The “don’t” craps bets
March 19, 2007
The main thing that you must know about craps players is that they are highly superstitious. The two main categories of bets that you can make at the craps table are “with the dice bets and “against the dice bets”.
Making a “with the dice bet” means that you are wagering that the shooter will win. ‘With the dice bets” include pass line, proposition, come and field bets. These are considered “right side” bets and most of the players at the table place “with the dice” wagers
Making an “against the dice” bet means that you are wagering against the shooter. You are basically betting that he will not win, that he will seven out. All the “don’t” bets such as don’t pass, or don’t come bets are “against the dice”. These are considered “wrong side” bets and not many players at the table will place them. As a matter of fact the other players that made “with the dice” bets will frown upon you and will consider you bad luck.
Almost all the players at the table are betting with the dice. This means they are betting that the shooter will win, and since most of them are betting this way, a sense of camaraderie is formed. When the shooter wins, almost all the players at the table win. And when he loses, they also lose. Practically all the gamblers are playing against the house, and this is where the sense of camaraderie comes from. Some have even compared this to a little party that takes place around the craps table. Seeing all those players cheer, high-five one another and encouraging the shooter makes the game more entertaining and more captivating.
Wrong or “Don’t” bettors are not looked kindly upon. In fact most right bettors loathe them and consider them bad luck. Most of the times these bettors stand at one of the corners of the table, trying to look inconspicuous. You will not see them cheer or express their happiness for winning a bet. They will simply collect their winnings in silence ad try to go unnoticed.
When you bet “with the dice” you feel like part of a team, it is a team sport. Betting “against the dice” on the other hand is a loners’ sport. But we must see through “right side” betting and “wrong side” betting. We must take advantage of the betting options craps offers. What other casino game allows you to bet on the player and on the dealer. Let’s take Blackjack for example. What can you do if the dealer keeps winning? Can you bet on him? Of course not. Your best option is to simply walk away, or to use the insurance option. The thing with the insurance option is that you can use it only when the dealer is showing an Ace and it is a bad bet with a high house edge.
Craps on the other hand is different. It allows you to bet on both outcomes of the game, positive and negative. You can get a payout regardless if the shooter wins or loses. Let’s say that a particular table is cold. This means that most shooters lose, they seven out. They roll out a point, roll the dice a few more times and inevitably roll a seven and lose. In this case should you be superstitious and keep betting with the dice? You would only lose all your money. But if you bet against the dice you will win big on such a table. This is the great thing about craps. Regardless if the shooter wins or loses, you always have the chance of making a good profit.
The weird thing is that you will immediately be labeled a right bettor or a wrong bettor. Craps is a great game because it gives you lots of betting options. You should put superstitions aside and play smart, play profitably. If you only bet right or if you only bet wrong you are simply cheating yourself from playing the most profitable game you can. Is it so wrong to play both sides, with and against the dice? Players that do so are taking complete advantage of the freedom craps offers and the opportunity it gives you to win even when the dice are cold. Follow this simple advice. If the dice are hot and the shooter keeps winning, bet with the dice. But if the dice are cold and the shooter keeps loosing, switch to playing against the dice. A simple, but profitable technique.
Some players believe that betting against the dice offers lower odds. This is simply not true. Both pass and don’t pass bets are two of the best bets in the casino. The only reason why wrong wagering is avoided is because all the right bettors will mark you as an outsider, as a “bad guy”. And whenever you win you can’t cheer or express your joy out loud.
The main purpose of this article is to show you all the options you can take advantage if when the dice go cold. Most craps players prefer not to bet against the dice and simply wait until the dice are hot again. Not betting against the dice and waiting means that you are simply not taking advantage of the betting options craps offers. You could be making a nice profit instead of just sitting around, waiting. On the other hand waiting may be a good thing. The house always has an edge and the more frequently you put your money in jeopardy on the layout, the more you subject yourself to the constant grind of the house edge. Waiting can actually prove to be smarter than playing.
Personally I use a simple system when playing craps. Its essence is to wait until a shooter proves himself. This is not so much a system as a good money management technique, but it is a good way to avoid losing your money due to quick seven outs.
A good craps player can sense when a shooter will seven out. Usually the shooter following a hot roll will seven out. Also a shooter with no dice rolling technique will seven out. If he just flips the cubes down the table, giving them little chance to tumble and bounce he will most likely seven out.
This is why you should always play a profitable game and place against the dice wagers when the dice are cold. As long as making don’t bets is more profitable, I do not see why you should not make them. Then, when you notice the dice are hot again, switch to betting with the dice again. The point I am trying to make is to not judge and categorize players as good or bad, but make the most of what the game offers.
