Craps - How do you play?
I usually buy in for $2,500 to $5,000 a session and have a $25 pass line bet out with full odds. After the point is made I am always coming for $25 with full odds. Once in a while I play the don't pass/don't come, but I tend to be a team player and like to celebrate with the table when someone gets on a hot streak.
With each buy in, I get $200 to $300 in red and use this as tokes. I normally tip when I am the shooter, but if another player gets hot I will throw out a "good karma" bet for the dealers to keep things going. I never tip a hot shooter, but like to think of myself as a craps ambassador and will gladly make a minimum table bet for any new player on the pass line to give them the thrill of throwing the dice.
I like to stand right next to the dealer because I do not like to be crowded on both sides. I have had two cases (that I know about) where someone tried to swipe chips from my rack. I was oblivious in both cases, but fortunately the dealers took notice and reported it to the pit who called security. When two beefy men in suits and ear pieces grabbed the guy next to me, I was just as shocked and confused as the rest of the table. Even more so when the casino shift manager walked up to me 15 minutes later to appologise profusely and hand me $600 in chips. The boys got tipped well that night!
Because there are no casinos where I live, when I go to Vegas I come to play! You can find me at the craps tables 8 to 10 hours a day and will weather the storm good or bad. I prefer to play at relatively full table with maybe 10 players being optimal for me. My stop loss is normally 3 or 4 buy ins per day and I try to have a credit line of 20 buy ins (though I find myself taking more breaks when I have dropped 7 or 8 buy ins during a trip).
Well, that's my profile. How do you play craps?
I have only played craps for the past year,and my typical bankroll at the local establishment is far lower as I play more frequently.
I generally begin play by betting the table min. on the pass line, then take 3x odds. Place the 6 and 8 unless one of them has been established as the point. I next will place the 5 and/or possibly also the 9 after the shooter has rolled several times, successfully. If a seven rolls on the come-out, I will often devote that winning bet result to a hedge bet for a like, or lower, amount in the center of the table. My preferred bet in that respect is a Horn-high Ace/Duece.
If the 5 is established as the point, I like to place the 6 and 8, then make a table min. field bet if it appears the shooter is more than just a random roller (or if he is hot)... i.e. the dreaded Iron Cross. The bit of research I've done indicates that with 5 your point number, you reduce the house advantage on the Iron Cross significantly by taking 3x (or more) in odds on that 5.
Then, progress all bets (and also the odds on pass line) as point numbers may be thrown by the lucky/skilled shooter. And yes, I sneak Hardways into the equation if winnings are accumulating!
Quote: gamblerI usually buy in for $2,500 to $5,000 a session and have a $25 pass line bet out with full odds.
Assuming the casino you play at has 10X odds, you might benefit from spending a night at Eastside Cannery, where they have $3 minimums and 100X odds. If you are used to playing 3X, 4X, 5X you can always take 60X odds on a $3 bet at Eastside.
Write in and say how it worked out.
Quote: gamblerI usually buy in for $2,500 to $5,000 a session and have a $25 pass line bet out with full odds. After the point is made I am always coming for $25 with full odds. Once in a while I play the don't pass/don't come, but I tend to be a team player and like to celebrate with the table when someone gets on a hot streak.
Well, that's my profile. How do you play craps?
I have to ways of playing. If I feel like a table is going to go crazy, that is the EXACT way I play. It's really fun having every number and celebrating for like 10 rolls in a row. If I'm looking for more action with less volatility, I'll do PL + Odds and place the 6/8. I'm headed to Vegas in a few weeks so I plan on trying out a new strategy of PL/odds + buying the 4/10.
I do have a question, how are you comped playing like that? In my experience craps is a horrible game to get comps, but I am a low roller so that could easily be why.
I disagree with Paco, 3/4/5 keeps me honest (so I don't put all my eggs in one basket) and allows me to play with more action.
I actually have gotten rather inflated craps ratings in the past (about $400 to $500 per hand), probably because I do tip often and relatively well. If you do the math, with a $25 pass line bet and always coming, I have a maximum of $175 of money at risk, not including the odds bets, which of course have no house advantage. My average bet I believe is recorded at about $200 to $250 per hand.
