Are you sure you are seeing fair dice ? ...

unless you are trained and focused to watch for something, you may miss key parts of the big picture ..... clever deception and illusions are what magicians and con-artists depend on.  See this video for an explanation on how our eyes and brain can deceive us:

Link -->  Did You See That?!

Why too many Dice are Unbalanced ...

It is in no way our job to say why dice are unbalanced, however close observation will show you why too many Dice are Unbalanced.  The pips (white spots) are made of a different material than the plastic colored cube itself.  Too often this will create heavier weight on the 5/6 side of the die as compared to the opposite side 1/2.   This gives an 11:3 ratio of weighted material that creates the imbalance and bias on a craps table.


To demonstrate, we have melted a group of casino dice obtained in Las Vegas - you too can do this at home:

Notice how the white pips (dots) are so much more sturdier than the plastic cube !!  The white pips are so much more heavy-duty that they have retained 100% of their properties when exposed to heat.  Meanwhile the lighter plastic cubes (dice) have nearly disintegrated and merged together.  Here is a close-up view: 

   

Re: Exploiting Biased Dice

by snake » Thu Apr 05, 2012 7:25 am

I think you should leave that casino and play somewhere else. That is what I did in LV this week. I was shooting and in a several $100 hole and the dice were REAL bad, I threw a 5 number come-out string and got up $150. When I established the point I colored up and left the pass-line bet for the deales and walked away. There was no way I could beat THOSE dice. I went next door and made some more money and had more fun than trying to fight the "bad dice". Just my thoughts.

Snake

From a dice instructor at http://www.littlejoecraps.com/forums/index.php

... yet casinos and the Nevada Gaming Board want you to believe that producing balanced dice is impossible ... 

Biased Dice = More Choppiness ...

... good post made over on CRAPS ("Casino Resources for Advantage Play Systems, LLP"):

Re: Biased Dice

by AdvantagePlayer » Mon Jan 30, 2012 7:58 am

I have played on tables where the outcomes of the dice seem to come out more often than others (a lot more). I record the dice outcome, like some of the other members on this post. When I look at my sheets, there are times that I can see a lot more numbers than usual, which alter the expected value of a fair game. For example, I was playing on this table and saw that the 6-1 = 7 outcome had been rolled 80% of the time when I was there. It could have been a coincident, but I was doubtful. This is not a table you want to play. It offers considerable choppiness and players do not like to lose.

-AdvantagePlayer (gnothere, Walkabout)

Read more here => LittleJoeCraps.com/

Craps Rules vs. Laws ...

A basic "rule" of craps is that both dice must hit the back wall ..... However, there is no such law or regulation in Nevada similar to the one in Indiana - below is a page from the regulations for Indiana:

         68 IAC 10-4-4  Proper and invalid rolls of dice

Authority: IC 4-33-4-1; IC 4-33-4-2; IC 4-33-4-3
Affected: IC 4-33

Sec. 4. (a) The shooter shall throw the two (2) selected dice to the far end of the table for the purpose of bouncing the dice off the backboard of the craps table. The shooter must make a good faith attempt to bounce the dice off the backboard of the craps table.

  (b) A roll of the dice shall be deemed invalid if one (1) of the following occurs:

(1) One (1) or both of the dice go off of the craps table. (2) If more than two (2) dice are thrown. 

          (c) The stickperson may declare the following rolls invalid:

(1) If one (1) of the die comes to rest on top of the other die. 

(2) If a patron other than the shooter throws the dice. 

(3) If the dice do not leave the shooter's hand simultaneously. 

(4) If one (1) or both dice come to rest in the dice bowl. 

(5) If one (1) or both dice come to rest on the rail of the craps table. 

(6) If the shooter has not placed a pass bet or don't pass bet. 

(7) If the shooter throws the dice in the wrong direction on the craps table. 

(8.) If the shooter slides the dice across the table so that one (1) or both of the dice do not roll or tumble. 

(9) If one (1) or both dice do not fall flat on the craps table, but rest on the chips or tokens stacked on the craps table. 

(10) If the shooter does not make a good faith attempt to bounce the dice off the backboard and the dice are not thrown at least one-half (½) the length of the craps table. 

(11) If the dice come to rest in a manner that it cannot be determined which face of the die is uppermost. The stickperson's declaration of an invalid roll may be overturned in accordance with section 5 of this rule. 

