For nearly 30 years, craps was the most popular casino game in the United States. Since blackjack's rise in popularity, other table games like Three-Card-Poker have also become crowd favorites, but craps offers something no other game does: the chance to make several different wagers and see them get paid over and over again. The longest roll of the dice (one shooter) at a legal US casino is over four hours.

In that freakishly long hand, players with place bets and buy bets on the numbers 4-5-6-8-9-10 were paid for hours, never losing a bet!

While you certainly can't expect that kind of luck, the simple fact that you might catch 20-minutes of all winners is quite tantalizing, and there have been some players who were true craps legends.

If you have other questions about craps that aren't covered here, please email me and well see what we can both learn!

Question:

Do I have to shoot the dice to play craps?

Answer:

The idea of shooting the dice and holding the fate of the other player's bets in your sweaty little hands can instil fear in new players. Get over it! Nobody can control the dice well enough to throw the exact numbers they want, so forget about the other players and enjoy yourself. When they shoot, you'll see how perfect they can be.

As for actually having to shoot the dice, NO, you don't have to shoot if you don't want to. When the dice bowl is offered, just say "I'll pass," and the dice will be offered to the next player.

Question:

Why should I take odds?

Answer:

Odds bets on the pass/don't pass and come/don't come bets are the only wagers in the casino where the house has no edge. For instance, on the points of 4 and 10, the odds of rolling those numbers to win, against rolling a 7 and losing, are 2 to 1, and that's what the odds bet pays, 2 to 1. No house edge, no ups, no extras, no bull. If you were willing to make a pass line bet with a house edge of 1.41 percent, why wouldn't you add odds?

While taking odds won't improve your pass line bet, you can reduce the overall percentage edge the house has over your total wagers by taking odds. That means you are basing the house edge on your total wager, the pass line bet and your odds wager, to get a smaller house edge. That's a good thing.

Question:

What's the difference between a horn bet and a horn high bet?

Answer:

A horn bet and a horn high bet cover the same numbers, 2, 3, 11, 12. If you make a $5 horn bet, $1.25 is wagered on each number and if the easy ones, 3 or 11, roll, you get 3x your wager back and your bet stays up for the next roll. If 2 or 12 rolls, you get 6.75 x your wager.

When you make a $5 horn high wager, instead of $1.25 on each number, $1 goes on three numbers and $2 goes on the high part. So, a horn high 12 has $1 on 2, 3, 11, and $2 on the number 12. In this case, you win $26 if 2 rolls, $11 if 3 or 11 rolls, and $57 if 12 rolls.

Question:

What dice system should I use to always win?

Answer:

If only we knew! No gambling system can guarantee positive results other than the long-term return for experienced card counters and advantage players. While there are plenty of dice systems sold, none are going to win you money in the long run.

However, some systems, like the One-Trick Pony, can help a player win many sessions in a row. Much like the Martingale, a system is designed to manage your bankroll, until it is gone. That's not a joke. Your bankroll is your best friend at the casino, lose it and you'll be devastated. When you use a betting system, you are controlling your wagers, not your edge over the house.

Players can win for months with careful adherence to betting systems, but if they continue to play, the house edge will eventually wear them down - and that's guaranteed.

If you want to do the very best you can in casinos, and with gambling systems, bet for small wagers until you are doing well, and continue to slowly increase your wagers while you are on a good streak. When you start losing, cut your losses and quit, or drop your wagers back down to a minimum. This will keep you in action longer and allow you to maximize your wins. Raising your wagers to get your money back is a recipe for disaster.