It seems that most of the major resorts in Las Vegas only have 3x, 4x, 5x odds. I have stayed at the Stratosphere which offers 10x odds, and if you open a line of credit for $25,000 there, you are treated like royalty. It's actually kind of fun since a line of credit $25,000 or $50,000 at the Mandalay Bay is good, but not great. A host at the Mandalay Bay might remember your name and say hello, but they are busy handling their really "big" players.
I have not stayed at the highest end resorts like the Wynn, Encore, Venetian or Belagio. Not sure how I would be rated there.
Quote: DeMangoIn your case I would reccomend the M Resort. New and nice, halfway between GVR and M-Bay in many ways.
I have never stayed at the M, and would consider it. The Green Valley Ranch does rate your odds bet, which is one reason why I like it. My wife has an annual conference at the Mandalay Bay, which is why she likes it.
I like trying to establish a good long term relationship with a host instead of jumping from property to property. I have found that if you return to a property a couple of times per year, your host will be willing to bend backwards to help you out if you have a problem.
continuously making passline and come bets with full odds.
so im always doing something every roll and only giving up $1.50/hr.
ill do the same thing at suncoast at a $3 table with 5x odds.
if im playing $5 craps, ill do the passline with two come bets with full odds.
or play the dont pass laying max odds with no other bets.
if its a $10 table or higher, i typically only play the dont pass laying max odds.
Looking for a $5 3X4X5X table I will play The Don't unless the player next to me is rolling, or I am rolling, then I will play the Pass Line and may not take any odds. I will be laying the max odds most of the time on The Don't to get the free odds bets that I like, but at least at first not when the point is 6 or 8, when I will lay $12. Later if winning I'll lay full odds on all.
At some point, on a hunch, and winning, I may switch to the other side 100%. This "hunch" business is clearly superstition; I have those but refuse to let such make me make bad bets. You can be sure my entire trip will be against an average HE of less than 0.5% [plus tipping].
I too have noticed that the player beside me usually makes his point. However, when I am playing the Don'ts and the dice come to me, I often still remain on the Don'ts and hope not to make my point. Only rarely does it lead to any grumblings.Quote: odiousgambitI will play The Don't unless the player next to me is rolling, or I am rolling, then I will play the Pass Line and may not take any odds.
Wow. I do believe you've given yourself the correct user name.Quote: gamblerI usually buy in for $2,500 to $5,000 a session....
For ANY new player, or just a female newbie?Quote: gamblerwill gladly make a minimum table bet for any new player on the pass line to give them the thrill of throwing the dice.
As I mentioned in another thread, I did that once. Kinda fun.
If I had a huge bankroll, or if I ever get to Joker's Wild where they play with quarters so the betting unit is smaller:
I'd buy in for a few hundred units, wait for a point, then place/buy 20 units on each of the 6 numbers. As soon as any number hits, reduce all of them to 5 units. When any number hits, press it, and it's pair, one unit each.
In reality, I buy in for $100-$200 on a $5 or $10 table. I wait for the point, then place $12 each on 6/8. I take the winnings twice, then start pressing them in pairs for $6 each. If they get to $42, I'll stop pressing for a couple hits. (There's something sexy about dropping $1 and getting $50 back!) If the shooter makes his point, or I had been winning, then I'll also place the 5/9 for $10 each with similar strategy. It's rare that I also have money on the 4/10, but if I do, you know I'm way up.
I rarely tip until I color up. But based upon some of the things I've read in some of these threads, I'm gonna start making some two-way bets. See if that does anything for me...
I like to have three bets going, so if the point is not a 6 or 8, I run 2x - 3x odds on the back and place the 6 / 8. If the point is a six/eight, then I place the opposite eight/six and run a come bet.
If two or more of these bets win, I add a come bet so that I am running four numbers. If two more bets win, I go with a fifth number. If two more of these bets win, I ride the come bet until big red hits.
This gives me appropriate level of level of risk to send enough dopamine to my brain to keep me satisfied for hours on end.
I leave when my bankroll is gone, but I color up at $100 winning intervals and never use the chip again.
