Casino Craps: Strategies for Reducing the Odds Against You [1 ed.] 1569801371, 9781569801376

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"If all players made only line bets with maximum odds, the casinos might very well close up their dice tables. A .6% house advantage would not pay the expenses incurred in running the games. Now, we wouldn't want that to happen— we'd have nowhere to play. So to all those uninformed, thrill seeking players out there... keep those chips a flying!"

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Strategies for Reducing the Odds Against You

Robert R. Roto

Barricade Books, Inc. New Jersey

Published by Barricade Books Inc. 185 Bridge Plaza North Suite 308-A Fort Lee, NJ 07024

Copyright © 1999 by Robert R. Roto All Rights Reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form, by any means, including mechanical, electronic, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except by a reviewer who wishes to quote brief passages in connection with a review written for inclusion in a magazine, newspaper, or broadcast. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Roto, Robert R. Casino craps: strategies for reducing the odds against you / Robert R. Roto, p.

cm.

ISBN 1-56980-137-1 1. Craps (Game) 2. Dice games. I. Title. GV1303.R63 795.1 '2—dc21

1999 99-28332 CIP

10 98765432

"If, by some quirk of fate, all players suddenly refrained from making proposition bets, betting the Big 6 and Big 8, field bets, and place numbers, and everyone consistently made only line bets with maximum odds, the casinos might very well close up their dice tables. A .6% house advantage would not pay the salaries and other expenses incurred in running the games. Now, we wouldn't want that to happen—we'd have nowhere to play. So to all those uninformed, thrill-seeking players out there . . . keep those chips a-flying!"

DEDICATION I dedicate this book to my loving wife and best friend Nancy whose continuous support throughout this project was indispensable and also to our wonderful children Leigh, Alex, Katie and Collin for their patience, interest, and support. SPECIAL THANKS A very special thanks goes to Mark Ewald and to my sister Dr. Suzanne Roto Lake, for their literary expertise and advice. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would also like to acknowledge the following for their contributions: Phil Tatum, Damencele DiPasqua, Anita Mrozinski, Chris Crane, and Allan Wilson. COVER DESIGN BY: Michael McConville

Table of Contents

Preface.xi Introduction.xv Chapter One: The Basics.7 The Table.7 The Pit/The Crew/and The Casino Personnel.2 Functions of the Stickman.2 The Standing Dealers.3 The Boxman.5 The Floorman.5 The Layout.6 Chapter Summary.7 Chapter Two: The Dice, Their Combinations and the Odds.9 Dice Combinations.9 The Odds.7 7 Basic Playing Procedure.7 7 Chapter Summary.74 Chapter Three: Pass Line/Don't Pass and Free Odds-The Main Game.75 The Pass Line Bet. 75 Point Number.76 Pass Line on The Come Out Roll.7 7 ♦ v ♦

Contents

VI

Pass Line Bet Summary.18 Free Odds.19 Pass Line Free Odds Bet Summary.22 Don't Pass (Bar 12).22 Bar 12..23 Don't Pass Bet Summary.

24

Free Odds on the Don't Pass Bet.24 Don't Pass Free Odds Bet Summary.26 A Word About Free Odds.

26

The Come Bet.*.27 Come Bet Summary.29 The Don't Come Bet.29 Don't Come Bet Summary.31 Chapter Summary.31 Chapter Four: Other Bets on the Layout.33 The Field Bet.33 Field Bet Summary.

35

The Place Bets.35 Place Bets Summary.38 The Big Six and Big Eight.38 Big Six and Big Eight Bet Summary.39 Buying the 4 and/or 10.39 Buying the 4 and/or 10 Bet Summary.41 Lay Wagers

.41

Lay Wagers Bet Summary.43 Proposition Bets.43 The Flardways..44 Flardways Bet Summary.46 Any Seven.46 Any Seven Bet Summary.47 Any Craps.47

,,

Any Craps Bet Summary.48 Betting the 2 3 11, or 12.48

Contents

VII

Betting the 2, 3, 11, or 12 Bet Summary.49 The Horn Bet.49 Horn Bet Summary.50 The Hop Bet. 50 Hop Bet Summary. 57 "No Call Bets". 57 "To" One vs. "For" One.52 Chapter Summary.53 Chapter Five: Understanding Streaks ..55 Two Contradicting Truths.58 Chapter Summary.59 Chapter Six: Bet Patterns.67 The 3% Rule.67 Pass Line Bet with 1 Come Bet Both with Double Odds (Right Side—Conservative).63 Pass Line Bet with 2 Come Bets All with Double Odds (Right Side—Aggressive).64 Pass Line Bet with 2 Come Bets All with Double Odds While Keeping the 6 and 8 Covered as Place Bets (Right Side—Most Aggressive).68 Bet Patterns to Avoid.72 Don't Pass (Wrong Side Betting).72 Don't Pass Bet with 1 Don't Come Bet Both Laying Double Odds (Wrong Side—Conservative).73 Don't Pass Bet with 2 Don't Come Bets all with Double Odds Laid Against (Wrong Side—Aggressive).74 Don't Pass Bet with 2 Don't Come Bets all with Double Odds Laid Against Assisted with Field Bets and Lay Wagers on the 4 and 10 (Wrong Side—Most Aggressive).76 Chapter Summary.80

viii

Contents

Chapter Seven: Bet Progression.81

Modifications to Straight Bet Progression.86 Increase Bets at a Decreasing Rate.86 Increase Bets Only When the Point is Made.87 Level Off Bet Progression.89 Bet Progression on the Don't Side.90 Chapter Summary.92 Chapter Eight: Bankroll and Money Management.93

