5 Silly Mistakes Made While Playing Craps

We are living in a golden age of gambling. Sure, you could argue that a game of dice might have been fascinating with the players meeting in the shady tavern in the 18th-century Port-au-Prince, but at least currently the fatality rates of players are much lower. If you visit a brick and mortar casino, you’ll be only risking your hard-earned money. The thing is – you don’t have to go to a casino to play your favorite games. It’s 2020 already, and if you want to have a great time, you could visit an online casino instead! No matter what choice you make, you’ll have to make a difficult decision, namely: what game should you choose? If you would like to play craps, but you don’t know how then don’t worry! In a second, you’ll learn what are the things that you should avoid when playing craps.

The history of craps

If you would like to play a dice game with a long history, then craps is a perfect choice. We don’t exactly know who invented the game. According to some, the Roman soldiers are the ones who created the game to pass the time when they didn’t have to fight with the invading tribes or pacify nearby villages. Others claim that it wasn’t the Romans but the Arabs who invented the game, and who brought the game to Europe somewhere around the 12th or 13th century.

If you would like to consider all the possible options, some legends claim that it was William of Tyre who created the game of Hazard, naming it after a castle. In the following centuries, the game became extremely popular in Western Europe. As a result, new variations of the game appeared. Although Hazard didn’t gain much popularity in the United States, craps was more successful, which could be attributed to the simpler rules.

Although people in all corners of the United States soon became familiarized with craps, the game constantly experienced improvements. Bernard the Marigny is often credited for bringing the game to the United States, but it is John H. Winn who has considerably increased the player’s enjoyment from the game. How? Previously, the casinos often used dice that decreased the chances of players winning money. Winn designed a layout in which players could bet on Pass but also on Don’t Pass, thus eliminating the possibility of cheating the players by using special dices. The craps then experienced a surge in popularity after the Second World War. During the war, many soldiers became avid players out of simple boredom. When they returned home, the game held a special place in the hearts of many servicemen. That’s why after the war ended, craps became a game of immense popularity.

Okay, so if you already know the origins of craps, what are the things that you should avoid when playing this amazing dice game?

Don’t drink too much alcohol while playing craps!

Although it is understandable that you might want to make the game of craps even more fascinating by a drink or two, remember that you shouldn’t go overboard. Playing under the influence most likely won’t affect your rolls, but remember that craps isn’t 100% based on luck. If you are playing craps drunk, you might be spending too much money on bets with low chances of winning. If you care whether you win or lose, then it’s best only to play if you’ve had 2 drinks tops. If you play craps in a mortar and brick casino, avoid placing your glass directly on the table. Even if you don’t spill it later on, you’ll be disrespecting other players. In most casinos the tables have special rails – use those.

Consider what’s most important

If you are going to a casino with your friends, then choosing craps as a game of choice is a no brainer. You can play together, and it is possible for all the players to bet against the casino. It means that a lucky roll of your friend might mean that both of you will win money. It’s not something that the casinos aren’t aware of. If you enjoy a variety of wagers, then craps certainly delivers on that. There are more than 20 types of bets that you could make while playing craps, but it is important to know that their odds vary greatly.

If you would like to maximize your chances of winning money, you should focus on betting on “don’t pass line” & “don’t come” and “pass line” & “come”. The first two give the house 1.36% edge, whereas the next two favor the house by 1.41%. If you bet on “any 7” then the house will have a 16.67% edge, which is obviously not a great choice. If you bet against the shooter, you’ll have the greatest chances of winning money. Unfortunately, it means that if he wins, you lose, and if he loses, you win. That’s why you might be reluctant to choose this type of bet.

Betting against the shooter increases your chances by 0.05%, which might not seem like much, but before you make a decision, you should consider what your goals are. If you want to relax in a casino with your friends, then this slight edge might not matter a lot. If, however, your goal is to make as much money as possible, then most likely you won’t be reluctant to bet against the shooter. If you would like to avoid this dilemma altogether, you could consider playing craps in online casinos.

Hedging bets in craps

If you have spent a surprising amount of time wondering how you could outsmart the casino, then you have probably considered hedging bets. If you place several bets, then your chances of winning will dramatically increase, right? Although it is usually true that if you cover more numbers, then the chances of winning will be better, it is not an excellent idea. Why?

If you hedge bets, you’ll have to spend more money, and even if you win, your earnings won’t be as big. Remember that the casino has the edge, which means that the more bets you place, the further you’ll decrease your chances. If you really insist on hedging bets, you should only choose bets with the smallest house edges. The bets that we have mentioned before – “come”, “don’t come”, “pass line”, “don’t pass line” have the smallest house edge. You could also consider bets such as “place 6” or “place 8” which have only a slightly bigger house edge. Hedging bets makes sense if you enjoy the rush of emotions while playing more than how much money you’ll make.

Using overly complicated strategies

If you are not new to the world of gambling, then you have probably encountered individuals who have claimed that certain strategies guarantee winning money every single time. Although they might sound great in theory, there are no foolproof methods that can help you cheat the casino. If they did exist, everyone would be using them. Unfortunately, if you trust those dubious theories, you might realize that in reality you’ll lose a lot of money.

It doesn’t mean that you should shy away from doing any calculations before you go to a casino. If you want to increase the possibility of winning money then you should stick to several types of bets. Sure, you could argue that by treating the game as a mathematical equation that needs to be solved you are taking away the magic from the game, but it could decrease your losses. It’s up to you to decide how you’ll treat the game of craps.

Dice control in craps

Apart from using complex strategies to increase your odds, you might also consider learning how to control the dice. In theory, controlling the dice shouldn’t be as difficult as in the case of most dice games. Though it’s a huge oversimplification, your main goal is to throw something different than 7. It means that sure, it would be great to know how to throw a particular number, but if you can be sure that it won’t be 7, then it is good enough. The thing is, dice control seems to be a myth. Sure, you might find an old-time pro that will swear that controlling the dice helped him win a fortune, and that he’ll give you lessons if you transfer your savings onto his account, but… Exactly. You might get some of the throws right, but that’s not dice control – that’s statistics! If you would like to increase your chances of winning, then it is better to pore over mathematical equations than spend countless hours learning how not to throw 7.