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Learn to Play Casino Craps: the Hardway Bets

admin — Sun, 14 Dec 2008 11:54:12 +0000

Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!

A Hardway bet is a standing bet that you can make, remove, increase, or decrease at any time. You bet that a hardway number will show as a pair before any other combination of that number, and before a 7 shows. A Hardway bet can be made only on the numbers 4, 6, 8, and 10. For a Hardway bet, each roll can produce three possible outcomes: 1) The hardway number is rolled and the bet wins, 2) The “easyway” number or any 7 is rolled and the bet loses, 3) Any other number is rolled and the bet neither wins nor loses (i.e., it “stands” until it wins or loses, or until you remove it).

What’s a “hardway” versus an “easyway?” As noted, Hardway bets are made on the 4, 6, 8, and 10. Let’s look at the 10. There are three possible dice combinations to make a 10, which are: 4-6, 6-4, and 5-5. Which of those three combinations of numbers do you think is considered the “hardway” for making a 10? You’re right! The 5-5 combination is considered the “Hard 10.” Therefore, your Hard 10 bet stands until a 5-5 is rolled (you win), any 7 is rolled (you lose), or an Easy 10 (i.e., 4-6 or 6-4) is rolled (you lose). Now, let’s quickly look at the 4, 6, and 8.

There are three ways to make a 4, and the dice combinations are: 3-1, 1-3, and 2-2. The Hard 4 bet wins if a 2-2 shows before any 7, 1-3, or 3-1.

There are five ways to make a 6, and the dice combinations are: 1-5, 5-1, 2-4, 4-2, and 3-3. The Hard 6 bet wins if a 3-3 shows before any 7, 1-5, 5-1, 2-4, or 4-2.

There are five ways to make an 8, and the dice combinations are: 2-6, 6-2, 3-5, 5-3, and 4-4. The Hard 8 bet wins if a 4-4 shows before any 7, 2-6, 6-2, 3-5, or 5-3.

Although the 2 and 12 are even numbers and both are made by quasi-hardway combinations (i.e., the 2 is made by 1-1, and the 12 is made by 6-6), there’s no Hardway bet for them because neither has an easyway combination.

The table minimum bet doesn’t apply to Hardway bets. Instead, the minimum is whatever the lowest-denomination chip is in play for that table, which is usually $1. The payoff for the Hard 4 and Hard 10 is 7:1; whereas, the payoff for the Hard 6 and Hard 8 is 9:1. The Hard 6 and 8 each have four easyways to lose. The Hard 4 and 10 each have only two easyways to lose. Therefore, with more ways to lose, the Hard 6 and 8 have a higher payoff than the Hard 4 and 10.

Some casinos try to trick the inexperienced player into thinking they have higher Hardway payoffs than their competition by offering odds written on the table layout as “8 for 1″ and “10 for 1.” At first glance, this does appear to be a bit better than 7:1 and 9:1. However, look at it closely and you’ll see that it’s 8 “for” 1, instead of 8 “to” 1. “8 for 1″ means they pay you $8 but they keep your $1 bet. 7:1 means they pay you $7 and you keep your $1 bet. Therefore, “8 for 1″ is the same as 7:1, and “10 for 1″ is the same as 9:1. If I’m somewhere with lots of casinos such as Vegas, and unless it’s a $3 table with high maximum free odds (e.g., at least 10x), I turn around, walk out, and go to the casino next door. It bugs me to see a casino try to trick players into thinking it offers better odds than its competition. So, to hell with them, I go somewhere else.

You can call Hardway bets on or off at any time. This usually occurs after the shooter makes a point. Players typically play the Pass Line, so after a game ends, they make another Pass Line bet. They root for a 7 on the come-out roll, but although a 7 on the come-out is a winner for the Pass Line, it’s a loser for the working Hardway bets. Therefore, players tend to call their Hardways off for the come-out roll so they can root for a 7 without worrying about losing their Hardways. The dealer then puts an OFF button on their Hardways. After the shooter makes a point, players call their Hardways back on and working. The dealer then removes the OFF button.

