Cutthroat Craps - Part 4

CUTTHROAT QUESTION: HOW MUCH TIME DO YOU HAVE TO KILL?

If you are a frequent visitor to casinos, making daily or weekly visits, then you might want to go all out and only bet on the potential Golden Shooters using the outline of what to look for as written above. Your patience will be rewarded as you will only bet on those shooters who have a chance to change the nature of the game in your favor. All other shooters you'll save your money on. In fact, if you really want to become proficient in shooter selection, you might want to apply the 5-Count as well. In such a case you would only bet on those Golden Shooters who have successfully made it past the 5-Count. This I cover in detail in Forever Craps.

However, many players don't have the luxury of going to casinos daily or weekly and/or don't have the patience or desire to hang around waiting for just the right prescription of dice-set and delivery before they plunge into the fray. Such players are understandably anxious to get into the action. If that characterizes you, then there is also a way to put into effect the Cutthroat Craps principles above. Bet more on the Golden Shooters and much, much less on the other shooters. If you are normally a $60 bettor when you are fully spread out, then drop down to a $30 spread on all Shooter A types. But when Shooter B types come along, go to $90 and take your shot. In fact, you will save yourself some money doing this as Shooter B's do not make up anywhere near 50 percent of all shooters.

When you are on your low bets, play a traditional, tight game of Pass/Come with Odds. But when you are going on the Shooter B types mimic their betting with this caveat -- avoid any bets that have a house edge of four percent or higher. That leaves you essentially betting the Place numbers in accord with the shooter (if the shooter does this) or going up on the Come if the shooter prefers this style. Of course, I can't write about craps without strongly urging my readers to also play the 5-Count on all shooters, regardless of what category they fit into.

CUTTHROAT COMPS

Casinos are ready, willing, happy and able to give a variety of comps to craps players for their play. The Cutthroat Crapper knows how to maximize those comps without increasing his or her risk. Here are three Cutthroat ways to drain the comps from the casinos:

1. If you are using Place bets, always put them up on the come-out roll and have them "off." You'll get maximum comp time without any risk whatsoever.

2. When you tip, do not place a separate bet for the dealers either next to your Pass Line bet or on the hardways, etc. Place the dealer's bet on top of your own. Dealer's bets that are on the side or placed separately generally do not earn the player any comp points, but those placed on top do. That extra five or ten dollars could mean the difference between a free or a discounted room, a buffet or cafe meal. So tip on top!

3. Make sure that your maximum bets are noticed by the raters. When the Golden Shooter has the dice you must make sure that the floorperson is aware of your big bets and the best way to do that is before the come-out roll when (or if) you make Place bets -- do so loudly!

LUCK HELPS THOSE WHO HELP THEMSELVES

I have been playing craps a long, long time and it never ceases to amaze me how many long-term players, when it is their chance to roll, just fling the dice and hope for the best. Some shooters don't even look as if they want to win. Some don't even look where they are throwing the dice; they look away. These shooters have no style, no panache, and no real chance of beating the game in the long run of their own individual rolling careers.

While it might be argued that my craps notions are wrong, it cannot be argued that the only possible way to beat craps is by physically altering the nature of the game. With the exception of the Captain's Oddsman's Bet and the buying of Don't bets from other players, every bet at craps has a negative expectation for the player. Even the Odds bet can only be made if you have a negative-expectation Pass or Come bet to place those Odds on.

Once again, you have nothing to lose and everything to gain by attempting to utilize a controlled dice-set and delivery. You have nothing to lose by concentrating on making yourself a Golden Shooter. If you love to play craps anyway, why not give yourself a chance to win on your own rolls? At the very least, taking great care with your form will slow the game down a bit and will engage you more than just chucking the dice down the table.

The Cutthroat Craps players can cut their overall risk by not betting every shooter (or by betting less on the random rollers) and cut into the casino comp coffers by tipping the right way and betting at the right times. Why bother playing any other way?