phone 321-783-7111 ext 100, Fax 321-783-5005. Their rates (as of Jan 2003) in Jan-Apr are $24 (no hookup), $28 (water & electric), $31 (full hookup) and in May-Dec they're $17, $21, and $24. They say you definitely need to call for a reservation. Also looks like a great spot to watch a Shuttle Launch from, assuming you could get a reservation!
First, a little background on the Sterling cruises. They have two cruises each day and, as far as I know, they've always been free. One leaves at 11:00 A. M. and the other at 7:00 P. M. They stay out for 5 hours, so the morning cruise returns to the dock at 4:00 P. M. and the evening one at midnight. As far as I know, the food, entertainment, and gambling limits are the same on the two cruises, so choosing comes down to whether you intend to spend time on deck soaking up the sun and whether you can stay awake past midnight. I went out on the evening cruise a year or so ago, didn't gamble much, and spent much of the time in the bar watching the entertainment. My more recent trips during the last month were morning jaunts, with my main intent being to see if I could win some of their money. After our good luck in Biloxi, I've begun to think that maybe a person can actually come out a winner -- maybe that's just a dangerous result of having a brief winning streak. We'll see. Also, our best luck has been at Pai Gow Poker, which they don't have on the casino ships, so that's a little problem. Anyway, I enjoy the morning cruises more, mainly because I do like to get out and wander in the sun a little and I don't like having to drive home after midnight.
The Sterling ship has 7 decks, but you only have access to the top five. I'm going to describe the ship to you as far as I recall -- some of the info may be a little inaccurate since I didn't write it down, but it should be generally correct. You enter on Deck 3, where there's a buffet, the player's club signup station, and a gift shop. Deck 4 has the "lower casino", which is where some of the table games are. There are slot machine on all decks, I think. Deck 5 has another buffet. Deck 6 is the "upper casino", with more table games. Seems like the lower casino was mostly Caribbean Stud and 3-Card Poker, with some Blackjack thrown in. The upper casino is more Blackjack and some 3-Card. I think there are Roulette and Craps in both casinos, but am not sure since I don't play them. Deck 7 is where the entertainment bar is and the access to the outside. Best route I've found is to walk through the bar and out onto the deck -- there may be other ways.
On my first morning cruise, I met a guy (whose name I've since forgotten -- I'll call him Fred) that claimed to go out about twice a week and to be making a profit over-all. Fred also talked alot about getting comps (i.e., complimentary gifts) in Las Vegas and other casino areas, so I was quite interested in what he had to say. I've long suspected that an ordinary player (as opposed to a high roller) could get free rooms, etc., in popular casino destinations if they simply knew how to work the system and where to get the easiest comps. He said that he'd take about $300 with him each day he went out to gamble while in Vegas and that he made enough points on his player's cards to qualify for free rooms whenever he returns for a visit. He mentioned the local clubs, like Sunset Station in Vegas, as being more receptive to giving comps to lower-level players. After our great success at being able to eat free at casino buffets during our recent 5-day visit to Biloxi, I began to feel that maybe we've not been taking full advantage of available comps when we do go gambling. Since talking to Fred, I'm more convinced that it's worthwhile to check further into what's possible in the comp-world. I've got a player's card for the Sterling ship, but it appears that you need many points for very small gifts (like T-shirts, etc.). It still makes sense to have the card, however, since it costs nothing and it may get you a little bit of preferential treatment from pit-bosses, etc.
How about a few pictures? The first two on the left are shots of the ship from shore. The vertical picture shows the welcome signs as you start up the ramp to the ship. The one on the right shows the view of shore from the deck of the ship, with the ramp that you just walked up. And there were Manatees lolling around in the water under the ramp.
My Travel Log
Nothing in this site is copyrighted -- I'd be honored if you'd reuse anything you find here for your website
Bottom line - if you're in Florida with some time on your hands, like free stuff, and maybe feel like gambling a little, check out one of the casino cruises. Although minimums seem to change according to the season, you're usually able to find $5 minimum Blackjack and $5-$10 minimum on other table games. The slots run from nickels up to many dollars, with the odds probably somewhat worse than what you find in Las Vegas. There's also a Bacceratte game, which I've never played and probably spelled wrong -- it's James Bond's favorite, so I should probably learn it someday just out of loyalty to 007.
POSTSCRIPT - THE OLDGUY'S WINNING MULTI-DECK BLACKJACK SYSTEM -- I've been learning and playing Blackjack for over 30 years and have come up with a system for counting cards regardless of the number of decks involved. Before you try it out, be sure to read below CAUTION and WHERE THE SYSTEM FAILS.
