Testing the 5-Count

Dear Frank:

I'm a college professor at a mid-western medical school. Kind of sounds like an intro to Playboy Advisor, but anyway I recently tried the Captain's Doey-Don't super system and compared it at the same time to just making place bets using the inside numbers, and of course using the 5-Count for both.

Have to use the 5-Count. I was at a $5 table and took $10 in odds, and minimum on my place bets with no push and always using "same bets." The dealers were totally confused with what I was doing and I assured them I did know what I was doing. I wanted to see for myself which worked best.

I gambled for an hour and then counted my winnings, I was up $50 with my place bets. I noticed that I really got "hurt" after someone made their point then rolled a 7 on the come out, which wiped out my come bets, a push though, and then once they made a point I was winning on place bets before I had the opportunity to get my come bets working. Have you seen this before? Was it just a factor of the short time at the table?

Also when using the 5/4:2/3 on the come out role, to get my 7 and 11s why don't we use it all the time? It seems to me that it has the same probability of hitting the numbers as the hardways set and if the dice are rolling on the same axis it is usually rare that I end up with the dice in the exact same position as when I start, so if I were to set for the 7 then it would seem to me that we would have even less likelihood to roll a seven.

Since this goes against your guidance, wise master, where's the flaw in my thinking? I'm a firm believer in the 5-Count. I can't tell you how many times it has saved me.

Thanks for all your info.

Thanks to you, you make craps more fun for me.

The Professor

Dear Professor:

Dump the doey-don't from your arsenal, it does confuse the dealers and it is the one element of the Captain's original system that just doesn't work in the modern game. The Place bets are not the best idea either, except for the 6 and 8 (with a 1.52 house edge) and a buy of the 4 and 10 for $25 or $50 paying the commission on wins only (about 1.3 percent). I'd go with Come bets and odds. The fact that for a short period you were seeing the Place bets winning more is irrelevant. Those short periods of time convince players that they are right about things that are actually wrong. Stick with the math of the game.

I really can't tell about your set or about how well you throw without seeing you in person. You could use the software called SmartCraps that would be able to tell you what your real edge is --- if you can pass the tests that this software gives you --- and what sets to use with your throw.

For your excellent letter, I am giving you a free 10-data subscription to my private, members-only web site at www.goldentouchcraps.com. We have over 5,000 members on this private site and the conversations are interesting, intelligent and fun. Enjoy.

All the best in and out of the casinos!

Frank Scoblete