Count cards on a cruise?

[zdgp]

On the cruises I have been on, blackjack is dealt from an eight deck shoe, with the cut card placed about three decks from the end. Trying to count against this setup is not worth it.

I have seen the more experienced dealers sometimes place the cut card only one deck from the end. I assume they would do this after sizing up the players at the table.

[Russell in MD]

I had some success on the last cruise. (Princess)

I can almost agree that it isnt worth it. The count rarely got into the good range and I was betting flat for most of the time. I did drive them pretty good when it finally got good but that only lasted for a few hands. Lots of ploppers, crowded tables, and limited hours of operation really make it an up hill battle. But then again its still something magical about counting when the count gets good and presto high cards start coming out of the shoe. Its almost worth the trouble for that fleeting moment. Wonging/backcounting would be the way to go but most tables are pretty full so thats tough to.

Watch out also for RCCL in that the dealer hits on S17. That really sends the house odds into the stratisphere. But they do have a SD game that could be taken advantage of if your BR is large enough to handle the $25 min.

Russell