We face a new year ahead of us, the number 2017. For me such a date is the equivalent of living in a science fiction novel of my childhood; home computers, smart phones with video and photography, laptops, and a host of other sci-fi technology.
And casinos, which at this writing number some one thousand that are spread out over 50 states. For people hungry to be fed a meal of odds and adrenaline today is the day we court Lady Luck with some simple questions and answers about the casinos’ most exciting game of craps.
Simple Question: I was betting at a 10X odds game and when I asked for a comp I was given one that was much lower than what I was betting. I used a $10 line and come bet and backed it with full odds but my comp was not based on $110. How come?
Simple Answer: Almost always the casinos will not count any bet where the house does not have the edge. Your $10 line and come bets face a 1.41 percent house edge and you will be comped on that; but your odds bet has no house edge so that bet will not usually count for a comp. Comps are basically based on the house edge and how many decisions you theoretically have in an hour. Comping the odds bet would be a losing proposition for the casino and casinos do not like losing propositions.
Simple Question: How can you tell if a shooter is controlling the dice when he throws them? I mean players talk about this supposed skill all the time but I have no idea if what I am seeing a player do actually changes the game from random to controlled.
Simple Answer: Generally rhythmic rollers set the dice and throw in a relaxed, precise manner each and every time. However, is such a shooter actually changing the game or is he one who simply enjoys having a good style? Bottom line? You really can’t tell unless you are the casino and that person comes in time and again and beats you for some decent money. My advice is to use the Captain’s 5-Count and hope (and pray) that when you do start betting you are betting on someone who can actually control those cubes. My recent book I Am a Dice Controller: Inside the World of Advantage-Play Craps will take you step by step through the 5-Count.
Simple Question: Are pass line and come bets really better than place bets? With a place bet you can go up on the numbers you want and take them down if you want to. You cannot do that with pass line and come bets. So why do you keep harping on pass line and come bets being the best bets at craps?
Simple Answer: You are right about two things: With place bets you choose the number on which you wish to bet and you can take those bets down (or turn them off) anytime you desire. Sadly, that still doesn’t make these bets better than the pass line or come bets.
The place bets come in with very high house edges with the 4 and 10 being 6.67 percent (an expected loss of $6.67 per $100 wagered); the 5 and 9 coming in with a house edge of 4 percent (an expected loss of $4 per $100 wagered) and the 6 and 8 with a 1.52 percent house edge (an expected loss of $1.52 per $100 wagered).
You would have to take your place bets down (or turn them off) about 80 percent of the time to have an expected loss of about 1.41 percent – which, as stated, is the house edge on the pass line and come. Since the game is random, your ability to pick the numbers on which you wish to wager is essentially meaningless in the long run. The house edge is going to get you.
So the bottom line here? Make those pass line and come bets and forget the rest. You can’t fool the math; you can only fool yourself.
Simple Question: What are the worst bets at the craps tables?
Simple Answer: I would estimate that any bet that comes in with a two percent or higher house edge would be a bet to be avoided. The lower the house edge the better your chances of coming home a winner or (at the very least) not a devastated loser. In point of fact, many craps players are their own worst enemies because they make bets that are crippling over time.
Author Bio: Visit Frank Scoblete’s web site at www.frankscoblete.com. His recent books are I Am a Dice Controller, Confessions of a Wayward Catholic and I Am a Card Counter. All are available on Amazon.com, Kindle and at bookstores.
