It's best that you avoid
these bets altogether
27 April 2007
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark: A few weeks back you mentioned the
difference between field bet payoffs on the crap
table. I can't believe that all these years I
have been playing on the wrong game, the one
that only pays double on the 12. Are there any
other proposition bet disparities on the crap
layout that I am not aware of and should be
looking for? Dan G.
What I think you're referring to, Dan, is the
difference in the casino's edge on a field bet,
when the house pays triple versus double, on the
roll of a 12. Paying out triple on the 12, the
casino edge is 2.78%, as opposed to its standard
double-pay with a 5.56%.edge.
Normally, craps has the same standard payouts
from casino to casino, but there are some
variations that the craps player should be
acquainted with to get better, albeit still
atrocious, odds. Three wagers come to mind. The
field bet mentioned above, the hop on 2 or 12,
and the hop on the 11.
Hop bets are one-roll wagers that can be made on
any specific two-dice combination on the next
roll. Although there is no specific location on
the layout for most Hop bets, the dealer will
broker your wager just so long as you call a hop
bet out before the dice are cast. For instance,
you say to the stickman, "I want box cars on the
hop," meaning, that you are betting that on the
next roll, a pair of sixes will be belly-up.
As for the Hop 2 or 12, the casino is going to
pay you either or 30-1 or 31-1. The 2 or 12 that
pays 30 to 1 has a casino advantage of 13.89%,
and although getting paid 31-1 is slightly
better, the true odds remain 35-1, so getting
paid a measly buck more still makes it one of
the worst bets on the crap table.
The other common variation is the payout for a
Hop bet on an 11. This is a bet that an 11 (also
known as a "Yo") will be thrown on the next
roll. Different casinos pay this bet at either
15-1 or 16-1, and the casino edge on this wager
is 16.7% or 11.1%, respectively.
Here's the deal, Dan. All Hop bets, and most
proposition bets on the crap layout for that
matter, have a high house advantage and should
be canned, jettisoned, deep-sixed from your
casino-betting repertoire. Proposition bets are
just not the smart way to play craps. A bet on
the pass line, taking odds, or placing the six
or eight is what I call SMART PLAY.
Dear Mark: I am 74 years old and a long time
keno player. My favorite ticket is a fifteen
spot. I play that many numbers because it
represents the birthdays of all 15 of my
grandchildren. Not that I think they are
unlucky, but I have never won anything over
$100. My husband believes the chances are over
one in a million that I ever will. Noting my
age, and on a scale of one through 10, what do
you think my chances are of ever hitting this
ticket? Doris K.
Huh, a scale of one to 10? Is there any
possibility, Doris, that you will let me use a
negative number -- a wee, teensy, microscopic,
dust mote of a number?
I would be conscience-stricken, Doris, if I
didn't tell you that your chances are at the
very bottom of the wishing well, in that to
date, no one has ever hit a solid 15, a solid 14
spot, a solid 13 nor even, to the best of my
knowledge, a 12 out of 12.
So what are the odds of your hitting a solid 15
spot? It's a doozy, Doris. Try 428 billion to
one. So, if you get started now, playing at a
buck a pop, six tickets an hour, 24/7, you'll
need to add 8,143,074 years to your young
74-year initial flurry of life. There's always
blackjack, of course.
Gambling Wisdom of the Week: "Give ma a deck of
cards instead of a tax shelter and I'll take my
chances." -- Mario Puzo, "Inside Las Vegas"
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