I don't really recall if I actually invented this or if I read it somewhere, but it seems to work well so I feel it's worth passing along. I'm assuming that you know how to play Blackjack, including doubling-down, pair-splitting, when to hit/stay, etc. and that you're familiar with terminology -- like that fact that multi-decks are dealt from a box called a "shoe". My system is merely intended to determine when the numeric value of cards in the shoe result in probabilities being slightly in favor of the player -- it's then up to you to decide how much to bet when these good times occur. If you've never done any card-counting, you should also be aware that some casinos frown upon the practice, so you shouldn't make it obvious (like counting out loud or writing down your count).
I first picked up card-counting from a book called Beat the Dealer, written by a Math professor back in the 60's. His basic strategy involved counting 10's and 5's, with advice on when to split, double, hit, and stand. I've borrowed some of the easiest parts of the strategy and extended them a little to cover multiple decks (his system was based on the assumption that a single deck was used).
My whole system is based upon the fact that approximately 1/3 of the stack of cards consists of 10-point cards (10, J, Q, K), regardless of the number of decks involved. That's somewhat of a generality, since the number is actually 4/13, but that can be simplified to roughly 1/3. Based upon that count, one of every three cards should be a 10-pointer. Since a Blackjack hand usually averages out to about 3 cards (many only 2 cards, but some up to 5 or 6), you can further generalize this to merely noticing if each player has their 10-point card or if they have more than one. To count, you start with Count=0, then add one for every player that doesn't get his/her 10 and subtract one for every extra 10-pointer that you see. If the count gets about +5, then deck is getting much better -- how much better depends on how far through the "shoe" you are. The farther through, the better the odds. Now why is the high number of 10-pointers good?
There are several reasons that the number of 10s is important. When the 10-Count is high, you're more liable to get a 20, which is usually good enough to win or at least push. Also, since the dealer is forced to hit with a 16 or less, a dealer upcard of 6 or less often means that the dealer will bust. The more 10s in the deck, the higher the probability that the dealer has a 10 down and that the drawn card will be a 10.
Finally, the best way to make money on Blackjack (other than to simply get on a long lucky winning streak) is to take advantage of a dealer's bad hand by raising your bet. This is done by doubling or splitting. If the dealer is showing a 6 or less and the Count is 5 or more, you should split or double whenever possible. In this situation, you always split if you have a pair of Aces through Eights (i.e., pair of 9s is 18 and pair of 10s is 20, so you don't really want to give up these good hands). If none of these pairs, you then double if you have 11 or less (i.e., if you can't bust). You only stand if you have a Hard 12 or higher. Since you're assuming your hit will be a 10 (due to the high Count), you never take a hit that will bust you if the dealer is supposed to bust. Note the italicized words usually, often, probability, and supposed to -- all of this is based upon probabilities, which don't always hold true. If only one card of 52 is a bad value, you still may get that card. And even though the deck is mostly 10s, the dealer still may have a 5 down to go with that 6 up. All we're saying here is that the probabilities turn slightly in the players' favor, not that wins are by any means guaranteed.
SUMMARY: To summarize all of the rhetoric above, the system is simply this: (1) Start new shoe with Count=0; (2) Add one for ten-less players, subtract one for extra 10s; (3) If Count>5, bet more -- higher the count, more you bet; (4) If Count>5 and dealer Upcard 6 or less, Split pairs of Aces - Eights; (5) If Count>5, dealer Upcard 6 or less, and no pair, then Double on 11 or less, Stand on 12 or more -- never just take a hit.
SOME DETAILS - If you've got already had more system than you can handle, skip this section and go read the cautions below. These details are just some additional background on using the system. To many players, splitting some pairs is very bad -- most Blackjack books will tell you not to split 2s, 3s, or 6s, since you're trading one bad hand for two bad hands. This is true if you're trying to get to 21, but if you're assuming the dealer is going to bust, then the more hands you have, the better off you are. It doesn't matter how low your final hand is if the dealer busts, right? Some might also advise that you should double on 4s or 5s, but splitting pairs increases the chances that you might get the same card and be able to split again. Think of it as it doesn't matter what you end up with, as long as you don't bust and have as many hands in play as possible. Likewise, doubling down on low numbers is difficult for some to understand. If you double with a 3, you can't possibly end up with anything higher than 14 -- this doesn't matter if you assume the dealer is going to bust anyway. FINALLY, I actually use the splitting/doubling rules above if the Count>0 -- that is, as soon as the deck is a little better than average, I start trying to increase my play against any dealer's bad card. Then, I start raising the bets when the Count gets higher -- how high is really up to how cautious or aggressive you're feeling.
