Strategies & Tipping

Here are some additional do’s and don’ts while handling dice. Do not use two hands to shake the dice. When shooting the dice use your fingertips to hold them. You have much more control instead of shaking them in your hand. Do not palm the dice, which means enclosing your hand around the dice. The dealers cannot lose sight of the dice. If you are holding the dice and want to reach for your chips, just place the dice on the table first then reach for chips. Do not take the dice off the table. The dice must be inside the table at all times. If you need to reach for a drink leave the dice on the table first.

When throwing the dice, avoid short rolls. You want the dice to hit the alligator skin against the back wall. While they will still count as a roll the dealers and floor supervisor will remind you to get the dice to the wall. This ensures a fair roll for everyone. Also, do not throw the dice too high. Keep the dice low to the table for better control. A good aiming point is right in the middle of the word Come, right down the center of the table. Aiming here will almost always get the dice to the wall. Don’t try to hit players bets. This will make both players and dealers mad at you.

If the dice have been in your favor and you are showing a profit, remember, dealers earn their living on tips. Any bet that you can make for yourself, you can make a bet for the dealers. Throw out your wager along with the dealer’s tip and say, “Two Way”.

Basic Strategies

Now that you now understand how to play the game of Craps, let's go over two of the most basic strategies. The first strategy involves Come bets and the second strategy involves Place Bets. But before we do that, it is important to understand that there is no foolproof way to play, there are no systems that will guarantee that you win. If someone tells you they have a guaranteed system where you will win every time, they are lying to you or trying to scam you out of money. Think about it: if they had a system that wins every time, why aren’t they rich? And why would they be so eager to sell that life-changing secret to you? Same with those dice control “schools”. They are scams that will charge you thousands of dollars and then blame you for “doing it wrong” when you realize it doesn’t work. There is no special way to hold the dice, or how to throw the dice. If there were such ways to guarantee that you win, the casino would never let you use them. And if there was a way to beat Craps or any other table game, the casinos wouldn't have those games on the casino floor.

So let's begin. Rule #1 for any type of gambling is to play with an amount of money that you can afford to lose. Bankroll management is incredibly important when it comes to smart gaming. Keep in mind that gambling is a form of entertainment and not a way to pay bills. You want to play with an amount you can afford to lose. A good rule of thumb on how much to start with, is take your starting wager and multiply it by 10. For example, if you start with $12 on 6 and 8 for a total of $24, you should buy in at least $200 to $240. This gives you at least 10 chances to hopefully find a shooter who is going to hold the dice for a while and make you a profit.

Now when you walk up to a Craps table, the very first thing you must do is to look and see where the dice are. We discussed this in the last video, but it is so important that we are going to say this one more time. If the dice are not in the center of the table that tells you that the shooter, wherever they are on the table, has the dice in their hand and is ready to throw them. So, you don't want to stick your hands out and have the dice hit your hands and have them roll a Seven Out. If that happens, everyone is going to mad at you and that is not a good way to start your game.

The next thing you need to look at is where the puck is on the table. Remember in a previous lesson, while not against the rules, it is considered bad etiquette to Buy In in the middle of a roll. So, if there is already a point, wait until the next Come Out roll. Now that it’s a new Come Out roll, it’s your time to shine—and buy in. Just don’t try it in the middle of a roll unless you want to collect dirty looks instead of chips! Let’s start with $200. Place the money directly in front of you in the area that says Come and say "Change ". The dealer will take the money and give you your chips to play with.

Now let's go over the first betting strategy using Come Bets. First you will make the table minimum bet on the Pass Line. Once a Point has been established, place an equal amount behind your Pass Line bet. This is also known as taking odds. Next you will place another bet in the Come area. This wager needs to be at least the table minimum. When another number is rolled, it is time to take odds. Place an equal wager in the Come area and tell the dealer this is your “Odds”. The dealer will place your odds on your Come bet. Do this until you have a Pass Line with Odds and two Come Bets with odds.

Each time the Pass Line or your Come bets wins, start again, with a table minimum bet, but this time increase the amount of odds to two times your original wager. Keep repeating this method until you reach the table maximum for odds. You can increase the amount of Come Bets you have, if you wish depending on your bankroll management. But each time you win a bet increase the odds. Odds have a 0% house edge, making it the best bet in the house. When a 7 Out rolls, start all over with one times Odds bets.

Now, let's go over the second betting strategy using Place bets. This strategy does not involve making a Pass Line bet. Remember only the shooter must make a Pass Line bet, otherwise the Pass Line bet is not mandatory for any other player. Once a point has been established, make two $12 Place Bets on the 6 and 8, for a total wager of $24. When one of these Place Bets hits, it will pay $14. When they hit twice, you've collected $28 and have profited $4. Now you are playing with the house’s money. When one of the numbers hits again, you have one of three options. You can either press one of your bets, or you can add money to both your Place bets, or you can use your winnings to bet on more numbers.

In this example we have our $12 wager on the 6 and 8 and have already hit them twice. Now they hit a third time, for another $14. You tell the dealer to "Press 6 and 8". The dealer will add another $6 to each of the numbers. When that bet hits again, it will pay $21. Collect this money and keep it. If the bet hits again, say to the dealer "Place the 5 and 9 for $10". So, in this example we've gone from just 6 and 8 to betting 5,6,8 and 9 all with the casino’s money. From this point on any and all money we collect is profit.

If we are fortunate enough to reach this stage, we now do what is called, “Take a bet. Press a bet”. When a number hits, first you take the full payout. When one of our numbers hits again this time you Press the bet. Either do a full press, which is double what you have, or you can just press a unit at a time. For example, one unit on the 5 and 9 is $5 and one unit on the 6 and 8 is $6. All you have to say is "Press" or "Press a Unit" and the dealer will know how much to Press. Continue doing this until you reach $25 on the 5 and 9 and $30 on the 6 and 8. At this point every three numbers hit is $105 in profit. When a 7 Out rolls, start again with $12 on the 6 and 8.

Tipping the Dealer

Now you have seen the two most popular betting strategies in craps, we will discuss the final lesson, betting for the dealers. It's no secret that most of the people who work in casinos live on tips, and dealers are no exception. To make it simple, any bet that you can make for yourself, you can also make for the dealers as well. You can either give them a tip outright or you can bet for your dealer. A bet right next to your Pass Line bet, alongside your field bet, or two ways on a hard way are some of the most popular ways to tip your dealer. Another bet that dealers like is as simple as giving the dealer just $6 and saying "Across for the Dealers" which means $1 on all the numbers. This might not seem like a lot of money but if the shooter holds the dice for just 5 or 10 minutes that $6 can turn into some serious money. And naturally, once you make a bet for the dealer you become their favorite player, and they start taking care of you. On the flip side, if you’re winning big but ignoring the tipping jar, the dealers won’t say a word when you’re about to make a bad bet. It’s like seeing someone walk into a glass door - they notice, but they’re just gonna let it happen.