Craps Strategies
In the game of craps, there a few bets that pay almost even money. In some cases, the house has less than 1% advantage, which is almost unheard of in casino games. But even with these minuscule odds, veteran players have come up with several ways to completely overturn these odds and give you, the player the advantage. Here are some of the most popular strategies, along with an explanation:
- Dice control- This is a very popular one where the shooter throws the dice in such a way as to minimize the number of times they throw a 7, or crap out. A shooter who does this is called a “rhythm roller”. They will never shake the dice before releasing, as this makes the roll completely random, so there is obviously no control there. Instead, the dice are set a certain way, and are always thrown at the same angle, with the same velocity and usually land in the exact same distance from the edge of the corner they just bounced off of. Strategists claim this eliminates the small house advantage, and can make you a winner more often than not.
- Full Odds strategy- This means that you bet the pass line. Once a point has been established, you back up that bet, thus playing full odds. You are not allowed to decrease or take away a pass line bet once the point has been established, but you can certainly add to it.
- Safe bets only- This means only betting pass line, don’t pass line, come bets and Place 6 or Place 8 bets. These provide the house with the smallest possible advantage, so you are sure to get nearly even odds. So even if you lose a few hands, you most likely won’t leave the table with any more money than what you came to it with. In other words, avoid “sucker” bets like horn bets. These can get you in trouble quickly, causing you to end your night early or spend more than you budgeted.
- Find the highest odds tables- This means that you find a table offering higher odds than normal, such as 2:1 odds. Some casinos will go 10:1 and very rarely 100:1. Find the table with the better odds and stick to it for better payouts.
- Classic regression strategy- Playing classic regression here means that you place two chips each on 6 and 8 after a point has been established. After one roll, you ask to go down one, giving you the best odds against the house with least amount of risk. Of course, you could hit on the first role, which is the ideal outcome of this strategy. Math is the backbone of this strategy, as there are 10 ways to make a 6 or 8, while there are only 6 combined ways of the shooter crapping out with a 7.
- Anything but 7 strategy- Once a point number has been established, bet on 5, 6 and 8, and make one field bet. Since the average shooter will roll 4 or more times before crapping out, you may want to remove your winnings after three rolls, but that is completely up to you and how lucky you may feel.
- Three-eyed Molly strategy- You are making sure that you have at least three numbers working for you at all times. You make a pass line bet and back it up after a point is established. You also place two come bets, thus making three bets. For each come bet that hits, replace with a new one. If you do this, you have a revolving set of three bets at all times that increase your chances for winning.
These are just a few strategies, there are countless others. The important thing here is to make sure you are comfortable and completely understand the strategy you are going to use. If none of these work for you, then form your own based on your own experiences. The more familiar you are with a strategy, the more likely you are to make smart, winning bets.