Yups and Nopes for the
Dark Side
15 March 2004
By Mark Pilarski
Dear Mark,
I love to play Craps. Lately I've been
interested in learning more about betting the
"Don't." So many times I'm at a table where a
point is made, maybe they roll a couple more
times, then the seven shows. I would like to
learn more how to bet when a table is cold and
many sevens are showing. How do you actually
make that bet? Deborah N.
For one of the best bets in the casino, I have
always advised players to make either a
Pass-Line bet or to place the 6 or 8. Both the
Pass-Line and those Place bets have a house
advantage of less than 1.5 percent. Still, so
does the wager in your question, the Don't Bet,
and, why don't I reference it more often? Just
forgetful? Nah...
The reason I do not mention the "Don't" wager is
simply my comradely disinclination to bet on a
negative event, like the 7 rolling before the
point has been made, causing most players -
those friendly optimists - on the table to lose
their money.
I love the camaraderie of the game. I revel in
being part of the winning spirit of the table.
I'm there high-fiving fellow Pass-Liners in
support of the shooter: "Come on Eight!"
Nevertheless, Deborah, that does not mean that
betting the Don't isn't a worthy wager. (Talk
about your triple negatives - better read that
one more time.) Pass or Don't-Pass bets give the
casino an advantage of roughly 1.4 percent,
though the Don't does have a minuscule
mathematical advantage over a Pass-line bet.
The Don't-Pass bet is the exact opposite of the
Pass-Line wager. Here, the player is betting
against the shooter's repeating his point number
before the seven pops up. These bettors are
known as "Wrong bettors." It works like this,
Deborah. When the game begins and everyone else
is betting the Pass-line, our dark side bettors
are wagering their hard-earned cash on the flip
side, the Don't-Pass line. A Don't-Pass bet is
an even money wager that wins if the shooter
does one of the following:
* Craps out on the come-out roll by rolling a
two or three (Twelve ties, see below).
* Rolls a seven before repeating the point
number once a point has been established.
A Don't bettor loses if the shooter rolls a
seven or 11 on the come-out roll, or repeats the
point number before tossing a seven.
Now back to that 12 for a moment. When the house
"bars" the twelve on their crap table, that
means the 12 is a tie bet for Don't-pass bettors
on the come-out roll. In some casinos, the roll
of a two is also a tie. The rules that apply for
each casino are written in the area of the table
marked "Don't Pass Bar."
One more thing, Deborah. Unlike Pass bets,
Don't-Pass wagers can be taken down after the
point has been established, but never, ever, do
it! Why not? Let's think it out. Once a point
number is established, Wrong bettors have an
advantage over Right bettors, since there are
more ways to roll a seven than there are to roll
any other number. For example and to wit, there
are six ways to roll a seven: (6-1, 1-6, 5-2,
2-5, 4-3, 3-4), but only three ways to roll a
four (3-1, 1-3, 2-2).
A final caution, Deborah. Although you can make
any bet on the table you wish, you should expect
some taunts from the majority of players on the
game, once they see you're rooting against them,
hoping the seven wields its ugly face. For gosh
sakes, don't scream out, "Come on, seven!"
Betting against the majority of players is bad
enough, but rooting against them and gloating
after a win is really bad form.
If you can't emulate "The Greek," keep a low
profile, since the majority of players will be
betting the Pass-Line.
Gambling quote of the week: "As I walk from crap
game to crap game, my brain becomes active and
agile and dwells on lofty thoughts." --Nick "The
Greek" Dandalos, Nick the Greek, King of
Gamblers (1969)
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