Online Craps

Craps strategy

Because there is no level of honest skill which can influence which numbers come up on the dice in a craps game, strategy is all related to managing your bets.

A prime point of craps strategy is to maintain your calm while playing. As all players are betting against the house, groups of players can get quite raucous as they win or lose together. It is fine to join in with enthusiastic displays but do not allow your doing so to distract you from sensible management of your bankroll and informed betting.

You should consider setting a loss limit for yourself as well as a walk-away limit for winnings. If you can't reasonably afford to lose more than $500, you should decide ahead of time that $500 will be your absolute limit for losing and then you should stick to that limit. In the horrid event that you lose every penny of your $500 bankroll, you should walk away from the table, as opposed to wagering with a second $500.

It might be a good idea to work your craps play this way: If $500 is your loss limit, divide it in half, putting $250 in each of 2 different pockets. If with the first $250 you win any amount that puts you more than $100 above your starting $250, put $250 back in your pocket and play with your winnings. The goal is to play exclusively with your winnings, and smart betting can help you achieve it. If in spite of everything Lady Luck is not with you, and you gamble away first one $250 bankroll and then a second $250 bankroll, and you were not able to sustain play with winnings, quit for the night.

While there is a wide array of bets offered on a craps table, only a few have a reasonable house edge and are generally recognized to be 1) Pass Line bets backed by free odds 2) Come Bets backed by free odds and 3) Place Bets on 6 or 8.

Dealers and Stickmen have been trained to encourage you to make other, less favorable bets; pay them no mind. The relative complexity of craps betting is such that you should gain experience making the basic and more likely bets before hazarding any of the more unlikely ones. Furthermore, although advanced craps strategy involves multiple contemporaneous bets which can keep players more profitably in the game, beginners are advised to gradually increase the complexity of their craps betting habits so as to master the skills of craps betting step by step.

We're not going to guarantee that you'll win every session with these tips, but anecdotal reports surface frequently that these tips increase your chances of winning. Your mileage may vary. Good luck and may Lady Luck shine down upon you.

1. Dice control ' Watch for shooters who do not shake the dice before each roll, and who roll the same way each time. They have better control over the dice than random throwers. When you find one of those shooters, play at his or her table, and bet with the shooter, if he or she is winning.
   
2. Hit and run ' If you understand the advanced wagers and you want to win big and quickly, bet the long odds. Be prepared to lose quickly, as well. Cut and run when you've made your killing. Without the discipline to walk away a winner, it's assured that you won't walk away a winner.
   
3. Go with the streak - Bet more when you're hot, less when you're not.
   
4. Keep your eye on the player with the most chips ' This is so obvious that you might not think of it. Emulate the table winner. There's no law against being a copy cat, and imitation is the highest form of flattery. You can bet smaller amounts than the high roller. Remember the saying, 'Follow the money!'
   
5. Assess the situation ' Before plunking your money down at any old craps table, take the time to assess the table, the players and the current shooter.
   
6. Leave the Proposition bets to other ' Unless you want the worst odds at the craps tables, leave the Proposition bets to those who fall for the dealer hoopla.
   
7. Avoid table minimums over your head ' Find a table minimum that is within your budget.
   
8. Ignore the dealer's siren ' When the dealer solicits the high house advantage bets, ignore the call, and place your money on Odds bets instead.
   
9. Back up your Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't Come bets with Odds bets ' If you're not willing to bet the Odds bets, find a lower-minimum table or another game. Always back up the basic bets with Odds bets to decrease the house advantage to a bare minimum and maximize your chances of winning.
   
10. If they lay, they play ' If you don't pick up your winnings when the dealer places them in front of you, you will wind up parlaying your winnings into the next roll whether you want to or not.
    

Second only to winning is the ability to manage your money. While it's everyone's burning desire to leave the casino a big winner, more likely than not, you'll leave with a slight loss. The casinos have gone to quite a bit of trouble to ensure that this happens. That's why the house always has an advantage over the player. Fortunately, craps offers the best possible house edge'if you combine the Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't Come bets with the Odds bets.

But that's not all there is to winning. Winning requires discipline and a proper mental attitude. If you can leverage your bets with the Odds bets, manage your money and maintain your head through the orchestrated chaos we call craps, you'll have a great time and give yourself the best odds to walk away with some extra money.

There are many successful money management schemes. Pick one that works for you, and abide by it. Use several in combination if you like. Do whatever ensures that you keep your losses to a minimum or walk away with some of the money that you won during the course of a session at the craps table. Be brutal with yourself. You're doing battle with the casino gods whose sole purpose is to part you from your money.

Craps is a lively game for several reasons. Among them is the fact that fortunes can be made and lost in no time flat.

• If you should somehow make a killing (we're talking big money), and it's not something that you routinely pull off when you visit a casino, get the heck out of Dodge. Don't waste a minute longer. Don't set an artificial stop loss. Just get out of there. Who cares if the airline ticket is non-refundable? Run; don't walk, as fast as you can, and don't look back.
• Establish a bankroll, and stick to it. When your bankroll is gone, you should be too. You are smart enough to know that you shouldn't bet with money that you can't afford to lose. 'Nuf said!
• If you're winning, put away at least half your winnings, and play only with your original stake. Once the original stake is gone, you still walk away with some money. You can also use this technique in reverse: place your original stake out to the side and only gamble with your winnings.
• Divide your stake by 50. That way, you can probably enjoy yourself for hours. For example, if you bring $100, bet no more than $2 per round.

Assume that you start with a stake of $200, and you want to make that money last as long as possible.

1. Divide the $200 into two piles of $100 each.
2. Play with only one pile, and find a table with a $2 minimum.
3. If you win $100, take the $200 off the table and cash in the chips. Put the $200 away somewhere.
4. If you lose, play only with the $100 until it's gone. Stop playing at the table and cash in your chips. Without chips, you can't play'at least not right away. Save the remaining $100 until after you've taken a break.

Play with Your Head Screwed on Right
Craps is fast-paced and lively, requiring concentration and fast reflexes amidst the chaos. Play craps only when you're up to the task. Your energy level is likely to affect your play, and your play most certainly will affect your mental attitude. It's a slippery slope. Make sure that you're on firm ground when you approach the craps table. If you're not, you might want to consider another less lively game or find another form of entertainment until you're up to the craziness that is the favorite of the rowdy crowd'craps!