Tuesday, July 15, 2008

The Dice Game Craps

Craps is a simple game where you bet against the house on the result of two dice being thrown. One or more players take it in turn to be the shooter and roll the dice. The first throw of a round is called the come out roll. If the two dice add up to 7 or 11 is a win or natural. If the two dice add up to 2, 3 or 12 it is called craps and the round starts again with another come out roll. Any other total 4, 5, 6, 8,9 or 10 is rolled a point is created. The shooter then rolls repeatedly until the point or the number 7 is rolled. This is the end of the round. If the point is rolled the same shooter rolls the come out round, if a 7 is rolled it is called a 7 out and the next player on the left.

Players can make any of a number of various bets usually the predicted outcome of the round 7 out or point comes. Other bets involve predicting the outcome of the next roll or than a certain total will come up before 7. Bets are placed with chips on a craps table. A new shooter must bet the table minimum on either the pass line or don't pass line to play.

Bets

Fire Bets, before play begins some casinos allow small bets to be placed on whether the shooter will get many different points of differing values. Nothing is paid out on the first, second and third unique points. The odds on the fourth are 25/1 the fifth 252/1 and the sixth at 1000/1.

A new shooter must bet the table minimum on either the pass line or don't pass line to play. Pass line is a bet on whether the shooter will roll a total of 7 or 11 on their come out roll. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 the bet is lost. If a point is established and rolled again the bet is won. If a 7 is rolled before that the bet is lost. A don't pass line bet is the opposite losing if rolling a 7 or 11 and winning if roll a 2 or 3, 12 is a draw to give the house an edge. If a point is created and rolled again the bet looses, if 7 is rolled before the point the bet is won.

Pass odds and don't pass odds bets are for pass line bettors and are taken if a point is created. Pass odds is a bet that a 7 will be rolled before the point. Odds vary depending on the number of the point, though are usually true odds. Don't pass odds bet are the opposite i.e. that a point will be rolled before the 7. Come bets are made after the coming out roll. If the roll the come bet is made on is 7 or 11 it wins otherwise the number rolled has to be rolled again before a 7 in order to win.

Don't come bets bet that craps 2,3 or 12 will come on the next roll not 7 or 11 or if a point is rolled it won't come again before a 7. Single roll bets are on the outcome of the next roll. These bets an either be placed on one number or several. Multi roll bets are like single roll bets except it may take several rolls to determine the outcome

Strategy

The most plausible strategies to win at craps involve controlling the dice when throwing or substituting the dice for ones that are rigged. Both classed as cheating. As a consequence casinos monitor dice carefully and insist the dice hit the back wall of the table to limit the shooters control over the outcome. As a matter of etiquette it is considered bad to move the dice from the table, hold them with more than one hand, they must be in plain view at all times.

Sunday, January 13, 2008

The Superstitious Game of Craps

Are you a superstitious person? You know, the kind of person who won't open an umbrella inside a house, won't walk under a ladder and has to spin around three times when stepping over a crack in the pavement?

Here's a list of some of the more common craps superstitions compiled by some of the great craps players. Incidentally, they believe in a lot of this nonsense too!

1. If the stickman changes, in the middle of a roll, a seven will follow.

2. If a cocktail waitress approaches the table, a seven will follow.

3. If the dice being thrown hits somebody's money, a seven is likely.

4. If the dice being thrown hits the glass, a seven will appear.

5. If there's too much chatter among the dealers, frequent sevens.

6. If the dice are thrown off the table, seven will be the next number up.

7. If new dice are requested, seven is likely to follow.

8. If someone yells out the number "7", a seven will surely follow.

All of this may sound like a whole lot of nothing to you but sometimes you can be involved in an active game where the dice are passing a little too frequently. If you pay attention, you will discover that several of the superstitions are, in fact, occurring.

You'll notice that the stickman changes a little too often, that instead of one cocktail waitress, the table now has two waitresses serving drinks and many other strange happenings that ultimately mean a seven is going to be thrown by the shooter.

Remember, you can always bring your bets down and wait until the next shooter. You can also turn your bets off, but if you do, don't turn them back on, because if you do... a seven will follow!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

About Players At A Craps Table

If you are looking for excitement, noise and more fun than you can stand, then craps is the only game to play.

Craps is a fast-paced game with high-rollers, low-rollers, and everyone in between. If you are a people-watcher this is one game that you will love to observe. There's the high roller, buying in with a large bankroll and making loud announcements when he bets across the board, "$520 across," you'll hear him say. He's the player to watch at this table and he knows it. They will either win big or lose big and there's no in between.

There's the low-roller, possibly trying to acquaint himself with the high-roller. He will inform the other players of books he's read on dice setting and hang around the hottest shooter at the table, ready to talk and "pick each others brains".

There's the student of Frank Scoblete latest craps class. While Frank is the best there is, his student needs to do his homework. This guy will take five minutes to set his dice, so practice patience.

My favourite people at the table are the true gents from the old times. These elderly gentlemen are normally patient, mostly kind and will almost always offer tips from the "good ole days."

There are many other personalities that you will find around a crowded Craps table. When you take the plunge and decide to join the game, make sure you use proper etiquette. Find a spot on the rail and put your money down in front of you in the "come" area. Never do this when the dice are in motion or you will become known as the last personality I wanted to mention, the jerk.

Online Craps Strategy For Beginners

There are many reasons why people play craps at an online casino. The biggest (and probably the best) reason is the potential to win large amounts of cash in a very short period of time. While the strategy here is not going to win you huge amounts of cash, it will help you realise small, consistent wins online.

If you know the general rules and understand the game, you are in great shape to play online. If not, you need to start playing online and learn some of the different bets before you take your game to the next level. There are only two bets you need to play online when first starting out.