You must be aware of the casino’s policy for whether Hardway bets are on or off for the come-out roll. There doesn’t seem to be consistency among casinos. Ask the dealer, “Are the Hardways automatically off?” Or simply listen to the stickman before the come-out roll, who says something like, “Hardways work unless you call them off.” If you don’t want a conflict in what to root for (i.e., rooting for a 7 on the come-out conflicts with your working Hardways), then simply call your Hardways off on the come-out and then call them back on after the shooter makes a point.

Hardways are located in the center of the table and typically controlled by the stickman, so don’t try to put down or pick up any of these bets yourself. When you have the stickman’s attention, gently toss your chips to an open area near the center of the table and say, “Hard four, please.” Sometimes, the stickman catches your chips in mid-air. Sometimes, he lets them fall to the table and then picks them up. When you gently toss your chips, try not to hit other people’s chips on the table because they could fly everywhere and then the game is delayed while the stickman figures out where they all go. After a while, you become incredibly accurate with your toss. I can stand at the end of the table and toss a $1 chip to land in whichever Hardway box I want to bet. Oddly, other players are impressed with that worthless skill. The stickman then places your chips inside the Hardway box in a position that corresponds to your table position (in a manner similar to Place bets).

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.

Learn to Play Casino Craps: the Place Bet

admin — Sun, 12 Oct 2008 07:39:43 +0000

Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!

A Place bet is a “standing” bet, meaning the bet stays working, or standing, until it wins or loses, or until you remove it. A Place bet can be made on any of the point numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Like the Pass Line bet, a Place bet works against the number 7. After making a Place bet, the only numbers that matter are the Place number and 7; all other numbers are meaningless. After making a Place bet, each subsequent roll can produce one of three outcomes: 1) a 7 shows and your Place bet loses, 2) the Place number shows and your Place bet wins, or 3) any other number shows and nothing happens to your Place bet (i.e., all others number have no affect on your Place bet).

Place bets don’t pay off according to true odds. Instead, the house gets its advantage by paying them off at less than true odds (i.e., they stick it to the player by not paying their fair share when the player wins).

The Place odds aren’t quite as good as true odds. The house sticks it to the player to make money by paying less than true odds. For a winning $5 bet on the 4 or 10, the Place odds pay only $9, but the true odds say we should be paid $10. For a winning $10 bet on the 5 or 9, the Place odds pay only $14, but the true odds say we should be paid $15. And for a winning $30 bet on the 6 or 8, the Place odds pay only $35, but the true odds say we should be paid $36.

You might think, “How much do I put down to make a Place bet?” As always, the bet amount depends on the odds. The Place odds for the 4 and 10 are 9:5, and the Place odds for the 5 and 9 are 7:5. Therefore, Place bets for the 4, 5, 9, and 10 should be in multiples of $5. For example, a winning $10 Place bet on the 4 gets you $18. A winning $15 Place bet on the 9 gets you $21. Don’t let the math scare you! Since these bets are in multiples of $5, simply divide your bet by 5 and then multiply by the winning odds to determine your winning amount. So, for your $10 Place bet on the 4 (which has Place odds of 9:5), $10 divided by 5 = $2, and $2 x 9 = $18. For your $15 Place bet on the 9 (which has Place odds of 7:5), $15 divided by 5 = $3, and $3 x 7 = $21.

The Place odds for the 6 and 8 are 7:6, which means the bet should be in multiples of $6. For example, a winning $12 Place bet on the 6 gets you $14. A winning $30 Place bet on the 8 gets you $35. Do the math. For your $30 Place bet on the 8 (which has Place odds of 7:6), $30 divided by 6 = $5, and $5 x 7 = $35.

Know the difference between Place odds and true odds. Learn the difference so you don’t have to think about it. You don’t want to look like a newbie fumbling around with how much to put down for each Place number. (James Bond never asked the dealer, “Um, excuse me, how much is the six?”) However, if you have trouble remembering the Place odds the first time you play, don’t be afraid to ask the dealer how much to drop. It’ll be as easy as pie after 15 minutes at the table.