WHERE THE SYSTEM FAILS: Of course, the first place this system, or any Blackjack system, fails is when the cards don't follow the probabilities, which seems to occur quite frequently. Probabilities are only true over the loooong haul, so in any short period of play, things may well not happen as hoped/expected. Playing in environments where you're time-limited, such as aboard cruise ships, you're somewhat limited in the length of time you can play. Also, you may be forced to quit when you're at the low point of your playing, rather than waiting until you're back on the plus side. For this reason, the system actually works much better in land-locked casinos, where you have complete power over how long you play and when you quit.
Another failure I've noticed is actually my own failing. When the deck gets really good (Count>5 and shoe over half gone), I start betting higher and doubling/splitting more. This often works for a short time, then begins to fail as time goes on. The reason this happens is that I get involved in winning and tend to forget that there's still time for the deck to go bad -- i.e., I forget to keep the Count current! As it turns out, it only takes a couple of rounds with 3 or more extras 10-pointers to drive the Count back negative. When the Count is high, the probability of a couple of rounds like this is obviously higher also. Be careful of this downfall -- I'm trying to do so in the future. You can quickly turn a skillful win into a stupid loss. I've also noticed that a couple of really good wins can cause me to lose count (over-excited, I guess) -- when this happens, it's best to simply go back to cautious play until the shoe is re-shuffled.
CAUTION: It's only fair to point out that, although I've been playing Blackjack off and on for over 30 years, I'm still losing overall. This is due to many factors, the major one probably being that I used to enjoy drinking alot with my play, which generally resulted in an enjoyable, but losing experience. Now, I mix diet Coke in with an occasional mixed drink or beer, even reverting to water now and then, so my play doesn't degenerate over time as it once did. Another factor is that I sometimes get impatient waiting for the deck to get "good", so I start playing on "hunches" rather than on mathematical probabilities. These hunches seldom result in wins.
Good luck if you choose to try my system! If it wins for you, let me know. If not, sorry about that.
One good idea I got from Fred was to have a plan of sorts when going onboard the casino ship. I'm always one for efficiency and avoiding long lines, so made up a plan based upon what I learned on my last two visits. Here 'tis, for what it's worth -- they're just some ideas I have for making the most of the trip -- use what you like and ignore what you don't. Times below are for the morning cruise -- just add 8 hours for evening cruise times.
Firstly, I think they suggest you get there at least an hour before departure time. For the morning cruise, that would be around 10. As it turns out, that's probably the best suggestion. You get to sit on the dock in the sun for about 30 minutes, but the weather is usually great and there are alot of people to watch (if you're into people-watching). While waiting, don't be spending money on drinks, since they're free as soon as you get onboard. The boarding starts about 10:20 and the crowd has generally cleared by about 10:30, which is when I get up and walk up the ramp. Any earlier and you end up standing in line for that 10 minutes. Since there's no apparent advantage to getting on first, I see no reason for standing in that line. I guess some head straight for the buffet, so getting first helps, but I've got a better idea for the buffet below.
You set sail about 11:15 and the first show starts in the bar on Deck 7 at 11:20 -- it entertains people until the machines and games are started. You can sit in the bar and order a drink or just go stand and enjoy the show without buying anything. If you're thirsty, walk up to the bar at the end of either buffet (sort of like entering at the exit side) and grab a free coke before going back to the entertainment. By 11:30, the looong buffet line has pretty well cleared on Deck 5, so you can go get some of the free food. The line seems to stay longer on Deck 3, probably because that's where people board and they tend to stay on that deck until they've eaten enough. At 11:45, the machines are turned on and the table games start. If you really are intent on playing immediately, you can reserve a machine by sticking your ticket stub in the money slot or at a table by putting your stub (or player's card) under the armrest. If you reserve, however, you'd better be available when they start or your ticket will probably mysteriously disappear. If you use your player's card, it most likely won't get moved since it'll be watched by the pit boss.
The next 4 hours are "free-form" -- I alternate between playing games, eating off the buffet, and wandering on deck to see what's to be seen -- usually there's not much to see. They have a band that plays in the bar every hour on the half-hour, if you get really bored and feel like tapping your foot for awhile. At 3:20, the second live show starts. On both of my recent trips, the 11:20 show was a John Denver-like singer and the 3:20 show was a Marilyn Monroe impressionist (don't ask me if a male or female -- I really couldn't tell). Both are very entertaining. The games are shut down at 3:30 and you get off the ship at about 4:30. Below are pictures, from left to right, of the John Denver singer, Marilyn, a fellow passenger noted on one of my "exciting" trips up on deck, the non-view from the deck, and finally the exit back to shore. CLICK ANY PICTURE FOR A CLOSEUP VIEW. A note: There are occasionally things to see on deck, like the submarine we spotted as we were approaching the port on my last trip -- exciting, if you've never seen a sub in the water.
Click any photo for a larger view