(Indiana Gaming Commission; 68 IAC 10-4-4; filed Oct 30, 1997, 12:40 p.m.: 21 IR 924; errata filed Feb 6, 1998)

Is it true there is no written law about hitting the back wall in Tunica or Vegas  ?? .... Is it just a casino specific industry standard ??

The former Chief of Enforcement of the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Keith Copher dances around this unwritten rule of hitting the back wall as if it is like the Wizard of Oz (really no Wizard - just a little man behind the curtain):

...Casinos, can and do, set their own "rules of play." Casinos can decide not to allow dice setting or controlled shooting, just as they can block "card counters" from playing blackjack. 

Card Counting is not illegal in Nevada and other states. In fact, various courts have upheld the legality of players using their skill (card counting) to win the game of blackjack. But the casinos, being private businesses, are not obligated to allow card counters to play in their establishments. 

And so it is with dice controllers or "dice mechanics," as some are called. While setting and controlled shooting is legal the casinos do not have to let you play or shoot. They can say, "throw the dice our way or take the highway." 

Casinos can also enforce the "back wall" rule differently. All casinos maintain that for a dice throw to be legal that both dice must hit the back wall; but this rule can be enforced and interpreted differently. 

Some casinos will allow a throw when both dice end up short of the back wall by several inches or even a foot or two feet. But some casinos might call "no roll" when both dice fail to reach and hit the back wall.

I know of some casinos who maintain that the dice not only must reach the back wall but must bounce off of the backwall by at least several inches. 

I've also heard of casinos who will declare "no roll" when the dice do not hit the back wall and a "winning number" shows, but will let the "short roll" count if a "seven out" or losing number shows.

I do not agree with every thing he states above, but that is his "expert" opinion.

... Q: "Does the Gaming Commission then consider "dice setting" to fall under the definition of "cheating"?

A: "No, as long as the dice fly in the air, bounce on the table, and hit the back wall. In some cases the casinos are lenient about the dice not hitting the back wall, and these are still legal throws, no cheating."

http://www.alanmendelsondeals.com/id5.html

I play in 2 Vegas casinos where they will call the dice no matter if you hit the back wall or not - and they never give heat about hitting the back wall ......  you see, if it were a law to hit the back wall, then these 2 high profile Strip casinos would be allowing a game to be played that is not allowed by the Nevada Gaming Commission and if a person rolled a 7 on a short roll and the casino took my bets off the table on this Seven-Out, then I would have a valid complaint with the casino and the Gaming Commission would have to follow the "written rule" and make the short roll 7 a no roll and give me my $$$ back.

Gaming Commissioner admits to Biased Dice

During the Gaming Convention in Las Vegas last year, a Washington State Gaming Commissioner personally told one of our good craps buddies that he knows his casinos use unbalanced dice 

"that produces a lot of 6/1 Seven-outs" but he went on to explain that it's not their fault and "there is not much we can do about it since the proper plastic material to make the pips is not available since the 9/11 war began"

.... we can put someone on the moon, but not able to balance dice .... sounds like some Gaming Commissioner bought some swamp land in Florida - hook, line and sinker

Taxes and Craps ...

Unless you are a "professional" gambler, there are not many tax considerations on craps unless you bet on the rare but growing proposition bets that pay 300 to 1 odds or better.  For instance the Fire Bet that can pay as much as 1,000 to 1 and the Replay Bet can pay 500 to 1 and 1,000 to 1.  If you win these higher payoffs (of at least $600.00) on these bets or any craps bet that pays at least 300 to 1, you will receive a W-2G for IRS reporting in the United States.

If you win more than $5,000.00, there will also be a 25% withholding of your winnings that will be deposited with the IRS on your behalf.

See IRS Website Link for more details on taxes and gambling.

For example, recently a good buddy of ours made 6 points on the Fire Bet at Paris Casino in Las Vegas.  The bet pays 1,000 to 1 for 6 different points made.  He bet $10.00, so he was paid a net of $7,500.00 after $2,500.00 was withheld for the IRS.  Another player at the same table bet $5.00 and was paid $4,995.00.   I am not saying Paris was correct in the payout, but that is what they did, maybe in order to avoid any possible IRS withholding problems.

Why Casinos use Biased Unbalanced Dice ...