If you’re like me, you’ll search out and play a table with a $3 minimum bet instead of the typical $5 or $10 minimum. Suppose you find a $3 table (a few are still left in the middle of the Vegas Strip). Since the minimum bet is only $3, you can make $3 Place bets, but you don’t get the full Place odds. The payoff odds for a $3 Place bet on the 6 or 8 are 1:1, or even money. For the 5 or 9, it’s 4:3 (i.e., your $3 bet wins $4). For the 4 or 10, it’s 5:3 (i.e., your $3 bet wins $5).

For a $3 Place bet, you get a little less than full Place odds because the lowest chip denomination at the craps table that casinos allow is generally $1, so they can’t pay you a fraction of a dollar (i.e., cents). For example, suppose you make a $3 Place bet on the 5. The full Place odds are 7:5, but the reduced payoff odds for a $3 bet are only 4:3. Why? Because it gives the casino another excuse to stick it to the player! The roulette table has chips for 25 cents or 50 cents, so why can’t the craps table have chip denominations less than $1? That’s right. They stick it to you again! The full Place odds are 7:5, which means for a $3 Place bet on the 5, we divide $3 by 5 = 60 cents, and then multiply 60 cents by 7 = $4.20. So, for a $3 Place bet on the 5 or 9 with full Place odds of 7:5, we expect to be paid $4.20 when we win. The craps table doesn’t have 20-cent chips, so the casino rounds down to $4.

Let’s look at a $3 Place bet on the 4 or 10. The full Place odds are 9:5, which means we divide $3 by 5 = 60 cents, and then multiply 60 cents by 9 = $5.40. So, for a $3 Place bet on the 4 or 10 with full Place odds of 9:5, we expect to win $5.40, but the casino rounds down to $5. (Notice how the casino rounds down instead of up.) The player isn’t giving up much by making $3 Place bets, so if you have a limited bankroll, these bets are fun and give you more action than just Pass Line bets. The point is, be aware that you get a little less than full Place odds and increase the house advantage when you make $3 Place bets.

Full Place odds aren’t as good as true odds. That’s how the house maintains its advantage. Remember, the house is in business to make money, not to gamble. Over time, the house wins because when you lose, you pay the true odds; but when you win, the house pays you less than true odds. So, by paying less than their fair share when you win, the house can’t help but come out a winner over the long haul. Let’s look closer at how the house sticks it to the player.

Let’s look at the number 4. The true odds for making a 4 compared to a 7 are 1:2 (i.e., three ways to make a 4 compared to six ways to make a 7, which is 3:6, which reduces down to 1:2). Therefore, since the number 7 is twice as easy to make as a 4, we expect to get paid twice as much as our bet when we win. For example, if we bet $5 on the 4 to hit before the 7, we expect to get $10 when we win (i.e., $5 x 2 = $10). However, for a Place bet on the 4, the payoff odds are only 9:5. This is close to 2:1, but not quite. Therefore, if we make a $5 Place bet on the 4 and win, the house pays us only $9. When the house loses, they don’t pay the true odds; they pay only $9 instead of $10 and keep that extra dollar. You might think, “For my $5 bet, I win $9, so I don’t care if they screw me out of that extra $1. It’s only a buck.” Okay, but think of it this way. That’s only one Place bet made by one player during one game. Imagine keeping that extra dollar when other people at the table make that same bet, multiplied by the number of tables in action, multiplied by the number of hours in a day, multiplied by the number of days in a month, and so on. It’s easy to see how the house rakes in the money over the long haul.

You can make or remove Place bets at any time during a game. You can also make them while the puck is OFF (before a new come-out roll), but typically, dealers prefer that you wait until a point is established and then make your Place bets. Occasionally, you see a player try to make a Place bet while the puck is OFF by asking, “Can you Place the six for me now, please, so I don’t forget after the come-out?” The dealer usually obliges (as he should; after all, you’re the customer), but sometimes a dealer in a bad mood will ask the player to wait until a point is established.

