The 10 Most Frequently Asked Questions About Craps

People love lists. I could list many reasons for this list-love but I will refrain. Instead, here are the 10 most-frequently asked questions of me concerning craps. These are not based on some objective survey but, rather, they are the questions that people ask me when I give talks and seminars.

1. Is there really a Captain or did you make him up to sell books?

Yes, the Captain is real. No, I didn't make him up to sell books, although I must say he has captured the fancy of the reading public. My first book about him, Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos: How to Play Craps and Win! has been the number one best-selling gambling book since its publication in 1991. You can read about his background and his exploits in my newest book, Forever Craps.

2. Can a player get a mathematical advantage at craps?

No. The math of craps is clear and easy to understand and it says plainly - the player cannot get an edge at the game. Yet, there are ways to actually achieve an edge if we go outside the parameters of traditional play. For example, many don't players will take down their don't come bets if they land on the six or the eight. When that happens a smart craps player will "buy" the bet from the don't player and actually play with an edge. This is called "don't buying" and it is a technique that I learned from the Captain. Smart players can also place money in odds behind players who are not taking odds or are not taking full odds. This is called "oddsman betting" and again it is a technique I learned from the Captain. The casino has no edge on the odds bet.

3. What is the 5-Count?

The 5-Count is a method for selecting which shooters you are going to risk your money on. Many, if not a majority, of shooters seven out rather quickly once they've established their point number. You tend to lose money on those shooters. The 5-Count is a way the Captain developed to avoid horrendous rolls and, hopefully, take advantage of those few-and-far-between good rolls.

4. If you use the 5-Count do you definitely win?

No.

5. What is the theory behind the 5-Count?

There are two playing theories that the Captain uses to explain the efficacy of the 5-Count. The first is to recognize that since the math of craps is hard to overcome, betting on every shooter is almost a guarantee that you will lose in the long run. The second concerns the Captain's belief that certain shooters - he calls them rhythmic rollers - are subtly altering the odds of the game by physically controlling the dice. Some very, very few players may actually be doing this with full knowledge but most are doing it because they have gotten into a rhythm. The Captain believes that shooters who take care with their rolls do so because they have had success and are now repeating a formula that had been successful. Although, many of these shooters are not actually rhythmic rollers, some are.

6. Do you really believe that some people can control the dice knowingly?

Yes, I am beginning to seriously consider this a possibility or a definite possibility. I have received too many letters from people who say that they can do this, or that they know individuals who can do this. One fellow wrote that he was a part of a team that regularly played and won in casinos using controlled dice rolls and another fellow wrote that he watched a rhythmic roller practice his shot at home with remarkable results. See my new book Forever Craps where I go into detail about rhythmic rolling and dice controlling.

7. Can you do this?

If I ever meet you I'll tell you.

8. What is the best way to bet at craps?

Go with the lowest house edge bets and that would be pass/come or don't pass/don't come. Then place odds behind them. Try to get the most money in odds and the least money on the line. For example, if you have $25 to bet, you are better off with $5 on the pass line and $20 in odds because that will lose you just seven cents each time you make the bet over the long run. Whereas $25 on the line will lose you 35 cents.

9. Many authors recommend playing the don't but I rarely see people doing so. Why is that?

Although both right bettors and wrong bettors (wrong bettors are those playing the don't side of the board) are actually playing against the house, many players feel that rooting against the shooter's point and with the seven is an offensive act. My experience has been that don't bettors are about as welcome as Malaria-carrying mosquitoes at a barbecue.

10. Is craps your favorite game?

Yes. It is my favorite because of its excitement level. I have no illusions about becoming rich playing it but it is just so much fun!

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