Fundamentals of Craps Delivers on its Promise

Other than dice manipulation, there are no methods available for beating the game of craps on a consistent basis. However, the game can still be an enjoyable and, in the long run, a reasonably pricedNick Christenson is widely regarded as one of the best gambling book reviewers publishing today. He is a contributor for Poker Player magazine, and has published in Full-Tilt and Gambling Times. He is also the editor of the very funny 'Casino Death Watch,' which chronicles the comings and goings of casinos in Las Vegas. He is an avid poker and blackjack player.  Nick's website is www.jetcafe.org/~npc/  diversion, even if it can't be beat. At the same time, craps is probably the most intimidating game in the casino. It appears to be very complex to those that don't understand what's happening in the game. A beginner will likely want to know a little about the game before participating for the first time.

Mason Malmuth and Lynne Loomis have written a concise guide to the game of craps. They explain the complicated-looking table layout, the casino employees at the table, and the basic mathematics of the game. The explanations are thorough and the math is simple enough to be understandable by all but the most math-phobic individuals. Anyone that is scared by this little amount of math should definitely stay away from casinos in general.

The authors go on to describe the basics of betting both "right" and "wrong", place and buy bets, and the proposition bets in the center of the table. For each bet, they explain what it is, how to make it, and what the house advantage is for that bet. Malmuth and Loomis provide extra detail for those bets which have the lowest house edge, the pass, don't pass, come, and don't come (all with or without odds), and placing the 6 and 8.

The book concludes with some good comments on the subject of money management and playing systems in general. Despite being appropriately critical of systems, the authors present one, called Oscar's Grind. Truthfully, I had to read the description of Oscar's Grind a couple of times in order to understand how it is implemented. Additionally, as it demands having only one outstanding bet at a time (either on the pass or don't pass), it's a pretty boring way to play. But if this system doesn't appeal to the reader, that section can be skipped over without diminishing the value of the rest of the book.

It's rare to see a book on craps that cuts through the myths perpetuated about the game and sticks to the facts. Fundamentals of Craps does just this. Recently, a friend of mine wanted to understand the game more fully. I recommended this book to him. He was able to read the book in about an hour, and it answered all of his questions definitively. Further, the book comes at a bargain price. When I'm asked what one book I recommend on the game of craps, my answer is Fundamentals of Craps by Mason Malmuth and Lynne Loomis.