Dealers who ask you to wait to make a Place bet until after a point is established do so because they’re lazy. Suppose you Place the 6 before the come-out and the dealer moves your chip into the 6 point box. The shooter then rolls a 6 for the point. The dealer moves the ON puck into the 6 point box, and then has to ask, “Sir, what do you want to do with your six?” Since your Pass Line bet covers the 6 (because 6 is now the point), you likely don’t want it covered again by your Place bet. The dealer then has to move your Place 6 to whatever other number you want, or return it to you if you decide to take it down. You think, “Gee, wow, that sure is a lot of extra work for the dealer.” You’re right, it’s no effort at all, but it’s amazing how many dealers–even good ones–don’t like moving your Place bets around because you couldn’t wait until after the point was established to make them.

You can make as many Place bets as you want, up to a maximum of six (i.e., the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), including the point. Yes, you can Place the point. For example, suppose you walk up to a table and see an ON puck in the 6 point box (i.e., a game is in progress and the shooter’s point is 6). Suppose you love the number 6 and you want immediate action, but you don’t want to make a Put bet so you decide to Place the shooter’s point. To do this, place your chips centered directly on the bottom line of the Pass Line (i.e., the line that separates the Pass Line from the apron). As long as you center your chips on that line, the dealer knows it’s a Place bet on the shooter’s point instead of Put bet in the Pass Line. If you don’t want to make your Place bet this way, simply drop your chips in the Come box and tell the dealer, “Place the point, please.” The dealer then moves your chips to the point box.

The dealer positions all Place bets (except when you Place the shooter’s point yourself), so you have to put your chips on the table and tell the dealer what you want. Then, the dealer puts them in the proper position in the point box for the number you want to Place. To an untrained eye, players’ chips appear to be scattered all over the point boxes. To the contrary, it’s well organized. Each player position has a corresponding chip position for each point box. The same is true for Lay bets, Come bets, and Don’t Come bets. For all bets in and around the point boxes, players’ chip locations correspond to their positions at the table.

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.

How You Play Online Casino Craps

admin — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 17:28:41 +0000

The online gaming world normally focuses on games like roulette, poker and blackjack. Slot machines are also popular, as is video poker. Not many people think of online craps as a game to play. I guess it is not quite so well known as the others, yet it remains an intriguing, exciting game to play.

I came across it by chance, and I have never played anything else since. It is played Casino Craps table, which is split off into areas, and this is where the brilliance of craps comes into play. This is where the scoring system comes in, and it I did find it a little complex at first, but after I picked it up, the game took on a whole new dimension.

To play craps, and online craps it is essential to find a good site. This is not as easy as it sounds as jackpots tend to be a little lower as there are less punters for craps than other casino games, so a rubbish craps site tends to have jackpots that it is hardly worth throwing the dice for. The dice are everything in craps.

The element of craps that I really love, is the strategies needed to win. It takes it a little bit further in my opinion than online roulette, online blackjack, and in many cases online poker, especially as there is not much scope to bluff.

Craps loses nothing when played online really, apart from the pretty girl on your arm, but don’t tell the missus I said that.

If you are like me and want to refine your game, finding a site that can give good, reliable tips is also very hard to find. When you do find one, they tend to contradict one that you have read on another site, and subsequently you find yourself with two strategies that contradict, and in my experience are useless. I do not see the point at playing games that are not very good or offer poor jackpots.

My least favourite sites are ones where is it hard to see what is what and how to play them. What are the points of them?

That is the only downside to online craps really. To play craps, and make it worth while you do tend to spend a lot of time searching for a good online craps game. The worst of it is, when you spend all night looking, just not to find one. The whole night becomes a waste of time.

For details please contact at: http://www.mrcraps.com

Learn to Play Casino Craps: Basic Game Play

admin — Sun, 18 Feb 2007 04:49:55 +0000

Be smart, play smart, and learn how to play casino craps the right way!

Let’s look at the basic play of craps. A new game starts with the “come-out roll” where the stickman typically says, “New shooter, coming out.” Once a new game starts, it continues until a “decision” is made. The decision that ends the game is whether the shooter makes his point or rolls a seven-out (7-out).

