Teach me to play craps

[PhilHelmet]

[ QUOTE ]
As far as playing the don't. It's not fun.

[/ QUOTE ]

Don't pass is the only way to go.. Yea, you don't make any friends but you will make more money in the long run. Short streaks (lot's of pass dice, i.e 7 OUT) are more common, and happen a lot as opposed to that one real hot roll. Most people will get a hot roll, press all their bets and not take any profits. Or, even worse win a bunch of money just to stand there for another hour and give it all back during the cold streak.

With don't pass/don't come, you always know were you are at in a hand.

BET DONT!

[Jimbo]

[ QUOTE ]
Yea, you don't make any friends but you will make more money in the long run

[/ QUOTE ]

What if you don't live long enough to reach the long run. You do realize the difference in the house edge between a do and a don't player is so small as to be overcome easily by simple variance in the short amount of time you will ever spend playing craps during your lifetime don't you?

Jimbo

[PhilHelmet]

I'm not talking about the very modest difference in house edge: Pass vs. Don't pass, 1.414% house edge vs. 1.402% house edge.

What I was referring to is a history of playing craps for 22 years. Roughly the first 11 years on Pass, and the last 11 years on Don't pass. My experience is, you will make more money ("in the long run", e.g. many years) with Don't pass.

Yes, yes I know, mathematically pass/don't pass (with odds) is a coin flip. So, why do 98% of the players always bet on Heads? (i.e. the Pass line)

If you want to be part of the crowd, by all means play Pass Line.

If you are going to play craps for just one weekend of your life, it really doesn't matter what you do, pass vs. don't pass. Just stay away from all the props and one-roll bets.

[uclaben]

[ QUOTE ]
If you want to be part of the crowd, by all means play Pass Line.

If you are going to play craps for just one weekend of your life, it really doesn't matter what you do, pass vs. don't pass. Just stay away from all the props and one-roll bets.

[/ QUOTE ]

It does make a difference - unless you're a twisted SOB, it's more fun to win with everyone else than profit on the crowd's losses. Given that the house edge is almost exactly the same, I really don't see why a fledgling craps player would want to play Don't Pass.

[mhcmarty]

[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
If you want to be part of the crowd, by all means play Pass Line.

If you are going to play craps for just one weekend of your life, it really doesn't matter what you do, pass vs. don't pass. Just stay away from all the props and one-roll bets.

[/ QUOTE ]

It does make a difference - unless you're a twisted SOB, it's more fun to win with everyone else than profit on the crowd's losses. Given that the house edge is almost exactly the same, I really don't see why a fledgling craps player would want to play Don't Pass.

[/ QUOTE ]


QFT, I've come to hate playing Blackjack since I started playing craps. Much more social as the table generally wins together.

[PhilHelmet]

"than profit on the crowd's losses"
LOL.. This is the most understood aspect of craps.
Whenever you bet "Don't pass" everybody thinks you are "betting with the house". So not true.

Craps is just like a football game (e.g. Chargers vs. Raiders), with two possible outcomes. The casino books BOTH sides of the action (you can bet either the Chargers OR the Raiders, the point spread gets adjusted so there is even money on both sides of the wager.) In craps, you can bet Pass, or Don't Pass. In craps you can take odds (pass) or lay odds (Don't pass). The casino is just the book. You never are playing craps against the casino.

However, people predominantly bet Pass Line... why, next point..

"it's more fun to win with everyone" I can't argue this point, it's just a matter of what you are trying to get out of the game. If it’s companionship you want, fine. Bet PASS. Go for it.

I guess if I told you that 95% of the people in the room were betting on the Chargers, you would pick them, just to fit in.

[mhcmarty]

[ QUOTE ]

The casino is just the book. You never are playing craps against the casino.


[/ QUOTE ]

This is very wrong. In a casino you are very much playing against the "house" regardless of which side you are playing. For your arguement to be true there would have to be even money on the pass and don't. The odds don't fluctuate based on where the money is.

Where would the casinos vig come from in your scenario???

1 reason to play the pass with odds is that it takes a hole lot less $$$ to take the odss -vs- laying odds.

[AquaSwing]

One thing I've always liked about the don't side is you never get that horrible seven-out feeling. Many times I've had $200-300 on the table in the form of pass/come/odds/place bets and that seven comes and there's the giant letdown of watching a huge stack get sucked into the box.

With the don't side you get slowly picked off as the numbers hit, but no massive letdown. Also, I enjoy when numbers get established on the don't side because at that point the odds are in your favor. You've already passed the seven/eleven issue.

[PhilHelmet]

"For your arguement to be true there would have to be even money on the pass and don't. "
(nice spelling)

OK, I'm going to try again, and then go then I will let you continue with your thinking. .

By giving or laying odds, it is an even money proposition.

If the point is a 6, Pass will take odds, $5 will pay you $6. On the Don't side, you lay odds, $6 will win you $5. They are taking action on both sides of the outcome, and paying accordingly against the true odds of the event happening. . The casino edge on pass and don't pass is almost identical at ~1.4%. That is even.

[asterion]

[ QUOTE ]


I guess if I told you that 95% of the people in the room were betting on the Chargers, you would pick them, just to fit in.

[/ QUOTE ]No action from me. The Raiders suck. Plus, I'm a Broncos fan--I'm already wishing both could manage to lose.