The Easy Game
When you evaluate the game of craps, it really is an easy game to play. What I don’t understand is why most people make the game so difficult. When you walk up to the craps table and watch the average player, they seem like cattle following the same betting strategies that they were taught by the dealers years ago. Many learned through observation of the game or by asking others, who themselves really don’t know, how to play.
To many, the game is simply putting some money on the table and getting paid. All you have to do is keep the money flowing and they keep paying you. Doesn’t this sound logical? The casinos are shrewd in the way they conduct their business. The casinos realize that the average person is greedy, will stick by the ideas that the casino teach and provide, and will convince you of making money quickly without risk. The casinos know that the longer time you spend at the table, by using the law of averages that you may win sometimes, but lose more than win.
How the casinos operate as a business is rather amazing. First thing is that they offer many types of games that are used to attract you in the establishment. The casinos are designed as luxurious placing of gaming with bright lights, beautiful carpets, beautiful looking interiors, helpful staff, places of eating, everything to entice you to use their facilities.
What you will hear are the various noise levels of the various slot machines, players reacting to winning situations, excitement, and many chances of “enjoyment” such as free drinks and of course playing the many games. The dealers are there to help, or should I say to teach you the methods of play that most favors the casino. All of these distractions are there to entice you to use their establishment to “enjoy yourself” and have fun.
When you step into a casino the thought of excitement and the action around you is such that you may forget the concept of why you were really there. The real concept is to make a “quick buck,” however that seemed to change with the happenings around you.
The casino is designed to “fake” the individual into thinking that money doesn’t have a value. That is achieved by the exchanging of your “real” money into “chips.” The casinos understand that if you were playing with “real money,” you probably wouldn’t play. Now with all this “faking you out,” you start to play and forget that those chips are the equivalence of real money. If you were to play with “real” money and watched it disappear quickly, would you play? I don’t think so, and so does the casino.
In most of the games in the casino you are considered anonymous. With the exception of the slot machines, all the rest of the games are not registered by the casino unless you give them a casino card. The card is used for rating the player by the hosts of the casino and the pit bosses of the associated games to award comps. If you were to win a jackpot on the slot machine that is over $1195.00, the machines register the win and must be restarted by the casino. You are then asked for your social security card. If you don’t have one, the casino takes your social security and other personal information. They have you sign the form and then give you your winnings. The form is used as a 1099 to report your winnings. At the end of the year this form will be mailed to you for calculating your tax.
When you are ready to leave the craps table after playing your chips are exchanged into larger denominations or what is considered “coloring out.”
As you observer the players at the table you will see that the style of play seems to be always the same, pass line, odds, come bet, odds and leave it up forever. Most players have never heard of regression. The average player seldom removes their bets, but does just the opposite and increases their bets. Finally by the time the 7 appears the only lucky ones are the casino. Just look at the amount of dollars that is kept on the table until the 7 appears.
The key to winning is to acquire more money in your rack and to have less exposure when the 7 appears. Of course we have no idea when the 7 would occur.
Success in the game of craps involves thinking differently and applying those thoughts to different segments of the game. What are the segments of the game? The first segment is the casino game specifics. The second segment is the evaluation of the table. The third evaluation is the players, the forth evaluation is the practice session and the last evaluation is playing the game.
Casino Game Specifics
Playing specifics in every casino may vary. One of the questions that you should understand is the option of “buying” the 4, 5, 9, and 10 instead of place betting the 4, 5, 9, and 10. I suggest asking the “pit boss,” if you were to buy the 4, 5 9 or 10 would the vigorous or vig (from the dictionary: a charge taken (as by a bookie or a gambling house) on bets; also : the degree of such a charge <a vigorish of five percent>) (usually 5% that the house takes to give you 2 to 1 odds for the 4 and 10 and 3 to 2 odds for the 5 and 9) for buying the numbers BEFORE the point is made or AFTER the point is made.
The example would be that if you “place bet” $20.00 on the 4 or 10 and you won the point, the house would pay you 9 to 5 odds or $36.00. If you “place bet” the 5 or 9 and you won the point, the house would pay you 7 to 5 odds or $28.00.
