Smarter Bet Guide to Craps
Wong on Dice
Setting Dice and Dice Science
I have a friend who has an adage about craps systems. He says, “You tell me what you’re going to roll, and I’ll tell you how to bet.”
In fact there are some
Basil Nestor is the author of the new Playboy Complete Guide to Casino Gambling. This wonderful book teaches players how to avoid sucker bets and win more when playing gambling games. He is also the author of The Smarter Bet Guide series for video poker, slots, craps, and many other books about gambling. Basil's website is www.smarterbet.com shooters who can do that. They come in two types. First, there are “dice mechanics” who are professional cheats (we’ll cover them in a later article). The rest do it the legal way. They’re known as golden shooters, rhythmic rollers, hot shooters, golden arms, and other similarly descriptive names. They operate in the same realm of credibility as football coaches and psychics. Some people swear by their talents, but others aren’t so sure. Most of these players use a technique that you can use yourself.
The Science of Dice
Opposite ends of dice always total 7. Hold a pair between your thumb and forefinger with the 6’s on the outside and the 1’s facing each other. Notice that 2, 3, 4, and 5 are the exposed faces. If you were to toss those dice and they didn’t turn sideways, the probability of rolling craps would be zero. The odds of seeing 7 would be 1:3 instead of 1:5. That would be a heck of an advantage on a come-out! Now hold the dice with a six on the outside of one cube and a five on the outside of the other. If the dice don’t turn then 7 can be made only two ways, but 6 and 8 can be made three ways. That’s an astounding advantage when you’re rolling for an inside point.
A setup with 6 on the outside of one cube and 4 on the outside of the other gives all the points an equal chance against 7 (assuming the dice don’t turn).
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Numbers
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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7
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8
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9
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10
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11
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12
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Ways To Roll
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No Setup
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1
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2
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3
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4
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5
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6
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5
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4
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3
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2
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1
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6-1, 1-6
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0
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0
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1
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2
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3
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4
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3
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2
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1
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0
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0
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6-1, 2-5
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0
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1
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1
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2
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3
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2
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3
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2
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1
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1
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0
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6-1, 3-4
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0
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1
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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2
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1
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0
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Of course, casinos know all about this. That’s why dice are constructed the way they are. The sharp edges are designed to make them catch on surfaces and tumble. The ends of the table are dimpled to make the dice turn when they bounce. And a bounce is required or the results may be declared a no-roll.
And then there’s that long toss. Can you loft dice the length of the table without turning them? It can be done, but it takes some practice.
Casinos don’t seem to be too concerned about people setting dice because most let you do it. It’s no big deal as long as you use one hand and you don’t delay the game. It should take about three seconds. Don’t make a big show, just flip the dice, pick them up, and then pitch them in a way that will reduce a sideways turn. You want to just graze the back of the table.
Does it work? Sometimes yes, sometimes no. Setting dice certainly can’t hurt your chances. Betting on someone who sets dice will never be worse than betting on a random shooter.