What is Ultimate Texas Hold'Em?
Ultimate Texas Hold’Em (UTH) is a unique format as it follows ‘the Texas Hold’Em’ rules’ while at the same time allowing for a unique betting structure. Like in standard Texas Hold'em, each player is dealt two cards. The players then use these hole cards in combination with five community cards in the center of the table to create the best possible five-card combination. Except, now they’re also competing against the dealer which makes the gameplay of Ultimate Texas Hold'Em a bit more personable and allows for more betting rounds. A round of play begins with an Ante, Blind, then Play round, and lastly an optional side bet called Trips.
Cruise lines offering Ultimate Texas Hold'Em
Royal Caribbean
Royal Caribbean has a gambling culture with them that I find to be quite aggressive as they regularly advertise UTH . A player recalled that for most of the days of the cruise he was able to participate in two to five rounds of ultimate make every night.
The tables have been set sometime after nine o'clock PM and have a maximum cash buy-in of 100BB. The circumstantial soft cash games in play had a few players who were either ultra-tight and passive or super loose and aggressive, making nuancing strategies quite simple and easy to make a profit. A hefty percentage of 5% without inhibitative caps was however the rate charged. Even with a few issues with inexperienced dealers seemingly around, the games offered a great deal of chances to win big, and a single player reportedly won between $200 and $600 every night.
Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL)
Norwegian Cruise Line organizes poker tournaments, often during sea days. These tournaments can be a gateway to larger main events. Cash games usually start in the evenings, and while experiences can vary widely, NCL generally offers a well-rounded poker experience for its passengers.
MSC Cruises and Celebrity Cruises
On an MSC or Celebrity cruise, you can expect a fun and engaging atmosphere. One player detailed their Celebrity cruise experience, noting that tournaments occurred three times a day on non-port days. Despite high rakes, the competition was friendly, with reasonable buy-ins and well-structured prize pools. Cash games on these cruises also boast softer competition, with manageable stakes and ample opportunities to win.
Ultimate Texas Hold'em table on Anthem of the seas.
Atmosphere and game environment
The athmosphere around a UTH table on cruise ships are more relaxed, enjoyable and fun in my opinion. I'm not a person who plays Ultuimate Texas Hold'em often, but I always indugle when I'm out cruising, just because of the more relaxed atmoshpehere.
How playing Ultimate Texas Hold'em on cruise ships differs from land-based casinos
Ultimate Texas Hold’Em is played with a lower number of tables and quite often the players may face a rookie dealer on a cruise. Interestingly taking the element of an inexperienced dealer out of the equation, I think I have always had great times playing UTH on cruises.
From an experience perspective, my first time playing Ultimate Texas Hold’Em on a cruise ship was more fun than my visit to a Las Vegas casino. This is because cruise liners have a more diverse clientele, with a huge number of novice and even first-time players meaning a more laid back atmosphere.
Dealer interaction
Cruise ship dealers are a hit and miss experience. Some cruise ship casinos have dealers who are more friendly, professional and lend an experiential touch to the game; on the other hand, some dealers tend to be novice compared to normal casino land based ones. This in turn can cause issues for advanced players as there would be a higher level of frustration .
Perks and reward programs
Free drinks are also placed in casinos on cruise ships to make the experience better and that you have a good time while gaming. In addition, there are some ships with high roller areas and special events for high spenders adding an extra touch to the gaming experience.
Tournaments and events on cruise ships
There are quite a few cruise lines that organize UTH tournaments that have a definite structure to the prize pools and a variety of buy-ins. For example, as players on Celebrity cruises could buy into multiple tournaments with a $60 buy in which also had a back end and prize structure in place.
Tips for participation
To make the most out of UTH tournaments on a cruise, consider the following tips:
- Look at the agenda: Where the whole details of the day will be given including times of tournaments and so forth.
- Be able to account for your funds: Make it easier by only putting aside an identified amount for tournaments, this helps avoid extravagant spending.
- Don’t be late: Make sure to spot yourself there and be familiarized with the rules of the tournament as well.
- Stay composed: Don’t forget try to appreciate the match and realize it’s the cruise that provides this informal tone around.