If you “buy” the 4 or 10 for $20.00, (and the vig is $1.00 (5%)) and the vig is taken BEFORE the payoff, the house would give you 2 to 1 on a $19.00 bet and you would make $38.00. (Generally speaking you give them an extra $1.00 to cover the BEFORE bet.)
If you “buy” the 5 or 9 for $20.00, (and the vig is $1.00 (5%)) and the vig is taken BEFORE the payoff, the house would give you 3 to 2 on a $19.00 bet and you would make $28.00. (Generally speaking you give them an extra $1.00 to cover the BEFORE bet.) Note: that there is no difference either “place betting” or “buying” the number with the BEFORE option.
If you “buy” the 4 or 10 for $20.00, (and the vig is $1.00 (5%)) and the vig is taken AFTER the payoff, the house would give you 2 to 1 on a $20.00 bet and you would make $39.00. They take the $1.00 after the payoff.
If you “buy” the 5 or 9 for $20.00, (and the vig is $1.00 (5%)) and the vig is taken AFTER the payoff, the house would give you 3 to 2 on a $20.00 bet and you would make $29.00. They take the $1.00 after the payoff.
You should ask the pit boss or the box man if they would “stretch” the bet on as much as a $39.00 for a $1.00 vig. The worse thing they could say is “NO.”
If they allow you the option of “stretching” the bet, then you would be more ahead in the total of dollars won.
Table Evaluation
The table should be evaluated by length, width, height, playing surface, and reaction of the dice hitting the table.
The length of the table is important especially, when you as the shooter have to be adjustable, in your throws to find the correct grip, dice set, and throwing angle to be as perfect as possible. You generally have no choice as to the position at the table where you will be playing.
The width of the padding and of the table itself could effect the throwing position you must maintain, such as having to turn your body, stand on your toes, or being uncomfortable just to play.
The height of the table could offset the angle that you use for throwing the dice. Table height may not seem too important, but the angle of the throw could cause the dice to roll more, could be deflected causing lack of control, or cause the dice to skew.
The playing surface is critical. What you look for is the condition of the material that is on the playing surface. Look around the area where the dice are thrown to see if there are worn areas. I generally walk around to both sides of the table and see if I can feel the playing surface. The top may look new, but the texture is matted. The dice have to react to the surface. If you decide to play on this table, look for the area where you will be attempting to throw the dice. If the area is worn you may be forced to throw to another area of the table. The tension of the playing surface and the cushioning of the padding under the playing surface create different reactions of the dice. If you check the area where the dealers are storing the chips to pay out those that won, you may spot worn areas. The rest of the table may look new, but don’t be surprised.
All the playing surfaces in the casino are different. You should examine those tables you wish to play on and determine if you want to play. I generally don’t like those tables that are the most used because of the uneven or worn spots and the difficulty of controlling the dice. If you happen to be in a casino that has only one table, determine the position where you to throw the dice.
Watch the reaction of the dice as they are being thrown by the different players. What you are really looking for is the “bounciness” of the dice as they hit the table. Look for players that are trying to control the throws and see the reaction of the dice. If you notice that the players cannot control the throw of the dice, or the dice see to “have a mind of their own,” why play on that table?
Player Evaluation
If you decide to play on the table that you are evaluating, also start to keep track of the players. If you have a little notebook you could jot down some notes to determine the three most important criteria about each player.
The first is to mark the location of the player. I use the idea of the position of the player in comparison to the dealers. The dealers to the left of the stickman I refer to as DL and the dealer to the right of the stickman as DR. the first position (this may not be the first person) I refer to in the example as DR1, and the second position as DR2. There generally are four positions on the ends that is the responsibility of the dealers. These are DR1 to DR4 and DL1 to DL4. The stickman I refer to as S. the first position to the right is SR1 to SR4. The opposite side is SL1 to SL4.
The second is to evaluate each player when they shoot the dice to determine if you wish to play with them, play against them, or skip them.
If the person is a drunk or can’t seem to throw the dice without hitting chips or throwing the dice all over the place, I suggest that you skip them.
As the person is shooting and the players rack is getting filled as they play, I may play with them.
If the player that is shooting seems to 7 out quickly, I may play against them.
