Betting Strategies and Money Management

Craps Dice Control Wagering Strategy

When you have determined that you have a mathematical edge at a craps table, you will need to properly manage your money in order to find the best way to capitalize on the advantage. This is a very important skill, and it applies whether you are tossing the dice yourself or betting on another precision shooter.

The first thing you should do is determine your bankroll. To do this, figure up how much money you are willing to lose. I’m not talking about the money in your pocket, but rather the total dollar amount which you are willing to lose before completely walking away from the casinos. This number is your bankroll. Until you determine this number, you cannot properly size your bets.

The house edge over random rollers on a pass-line bet is 1.4%. But try to keep in mind that these bets are not decided on just one roll. In most cases, 3.4 rolls are a more appropriate estimation. In this case, the house edge becomes closer to 0.42% per roll (for 3.4 rolls).

This also applies to place bets on 6 or 8. In this case, it is slightly higher at 1.5%. But, again, this plays out over more than one roll, usually in the area of 3.3. In that case, the edge is actually 0.46% per 3.3 rolls.

To find your appropriate bet size, it is very important to reduce the house edge down to a per-roll basis. An SRR of 1:6.5 will ensure an edge for you of about 1.2% per roll on place bets on 6 and 8. These odds will increase slightly for odd bets, and decrease for buying 4 and 10 or placing 5 and 9.

The main betting decision you need to make is how much you should lose is the shooter rolls a 7. Some experts refer to this number as your “7 exposure.” It should be directly affected by the edge of the shooter and the size of your bankroll.

For example, let’s say that the current shooter is pretty good and seems to be able to keep the dice parallel to the table during the throw. In this case, your edge is somewhere around 1.2%. That means you should set your 7 exposure at about 1.2% of your bankroll. If you had $10,000, then you could wager around $120 of 7 exposure. Remember that this example assumes that the shooter is proficient. For less precise shooters, your edge should be adjusted downwards.

Come-out rolls are important, because they will usually make up around 30% of your total dice rolls. On such rolls, the two best ways to win are with place and odds bets or trying for a 7 on the come-out roll. On the place and odds bets, the best way to make money is to have these bets working for you on your come-out roll. Of course, the standard craps player isn’t likely to make such a bet, so this may draw the attention of the dealers or their bosses.

If you are trying to get a 7 on your come-out roll, there are a couple of reasons to be careful. The first reason is that it is just as easy to try and roll regular numbers and take advantage of place bets. This is a move which will draw attention. If you act as though you can throw a 7 whenever you wish, the dealers are going to keep a very close eye on you.

In general, here are the best bets to take if the shooter seems able to toss fewer 7s than random:

1. Pass-Line Come bets with odds Place bets on 6 and 8

2. Buying the 4 and 10 (unless you have to pay the 5% vig in advance)

3. Place bets on the 5 and 9

You should also be sure and take odds when not many 7s are coming up. It is advisable to take as high a odds as are allowed and you feel comfortable with. This is due to the fact that odds bets are worth 3 to 6 times as much as come bets.

If you’re deciding between place bets and come bets, look at the odds the casino allows before making your decision. If the odds are 3x4x5x or worse, then you’re better off going with place bets. However, if the casino is offering better odds than those mentioned, try using a mixture of place bets and come bets with odds.

If the house commission is paid only on winners, then your best bets are odds, buying the 4 or 10, or placing the 6 or 8. Even if you have a bet on the pass line, remember that you can also have a place bet riding on the point number, as well.

You can also press a bet as the game goes on. To press a bet means that you are increasing the bet, generally by using part of your winnings from previous rolls. The best reason to press bets is to provide you with adequate cover.

Let’s say, for example, that you are looking to get a high amount of 7 exposure. For cover purposes, you are better off if you get the amount in action by betting less than your desired amount and pressing wins until your total 7 exposure is where you want it to be.

The only way to realistically justify a higher 7 exposure is to increase your opinion of the shooter’s skill or increase your bankroll. If, for example, your bankroll increase by 8% during a hand, then you’re going to want to increase your 7 exposure by 8%. However, if you believe that the shooter’s skill is deteriorating due to stress, bets on the table, or any other factor, be sure and immediately reduce your 7 exposure.

Many shooters believe in the concept of the signature number. This is a number that the shooter tends to throw an excess of. In fact, some bettors believe in this so strongly that they will change their bets to reflect a certain shooter’s signature number.

Keep in mind, however, that experts such as Stanford Wong place no stock in such beliefs. They believe that random numbers will come up from time to time, and the odds are that certain numbers will simply come up more frequently than others will. This is why they are called “random numbers.” So before you start wagering on the current shooter’s signature number, keep this other school of thought in mind. It could save you some money.

Problems can also arise for you if strangers start making big profits from your rolls. We’re assuming that you’re keeping your bets reasonably low in an attempt to stay under the radar. But what if someone else walks up to the table and starts winning really big on your long hand? This is likely to draw some unwanted attention, so it might be a good idea to decrease your bets at a point and toss the dice randomly. Remember that you can only play craps so long as the casino will allow you, so it might be in your best long-term interest to throw like a chicken feeder from time to time.

For those who feel they are skillful enough to actually beat the casino a portion of the time, there is a way to figure out your expected winnings per hour. This estimation takes into consideration such things as skill level, amount bet on rolls, rolls bet on per hour, and money risked on random rollers.

For example, let’s look at a shooter with a SRR of 1:6.5. In such a case, the expected win per hour would be around 1.2% of his 7 exposure, and he averaged 9.1 rolls per hand with 2.6 come-out rolls. For each $100 of 7 exposure, his expected winnings would be between $7.80 and $10.90 per hand. Of course, this is before you factor in losses for betting on random shooters and tokes for the dealers. Something like $6 to $9 sounds more likely.

If you want to try and increase this amount, you should try to find tables which are less crowded. This way, you will get to toss the dice more frequently. You can also try to find a table with another precision shooter. This will give you another winning shooter to bet on while you are waiting for your turn.

Remember, to make money you need to manage money. Precision shooting is a great weapon, but it won’t help you much if you blow your entire bankroll on ill-advised bets. The smartest strategy is to exercise patience, don’t upset the house, and be content to take a little bit of their money at a time. This will ensure that you make a profit and still get to come back in the future.

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Craps Strategy Tips