Bankrolling.94 Money Management.97 Maximizing Wins.98 Guarantee & Excess.700 Chapter Summary.707 Chapter Nine: Winning Consistently—

The Professional Player.703 Luck vs. Superstition.704 Gambler A, Gambler B, and Gambler C.705 Set A Session Rule.706 All Pass/Come (Right Side).707 All Don't Pass/Don't Come (Wrong Side).708 All Don't Pass Until the Dice Pass, Then Switch to Pass and Stay There.108 Whatever the Dice Just Did—Do That.709 Practice makes perfect.7 7 7 All About Attitude.7 72

Contents

IX

Chapter Ten: As Incredible as it Sounds.7 73 Chapter Eleven: Miscellaneous.7 79

Tipping.779 Comps or Complimentaries.727 Definitions.725

f

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Preface

Michael enters the casino. He experiences an immediate sen¬ sory rush of sight and sound. He cranes his neck, surveying the floor, looking for "his" game. "Out! Seven out!" he hears from a distance—the perennial cry of the Stickman. Michael's ears prick up like a bloodhound hot on the trail. He is quickly off to the craps tables. As he approaches, his heart pounds and his hands begin to sweat. The tables are full and people are screaming. As he begins to circle the pit, he sees a stogy old cigar smoker slam his hand down hard and twist away from the rails in disgust. He sees a beautiful blond dressed in black, adorned with gold jewelry, accompanied by her martini-sipping escort. She lets out a scream as she flings the dice across the table. At the same time, a group of college rowdies jump up and down, slapping high fives as if they just scored in the final two minutes of the big game. Michael spots a small opening and squeezes in. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a hundred-dollar bill as he pokes his head out over the action. He reaches to hand the note to the standing dealer and says, "four twenty-five dollar chips, please." "Set it down, sir," the dealer snaps. With that, the dice fly— one crashing down on a pile of chips, the other careening off Michael's hand. "Hands up!" one of the players barks. Michael drops the hundred and quickly retracts his hand.

♦ x/ ♦

XII

Casino Craps Poor Michael. He has been at the table less than fifteen sec¬

onds and he has already made a number of mistakes, some crit¬ ical and some just plain embarrassing. For one thing, he should have known that all casinos have firm policies prohibiting players from giving or receiving chips or cash directly to or from the hand of a dealer. If this is done, the dealer's employment can be terminated and the gambler can be ejected from the grounds. Casinos can be very generous with perks and benefits. These are called "comps" (short for complimentary). Comps can only be earned if you ask for them, and this allows the casino to rate your play. Casinos issue small plastic cards, like credit cards, to players that want to be rated. It is essential to show this card every time you begin play at a table—another thing Michael does not know. But don't worry, his embarrassment will be short¬ lived. Betting twenty-five dollar chips with a total of only one hundred dollars in play, it is highly unlikely, statistically speak¬ ing, that Michael will last for more than a few minutes. Michael loves the action and can hardly wait to play. However, like the vast majority of gamblers, and particularly craps players, Michael is a consistent loser. He does not under¬ stand why it feels like the dice always go against him. It seems to him that other players are doing just fine. Michael can remember a couple of years ago when he went to the tables with just a few dollars and walked away with a thousand. It's this memory, along with his hopes and prayers that it will happen again, that keeps him coming back. He has thought about trying to learn the craps game the right way. He fantasizes about gaining some kind of edge over the house. But he has little time for research. Of the few books he found on gaming, some included a section on casino craps, but they also included a dozen other games that he has no interest in or didn't even recognize...what the hell is Pai gow poker?! What Michael needs is a short, easy-to-read book devoted exclusively to casino craps. A book that is up to date

Preface

XIII

and clearly explains todays game, along with basic, sound gam¬ bling tenets that genuinely—statistically—give the player the very best chance of winning. A book that not only allows him to learn the game fast, but can also be used as a reference to deepen his understanding as time goes on. Perhaps most impor¬ tantly, he needs a book that was written by a professional who has documented his winnings over the years, proving the value of his techniques. CASINO CRAPS: Strategies for Reducing the Odds Against You is a book that finally addresses the specific needs of the countless gamblers who share Michael's predicament.

Introduction

Casino craps is an amazing, exciting game. It's the fastest game in the casino. When played correctly, it offers the player the very best chance of winning of any game in the casino. Large amounts of money move quickly around the craps table at lightning speed—with most of it flowing into the casi¬ nos' bankroll. This is because very few people know how the game is best played, and even those that have taken the time to study it frequently ignore their knowledge and make foolish bets. These bets may be exciting, with large potential payoffs, but they give the house an outrageous advantage that could never be overcome in any medium or long-range time frame. Casinos are predatory in nature and count on these thousands upon thousands of people who are all too willing to pull out money, lose it, pull out more, and quickly lose that. This need not be the case. You can get basic craps betting and percentages any¬ where,- here you will get much deeper tutelage than that. We will cover all bets available at the table with a complete and simplified analysis. This book is about professional play, bet patterns, bet progressions, money management, and winning with fair consistency. When played in an optimal way, casino games reveal a cor¬ relation between the complexity of the game and the amount of skill required on the one hand, and the potential house advantage on the other hand. Consider the following:

♦ xv ♦

Casino Craps

XVI

Slots (virtually no skill) Roulette Double Zero (some skill) Baccarat (high skill) Black jack (higher skill) Craps (most complex)

6%-1 7% House Advantage 5.26% House Advantage 1.06% House Advantage

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