If the player is a dice setter or controlled thrower, I may play with them.
The third is to observe the players and mark down the results of their throws until there is a seven thrown after the point has been established. This will establish the player’s dominant number patterns which will be used if you are betting when that person is a shooter.
Please note that I said MAY PLAY when those players are shooting.
You are not compelled to bet any time even if you are at the table. You should control the time to bet. The chips belong to you and not the casino.
Practice Session
As difficult as it may sound, this is the area where we seem to fail the most. The preparation of getting your own grip and dice setting is the part of the game where most people neglect or “fluff off.” I realize that it is cumbersome to throw hundreds of times either on a practice rig or what ever you use, but practice is necessary to get the dice to land in the specific position on the table. If the landings occur exactly as we anticipate, we should possibly have great results.
Each person’s body size is different and the relationship of all the factors involved in throwing differs from one person to the next. Upon examining the different combinations of the axle setting of the dice, and also changing upon each throw the top numbers, you would be throwing over 500 times just to get the reaction of the way you throw.
Before you throw make sure that the arm and hand position are such that the pendulum throw is as straight and perfect as possible. Get in the habit of pausing one extra second to view the position where the dice are to be thrown. This extra pause gives you the concentration that is necessary for accuracy. The dice should be lofted from the table and should land about four inches from the back wall, or whatever you use as a bouncing off position, and hopefully within the same location on the table. The dice should land very close together when they finally come to rest.
You have to keep track of the following numbers for determining the best throw to be used for the come out roll and after the point is established. Once you have achieved your specific settings, these will be used when you play for real, or when you warm up to determine how you are throwing at that time.
You need to keep track of the following: Axle setting, top numbers, landing top numbers, landing axle setting, and landing numbers that face you.
You need the same set of dice to be used all the time during this practice. Use the same grip and throw from the same distance. Each axle setting should be kept on a separate page.
The key elements in being successful are, to throw a lot of numbers other than 7, and to have two specific results of the landing axle.
The first specific result of the landing axle is to find those throwing groups that will be used for the come out throw. (When you look down on the dice as they lie on the table, I am referring to the left side of each dice. I found it is easier to reference the axles this way.) The landing axle settings should have the following 66 or 55 or 44 with all the combinations (66, 61, 16, now move the left dice to the position of the right dice and you have the other three combinations 66, 61 and 16. this applies to the 55 and 44 combinations). These landing axle combinations produce 4 7’s.
The second specific result of the landing axle is to find those throwing groups that will be used after the point is established. The landing axle settings should have the following 65 or 64 or 54 with all the combinations (as demonstrated above). These landing axle combinations produce 2 7’s, or as we refer to them as, the forgiveness sets.
Once you find the settings that produced the most come out combinations, now use the one that produced the most 7’s and 11’s from the come out sets. You will then start to practice only with that specific set and change the tops on each throw to see what seems to produce the most 7’s.
Once you find the settings that produced the forgiveness combinations (two possible 7’s) combinations, use the one that produced the least amount of 7’s from the forgiveness sets. You will then start to practice only with that specific set, or under different table conditions using other forgiveness sets. Change the tops on each throw to see what seems to produce the least number of 7’s.
You must keep in mind that these conditions are far from perfect. Practice those other forgiveness sets as an alternative to be used on different table conditions. There again, what works on one table may not work on another.
When you get to the casino, (I am presuming that you may be staying over night,) you either can bring your practice rig (hopefully it is small enough to carry) or do as I do practice on the rug in the room. What I do is go to the place where I will be playing and determine the size of the table. What you then want to do for about ½ hour is to measure off different positions from the practice rig or wall of the room and start throwing. These positions are approximately from stick right or end of table. The object is to do your sets and throw getting your eye, hand, coordination zeroed in (muscle memory.) what you are looking for in your practice is the hand, grip, arm, pendulum throw, straight. If the dice are bouncing straight and hitting the position that you observe (using that slight pause,) you are then in sync and should be ready to play. Once you see that you are throwing numbers instead of sevens, it is time to go to the casino.
You may find that you are not doing too well at a specific time. This could be in practice as well as doing the game. What you have to do is to review your throwing style, grip, release, and your playing attitude. Sometimes no matter what you do, you seem to be out of sync and the best thing to do is to realize this as quickly as possible and quit for now.