Prior to the come-out roll, the dealer places the puck in the OFF position (black side up) on the side of the table, usually near the Don’t Come box. The OFF puck indicates that a new game is about to start. The shooter rolls the dice. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 (either of which is called a “natural”), a decision is made immediately and the game ends with that single roll. A 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll is called “craps” or “crapping out.” The same shooter then continues and starts a new game. If the number appearing on the come-out roll is any of the remaining possible numbers (i.e., 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), then a point is established (these numbers are called “point” numbers). The dealer places the puck in the ON position (white side up) in the point box corresponding to the point number that the shooter establishes. So, if you walk up to a table and see an OFF puck, you know that a new game is about to start. If you see an ON puck in one of point boxes, a game is already in progress and that number is the point.

If the shooter establishes a point on the come-out roll (i.e., rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), the shooter continues rolling until she rolls the point number again or until she rolls a 7, which results in a decision and the game ends. If the shooter ends the game by rolling the point number, that same shooter keeps the dice and starts a new game. If she rolls a 7 (called a “7-out”), she loses the dice and the next shooter in line clockwise around the table starts the next new game.

Remember, a “craps” is when the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll; and a “7-out” is when the shooter establishes a point and then ends the game by rolling a 7. When a 7-out occurs, don’t be one of the many who yell, “Oh, man, he crapped out!” This tells everyone, including the dealers and boxman, that you don’t know the game as well as you think. When the dealers learn of your inexperience, they have better luck influencing your bets. So, when a shooter rolls a 7-out, call it a “seven-out,” not a “craps.”

In terms of a decision that ends the game, once a point is established, the only relevant numbers are the point number and 7. All other numbers are meaningless in terms of a decision to end the game. If the shooter rolls the point number to end the game, she gets to use the same dice to start a new game, or she may choose to select another pair from the stickman’s dish. However, if the shooter makes her point, those dice are usually considered lucky so you’ll seldom see a shooter asking for a new pair. If the shooter rolls a 7-out to end the game, the stickman empties all the dice from his dish and uses his stick to push them all to the next shooter. The new shooter selects two, and the stickman pulls the remaining dice back and places them in his dish. A new game, with a new come-out roll, is about to start.

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.

Learn to Play Casino Craps: the Don’t Pass Bet

admin — Sat, 17 Feb 2007 10:48:30 +0000

Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!

A Don’t Pass bet is almost the exact opposite of a Pass Line bet. Like the Pass Line bet, the Don’t Pass bet is a Flat bet made prior to the come-out roll. The Don’t Pass section on the table is above the Pass Line clearly marked “Don’t Pass Bar 12,” typically in black letters. The Don’t Pass is sometimes called the “back line.”

The rules for table minimum and maximum bets are similar to the Pass Line bet. For example, if you see a red placard defining a $5 minimum and a $2,000 maximum, that means your Flat Don’t Pass bet has to be at least $5, but can’t be more than $2,000.

For the Don’t Pass bet, the come-out roll can produce four possible outcomes (note how they’re almost exactly opposite of the Pass Line bet): 1) if a 7 or 11 appears, the Don’t Pass bet loses and the game ends; 2) if a 2 or 3 appears, the Don’t Pass bet wins and the game ends; 3) if a 12 appears, it’s considered a tie and the bet doesn’t win or lose, and the game ends; and 4) if a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 appears, a point is established and the game continues until either the point number appears again, in which case the Don’t Pass bet loses; or a 7 appears, in which case the Don’t Pass bet wins. For the Don’t Pass bet, you hope the shooter rolls a craps on the come-out; or if a point is established, that she doesn’t make her point and, instead, rolls a 7-out (again, note how the Don’t Pass is opposite of the Pass Line bet).

The “Bar 12″ part of the Don’t Pass label indicates that a 12 on the come-out roll is a tie. Some casinos have “Bar 2,” which means a 2 on the come-out is a tie. Whether the bar is 12 or 2 doesn’t matter because the odds are the same (i.e., there’s only one way to make a 12 and only one way to make a 2). However, some casinos like to stick it to its patrons by having a Bar 3. You probably won’t see this because it’s so rare, but it does exist. Unlike the 12 or 2 that have only one way to make either number, there are two ways to make a 3. This small difference increases the house advantage from its normal 1.4% to about 4.4%. If I see a Bar 3 in a casino, I immediately turn around, walk out, and go to another casino. The house already has an advantage over the player, so the idea of the casino screwing the player even more really chaps my rear end, so I refuse to give them my business.