If you want to understand why casinos use biased dice, just listen to Jim Kilby, who "... started as a dealer in 1969 and has held a variety of casino management positions. He was Boyd professor of gaming at the University of Nevada in Las Vegas for eight years and co-wrote "Casino Operations Management," a textbook considered a must-read by many in the business":

• "Rule No. 1: You shouldn't offer a game where you've got no casino advantage."  

• "Your job in management is to maximize profitability for the amount of real estate that you have to offer." 

• "You can actually increase the (house) advantage in slots. and players will not even know it." 

...One gambling adage holds that as soon as you walk in the door, the casino claims all the money in your pockets — you just happen to be holding it temporarily.
That's a bit overblown, perhaps, but Kilby leaves no doubt about a casino's aim. 

"What we often do in gaming is we look at revenue. That ain't the number," he says in a phone interview. "Your job (as a manager) is to maximize profit." 

Casinos don't "beat" players to make money, Kilby says; they "earn" it through the house advantage on every game from craps to slot machines.

Read more: Table games will yield to slots, casino expert says - Pittsburgh Tribune-Review http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/ae/gambling/s_757201.html#ixzz1bICdqwGY

Props to Billy Bob for directing us to this little tidbit:

For June, the casinos on the Strip reported a $506.7 million win. ... There also was a 190.4 percent gain in casino winnings in craps.

See the full story at http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/aug/10/june-casino-winnings-16-percent-over-last-year/

Frank Scoblete finally admitting to Biased Dice ...

Has Frank Scoblete finally admitted to the possibility of Biased Dice ... Otherwise, why did he feel the need to include the last sentence of this paragraph:

Mythtake #9: If a craps table has been hot, it will continue to be hot. If it’s cold, it will continue to be cold. This is one of the biggest myths in gambling. Remember this: what happened on the last decision has no influence on what will happen on the next decision. This is absolutely true as long as the game is random.

In his article (see Link --> Limiting Beliefs - 10 common “mythtakes” that players make at table games ), Frank Scoblete tries to dispel "false beliefs based on erroneous information that cause players to make mistakes in the casino."  The only way to not have a random game is if the dice are biased.  If he truly believed Biased unbalanced dice were just a myth, he would not have even inserted the last sentence as a qualification.

Unbalanced dice changes the randomness of the game.  Therefore, often when a table is cold, it will continue to be cold if that casino is using unbalanced dice that increase the house edge.  Maybe Frank Scoblete has finally realized that some casinos on certain shifts do use biased unbalanced dice.  We know they do and we have the evidence.

Las Vegas Dice ...

I received a voice-mail from a good friend and fellow dice influencer that was playing in Las Vegas this past weekend.  He said he met a fellow craps player that had lived and played craps in Vegas for the last 20 years.  He lives near Terrible's Casino and says he now only plays on Monday thru Thursday since the casinos have started using CDs (Computer Dice) too often and on the weekends -- his term for what we have found to be Biased Dice.

The testimonies continue .....

Las Vegas Dice and the Come-out Toss ...

We received an email from one of your better players that goes to Las Vegas often and even though he is humble about his betting units IMO his average bet is no different than 80% of the non-poker craps players and his betting style is much smarter than the average Dice influencer:

"I'm a real small-time bettor, Harley; however, by yesterday morning I was up about $185 after a decent run at Palace Station with flat betting. Then I asked them for a buffet and got that. When I returned to the table, there were too many loud-mouth chicken-feeders making stupid prop bets and slowing down the game there to do anything so I left and went elsewhere. All the other places I went had bad dice. I even returned to Palace that afternoon and they had started using bad red sanded dice.

By the end of the trip, I came home with $80, which was enough to pay for my gas and food. I'm getting better with each trip but there's little I can do against casinos that cheat.

I am usually able to hit both good and bad naturals on the come out IF the dice are good. Strangely, setting all sevens on the come out with BAD dice prevent me from hitting my naturals..."

When faced with too many "BAD" Biased dice, my advice to him is to use a dice set with most any of the naturals showing on the Come-out -- HOWEVER,  make sure the 3 and/or 4 are on the axis (like car wheels) or on the outsides (not on top or facing you or in front) ..... I like to use the 6-1 up and 5-2 facing me or the back wall (not the wall I am shooting towards)

If you see Biased dice being employed, RUN AWAY as fast as you can.  However, if you must play - DO NOT use THIS SET on your Come-Out toss for naturals:

NOR should you use this particular "All Seven Set" illustrated on Dice Coach's website:

However, you could use the " 6/5-5/6 Set" suggested by Dice Coach on the same link:

The key is to utilize to your advantage what most casinos in Las Vegas are using (a heavy 5/2 and 6/1 Seven-Out bias) for your Come-out toss ...... then throw the best on-axis toss you have in your arsenal making sure to elevate the dice with as much arch as you can ..... I call this the "High Roller" Come-Out toss since it uses the advantages of more gravity combined with reactive centrifugal force.

