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Crap Bets |
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PASS LINE: By playing the Pass Line, you're
betting with the shooter. An immediate 7 or 11 on the come out
roll wins; a 2, 3 or 12 loses. If a point is established (4,
5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), it must be repeated before a 7 is thrown
in order to win. The Pass Line bet pays even money and, with
a house advantage of 1.41 percent, is one of the best bets at
the table.
DON'T PASS: The Don't Pass bettor bets against the shooter.
He therefore wins his bet if the come-out roll is a 2 or 3 (a
12 is usually a push), and loses if the shooter throws a 7 or
11. If the shooter establishes a point, a 7 must be thrown before
the point is rolled again in order to win. This even money bet
has approximately the same house advantage of winning as the
Pass bet.
COME & DON'T COME BETS: These bets are identical
to the Pass and Don't Pass bets, except that they can be placed
only after a point has been established. That is, an immediate
7 or 11 is a winner; a 2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other number
becomes an established point for the Come bettor. The reverse
is true for the Don't Come bettor. In addition, you can place
as many consecutive Come/Don't Come bets as you like, while
you are limited to one Pass/Don't Pass bet. The importance of
these bets is that it allows players to increase their chances
of winning during any given roll of the dice. They offer the
same odds as the Pass-Don't Pass bets.
PLACE BETS: A bet on any or all of the Place numbers
(4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is a bet that the number or numbers will
be thrown before a 7. The 4 and 10 pay at 9-5 odds; the 5 and
9 at 7-5 odds; and the 6 and 8 at 7-6 odds. Placing the 6 and
8 is a fairly good bet because the house edge is 1.52 percent.
However, placing the 5 and 9 and the 4 and 10 are less attractive
because the house edge jumps to 4 percent and 6.73 percent,
respectively.
THE FIELD: This is a one-roll bet that any number in
the Field - 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 - will be rolled. If any
other number - 5, 6, 7 or 8 - is thrown, the bet is lost. The
house advantage on this bet is nearly 6 percent, and too great
to recommend it.
BIG 6 AND BIG 8: A bet on either the 6 or 8, or both,
can be made at any time, and either must appear before a 7 is
thrown in order to win. Because the bet only pays even money,
instead of its true odds of 6-5, the house enjoys an advantage
of 9.09 percent.
PROPOSITION BETS: These bets which include the Hard Ways
and One-Roll Bets in the center of the layout, are all poor
betting propositions. Because the house advantage varies from
10 percent to 17 percent, they should never be made.
FREE ODDS: Although there's nothing on the table to indicate
the existence of this bet, it is one of the most advantageous
to the player. It is available to all Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't
Come bettors after a point has been established. Once the shooter
establishes a point, a player can make a bet equal to his previous
bet and receive true odds (instead of even money) if the point
is made. This amounts to 2-1 on the 4 and 10; 3-2 on the 5 and
9; and 6-5 on the 6 and 8. If the casino offers "double
odds," the player can double his previous bet. It's always
to the player's advantage to make the free odds bet, especially
at double odds, because it gives you the chance to win more
money at correct odds when the shooter is on a "hot"
roll. With single odds, the house edge is reduced to 0.8 percent;
with double odds it's reduced further to 0.6 percent.
WINNING CRAPS STRATEGY
As with other casino games, the goal in craps is to capitalize
on the relatively short cycle of streaks that invariably occur.
These are marked by prolonged passes of the dice. This means
the shooter continues to roll, often times for many minutes,
without sevening out.
You can take advantage of these hot streaks by playing the Pass
Line, backing that bet with Free Odds bets, and placing multiple
Come bets, also with Free Odds.
Professional gamblers disagree on the number of come bets to
place. The most aggressive players make Come bets on every roll
until all the point numbers are covered. This gives them the
opportunity to win many bets in a short period of time, provided
the dice stay hot and the shooter continues to roll without
hitting a 7.
But that method is too risky. A sound strategy calls for placing
a maximum of two Come bets, which, coupled with the original
Pass Line bets, give the player three numbers always working
for him. When one of the points is made and his bet is paid
off, the player places another Come bet to keep three numbers
working.
To recap: Bet the Pass Line and back up the bet with
a Free Odds bet.
Make two additional Come bets, also taking the Free Odds bets.
Stop betting after three points have been established.
If one of the Come bets is won, immediately place another Come
bet. Similarly, if the original Pass Line bet is won, make another
Pass Line bet.
This system lets the player capitalize during a shooter's hot
streak while minimizing his losses when the dice eventually
turn cold. _back |
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