Playing the Game
After observing the players and you decide to play, you still have no idea as to how your shooting on that specific table will perform. I suggest that when you are the shooter for the first time you play the doey don’t (pass and don’t pass.) You should not have any other bets on the table. You may get stares from players or the crew, but you are doing this for only one reason. You are practicing. When you feel that your throws are what you want, then you can start your game. If you feel that you can’t get your throws down, leave that table and find another table or casino.
The table conditions at the specific time you decide to play would generally follow the idea of either playing with or against others or not playing when that specific person is the shooter. As you realize the timing is critical.
The playing conditions could be what we consider cold, choppy, or from warm to very hot. Most times the playing conditions are choppy. The characteristic of a choppy table is that the 7 seems to appear about 3 to 4 rolls of the dice after the point has been established.
The cold table characteristic is that the 7 seems to appear less than 3 rolls after the point has been established.
I am generally cautious of playing with others that I have observed even though they seem to be throwing well. This would even include those that are dice setters or controlled throwers.
The throwing of dice is random even in those that have a tendency to try to control the dice or consider themselves as controlled throwers.
The idea of betting only when I am throwing is that I don’t have to bet against someone else, where I don’t have control, and also having to bet against the casino that offers the game and takes a percentage.
Granted the player may be a great dice thrower and may do wonders at the time of observation, but how do I know how they will do when I place my bets on that player.
When you play, or should I say work, as a team and have experience in the way a person throws and that person feels to have confidence in their throws, you may want to chance waging some bets.
The real question you have to ask yourself is the reason why you are playing. If you are there to make money, then play extremely cautious and don’t get trapped into thinking that you have to bet.
If you are there for the entertainment part of the game, then play your old way, and watch your money over the long haul disappear.
A couple of rules
Determine the number of games you wish to play for the entire period. Divide the total dollars that you brought to play by the number of games you are going to play. This is now your buy in for each specific game. If you win, take ½ of your winnings and add that to the next game. If you lose, just use your buy in for that game. NEVER TRY TO RECOUP THE LOSSES FROM A PREVIOUS GAME. If you are successful, your last game would be quite large.
The first rule is that you never bet more than 12% of your buy in until you start to get positive.
The second rule is that you have a loss limit. I can’t tell you what yours should be, but it is not all your money.
The third rule is to have an up side goal that is realistic. When you reach or exceed that goal, it is time to leave the table.
The fourth rule is that once you become positive that you start removing SOME of your profits off the table. This locks in a win. Never reach into your pockets for more money or use those profits. Part of the winnings would be used when you play and want to increase your bets.
The sixth rule is that if you are starting to lose 2, 3 games in a row, you might start to walk away.
The seventh rule is do not drink alcoholic beverages while you are playing. If you do have drinks, hold them in your non shooting hand. Don’t forget to keep your shooting hand dry. Use talc or on occasion go to wash your hands and face to relieve any tension.
The game ends when you have been shooting and finally 7 out. Take a break. Don’t forget, the casino and game will always be there, but your money may not.
When you color in, do not take your winnings as color in money. If your winning and your play money are over $400.00 I would suggest that you stage going to the cashier. I generally wait 10 – 15 minutes before going again. You don’t want them to know what you won or who you are. Don’t forget that you are not reporting this income to Uncle Sam.
A couple playing ideas
When playing, I will wait until the point is established and then wait one extra roll. It never seems to fail that the first roll after the point is established there is a quick 7 out. This happens so many times, and I have seen so many players just get their bets down and they are being scooped up by the house. Of course this could happen on the next roll, but it seems to happen less frequently.
I always anticipate that most playing conditions would be choppy. If I am correct that the 7 should appear within a couple more rolls, then I could try to get at least 1 or 2 hits before I start to pull the bets down.
I will work this scenario on players that are shooting and I decided to play with them. As you recall I was charting the throws of this shooter and decided that I would take a chance as they play. By evaluating their throwing habits you may see that they have a tendency to throw certain numbers more than others. I would make the PLACE or BUY bets on those dominant number patterns. It doesn’t always prove accurate, but the chances of hitting the numbers could be higher. I then would use the Hit ‘N Git playing strategy which in this case is 1 or 2 hits and down or 2 rolls no hit and down.
