Gaming Guru

Readers Write

Hello Frank:

I have a couple of questions I would like your opinion on. I just got back from four days in Vegas (mostly playing craps) at Casino Royale on the strip. If you've never played there, they have $1 tables with 100x odds. Anyway, they also allow you to put bets, so essentially, I can go up on the numbers after the 5-Count without ever going through the come line. My first question is should I wait out the 5-Count, track the point numbers, and then put them on the 5-Count? It seems to me, you can play the doey-don't without betting the come and the don't come, because you'll never lose a pass line/come line bet. My second question has to do with place bets vs. come line/put bets. A few times I put the 4 or 10 for $1 with $4 in odds, so if it hits I get paid $9, which is the same as if I place the the 4 for $5. The same holds true for the 5 and 9: $1 with $4 odds pays $7, same as the place of the 5 or 9, and the same payout happens on the 6.

Best Regards,
Ray Foley

P.S. Are you aware of any other casinos that allow put-bets?

Dear Ray:

As far as I know just about every casino allows put bets. As to your other question, I would take advantage of Casino Royale's 100X odds and $1 minimums and just use Come bets to get on the numbers. Start after the 3-Count, put a come bet; when that goes on a number, don't take odds yet, but put another come bet. When that goes on a number, then take your odds. You can also go for another come number if you can afford it. Another thing to do is have all the numbers with $1 come bets on them, but only take odds on the numbers that have hit in the last three rolls, which might be the hot numbers if the shooter is repeating them. Now, if the table starts to heat up, you can slowly increase your odds and/or the bets that have odds, because, figuratively speaking, the sky is the limit and the house has no edge on those odds bets!

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