Limited bankroll craps

4 November 2017

By Jerry Stickman

Hi Stickman,

I'm sure you've simulated most every popular system out there. If you had a max bankroll of $2,000, what craps system or strategy would you recommend playing?

I've simulated playing a don't pass bet with odds along with a don't come bet, with a positive outcome. However, in reality, it hasn't work out nearly as well.

Thanks,
Richard


Richard,

Yes, I have simulated a number of betting systems – both popular and arcane. Everyone is desperately trying to discover a silver bullet. Many players and even gaming authors proclaim that they have, indeed, found it.

But the fact still remains; no betting system will give you an edge at the game of craps. Each and every bet on a craps table is tilted in favor of the casino. When you are paid for a winning bet, you will either lose that bet more often than you win it, or you are paid less than the true odds for that bet would dictate. The only exception to this is the odds bet which is paid at true odds. With this bet neither the house nor the player has an edge.

The only way to achieve an edge over the house in craps is to develop a controlled throw. That being said, the craps system or strategy that I would recommend would be to use the $2,000 you have as a bankroll and sign up for dice control class. It will take a lot of work and there is no guarantee that you will win every time you play, but it is the only possible legal way to obtain an edge over the house in the game of craps.

However, I suspect that is not the answer you were looking for. If what you are looking for is a betting system that will make you money, I don’t have it. Neither do any of the self proclaimed experts that hawk systems that “win 83% of the time” and other such claims. They may win a little 83% of the time, but they lose big the rest of the time. You cannot beat the house edge in a random game of craps.

If you choose not to a class with your $2,000 bankroll, here is how I would recommend betting at the craps table. First, find a $5 minimum table. If you are not shooting, wait several rolls before you place a $6 6 and 8, a $12 6 or 8 or a $5 come bet. If you are going with come bets, place single or double odds. You can wait 5, 6, 7, or more rolls before you bet. This will keep money safely in your rack and not subject to the house edge when it is place as a bet on the table.

If you are shooting, place a $5 pass line bet and start rolling. After several rolls (again, 5, 6, 7 or more) add single or double odds to your pass line bet. While the odds bet has no edge, the increased level of betting will cause more volatility in your bankroll. This is something you should avoid.

Should you have some luck and win three times what you have bet on the current shooter, you can add another unit to your bets. If you have placed a $6 6 and/or 8, press the number that hit to $12. Then alternate taking the payoff and pressing the bet that hits one unit ($6). If you went with a come bet, you can place a second come bet and add single or double odds. As you win more you can increase the odds, or place additional come bets with odds.

Again, the odds bet will have no impact in the long run to your win or loss amount but they will increase volatility. The more you bet on a pass line or come bet before odds, or a place bet, the more you will ultimately lose. So if you have the discipline to do it, the best way to minimize your losses is to bet the minimum amount on the lowest house edge bets.

Those are the pass line or come bets. The best possibly way to minimize losses is to bet just one pass line or come bet. The amount you place in odds is up to you. Increasing the amount of odds will not change the long term but will make your ride a bit more bumpy.

These strategies will give you the best chance of a winning session and are the best methods of losing the least over the long term. The main thing to remember is if you are betting on a random game of craps, less is more. The less you bet, the more you will have left to take with you.

May all your wins be swift and large and all your losses slow and tiny.

Jerry “Stickman”

Jerry “Stickman” is an expert in craps, blackjack and video poker and advantage slot machine play. He authored the video poker section of Everything Casino Poker: Get the Edge at Video Poker, Texas Hold'em, Omaha Hi-Lo, and Pai Gow Poker! You can contact Jerry “Stickman” at stickmanjerry@aol.com.