Craps tales

14 May 2017

By John Grochowski

About a month ago, I wrote about Herm, a don’t pass player who said he mostly was left alone by craps players who prefer to bet with the shooter, but that he’d sometimes come across a player who made it a personal issue.

Other readers have sent me their own craps yarns. They’re not all tales from the dark side. Shopping for a winner comes from both sides of the pass.

Faye: You know all those old clichés, “Baby needs a new pair of shoes,” and all those things you don’t really hear all that often? I heard a funny turn on it once. The dice had just passed to a new shooter, nice-looking man in his mid-30s, I’d say. Just as he took the dice, a young woman carrying several shopping bags came up behind him and said, “Baby needs a new pair of shoes.”

He did a double take and said it looked more like a dozen pairs of shoes. Everybody laughed. He turned back to the table and before he rolled said, “Daddy needs to pay for a new pair of shoes, and it looks like a few things to go with them.”

Len: The table was pretty hot, and everybody was making money except for one guy betting the don’t. The dark sider’s chips were eroding and he said, “I never do this, but I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to bet with you guys.”

A big cheer went up, and one guy went all preacher on us. “Hallelujah, hallelujah! He was lost, but now he has found the light.”

Of course, the table turned cold. I went point-seven, and the next couple of shooters sevened out fast, too. The “preacher” guy said, “Maybe it’s time we all found the dark instead.” Another player said, “I have a better idea. Why don’t we just chip in for a little darkness?”

And we did. Eight of us each gave the dark sider $10 in chips on the condition he’d bet the don’t on the next couple of shooters.

I wish I could tell you that switching him back to the don’t put our luck back on track, but it didn’t. The table stayed choppy and the don’t guy won back a little money. The rest of us lost a little back to the house, but we’d already won pretty good.

I said, “Gentlemen, it’s time I locked up a profit. A good night to you all.”

I don’t know if any others left or if they won any money after that, but I was happy to get out with my winnings.

Wes: Six in the morning, I was warming up, playing alone at the only table that was open. Just me and the crew. I might have been ahead a little bit. I’d make a couple of points, seven out, then point seven the next time, then make a couple of points.

This other guy asks if he can join me. I told him welcome to the table. I was midroll, but when I sevened, he took the dice. First roll: 7. Second roll: 7. Third roll: 7.

He said, “Sorry about that,” and I told him, “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with winning your pass bet on every roll.”

He did it again. Fourth roll: 7. Finally, fifth roll, he rolls a 5, we both take odds, I bet come, he bets 6 and 8.

Sixth roll: 7 out. Unbelievable. He says, “Maybe I should come back when there aren’t so many 7s in that arm,” and he leaves. The crew and I could just laugh.

Look for John Grochowski on Facebook (http://tinyurl.com/7lzdt44) and Twitter (@GrochowskiJ).