Start a game and place a pass line bet. Place $5 on the pass line and roll the dice. When your point is established, place your odds behind the line. For the purposes of this example, place $5 behind the line too.

Let's say on the first, or "come out" roll, you established a point of nine (9), what this means is that you will need to roll a nine again, before the appearance of a seven, in order to win. While you are still learning the rules of the game, this is the only bet you need to make in craps when playing online, unless you want to be a bit more aggressive.

If so, play the field. What this means is that anytime a two, three, four, nine, 10, 11 or 12 is rolled, you win. Don't play anything else until the online version of the game becomes a little more realistic in the natural appearance of sevens.

It doesn't get any easier than the above two bets. Pass line with odds and throw in a field bet for "a little more action". Keep in mind, while the field bet is one of the better bets online, it's not one of the best bets in the brick and mortar casinos.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

In Pursuit of a Monster Roll

The people you meet at a craps table have any personality you can think of and a diverse group of characters. Many of these craps players will become your friends but others will have made it a fleeting visit to both the casino and a detoured stop at the table, so you are unlikely to ever see them again.

What brings all of these different people together is one common goal. Every single player who has ever played or thought about playing craps pursue the once in a lifetime "monster roll".

The much-dreamed of monster roll is borne out of greed. You can accumulate a lot of money from a craps table during a 20 minute roll if you know what you are doing. Most people won't because they are just pressing and so never pick up the first chip. Others at the table are content (not happy mind you, but content) with small but steady mediocre wins. The majority, however, will be waiting on the table to run for the monster roll which will stand in a class of its own and give them something to brag about for years and years to come.

It's often said you will only see one of those rolls in your entire lifetime although some people, usually those full of hot air, claim many more than one while others are just waiting on that "one roll" so they can call it a day and go home. If one of these rolls is experienced the player will just anticipate the next one, it is unlikely a dedicated craps player could give up the game altogether after taking the casino to the cleaners.

Craps is a lot like life in that when things are going good the optimist will expect that to continue because in life, it often does. The pessimist will rely on the "what goes up must come down" theory and full expect something bad to happen at any time following a spate of good fortune.

In craps, if you ever have the opportunity to catch "the monster roll" please understand there will be many other rolls which may not be as exciting as "the big one" but can still be very profitable.

You never know, a life changing moment may begin with the very next roll and it would be a shame for you to miss out on the thrill and more importantly, the profits!

Craps - Bet Large and Win Small

If you decide to use this system you need to have a sizeable bankroll and incredible discipline to walk away when you realise a small win. For the purposes of this article and example buy in of $2,000 is used.

The Horn Bet numbers are not always considered the "winning way to play" and the horn bet itself carries a house edge of over 12%. However, the numbers in the horn are the all you should consider when using this system.

All you are playing is $5 on the pass line and ONE number from the horn. It doesn't matter whether it's a "craps" or "yo" as long as you play it consistently. The Yo is more popular with people using this system for obvious reasons.

Buy in for $2000 when you join the table but put only $5.00 on the passline and $1 on either the 2, 3, 11, or 12. If it wins, great, if it loses press to $2. If it loses again, press to $4 and then to $8, then to $16 and after that add a $1.00 each time. Every time you lose, bet the previous amount plus another dollar.

Using this system, if for instance after 15 rolls, the number you chose (11) hasn't been thrown, you probably should walk away. However, this is what could happen.

On the tenth roll, you have a total of $126 in the game and the YO finally hits, you win $315 with a profit of $189. Now is a good time to walk away as it is a lot more than what you entered the table with.

If the YO doesn't hit until the twentieth roll, you will have a total investment of $391 and because your current bet is at $31, you win $465 with your profit at $74.

As you can see, using this system with only a $1.00 "press," your profit margin becomes smaller the longer you play on without winning. That is why you must walk away after a win or you must bet a "full press" again and then continue on with the $1.00 increase with each hand.

Crunch some numbers at home before you try this so you are very familiar at when this system becomes a losing proposition instead of a profitable one.

Monday, January 7, 2008

How to Play Craps Successfully

Start to play games of craps and you will understand why I believe it is a great game to play. Craps gives you the best odds of winning in a casino, besides poker. Not only does craps give you the best shot of winning it also lets you reduce the casino's edge significantly. Craps is a great way to win big money in a short period. Yes you can use slot machines but the odds are so stacked against you it is not even worth it. In blackjack the dealers reshuffle the decks frequently so you cannot really count cards. In roulette the odds are completely in the casino's favor. Play games of craps at casinos and you will have a good shot of walking out with a win.

The key to playing craps is having discipline. Craps is a game of streaks. You must learn to load up on the hot streaks and survive the cold streaks. With craps you are looking for the hot hand. Once you find the hot hand or streak it is time to place larger amounts of money. There are many different strategies for determining streaks. Find a strategy that works best for you and use it.

You should keep notes on each time you play and track your performance. Remember craps is a game of streaks and chasing your bets will most likely result in more losses. A win is a win period, even if you only walked away with 20 bucks.

A couple of bets you should stay away from are "hardaways", "elevens", and "any craps". These bets are stacked against you. These bets are sucker bets used by the casinos for players who do not know any better. Hardaways are numbers that can made in pairs. For instance, 4,6,8 and 10. You win if the dice hit your numbers in a pair. For instance 2-2 for the 4 or 5-5 for the 10 and so on. You win with "elevens" when the dice roll an 11, if it rolls anything else you lose. With "any craps" you win when the dice roll craps: 2,3 or 12. You lose if the dice hit any other number.

Playing craps is a great way to win at casinos and is actually a very simple game to learn. Many people get intimidated because of the large crap tables with all of the numbers on them. Do not let this discourage you. Play games of craps online for free to get a better understanding of the game.