When I have to use this "High Roller" Come-Out toss, about 40% of my profits on a Biased dice table are on the Come-Out ....  making the best out of a bad situation .... When given lemons .... make lemonade !!

With "BAD" unbalanced Biased dice, you will need to remember that every dice roll is not independent with a 1 in 36 probability but instead closer to 1 in 16 for some numbers (5/2 and 6/1 Seven-Outs) and 1 in 75 for others (Hard 8) ....  and that

For more information on this subject see the "Biased Dice ..." Page Link above (under the Luxor Pyramid, the Sphinx and Excalibur) and additional comments in the Biased Dice Link to the Left under the Topics Index.

Saturday night on the Las Vegas Strip

Last Saturday night I was walking around the Las Vegas Strip  and noticed that the "Saturday Night Specials" were in full force so I listened to a few Stickmen and this is what I heard:

-  at Mandalay Bay:

"The Five-Deuce are Loose"

-  and the numerous Hispanic dealers have noticed and started chanting at O'Sheas:

"Cinco-Dos Adios" 

........ makes you wonder if certain 7-Outs are occurring so much that the Dealers now have cute little sayings about them !!

As I walked into Caesar's I asked a friendly dealer how the table was, he said "Ugly".  After I saw a bunch of 5-2 outs, I asked him if it bothered him if these ugly dice were driving away business and his tips ..... he replied that he doesn't care cause he is only a year away from retirement, but

that these Ugly dice reminded him of "Fight Dice". 

I asked what is "Fight Dice" and he explained that whenever there was a big fight in town, the casinos knew there would be a lot of money on the tables and would use Ugly dice that would 7-out too often.

Shaved Dice, Biased Dice; do they exist? ...

Can you exploit them?  Details herein.

From: "Jpe21ap@aol.com" Jpe21ap@aol.com
------------
Greetings.

Jerry Patterson here with a very controversial message.   And a no-risk offer for how you can obtain a copy of the Confidential Report describing biased dice.

My dice control networks have been collecting evidence on biased dice for over three years. Hard evidence right from the craps tables.

We have incontrovertible proof that biased dice exist.

Does this mean that the casinos are shaving the dice?  Not necessarily.

Does this mean that casinos would risk their license by altering the dice in any way? Not necessarily.

Then what does it mean?  And how can you capitalize on biased dice?

There are just far too many smart, skilled, intelligent individuals within the JPE Craps Networks who have observed, noted and documented statistical results skewed far beyond the pale of statistical reality.

And this data has been collected from big casinos and small; in casino areas all across the country.

A Nine-Page Confidential Report on Biased Dice

The report not only describes a simple procedure for detecting biased dice but also shows you how to turn the tables and exploit them to your advantage!

Order a copy of my new book Shooting Craps from The Zone and I will send you a complimentary copy of this report so you can make up your own mind about biased dice.  Just $17 plus $7 shipping and handling the supplemental CD.

Click below to order the book which comes in adobe PDF format. The Confidential Report on Biased Dice will be attached to the same email.

Shooting Craps from the Zone, $24

You have received prior emails from me on this new book, which also comes with a FREE subscription to my new Newsletter, Advantage Player.

Go to: Shooting Craps from The Zone for a review of this information with order information.  Or call (800) 257-7130 to order from my Nevada Office.

Jerry

P.S. The offer is no-risk; well actually you're risking $7, the s & h. If unsatisfied in any way, just return the CD and your $17 will be refunded.

You keep the book, the confidential report and the first two editions of Advantage Player.

jp

History of Craps ...

The famous dice game of Craps has captivated people from all over the world and though its popularity waned with the introduction of slot machines, it has enjoyed a new lease of life in online casinos.

