Multiple games play

4 June 2015

By John Grochowski

A few months ago, I did a little informal, totally unscientific survey among table-playing friends, acquaintances and readers who e-mail me frequently. I wanted to know how often they throw a change-up, trying new games or going to a backup game.

Most stuck with one prime game, but had one or two other games they played for variety or for a break when things were tough on their main game. Some were strictly one-game players, with blackjack and craps being the main games of choice.

One fellow wanted to try everything. “If there’s a game I haven’t seen before, I’m going to try it,” Paul wrote. “I want to see what makes it tick.” And he listed more than two dozen games – Casino War, Boston Stud, Red Dog, Caribbean Draw, sic bo, Pai Gow both in its poker and tiles versions. You name it, he’s played it.

Then there was Steve. He’s a blackjack player who is curious about other games, but he doesn’t play them much. For him, unfamiliarity brings discomfort. Steve occasionally plays Three-Card Poker and roulette, but he’d really rather stick to blackjack.

With craps, there’s a bit of a mental block.

“My buddies have always found it funny that I can remember every basic strategy play in blackjack, but I’ve never been able to figure out craps,” Steve told me. “Seriously, I can tell you the strategy changes when you’re playing with one deck instead of six decks, strategy for when the dealer hits soft 17 and strategy for when the dealer stands on soft 17. But as for how the pass bet goes, I’d get lost.”

I told him that wasn’t unusual. Craps takes a little longer than most games for player to learn. It takes longer to train dealers, too. Details such as the 7 being a winner on the come-out roll, but then being a loser after that, takes a little while to sink in.

Still, the gibes from his friend made Steve determined to learn the game.

“I always told myself that someday, I’d figure it out,” he said. “So I bought a craps book, read about the pass line, and started practicing, just little rolls on the dining table. I figured out how it worked, and I decided to try it in a casino.

“Wow! What a difference. It’s one thing to know what you’re doing practicing on your own. It’s something else again when you’re surrounded by all these screaming maniacs, cheering the wins and groaning with the losses. Still, I kind of knew how the bet went, so it was OK.”

Another thing Steve found was that bankroll considerations turn knowing how the bets work and playing the game into different things. He’s glad he finally learned how craps works, but won’t go out of his way to play again.

“What did set me back was how much money it took,” he said. “The book I read recommended betting pass and then making two or three come bets, so there were almost always three or four bets going. It also said you should take odds. This was a 3x-4x-5x table with a $10 minimum, so if I really did all that. I’d have $30 or $40 in pass and come bets and another $100-plus in odds, all of which I could lose with one 7.

“That was too much. At a $10 blackjack table, I can bet $10 a hand and play the game. I’m not built for craps, betting all that at once, and I like the quieter blackjack environment anyway.”

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