COMMON CRAPS GAME ERRORS TO AVOID

Don’t Fall For These Mistakes!

It was a long slog for casinos to finally get craps approved for play in Arizona. This table game offers continuous action, and now is a good time to note a few errors I at the tables.

Most players bet on the Pass Line. It makes sense because that typically the start of a new hand or a new shooter coming out. And there’s a comradery that goes with placing your money on the same bet other players are rooting for – a come eleven.

Taking Odds

You'll want to take odds if there’s no instant winner and a point is established. But the key to craps is getting total value, so letting your Pass or Don’t Pass wager fight the odds alone is a mistake. When you hear that the casino has a tiny 1.4% edge at craps that’s only when you take full odds!

Craps odds are set at the chance of an established point rolling before a seven. For instance, it’s twice as likely a seven will roll than a point 4 (or 10), so every dollar you wager in odds pays double! Don’t cheat yourself by making a large Pass wager and then skimping on the odds bet!

Another mistake I’ve seen lately is players entering a craps game with a point already established and thinking they should join the table by making an immediate bet on the Pass Line. Don’t do that! Imagine if the point is already 4 or 10. Now you are wagering on a bet that only pays back even money one time in three!

Instead, if a point is already established, bet the Come Line. You can win instantly on 7/11 or establish your own point and take full odds!

Drowning in Bets

Another mistake seen at craps is players making too many bets. While blackjack has one or two wagers, a craps game offers a smorgasbord of fattening wagers. It’s an epicurean, gastronomic delight. Unfortunately, wagers on the Horn have an 11 to 14% house edge, and the Hardways are usually 9 to 11%. So, cut back on your diet of prop bets.

Again, comparing blackjack with one or two wagers per hand it’s strictly win, lose, or draw. A point at craps can last from two rolls to dozens or more. If you only have a Pass Line wager

(with full odds), you may wait quite a while. If you need more wagers to keep it exciting, consider a bet or two on the Come Line with odds, or you might place the 6 and 8 where the house edge is just 1.5%. Don’t bet the Big 6/8!

There’s No Insurance at Craps

Sometimes the dice are choppy, with many point-sevens and new shooters constantly coming out. It happens. When it does, patience is a virtue. Stick to a wager or two until things improve.

At blackjack, where you can take insurance when you get 21, and the dealer has an Ace-up, some craps players like to hedge their Pass wagers by betting on Any Craps. Why bet against yourself? Especially with lousy odds?

When you get anxious, with lots of bets on the layout, avoid wagering on Seven as a way to protect them. There’s no insurance at craps. $

Writer Al Moe has worked in the casino industry for many years. He has lived and worked in Las Vegas, Reno, and Lake Tahoe. He also attended the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an avid writer and blogger. His book, “Vegas and the Mob," is available online at Amazon.com. He is also the proud father of four beautiful girls.