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Frank Scoblete Gaming Guru  The Captain Part Two21 January 2025
By Frank Scoblete How should a player who does not have an edge at craps play the game? I guess the wisest of us would say “don’t ever play a game where you don’t have an edge.” That would be a speech of folly if given in seriousness because craps is just so, so much fun and otherwise sane people will play the game because they enjoy it. I see such players in the casinos all the time. The words of the wisest will fall on deaf ears in such cases. Just go into any casino and see the hundreds of players enjoying the game – win or lose. It’s a tough game to pull away from once you get the craps bug. The Captain believed that random players had to bet enough to make it somewhat serious but not at levels that could bring on the feints. Your bets are something of value, he thought, and care should be taken when making them. You want a thrill by the amount you wagered but you don’t want a heart attack. If you are sweating because of the heat, that’s fine; but if you are sweating because of the amount you are betting that is not fine. Casino play should be a fun activity for the random player, not a life-or-death situation. A player must be in control of his or her money; not the other way around. Next, play the 5-Count on every shooter. This will eliminate about 50 percent of them. You’ll save some money playing this way. Saved money is earned money in the long run. The Captain did not believe in rushing into a game just in order to get into a game. Rushing play was bad in his view. He took his time. By the end of his story, the Captain went to betting one (or no more than two bets) when he played and he bet small on those random rollers who made it through the 5-Count. He bet his normal amounts on himself, the Arm and Jimmy P. His bets were the traditional good bets, pass line with odds and come bets with odds. He might place the 6 and/or 8 at times as well. He did not bet any darkside bets. Keep in mind, the Captain only bet on himself and his two friends. On random players his bets were quite small once those players got past the 5-Count. Did the Captain believe in tipping the dealers? He certainly did. Since he played at several casinos, he was friendly with the staff and he did tip them generously. That was recognized and appreciated. How did the Captain maintain his play when he was a long-term winner? His buddies on the crew lost enough to not have the suits worry about him or the Arm or Jimmy P. Also, he and they hit many casinos. Those days are long gone now. I don’t think any of his original crew are still alive. All the best in and out of the casinos. Frank Scoblete’s books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries, and bookstores. This article is provided by the Frank Scoblete Network. Melissa A. Kaplan is the network's managing editor. If you would like to use this article on your website, please contact Casino City Press, the exclusive web syndication outlet for the Frank Scoblete Network. To contact Frank, please e-mail him at fscobe@optonline.net. The Captain of Craps19 January 2025
My gambling mentor was the late, great Captain of craps who was a weekly Atlantic City player and a man who taught me everything I know about casino playing. He and his crew of 22 high-limit players owned Atlantic City in the early 1970s through the early 2,000s. My, my were they comped! Mostly they played craps although the wives and girlfriends tended to play the slot machines. ... (read more)
Chips14 January 2025
I am not a collector of anything. There was a time when I was writing for over 50 magazines and newspapers, mostly monthlies, but some weeklies too. Over the decades, I spent a huge number of hours writing away in my office. Sometimes I forgot what season I was in. Actually, that’s the last 30 years. ... (read more)
Banging Your Head Against a Wall7 January 2025
Casinos have the edge over the players. It is a rare moment in a rare game where the player can actually turn the edge against the casino. Very rare. Extremely rare. Players can have skills at some games, such as blackjack by following basic strategy (the computer derived strategy for the play of every player hand verses the dealer’s up card). ... (read more)
Ask Frank: Spanish 21 StrategyHello there, Living in Canada, I find that the rules are more liberal here than at other casino locales, such as the dealer standing on all 17s for Spanish Blackjack. In your book, Armada Strategies for Spanish 21, there is only a strategy for when the dealer hits soft 17. I was wondering if you have any strategies for 8 deck, s17. ... (read more)Ask Frank (Playing Winning Craps)Dear Mr. Scoblete: In your book Forever Craps, you recommend to play one Don't Come bet per shooter without odds in order to reduce your exposure to the house. I usually play at casinos that count the spread and odds. If I play one ... (read more)Bad Ways to Play Good Casino GamesYou've met this guy before. He's cantankerous, witless, and loud. He knows everything about everything when it comes to casino games. He's a self-made expert who knows more than all writers and mathematicians combined, and as he doubles on his thirteen against the dealer's ... (read more)The Craps to English DictionaryCraps is another country, a kingdom with its own mores, legends, myths, rites, rituals, superstitions and government. It also has its own language, much of it easily misunderstood as sexual or scatological references. For those of you interested in journeying to this other ... (read more)Craps Crap and Craps Gold - Part 1What do the following sayings have in common? "An apple a day keeps the doctor away." "Better late than never." "High fences make good neighbors." "Always play the Pass/Come and take full odds." Answer: The above statements are true. Yes, some people might quibble and say that you can eat as ... (read more)Frank Scoblete |
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