Craps Tips - Dice Control Strategies

How to Win at Craps by Setting the Dice

When you’ve attained enough skill at dice control to challenge the casinos, your initial visits may be a bit daunting. Craps is a game with lots of action, and there is always lots of chatter and cheers around the table. Below, I will try and discuss some things to keep in mind when you enter the casino and head towards the craps table. Many are common sense suggestions, but they are the kinds of things you might otherwise overlook when confronted by the bright lights and noises of a busy casino.

Craps is a very social game. In fact, you may interact with players at a craps table more than any other casino game. When most people aren’t shooting, they’re betting on whoever has the dice and cheering them on. If the shooter wins, then everyone wins.

Keep this in mind if you decide to bet the don’t pass line. By doing so, you are betting against the shooter and almost all (if not all) of the players at the table. This can quickly make you a rather unpopular figure. Of course, if you are there to win money instead of making friends, then it probably shouldn’t bother you too much. Also, a possible advantage is that you might drive away some of the players if you have any success betting this way. This will speed up the play of the game and ensure that you get more turns at the dice.

Casino dealers like to keep the dice fresh with pointy corners and sharp edges. At the start of every shift, new dice are usually brought in. This is good for the precision shooter, as new dice are easier to grip and react better when they hit the felt. New dice also give those who practice dice control a better chance to control backspin. When possible, always use the freshest dice available.

Each craps table will give you a different bounce on your roll. This can vary from casino to casino, but it can also extend to 2 tables not more than a few feet from one another. On some tables, you may have to vary your dice set and toss to compensate for the thickness of the felt and other such factors.

When you first start at a new table, the best thing to do when shooting is to toss a few with the minimum bets on the table. As you toss the dice, watch how far they bounce when they hit the table and the back wall. The less bounce off the back wall the better.

Also, as long as the felt stays the same, a table should be able to be relied on from one session to another. If you find a table you like, feel free to keep going back on every visit. But if the felt has ever been changed, be sure and treat the table as though you have never played on it.

There are a number of factors for the precision shooter to consider before choosing a table. Let’s take a look at each.

1. Felt age. In this case, older is usually better. The less movement on the dice, the better the chances will be that you can influence a non-random outcome. Some felt will be replaced monthly, but most get changed out on a yearly basis. New felt tends to be slick and makes it hard for the dice to get a proper grip. In these cases, you should probably wait a month or two before playing on such a surface.

2. Padding under the felt. Look for tables with softer padding, as it will cause less bouncing for your dice. To test the felt, you can press slowly and firmly against it with your index finger. You can also listen to the sound of the dice hitting the table. If you hear a cracking sound when the dice hit, then the padding is probably thin. With thicker padding, there’s a good chance that the dice will make no sound at all upon impact.

3. Table length. While most craps tables are 12 feet long, you will find those which are longer. Do not let this scare you away, as almost all shooters can easily adapt to throwing the dice a longer distance.

4. Max odds allowed. The better the odds, the more money you can make. It’s just that simple.

When taking on the casino, your best bet is to get in as many rolls per hour as possible. It is optimal if you can find a table with only a few people. This way, you can roll the dice every second or third hand.

While crowded tables are best avoided, there are times when you may want to visit one of these. The main reason is because there are other precision shooters at the table. This means that you can actually bet decent sums of money while waiting to handle the dice. Otherwise, you’re usually just killing time with chicken feeders and waiting for your turn. Another reason to join a crowded table is because a spot is open and the dice will arrive there shortly. If you do this, be sure to place a bet on the current shooter so that you will be offered the dice when he or she 7s out.

You will also find craps tables which have no customers. While you will have the dice all to yourself, consider that you will also have the undivided attention of all 4 dealers. It’s better to bring a friend along, when possible, to deflect some of the attention away from your impressive rolls.

The term "pyramids" refers to the bumps on the walls at the ends of a craps table. When shooting the dice, the dealer will expect you to bounce them off the pyramids on a consistent basis. Pyramids are there to change the axis of rotation of the dice and therefore produce a random number (although most shooters would still have random results without it). For this reason, you will want to make sure that the dice hit the table first before they collide with the pyramids. Otherwise, backspin will have no chance of counter-acting forward momentum.

The faster the game, the more spins you’ll get per hour. On average, expect somewhere from 60 to 120 rolls each hour. But if you’re looking for a faster game, try to find one without many bets on the layout. You can also keep things moving along by not making prop bets (these really slow things down) and not making bets of unusual size.

While craps dealers rarely make mistakes, it does happen from time to time. Just remember that it is ultimately your responsibility as the bettor to make sure your wager is placed on the correct spot. As long as you correct it before the dice are tossed, there won’t be a problem. Otherwise, you will simply have to accept your loss and move on.

If you happen to be short, you may also want to consider that craps tables are traditionally built for tall players. In this case, you may find it hard to lean over the table to shoot. To counter this, some short craps players will bring a block of wood to the casino in a computer case. A sturdy briefcase can also be used for lighter players. But what if you forget? Well, then don’t hesitate to ask the casino. Many keep platforms on stock for this very reason.

While tipping (also known as "toking") the dealer in any casino game is a good idea from time to time, it is especially wise in craps. The stick person, for example, might be inclined to return the dice to you already set the way you want them. Or if you forget to make a bet that you normally would, the dealer might give you a friendly reminder. Just make sure that you’re getting something back in return for the tokes. In many cases, you’ll get the same treatment with tokes that you’ll get without them. In such a case, you’re just throwing your money away.

Gambling in a casino can be a complicated matter. Even though you may have mastered a game, there are just so many other elements to take into account. By following the advice listed above, you should be well on your way to enjoying a complete casino experience, not to mention improving your ability at dice control.