I usually 7 or 8 count myself until I put some place bets up. From practice at home I feel if I get to that point I am most likely to have a longer roll than a quick seven. Of course that is IF THE DICE are looking good in the air.

But I don’t have the history that a number of people have on this site of playing craps.

Stealthman

In a similar post on the old web site Dom said something to the effect " You have the edge, or you should or you should not be in the casino, go right up. If you have the bankroll to go along with the edge you will prevail in the long run." I have to agree with this 100%.

HOWEVER—and there always seems to be a however, I usually go right up on myself but for a lower amount–usually $12 to $18 on the 6 and 8 with a pass/come bet at single odds. If my shot looks good after a couple of throws I will then increase my bets up to where I want them—usually placing the 6 and 8 at $30 with one place/come bet with odds. Three bets is all I really want until I have a decent win in the rail.

To take it a step further I find that my first roll of the session, usually early morning, I am off even with practice in the room before I go down. The same thing seems to happed when I practice at home. The second time around I get aggressive and go straight to $30 on the 6 and 8. I guess I simply need to warm up on the table at least once.

Adjust this idea to how you do and feel at the tables.

Just my $.02 worth.

Doc

It all depends on how those dice look, Gman. If they look good, go up on yourself. Also, if you don’t think it will last, maybe regress after a few hits. Most practice and live sessions I get some good consistent rolls into the teens, so am working on a simple regress plan. If you keep going, great! If not, you still pocket a bit more change.

Doc is right. I too, go up on myself right away. If I’ve been ON and the dice have looked good after once or twice around the table, I might go up the normal $60 6/8. But out of the gate, yes $30 6/8. On myself, a controlled shooter, I should get several 6 or 8s in there before the bad one shows….and most of the time that is the case. As Doc also said, there is a however…..if ANY of the conditions that are not condusive to advantage play are present…..either 5 Count, minimize the betting, or better yet…leave and save the gravy for better conditions.

My two cents…

SectionEight

Thoughts.

On my way to Vegas on Thursday for a video analysis, so this topic is near and dear to my heart right now. Like Doc, I’m up pretty much from the start but here is something that works pretty good for me when I’m feeling less than courageous (see The Big Skinny for courageous!). This isn’t too risky and it isn’t my original idea. I picked up a version of it right here on this excellent message board a year or two ago. Place the 6 and 8 for $24 each. If the passline is a different number, don’t take any odds. On a $10 table, you’ve got $58 at risk. If the point is a 6 or 8, at a $10 table, put $15 behind the line so it pays like a $24 place bet. ( $10 flat; $18 behind the line)

Let’s say the first hit is a 6. Take the 6 to $30. You put $22 in your rail. Now your risk is down to $36. Let’s say you hit the 8 as your second hit; same deal; take it to $30 and rack $22. Now you have $14 out there and two nice juicy $30 place bets on the numbers over which you have the best advantage. From there on out, every hit is going to be worth $35. When you hit the first $30 6 or 8, bank $25 and put $10 behind the passline. When you hit 6 or 8 again, put another $10 behind the passline and bank $25. Now your passline point is a double odds point and will pay nicely right along with the 6 and 8 if you hit it. After the passline is reinforced, as you continue to hit $35 payout numbers, bank $25 and begin spreading the $10 chips onto other numbers, one uncovered number per hit, ideally until you have the other three numbers covered. When one of the newly placed $10 numbers hits, press it to $25 on the 5 and 9. In the case of the 4 and 10, buy them for $25 instead of pressing your place bet ( in places where the vig is paid on the win ). On a + 20 roll roll, you’ll likely collect a real nice number of $35 hits and, on the rolls less than 10, you’ll probably hit the 6 or 8 at least once, maybe twice, and will limit your losses that way. I will only play any betting strategy a few times before I take a break. Not leaving is a discipline thing, as is leaving at the right time.

Most important thing that may have been said in a previous comment is to be sure you know your throw and that you do, in fact, have an advantage. In the final analysis, no system will work for you unless you stay on a roll long enough to repeat some numbers. Stickman wrote an article a while back in one of the books ( an e-book I think ) about expectations for controlled shooters. A good article to re-read from time to time. Unfortunately, even as controlled shooters, over 50% of the time, even a decent controlled shooter is going to hold the dice for 7 rolls and then 7 out. I’m recalling statistics from the article, so don’t hold me to this but I recall that 10% of the time, a controlled shooter will ‘point 7’. 20% of hands will be 3 rolls or less. Discipline is very, very, important in this game. I think only 1% of the hands are over 35 or so. And, 25+ isn’t much more encouraging. So, you’ve got to be smart when you play, so your BR will be around and you’re not digging out of the grand canyon when you hit that good roll. My personal rule is that if I roll a 15+ at any one session, it’s break time…It is NOT…"hey, man, I’m going to stick around for the next roll. My dice look good." Ever had any good looking dice make a 7?

See some of you guys in Vegas. I’ll be at the Meet and Greet. Best of luck…because we all need that more than we’re willing to admit.

Alamo

PS…by way of explanation, I used to 5 count myself, but I found that often times I was making a point or repeating a placed number within the 5 count rather than 7’ing out, so I kind of went with Dom’s philosophy of ‘get up strong and early’ rather than tiptoe into the water. That is just risk tolerance and personal preference. You can rarely go wrong with 5 counting.

Alamo