The official game only dates back to the start of the 19th Century, but its origins stretch back thousands of years. Dice are known to have existed since 2600 BC, where they were used in ancient Egypt. They became a popular gambling tool right across the ancient world, and were also used by the Greeks, Romans and Arabs. The ancient Indian epic “Mahabharata” describes warriors losing fortunes on dice games; Native Americans played with four-sided knucklebones; while there is also evidence of dice used as far east as Korea.

A countless number of dice games have been invented over the years, though the one seen as the main precursor to Craps is “Hazard”. There are two theories on the origins of the name of this game: some consider “Hazard” to have been derived from the Arabic word “al zar” or “azzah”, which literally translates to “the dice” in English; while the second theory is far more intriguing: when the English Crusaders, led by Sir William of Tyre, headed east in 1125, they came to a castle named Asart or Hazarth, which they soon conquered. After developing their own dice game around the same time, they decided to name it after this castle.

Whether Hazard had its origins with the Arabs or was an invention of the Crusaders, the game grew immensely popular in England and by the 17th Century was a frequent pastime for noblemen and gentry– some losing large fortunes in the luxury gambling houses. The craze soon spread to France, where it is believed its name was changed to “Craps” – derived for the term ‘crab’, used to describe a throw of 2, the worst throw in the game.

But how it reached the US is another argued matter. The French undoubtedly brought Craps with them to American shores, but the British would also have had dice on board the Mayflower, the ship that brought the Pilgrims to America in 1620.

The game naturally evolved into a version similar to the Craps of today and began to develop a reputation in the Southern States after the arrival of the French, who were displaced by the British in the north. However, it is widely believed that African Americans developed the modern version of the game – it is also at this point that some say the name “Craps” was coined, either coming from the French for “toad” or an alternative name for American Dominoes, “Crapshooting”. Craps was not only enjoyed in the riverboat casinos of the Mississippi, but was widely played in the back streets of the towns and cities.

And during the 19th Century, the game was developed further, by one John H. Winn, a noted dice maker. He created the table layout – then known as the “Philadelphia Layout” – that is still used in casinos today. Winn was referred to as “the father of craps” by John Scarne, one of the most famous dice makers, magicians and gamblers of the 20th Century. He also created “Pass”/ “No Pass” bets as well as the “Big 6” and “Big 8”. But perhaps his greatest development was allowing players to bet on the shooter, eradicating the ongoing problem of ‘loaded’ dice.

This new version of Craps was soon played worldwide and was a common way for American and British soldiers in WWII to spend their free time. Today, there are over 320 crap tables in Las Vegas alone as well as a whole host of online casinos offering this exciting dice game, and its low-skill level and fast-paced action has made it one of the most sought after games on the internet.

Las Vegas Casinos Squeezing more out of your pocket ...

I remember in the not so distant past that I would make sure I kept at least $30. in my pocket -- safe from gambling -- for the taxi to the airport ..... well if I did that today, I may have to walk to the airport .....  Some hotels and resorts are charging an additional mandatory resort or facilities fee at check-in or check-out, nominally referred to as a Resort Fee.  For those that travel half way around the world with a fixed spending budget may be very well surprised at the extra daily charges ...

The hotels collect these Resort Fees regardless of how or where the room is purchased.

Any hotel-mandated fee is something that should be disclosed before your purchase — however, often they are NOT, or are in very fine print at the bottom.  This extra surprise is often avoided if you say cancel my reservation as you are checking in, but not too many tourists from have that flexibility .... or are even told when they check-in ....

Your surprise is when you see the bill upon check-out or are told when you are checking in — thank you very much...

Here's a Link that lists who charges what, and what you're supposed to get for the Resort Fee.

It also lists places that DO NOT charge a Resort Fee — this should influence your choice of place to stay...   Hint --- all the Harrah's owned properties said they would not charge a Resort Fee ......

http://www.vegas.com/incl/resortfees.html

The Las Vegas Advisor Poll results for March 24, 2010:

71% of respondents (3,035),said:

I hate resort fees and out of principle I won’t stay at a hotel that has them. I’d rather pay more for these facilities but choose them freely myself than have a fee forced on me for things I might not use.

21% of respondents (917) said:

I have no problem with resort fees if they’re not extortionate ($25/night at Red Rock and GVR?!) but I think hotels should disguise them as part of the nightly rate; it’s the concept of an obligatory add-on that annoys most people, when it should just be part of the room rate.

