Cruise ships offer a wide variety of entertainment options for their passengers. And as many of you know, casino gambling is one of the many popular activities featured on these ships. Interestingly enough, the odds and strategy needed to succeed in cruise ship gambling is somewhat different from what you'll encounter in a casino. That said, let's take a quick look at some cruise ship gambling tips you should know before playing.

Tip #1 - Beware of the Odds offered

One of the biggest things you need to watch out for when it comes to cruise ship gambling is the odds featured in certain games. Most slots games should be avoided because of the lower-than-normal payout percentages seen here. You'll often find unfavorable rules on table games too such as 6:5 natural blackjack payouts (instead of 3:2), and American roulette wheels instead of European roulette wheels. The point is to make sure you know what the most favorable rules/casino games are, and avoid unfavorable situations in cruise ship casinos.

Tip #2 - Play Poker when possible

The big reason why many casino games feature lower odds is because there's a heavy crowd of beginners and recreational players who don't care about the odds. And while this may limit the choices of reliable casino games you can play, it makes skill games like poker much more profitable. The average cruise ship poker player is much worse than what you'll find in a casino or poker room.

Tip #3 - Watch out for High Stakes at Night

Seeing as how casino games are more popular at night, many cruise ship casinos will increase the stakes quite a bit. For example, $5 minimum tables will become either $10 or $25 minimum bet tables once the sun goes down. This being the case, you should do your gaming during the day if you don't have a very large bankroll - especially if you play table games.

Tip #4 - Stay Away from Alcohol when playing

The alcohol flows heavy on cruise ships, but this is no excuse to let it spill over into your casino gaming. This being said, you should resist the temptation to drink while playing cruise ship casino games because it will affect your better judgment. Furthermore, being drunk could cause you to forget about the first three tips mentioned in this guide!