There was a time when Craps was the King of casino table games. Then along came Blackjack. But craps has made a resurgence lately for a number of good reasons. Here are seven reasons why craps should be YOUR game –
1. The player can gain a positive expectation at the game. With knowledge, skill, and practice you can learn to influence the outcome of the roll. Do that and you change the odds of the game in your favor. The house won’t let you spin the marble at roulette or deal the cards at blackjack. Only in craps do they hand you the decision making instruments and say “beat us if you can.” What could be more fun than that?
2. You can make money betting on other skilled shooters. Once you understand the concept of precision shooting it is fairly easy to identify other advantage crapsters at the table. Armed with that knowledge you can bet larger when you see that advantage working – and smaller when the random players have the dice.
3. Even if you have little or not skill, the best bets on the layout give the casino an advantage of under 2%. And if you play the best bets on the layout you can get that house edge down to a fraction of one percent. That fact, combined with the variance in the game, means you will often find yourself with a win in the rack. When that happens, you can control your fate by quitting while you are ahead.
4. There are frequently long streaks providing profit-making opportunities at craps. No, the dice have no memory. But they do have a history. If the table is cold don’t stand there and lose all of your money playing the Don’ts. Follow the trend and play the dark side until the table tells you otherwise. Then follow the trend back to the do’s. If you do that and still find yourself losing – the table is choppy and it’s time to run.
5. You can parlay $1 into $1000 in a single hand. A $1 hard six or eight that hits can be parlayed to a $10 wager. If it hits a second time it can be parlayed to $100. On the third hit it pays $100 and down. A $1 parlay on the two or twelve can win you $900 on just two consecutive hits. It’s highly unlikely that you will complete one of those parlays, but where else can you turn a buck into a grand in two to three rolls of the dice?
6. Get paid to play – even if you lose. How does that work? Simple. You earn comps by playing craps. Work the comp system by buying in big and making a large initial wager. Extend your time at the table by not betting on every shooter. You can even slow the pace of the game down when the dice are in your hands by chatting with the dealers, tossing in late bets and taking your time with your toss. The payoff? Free rooms, free shows, free meals, free cash. It doesn’t get much better than free.
7. Expand your circle of friends. Let’s face it. Craps is a “community” games. Some of the best friends I have are people I met at the craps table. Get to know the players around you. If you are a regular at a casino get to know the dealers and supervisors as well. You may find that they will give you tips on who the best shooters are or warn you off a cold table. Where else can you make friends and money at the same time?