View the results for yourself here:

http://www.lasvegasadvisor.com/pollres.cfm?showdate=04/06/2010

 

Advantage Players

Are you a CAP (Craps Advantage Player) ?? .....  I think Advantage Players has been best described by the following:

Advantage player is a term used to describe a person who has the ability to play a casino gambling game so skillfully that even without cheating, that person can negate or reverse the casino's typical built-in house advantage in that game. Examples of advantage play include card counting in blackjack and dice control in craps.

Casinos will generally eject an individual whom they identify as being an advantage player. And habitual offenders may ultimately find themselves listed in the Griffin Book, and thus become unwelcome in most casinos. However, advantage players are abiding the established rules of the game, and thus committing no actual fraud against the casino. Therefore, unlike those who cheat outright at the games, advantage players can operate without fear of being criminally prosecuted if they are discovered. **

And this Blog inspired a post by Mad Professor within just a few days:

The professional advantage-player is there to make money, while the professional gambler is there for the action of the game, and making money is secondary or even tertiary.

If the professional gambler happens to make a profit while he is gambling…all the better…but money is not the force that drives him…it is the RISK that attracts and keeps him searching for the next risk-taking “gamble”.

The professional advantage-player makes his money from perfecting his craft.

He develops his skills in the same manner as a professional athlete, and develops his money-management and decision-making skills in the same manner as a senior corporate executive.

The professional advantage-player is almost completely the opposite of, and the antithesis to a professional gambler.

A professional advantage-player tries to engineer as much risk as possible out of the game. In craps for example, by de-randomizing the dice, he seeks to reduce risk. For him, MONEY is principally the way to gauge progress and to keep score.

For the professional gambler, as long as he can be in a game, almost any game where he can have money at risk, then he is generally satisfied. He treats wins simply as more fuel to get him into, and keep him in more and more gambling action. A full belly and a chance to play is principally what keeps him going.

The professional advantage-player seeks to take as much risk and gamble OUT OF his chosen game; and if the opportunity to do so dries up; then he'll move on to another pursuit where opportunity does exist. ***

Advantage Play in Craps not only begins with knowing how to toss the dice, you also have to know:

1. How to be a better ADVANTAGE bettor AND
2. How to recognize scams not only in the casinos but also in the Craps educational field.

.... and that is how this website will help you become a better Craps Advantage Player (CAP)


** - Advantage Player definition ...
*** - The message board with no balls to cite references or name names ...

Biased Dice Updates ....

FYI --- see the "Biased Dice ..." Link above (under the Sphinx and Excalibur - Not the Link to the Left in the Topics Index) for an exposé on Biased Unbalanced Dice

"Casinos will not cheat" - yea right

For all those in denial (the "Flat Earth Society") saying that casinos as a whole would not cheat, look how rampant the cheating was in New York right under everyone's noses:

" ... a recent story about New York cabbies overcharging their customers has set off a firestorm of buzz. The initial story broke last week, when it was revealed that thousands of cabbies in the Big Apple had overcharged their customers by a total of $8.3 million over several years.

The news sparked immediate Web searches on "new york cab ripoffs" and "taxi scams" as well as lookups for the Taxi and Limousine Commission. The Commission found that dishonest cab drivers were charging customers the "suburban rate," which is twice the "city rate." All told, 35,558 cab drivers "illegally charged a rider at least once." That's out of 48,300 licensed drivers.

Not a very good percentage. (almost 75%)

So, how was the scam discovered? It all started with one guy who was suspicious of his fare. Dr. Mitchell Lee, who often takes taxis home after working at the NYU Medical Center, says he noticed his normal $5 fare had mysteriously risen to $7 one night. He complained to the driver, who offered Lee a discount. Lee declined, paid the full fare with his credit card, then complained to the Taxi and Limousine Commission. From that one complaint, a gigantic scam was quickly unraveled." **

...... the same is so for casinos -- if 1 casino figures out how to increase the odds at Craps, then others will be sure to follow ......... it's a simple law of competition

** - Link to full story

Lo$$ Limits ....

