Good Craps, Bad Craps

29 August 2021

By Frank Scoblete

QUESTION: This is about the game of craps. I have heard the saying good craps versus bad craps. One guy referred to another player as a bad-craps player. He said players hate bad-craps players. What does that mean? I wasn’t aware that players scrutinize other players’ bets so closely as to determine who is a good player and who is a bad player.

ANSWER: I think there is a confusion in the language here. Yes, it could simply be that the fellow was saying such and such a player was actually a bad player, meaning the guy made high-house-edge bets. A good player would therefore be someone who made low-house-edge bets. You are right; players don’t usually analyze other players’ betting patterns too closely.

But I don’t think that is what was being referenced here. I think he’s talking about the two different types of craps betting. A player can bet with the shooter, meaning he wants the shooter to make his point and hit many numbers. He would be called any of the following names:

• a right player
• a right-side player
• a right-side bettor
• a do player
• a do-side bettor
• a light-side player
• a light sider

There is another type of player that wants the shooter not to make his point or hit numbers. Instead, he wants the shooter to seven-out as quickly as possible. He wins when the shooter loses. He would be called any of the following names:

• a don’t player
• a don’t-side player
• a don’t side bettor
• a wrong-way player
• a wrong-way bettor
• a darkside player
• a darkside bettor

I personally like the term “darkside.” The percent of players who play this way is extremely small, maybe five percent of the total number of craps players. Most right-side players think the darksiders are their enemy and many also believe that such players bring bad luck to the right-side players. This is not true but what has truth got to do with superstitious beliefs? Knock on wood, I don’t believe any superstitions.

You will rarely see a darkside player cheering when a shooter sevens-out. This may be because some rightsiders get themselves into a big sniff when a darkside player is at their table. I’ve never seen a darkside player punched but I have at times heard some very, very negative comments to them when they are playing at a table. Best to be careful if you are a darksider.

Right-side players love when darksiders lose. Yes, they do.


QUESTION: Which games have the most players? I say roulette.

ANSWER: Slots, without question. The slot machines bring in the most money to the casinos and are the favorite games in the house. They are the reason casino gambling has taken over the country, perhaps the world. Maybe 66 percent to 80 percent of players play the slots. They are the cash cow of the casinos.

As for table games? Blackjack is number one followed by roulette and craps which are probably tied for second place. After that everything just blends together.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete’s web site is www.frankscoblete.com. His books are available from Amazon.com, Barnes and Noble, Kindle, e-books, libraries and bookstores.