Quote: boymimboI color up at $100 winning intervals and never use the chip again.
So do you color-up just that $100, or do you cash out completely once you're up $100?
Quote: boymimboI leave when my bankroll is gone, but I color up at $100 winning intervals and never use the chip again.
Most of the casinos in Vegas won't let you color up until you are ready to leave.
This thread has me wondering some other things, that I hope people are willing to answer. The first is for those who switch between Do and Don't. Somebody mentioned somewhere that they have a system for knowing when to switch back and forth. How do you people like to do this? I know some people figure if someone makes a point, then switch to the Do, and if somebody 7-out, then switch to the Don't. Just curious as to what people like to do.
Another question is for those who stick only to the Do or Don't. If you're at the table and things are not going your way, do you leave or keep playing waiting for the luck to change. If you do leave, what is your criteria for leaving? For example, if you're playing the Do, and a shooter 7-out, would you leave? Or give the next shooter a chance? What about two people 7-out? What about 3? Again, just curious as to what people like to do.
Finally, for those people that base things on bankroll type issues, again, what is your criteria? I usually go to the table with $200. If I'm betting the Do, and things are against me, I'll keep playing until I'm down $100, then leave with the remaining $100. On the flip side, if I'm every up $100, I'll pocket the $300 and play with whatever is left until it is gone, but if it goes up $100, again, I pocket the $100.
I know some of these answers will be combined, but I am really just curious. Maybe I'm also looking for idea. ;)
Quote: konceptum
Another question is for those who stick only to the Do or Don't. If you're at the table and things are not going your way, do you leave or keep playing waiting for the luck to change. If you do leave, what is your criteria for leaving? For example, if you're playing the Do, and a shooter 7-out, would you leave? Or give the next shooter a chance? What about two people 7-out? What about 3? Again, just curious as to what people like to do.
Finally, for those people that base things on bankroll type issues, again, what is your criteria? I usually go to the table with $200. If I'm betting the Do, and things are against me, I'll keep playing until I'm down $100, then leave with the remaining $100. On the flip side, if I'm every up $100, I'll pocket the $300 and play with whatever is left until it is gone, but if it goes up $100, again, I pocket the $100.
I know some of these answers will be combined, but I am really just curious. Maybe I'm also looking for idea. ;)
I don't have any local casino, so my play is always a 2 to 5 day trip. I am getting comp'd the room, usually the food, and the chartered flight when I go thru a junket. To keep those comps, I need to log some hours. I also have a wife to do non-gambling stuff with. So I generally end up playing 2 or 3 times during the day for an hour or two here and there. Then around 10 or 11 PM I will settle in for what I hope is a 6 to 8 hour session.
I will buy in for $1,000 on a $10 table. PL /3x to 6x odds initially. Place 6/8, Buy 5/9 (2% HA in Biloxi). If I get a couple of point wins, I will go 6x-10x odds. 5,6,8,9 will get pressed. Sometimes every other hit, sometimes I will hit one of the numbers, and then press all of the bets at once. I am trying to avoid losing big money on an early 7 out, yet trying to get $60 to $90 on each Place/Buy bet on the table as fast as possible. Very, very rarely will I make any bet that has higher than 4% HA. No center of table, other than occasional hardway, and half the time I throw down a hard six I am just trying to force an easy six to roll so I can win my PL bet. ;-)
Most times, I can get at least 4 hours play out of the $1000. There have been a number of times I have had my last chips on the table in 2 to 3 hours, and have come back alive to be able to keep playing. Some of those sessions have gone to the 8 or 9 hour mark.
If I have been down most of the session, and I get back to even, I quit, or I will set a ($200) loss limit. That is like a win, since I still have my BR, and I have logged hours to keep my comps. I would not say this is optimal strategy for making money at craps. I do it because logging hours to justify my comps is my goal.
I am having a harder time with sessions where I get up early in the roll. Up $200 or so and then losing it is not a big deal. I am talking about times where you walk into a good table, and get up $1200 in the first hour. Ending that session back where I started leaves a sour taste, even if I have logged 6+ hours.