Remember, the Don’t Pass is basically the opposite of the Pass Line. Therefore, unlike the Flat Pass Line bet, you can remove your Flat Don’t Pass bet at any time after a point is established. For the Don’t Pass, the come-out roll favors the house but then shifts to the player after a point is established. Therefore, after a point is established, the house actually wants you to remove your Don’t Pass bet because you have the advantage.

Unlike the Pass Line, you cannot “put” a Flat Don’t Pass bet and you cannot increase your Flat Don’t Pass bet after a point is established. Again, for the Don’t Pass, the come-out roll favors the house but after the come-out roll when a point is established, the Don’t Pass favors the player. Therefore, the house won’t allow you to wait until a point is established to “put” a Flat Don’t Pass bet. If you want to bet the Don’t Pass, the house requires you to go through the come-out roll.

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.

Learn to Play Casino Craps: the Craps Lay Bet

admin — Sun, 24 Dec 2006 20:09:00 +0000

Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!

The Lay bet is for the 7 against your chosen number (i.e., the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) and the payoff is according to true odds. It’s the opposite of the Buy bet, much like the Don’t Pass is the opposite of the Pass line. For example, if you Lay the 10, you hope a 7 shows before the 10; whereas, if you Buy the 10, you hope a 10 shows before the 7.

The Lay bet pays off according to true odds, which are: 1:2 for the 4 and 10, 2:3 for the 5 and 9, and 5:6 for the 6 and 8. For example, the payoff odds for Laying the 10 are 1:2, which means you have to bet more money than you win. For every two dollars you bet, you win one dollar. It’s like the Don’t Pass where you have the advantage over the house because there are six ways to make a 7 and only three ways to make a 10. Therefore, you have to put up your fair share, which is twice the amount you hope to win. So, if your $20 Lay bet on the 10 wins, you win $10.

The Lay bet has the same vig as the Buy bet, but it’s based on the win amount, not the bet amount. For example, suppose you Lay the 4 for $100. The true payoff odds are 1:2, which means your winning $100 Lay bet pays $50. The vig is based on the $50 winnings, not the $100 bet. So, the vig is $2 ($50 x 5% = $2.50, which is rounded down to $2), instead of $5 ($100 x 5% = $5).

Lay bets are often called “No” bets. For example, suppose you play for three hours and not a single 5 shows. You decide you’re in a weird, anomalous blip of the distribution where the number 5 just isn’t going to show no matter what the craps gods do. You want to take advantage of that anomaly so you drop $75 in the Come box and tell the dealer, “Give me a No five, please.” The dealer moves your chips to the 5 point box and puts a LAY button on top. Lay bets are positioned in the same locations as Don’t Come with Odds bets. Sure enough, the 5 doesn’t show and the shooter rolls a 7-out. Your $75 Lay bet wins $50 (i.e., the true odds are 2:3, so $75 divided by 3 = $25, multiplied by 2 = $50). You must also pay the 5% vig on your winnings. To make it easier for himself, the dealer will likely give you two $25 chips for your winnings and say, “Drop me two dollars, please,” rather than count out $48 in chips. In this case, you simply drop two $1 chips in the Come box and then pick up your two $25 chips.

Unlike Buy bets, Lay bets are kept on and working on the come-out roll of a new game. However, you can always turn them off and on whenever you want. Typically, players leave their Lay bets on and working for the come-out roll because they have the advantage over the house (i.e., there are always more ways to make a 7 than any of the point numbers). Another reason–a silly reason, but a reason nonetheless–is because everyone is typically rooting for a 7 on the come-out (most people play the Pass Line, so a 7 on the come-out is a winner for them). With all that positive mojo at the table, a 7 is bound to show, so leave your Lay bets working for the come-out roll of a new game. Seriously, you should leave your Lay bets working on the come-out not because of table mojo, but because you have the advantage over the house.

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.