Gaming Guru

Readers Write

Dear Frank,

Thank you for your article in the recent copy of the Casino Player. I really enjoyed the history of Las Vegas and gambling in general. It also gave me the opportunity to get your website and e-mail address. I have had two observations/questions concerning playing the five count and the doey/don't on the crap table as described in your book Beat The Craps Out Of The Casinos: How to Play Craps and Win!

First, when using the five count doey/don't, I like to use three numbers. Once the five count is complete and I have my three numbers established with odds on the do side, and the shooter makes his point (which I don't normally have working), I like to lay the odds on the don't for the come-out roll only. I feel that this is a real power play as the roller can only pick off one of my points, but if a seven is rolled I win all three odds bets on the don't. The odds on the do are returned since they don't work on the come-out roll. Once a new point is established, the odds on the don't are taken back and I play the odds on the do. Everything else I play as described in your book. Your comments please.

[Frank's comment: Sounds good to me. If there's such a thing as psychokinesis, it is definitely the one time during the game when we're all fiercely rooting for the seven!]

Second, I have been backed off of the craps table at the Horseshoe in Bossier City, Louisiana for playing the doey/don't. The pit boss said that I had to either play the do or the don't or bet more on one or the other as the "house doesn't get enough advantage." I took my business elsewhere. [Frank's comment: Good. Never play in a place that makes you feel uncomfortable.] In my own mind I have developed a system not exactly described in your book and would like your opinion on its ability to win. I wait the five counts and on the sixth roll I place the 6 and 8 along with a come bet. I then play as you describe by giving the roller 4 rolls to hit one of my numbers. If he doesn't, I call off my place and odds bets for two rolls and if he still hasn't sevened out, I call them back on for 4 rolls. I find that this gets me past the "killer" 5 or less short rollers and a shot at catching a hot roll. Your comments please. [Frank: Sounds good to me.]

Thank you in advance for taking the time to address these concepts as described. Have a good new year.

Pat H.

Dear Pat:

It seems to me that you are really on top of your game. The variation you use on the come-out sounds very interesting and I might even give it a try myself. After all, you do have the seven working for you on the come-out and those numbers are already up there. Even if you're dealing with a hot shooter, you return to the "do" after the come-out and watch him roll. Nice idea.

The problem you encountered at the Horseshoe in Bossier City, Louisiana has been encountered from time to time by other players using the Captain's methods. Technically, the pit boss was wrong in his assertion that the casino doesn't have enough of an edge because the 12 will appear enough times to give the casino a better edge on the doey/don't than it actually has on the Pass or Come -- we'll lose 14 times using the doey/don't in 495 decisions while the traditional Pass/Come bettor will lose 7 times in the same number of decisions. So technically you're getting the worst of it!

So why does the Captain say use the doey/don't as a part of his Supersystem when we're seemingly giving the casino slightly more the best of it? Because the hot shooters the 5-Count finds are -- hopefully -- not rolling those sevens on the Pass and Come and are instead rolling numbers, glorious numbers! That being the case, we're looking to get those odds payoffs at more-than-even money on all the numbers being hit. The bottom line for the Captain, and for those of us who buy into the Captain's philosophies of play, is this -- in the real world, craps isn't always what the math indicates, especially not when shooters roll dem bones! And until craps becomes automated, and the dice are shot out of a little cannon, and shooters can no longer touch them, there's more to craps than meets the math.

All the best in and out of the casinos.
Frank Scoblete

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