Money Management ....
In his book "John Patrick's Craps", Patrick talks about Bankroll in Chapter 3 (page 24) and says you should set your Loss Limit at 50% of whatever you bring into the casino .... and here is another theory:

Quote:

Intelligently managing your bankroll should be a key fundamental in any craps strategy, because it is the only way of knowing if your plan is working. A good method, but one that many find hard to follow, is to set a loss limit and to adhere to it. Often a player will sit down at the craps table, bankrolling himself a hundred dollars. However, as often happens, the player begins a losing streak, and the money is lost quickly, and the player is tempted to increase his bankroll. On the other hand, it is just as difficult to set a maximum limits for wins, because if you are winning, why leave? Another method to managing your bankroll can be done by playing only with your winning. For example, say you bankroll yourself one hundred dollars for a game of craps. This should also be your loss limit. Begin playing, and should you lose, follow your loss limit and walk away. If you win initially, then wait until you have $75-$100 over your initial bankroll, and the put that money aside. In this way, in case you should lose all your winning, then you will still have your original bankroll. If you continue winning, then put another hundred dollars aside and exclude it permanently from the game.

http://www.craps.cd/Craps-Strategy.html

... and:

Quote:

The Gambler’s Fallacy Many gamblers believe that they are “due for a win” after a streak of losses. When such players lose a few bets in a row, they often increase their bet dramatically, expecting a win. This expectation is called the gambler’s fallacy. Unfortunately, losing a few bets or even many bets in a row does not affect the odds of winning the next bet. So even if you’ve lost a few bets running, you shouldn’t bet more than what you had planned. Chasing your losses with big bets is a sure way to the poor house....

http://quamut.com/quamut/craps/page/money_management_in_craps.html

... and although there are probably 1001 theories on Loss Limits and betting strategies, I tend to favor the following:

- Never bet more than 10% of your bankroll for any 1 roll ... and

- Loss Limit set at 25% of my bankroll per casino (50% for the day)

.... what are your favorite Lo$$ Limit guidelines that help you survive the roll of the dice ??

Strategy after you have made your 1st Point ....

What set, if any, do YOU use for subsequent come-out rolls after the first one? 

Remember, there is no right answer on how to approach the game so you have to figure out what is best for you.  For me, by my 2nd Point hopefully I have figured out how the dice are reacting to my toss:
-- am I double pitching or single pitching or one off axis, etc., and
-- is there a chance I am playing with unbalanced dice so that the Odds have increased for the House on this particular table.

Depending on the answer to those 2 issues, you then calculate whether you play "The Game Within a Game" or set for your signature number so that you can capitalize on repeating the Point.

If I am tossing with heavily unbalanced dice, nearly 40% of my winnings are on playing "The Game Within a Game" Come-out tosses so I will set my dice to the set that are most favored by the imbalance in the dice combined with how I have been tossing so far ...... single pitch or off axis, etc.  ..... (this is where it helps to be able to do BoneTracker calculations live during your toss instead of back at your practice rig after the fact ....... hard to capitalize on "after the fact" results)

 ..... Let's say you have been seeing an abnormal amount of 5/2 Seven-outs before you tossed and your tosses have resulted in several 5's showing up on at least one of your die results, coupled with the fact that the Hard 6s and Hard 8s are scarce that day compared to Hard 10s and Hard 4s, so I would set an All 7's set with 5/2 on top on a 3/4 axis ..... if I am single pitching a lot that day on that table, then I would adjust the All 7's set by taking the right die and turning it half way around so that the 4s are kissing, then single pitch the same right die forward so that I now have a 5/6 on top and 6/5 facing me.

Considering the fallacy in the following March, 2008 interview:

... Jane Willis (a math whiz on MIT's celebrated blackjack team) and her husband, Rich Davey, attended the star-studded Las Vegas premiere of "21." They enjoyed the movie and afterward strolled through the casinos, occasionally pausing to play a little blackjack.

"I'd say there was a little rust on Jane's skills," says Davey. "She was more interested in craps, but unfortunately there's no way to count dice."

© Copyright 2008 Globe Newspaper Company.
http://www.boston.com/ae/movies/articles/2008/03/26/count_her_out/?page=1

The fact is that when the casinos employ unbalanced Biased dice to increase their house edge, you must be ready to "count the dice" or you may very well be blind-sided at the craps table.

side note FWIW -- most of my longest rolls are from straight out using fair dice, however, if a table is using Biased dice, gravity overpowers any influence I may have from that far away .... as Clint Eastwood warned us in Magnum Force:  "A Man Has Got To Know His Limitations"

Computerized Craps hits the Las Vegas Strip ...

Computerized Craps is on the Las Vegas Strip -- Rapid Craps has been installed at Bill's (owned by Harrah's).