Some players tend to 7 out quickly (cold table scenario). You could either play the dark side, which would be laying the 4 and 10, hoping for a quick 7 out or could start off with the don’t pass and then hedge the bet by placing the same number or buying the same number if the points are inside numbers. If the bets are outside numbers, I would just wait for a quick 7 out. Another option would be to play the same way (Hit ‘n Git as described above) with the exception of only 1 hit or 1 roll and down.
Another playing strategy would be to play the Iron Cross. That would be to place or buy the 5, place bet the 6 and 8 and play the field. The field bet covers all the numbers except the 5, 6, 7, and 8. Then again I would assume that the playing conditions are choppy or cold and play according to the way described above. If a pass is made, I will tell them to make the field bet, 5, 6, and 8 to “off” on the come out. Since I always like to wait that extra roll after the point is established, then everything is turned “on” after that. Caution: If the field bet is lost on the 5, 6, or 8, make sure you place more money on the field before the next roll.
One of the biggest problems that most players have is GREED. The dice seem to be rolling quite a bit and the players have a tendency to keep “pushing up” the bets. That in itself is not the problem. The problem lies in not reducing the bets or removing the bets. Reduced or removed bets are a guaranteed win.
The greed part lies in the evaluation of the dollars won. Almost everyone thinks in dollars won instead of percentage won in comparison to the amount bet. As an example if you have $5.00 on the 5, $6.00 on the 6 and 8 and $5.00 on the field and the number rolled is a 5, you would have won $7.00 on the number 5 but lost $5.00 on the field for a net profit of $2.00. Most everyone would not be satisfied for a $2.00 win. When you figure that the amount bet is $22.00 then a $2.00 win is equal to 9.09%. That percentage won is quite substantial considering the bet. A suggested minimum buy in for playing the Iron Cross would be for $200.00. I have been using the 1 or 2 hits and down quite successfully.
If you desire, you could play a combination of the Hit ‘N Git and the Iron Cross.
When I am the shooter or playing only myself, I anticipate that I am going to have more than 4 rolls. I therefore will place a higher bet on the Iron Cross and then reduce after the second hit. I will generally leave the bet up for one or two more hits and then pull the field bet and start playing Hit ‘N Git. I like this type of reduction and the final down on all bets leaving only the pass line and odds. If I am the shooter and start the game, and the point is an outside number, I may not take odds. Since I start the game using the Iron Cross, I follow my rule of waiting that extra throw after the point has been established.
I seem to be able to constantly throw about 8 times before the 7 appears. Since I play only when I am the shooter, I will leave my bets up for about that long. On occasion we get stung by the 7, but that is the nature of the game.
As a shooter your concentration level has to increase. Your main focus is on the hand, grip, arm movement and position where the dice hit the table.
A lot of times you have to take charge of the playing area because players and crew become lax in their actions and will leave their hands, body, etc hanging over the playing area. If I want the dice to land in a certain spot I will ask the player if they don’t mind moving the chips so I could get a nice landing area. The players don’t realize that they are in the game and that any interference can be harmful to their game.
You may state that you have to wait a long time before the dice come around to you again, so what do I do? I play the visual game by not only constant charting those that are playing seeing if my assumptions about playing them are correct. In between the passing of the dice I also will move my hands as if I am throwing the dice. This visual throwing and sighting the spot where the dice should land keeps the muscle memory active and will eventually lead to a huge throw.
There are a lot of times when you are questioned about your playing techniques and strategies. More people are amazed as you pull your bets and then the next roll is 7 out. They constantly ask; how did you know that was going to happen? When I am the shooter my eyes and thoughts are so concentrated on the landing zone during those extra seconds before the throw that I know when the throw is great or mediocre before the dice land. You seem to get into a ZONE that is to, just throw numbers but don’t throw the 7. When that happens, your throws seem to go on forever. When that feeling ends and the 7 appears, take a break.
If you have questions or comments, please e-mail me at crapscoach@aol.com
Meyer Bendavid
Craps Coach