CRACK THE CODE OF CRAPS
Mastering Place Bets Like a Pro
By Garrison Russell
New to the craps table? Learn the lingo, understand the bets, and discover why place bets are among the smartest plays you can make.
When new players walk up to a craps table for the first time it’s a world they are not familiar with. Players are making all types of bets such as place bets, hard ways, horn bets, any craps, 2/12 High-low, odds on my come bet, give me sixty-six inside and lay the 10. It certainly can be confusing and a little intimidating to a new player. There are a few terms you should learn that will help you make your bets faster and help the dealers.
One of the most popular bets on the craps tables are place bets.These are bets made after the game starts and you can bet on any of the point numbers. They are the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 &10. If any of these numbers are rolled you win but if the seven is rolled you lose all of your bets. After a point number is rolled you then can tell the dealer, Same bet, press it up one unit, press it all the way up, or take my bet down. Players have options when making place bets.That’s why these are one of the best bets on the table for the players. Another advantage of place bets is they do not work on the first roll of the game, known as the come-out roll, so if a seven is rolled you don’t lose any of your place bets. This is a BIG advantage for the place bettors.
To make things flow faster and to help the dealers they want you to say certain statements when making your place bets. The best time to make your bets are when the dice are in the middle of the table, before they are passed to the shooter. Never make a bet after the dice have been passed to the shooter; they may say “no bet.” And please never, never (Yes I said never) buy in during the middle of the game. Wait until the puck is in the Don’t come box, in the off position. Then put your money in the middle of the come section to buy in. If you buy in during the middle of a busy game and stop the action the players at the table will put a contract out on you. Players believe if you stop the game the next roll or two will be a seven. Don’t do it.
The dealers will place these bets into three categories: inside bets, outside bets and across bets. When you tell the dealer, I’d like to bet the inside numbers, you are betting on the point numbers 5, 6, 8 & 9. When you tell the dealers you want to bet the outside numbers you’re betting the point numbers 4, 5, 9 &10. And when you tell a dealer to bet the numbers across you’re betting on all point numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 &10. When you place the 4, 5, 9 &10 you bet in the amount of $5 bets. When you place the 6 & 8 you bet in the amount of $6 bets. The point numbers 5, 6, 8 & 9 are paid off in multiples of seven dollars (7, 14, 21, 28, 35, etc.). The point numbers 4 and 10 are paid off in multiples of nine dollars (9, 18, 27). After you get to a bet of $20 they let you buy the four and 10 and pay you the true odds of 2 to 1 minus a 5% commission on the amount you bet ($1 per $20). There are some casinos that let you buy the five and nine. Ask your dealer if that is allowed.
Enclosed is the chart for the place bets starting at a $5 bettor going all the way up to a $50 bettor. Drop your money in the come section and tell the dealer, I’d like $$ inside, outside or across. NOTE: If you play Crapless Craps, you can make place & buy bets on the 2, 3, 11 & 12. When you place the 2 and 12 they pay 11-2 with a house edge of 7.14%. The 3 and 11 pay 11-4 with a house edge of 6.25%.—no thanks.
Note: When you play for a higher amount just increase or double the bets.
After a point number is rolled and you win a place bet the dealer will pay you, then you can tell them what you’d like to do with your winnings. You can say “same bet” and they keep that same amount in action, “press it up one unit” and they will add one unit to the bet, “press it up all the way” and they will double the bet, or you can say “regress my bet to a lower amount” and take some profits.
There are three major types of players at the tables—Bulls, Bears and Pigs. Bulls press their bets right after the first win and keep pressing. Bears are a little more conservative. They will take the same bet or start at a higher level and regress after one or two hits. If the table gets hot then they will press their bets. And the Pigs, well, they just get slaughtered. They never take any of their profits, they never regress, and when the seven is rolled they lose all their bets on the table. There’s an old saying in the casinos, Don’t be a pig, pigs always get slaughtered. I recommend you start as a bear, take some profits, and if the table gets hot then you can start pressing.
The player has to realize that the average game only lasts six to eight rolls. When you bet $44 inside, (5, 6, 8 & 9), each winning place bet pays $14. You have to win 3.14 bets to get back your $44. You only start winning a profit after the third hit. If you don’t get four winning rolls or the shooter does not roll 5, 6, 8 & 9s during that game you’re going to end up losing money on that shooter. Remember, it’s not how much money you win, it’s how little you lose. Protect your bankroll and look for a small percentage win on each shooter. You have to chart the table and play accordingly.
There are players who like to play on the Don’t side of the table. When you place your bet in the Don’t come box the dealer will take that bet and put it behind the number on the next roll. When I was very young, just learning the game, I was playing downtown on Fremont Street. I saw a player making a lot of Don’t come bets. I asked this “Old-timer” what he was doing. He looked at me, smoking a Camel cigarette, drinking his Schlitz beer, and said, “Hey kid, just remember, all right bettors die broke.” It never hurts to hedge your place bets. I do that now when I play.
Living in Las Vegas, I took a dealer’s class on how to deal craps from CEG (Casino Educational Gambling). It has given me a new perspective on the game. Remember, be kind, dealers work for tips, so tip your dealers. As Donna Summer said, They work hard for the money $$. When the shooter has a long roll and makes you money you may tip them as well. I hope this information helps not only the new players but the more advanced players in charting the table and winning more money. I wish you the very best for the coming year. Good Luck at the tables!
Garrison lives in Las Vegas, is a teacher and the author of the Platinum Craps & Dice Setting book on Amazon & his website. His shows are on YouTube at “Garrison Craps.” Website: www.platinumcraps.com. Email: garrisoncraps@gmail.com. Office: 702-487-5223. Text/cell 702-772-6011.
