If you stop to think about it, you’ll realize that the only way to roll a 2 (“snake eyes”) is to roll two 1’s; no other combination will. Similarly, the only way to roll a 12 (“wagons”) is to roll two 6s; there is no other dice combination that reaches that number. There is also only one way to make 11: by rolling a 6 and a 5. But you can roll a 4 by rolling a 3 and a 1 or a 2 and another 2; You can get to 5 with a 4 and a 1 or with a 3 and a 2; and there are three ways to make 6: with 5 and 1 or 4 and 2 or 3 and 3. Similarly, there are three ways to make 7, three ways to make 8, but only two ways to make 9, and two ways to make 10. You can see right away that you are statistically more likely to make some points than others. And speaking of statistics, 7 is the most frequently rolled number… though of course it only wins if you roll it on your come-out roll. After 7, the most common numbers that appear are 5, 6, and 8.
Rolling a 7 or 11 on the opening roll is an instant win; 2, 3 or 12 is an instant loss. Any other number is the point you have to do again before rolling a 7 (called a “seven out”). If you roll seven, you lose. But if you make your point, roll another 5 or 8, or whatever your point is, you win.
You can also play without rolling the dice… by betting against the shooter. (That makes you a “fader”).
When you start playing, bet small. Yes, it’s true that if you don’t bet much you can’t win much, but until you learn what you’re doing and feel comfortable with betting and odds, it’s best to bet small so that if you make a mistake, your mistake will cost you a minimum amount of money.
When you are a bit more familiar and comfortable with the game, you can gradually bet. How? Increasing your bet a little each time you win. Do not double your bet. If you are betting $5 the first time and you win, bet $5 or $10 twice the next time, and if you win then call $5 or $15 three times, then $20 and so on. You are not doubling your bet. You’re not betting everything. And when you lose… which is bound to happen at some point… you’ll still have some winnings left over. After the loss, re-bet your basic $5 and continue to increase your bet amount in the same way as before. This method maximizes your profits and minimizes your losses.
But if you stay and play all night, chances are you’ll lose out. The smart move is to obey the old axiom and “quit while you’re ahead.” Have you doubled the amount of money you started with? You logged into the casino with $100 to play and now you have $200? Then it’s a good time to quit for the night… or maybe try your hand at some other game. But “walk away” (click) from the craps table while you’re a winner.
