Conference abbott::cruise_travel

    	Your best beet for gambling in any casino is blackjack. It's
    easy to learn and gives you about an even chance to win a little.
    I usually play with a fixed amount of money each time I sit in on
    a game. If I lose that I quit. If I double my stake I also quit.
    This way I can tell where I stand. The slots are fun if you want
    watch the little wheels spin but they don't payoff very often.
    
    Hope you enjoy the Nordic and have a good cruise.
    
    Dan Soderquist

    Actually, it has been my experience that the slots do pay off the
    first day or two that you are out to get you hooked. They they get
    reset so that they don't payoff very often. Also, many on board
    casinos have a "learn how to play blackjack" session at the tables
    early in the cruise. You set down at a table and they give you some
    chips and the dealer teaches you how to play in hopes you will come
    back later and buy/lose some chips for real. Good luck.
    

    re: -2

    I just want to point out that the odds are only close to 50/50 in
    blackjack if you follow "Basic Stategy".  There is only one way
    to play any hand against any dealer up card.  You can go to a library
    and pick up a book on blackjack to find out about "Basic Strategy".
    The casinos make their money because most people don't know the
    best way to play each hand.  I've been to Vegas, Atlantic City and
    a cruise ship (Song of America).   The rules differ in each place,
    and I must admit that the cruise ship's rules are the LEAST favorable
    to the player when compared to any other place I've played.  Unless
    you follow basic strategy, or are EXTREMELY lucky, don't plan on
    winning in blackjack.  Try your hand at Roulette.  The odds for
    any bet on the table (except one) are exactly the same, (5.26% against
    you---pretty bad.)  You don't have to worry about memorizing
    anything however.  The odds remain bad.  Good luck!

    Don
           

    
    RE: -2
    
    	  On the Nordic Prince, when you entry the casino, with the
    "money desk" to your right, just past this there is a row of $1
    slots.  The last one on your left is the one I want you to kill for
    me. :^).  All kidding aside, the Slots where the most fun.  The
    $1 slots "seemed" to pay off more, but I learned the hard way to
    move off a machine after it hits a few times.  I was up $350 and
    didn't move and was back to 0 bucks after a half hour.   Another
    persone hit for over $500 in a matter of a few mins (more then on
    hit) and then whent to another machine.
    
    	I didn't do Black-jack only because I had a fear of messing-up 
    the table.  A friend got back from a cruise on the Song of America 
    and he did "ok" on black-jack.
                        
         I just went to the casino with the idea of spending some time
    	as just seeing what could happen.  I know I'm not good enough
    	to chance the house on a hunch.  So just bring what you can
    	lose and play to win.
    
    	Good luck
    
    	George C.
    
    
    

    RE: -1
    
      Don't ever worry about "messing up" the table.  I have had a player
    play his/her hand incorrectly many times and in the long run it
    evens out: some times it favors you, sometimes it hurts you.  However,
    if you aren't comfortable about playing, my only advice is to stay
    away from the last seat on the table, the one who gets his/her
    cards just before the dealer, the one to the dealer's right. This
    person usually takes the most abuse from hecklers because he/she
    often affects the dealer's hand.  But remember, the cards are shuffled
    and thus are dealt at random.  They might as well be pulled from
    the middle of the deck.  Don't ever let anyone tell you that you
    caused them to lose the hand.  Chances are, you'll help them on
    the next one.  Good luck!