Craps - When the dice leave the table.

Play would probably continue with an increased alertness though.
Some casinos retire dice and sell them in the gift shop. The Venetian retires dice and grinds them into fine powder. Different levels of paranoia. Most places do not want that die going onto the layout until inspected. No opportunity to have it grabbed up by the shooter and utilized prior to inspection.

Its not something that happens all the time and its a minor event but it gives everyone a bit of a pause and the crew can deal with it as their training dictates.

I just got back from Belterra Casino in Florence, Indiana. Their normally $5 craps tables were bumped to $10 for the Kentucky Derby. My wife and I turned a $180 buy-in into $360, plus another $80 came our way from a generous chap at the other end who gave me $25 when I rolled him a $900 hard way win, another $25 for my wife when she did the same, plus he bet a $5 hardway for her, and got her $35. We thanked him profusely, and I also gave the crew an additional $15 tip when we colored up. /backstory

Anyhow, I asked the dealer and boxman why off-table dice are handed directly, and money/chips must touch the table. As others stated and speculated, it is because of the other dice that are still live on the table; The off-table die is "protected" in the hands of players and dealers until it is passed to the boxman for inspection and holding.

In fact, one of my rolls had a die in the railing, which another player picked up and dropped to the table. The dealer nearly leaped across the felt to grab it, after which it was passed to the boxman, examined, and put back into play. Usually I thought dropping a railed die was customary.

I never touch the die on the floor.

What if it has been switched?

Why draw suspicion?

Watch for rail birds.

At the casino I frequent, the dice aren't serial numbered AT ALL.
While in play, there is absolutely NO numbers on them.
The only thing they do is put a SMALL nick on one of the dice faces (something EASILY doable by hand quickly)
Surprising, really.
EVERY other casino I've EVER been to, has their dice serial #'d...

Quote: TIMSPEED

While in play, there is absolutely NO numbers on them.

So how do you know if you rolled your point or sevened out?

:-)

I would not play at a dice game where there were obvious nicks on the edge of a die or the slightest nick on the face of the die. Now that slight nick on the face of the die won't alter the center of gravity by much or the tumbling characteristics, but its the principle of the thing. Well manufactured dice cost money. If the casino is skimping on something that important don't play there.

Quote: FleaStiff

I would not play at a dice game where there were obvious nicks on the edge of a die or the slightest nick on the face of the die. Now that slight nick on the face of the die won't alter the center of gravity by much or the tumbling characteristics, but its the principle of the thing. Well manufactured dice cost money. If the casino is skimping on something that important don't play there.

Yes, sounds like a place where the boxman says, "sir, make sure you hit the curb, er, back wall."

Quote: TIMSPEED

At the casino I frequent, the dice aren't serial numbered AT ALL.
While in play, there is absolutely NO numbers on them.
The only thing they do is put a SMALL nick on one of the dice faces (something EASILY doable by hand quickly)
Surprising, really.
EVERY other casino I've EVER been to, has their dice serial #'d...

Where is this casino? Without numbers, how would they know if the dice were switched? Anyone can put a nick in dice.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

Where is this casino? Without numbers, how would they know if the dice were switched? Anyone can put a nick in dice.

Even the "casino" could be loading the dice.

Most reputable manufacturers would imbed something... I don't think a precision dice maker would sell dice that way. Anybody know for sure? I figure if the casino is that cheap, why play there and if the casino is both cheap and crooked, ... scram.