Saturday night and we are taking a short cut thru Bill's on our way to Caesar's when we glance over to see a new craps table near the front door that replaced the old Fire Bet table ..... This craps table has a new layout and monitors -- YES, I said monitors for making bets -- NO CHIPS in your landing zone !!!

Stats:
- roughly 13 foot inside diameter length wise
- "widest" craps table I have ever seen -- although it is near standard width, it looks wider due to the lack of chip stacks and a dealer (also has mirrors on both sides of the table)
- 14 monitors around the table all with very comfortable chairs
- Monitor has roughly inside dimensions of 8.5 inches wide x 6.5 inches high, slanted at about a 25 degree angle
- Monitors' betting software has similar characteristics to ShuffleMaster's Rapid Roulette (touch screen and timer controlled)
- 1 Dealer (Stick) with a Pit Boss (Supervising roaming Box) - Stick can be on either side of the table but is usually near the
- live dice (red clear unbalanced dice on a Saturday night, of course)
- throw your buy-in on the table and the Stick will enter the amount into your balance on your monitor
- Jonah describes the surface as a hard satin microfibre (I concur)
- 7 rows of hard pyramids
- no inverted roof at the top of the rubbers (inside of rail is nearly flush to the pyramid slab)
- 1 On-Off puck in center of table controlled by Stick
- Only chips on table are in the table bank and only used to Color-up exiting players after they touch the Color-up button on their monitor
- 2 monitors on 8 foot poles in place of 2 dealers that give rolls stats, shows player's bets in total as well as the outcome of the dice roll

- Your personal Betting Monitor also includes:
... Your Bankroll Credit to the penny
... Your Current Amount Bet
... Your Win Amount
... different denomination chips you can touch to make bets with
... your own "Off" buttons you can place on your bets
... Quick Bet Buttons such as Down, Across, Outside, Inside, Cash Out , Undo, Off
... Most normal bets allowed including Big 6 and 8
... animated dice roll result on screen after the fact

- Stats displayed on poled Monitors also includes:
... Last 10 rolls for shooter
... Longest roll by a shooter since table installed (48 at Bill's the first weekend, then a 54 the next week)
... Most Hardways by same Shooter in 1 roll (6)
... Most Craps by a Shooter in 1 roll (12)

... Number of Rolls since last Hardways and Horn numbers

- the table at Bill's Casino is closer to our descriptions above than the prototype pictured on ShuffleMaster's website, but you can get the idea and remaining physical characteristics here:
http://www.shufflemaster.com/assets/pdf/product_sheets/Rapid_Craps.pdf

Advantages:
- NO CHIPS in your landing zone
- did I say NO CHIPS in your landing zone
- No LATE BETS (timed touchscreen monitors control bets)
- perfect computerized payouts assuming Stick inputs correct roll of dice
- $3 dollar table that pays truer odds on Place Bets than most casinos -- a $3.00 Place Bet on the 8 will credit your account $3.50 -- although after the first week, the table is now mostly $5. limits
- Betting Monitor has a "Down" button to turn Off your bets or Take "Down" your bets instantly without the annoying and disruptive "Bets Off" being loudly echoed on the table

Disadvantages:
- nearly 16 inch width of double rails protecting the monitor makes it hard to do a shot launching from the table surface unless you are as tall as Jerry Patterson,
- Max $300. on Place Bets (regular Strip Odds 3x4x5x)
- No Hop Bets
- No Hi-Lo Bets
- No Fire Bet
- I saw people making Lay bets by accident when they were actually trying to Place the number by touch
- people stay longer than a regular game -- chairs are too comfortable and game is user friendly
- Buy-ins during the middle of a roll still occur
- very unfortunate that the software on this program does not tally stats properly .... if an easy 6 was rolled, the Hard 6 counter would increase

..... If you are not able to position yourself on the table like the "lady" in the above picture,  I would recommend an underhand shot (using hardways on a 5/2 axis) using the inside rail as a guide for your arm to swing along .... but to each his own

I shot from SR1 -- different feeling as you are the only one standing and everyone else is sitting ... new market for a sit down toss ??

Even though this game was introduced in late 2006, this is the first I have seen in a casino -- evidently a beancounter's answer to the economic woes -- 2 less dealers and definitely no rigid Box 

(Originally posted by HarleyHorn on February 21, 2010)