I have been working on better BR management when I have won. When I end a session, if I am up for that session, my winnings go into the room safe for the trip back home. If I am down overall for the trip, I will put 25-50% in the safe, and the rest back into restoring my BR. That last one is a rule I struggle to keep though when my BR is severely beat up. I am trying to avoid going home with $0 BR. I have come back from my last chips on the table so many times, that I find it hard to walk away from a table with $100 and feel good about that. But getting on the plane with $100 in my pocket certainly feels better than going home with no money. Forcing money to go in the safe at the end of the session is helping. I still get to play as wild or safe as I feel during the session, but once it ends, I need to be disciplined to stick with my BR management rules. It has been helping some, but when the luck is agin' you, nothing matters. You are going home without your money.
IMO, you can't win at a $10 craps table with $200, and expect to play for a long time. You will bust out way too often. You can play PL/DP with single odds and make it last for a while, but you are not going to make any real money, and are just logging time which will enable the HE to eventually erode your stack. Nothing wrong with this, and it can be a lot of fun, but if you are expecting to win $1000 this way, not going to happen.
I think that is one of the hardest things about craps. If you are playing a $10 table, and you limit yourself to only having $50 on the table at any time, you still need to have a $1000 BR. You can lose $200 so fast, and if that is the total BR, you are done. Meanwhile, the guy with the $1000 BR keeps playing and on the next 2 shooters he gets $150 back. He is down $50, and you are ($200) and busted. Of course, the next 2 shooters could be crappy too, and now he is out $300....
Again, all of this is based on my goal of playing long sessions. Obviously, I want to win, but I need to log hours.
If I was playing purely for wins, which I used to do before the comps came along, I used to hit and run. I would buy in, and after the first roll, if I was up, I would pocket the winnings, or leave. If I doubled my BR, I left. I may go walk around the casino and come right back to the table, 15 minutes later. Goal was to always have a winning session. I had an amazing run over 5 days time at the Trop a number of years ago. I must have stopped and played over 30 times across those 5 days, and left a winner every time. Not much, $10, $20, whatever, but it was always a plus. My BR was about $400 for the whole trip back then. Bought my wife a $300 ring with the winnings on that trip. the problem with this scheme though, is you could be walking away from a table that is just starting a heater, and you just walked away on the front end of it. Again, if you are looking for a big win, this won't get that result.
Quote: RaleighCrapsNo center of table, other than occasional hardway, and half the time I throw down a hard six I am just trying to force an easy six to roll so I can win my PL bet. ;-)
You're awesome.
On another note I'm contemplating another strategy. Buying the 4/10 and not playing the pass line at all (maybe, it always annoys me to not bet with everyone else). I would like to focus on the southern end of the strip and am looking for a place that will only collect the vig on a win. I am inclined to believe this is everyone and commonplace, if this is true is there a place that will let me go to even $25 or $30 for just a $1 vig? I've heard the Wynn does and if that's the only place I might have to trek up there.
Strip Only.
Quote: ahiromuYou're awesome.
On another note I'm contemplating another strategy. Buying the 4/10 and not playing the pass line at all
Certainly downtown you can find places that only charge you the commission of you win. I would think that just buying the 4/10 would get a little boring. If you skip the pass line then you should probably place the 6/8 and buy the 4/10
just so you don't fall asleep.
Quote: pacomartinCertainly downtown you can find places that only charge you the commission of you win. I would think that just buying the 4/10 would get a little boring. If you skip the pass line then you should probably place the 6/8 and buy the 4/10
just so you don't fall asleep.
I'm a patient man and again it's a test for me. Buying them in tandem would be less or equally boring to playing only PL + odds on any number. Yes I know downtown is better, but I have my reasons for wanting to stay on the strip.
Quote: RaleighCrapsIMO, you can't win at a $10 craps table with $200, and expect to play for a long time. You will bust out way too often. You can play PL/DP with single odds and make it last for a while, but you are not going to make any real money, and are just logging time which will enable the HE to eventually erode your stack. Nothing wrong with this, and it can be a lot of fun, but if you are expecting to win $1000 this way, not going to happen.
I think that is one of the hardest things about craps. If you are playing a $10 table, and you limit yourself to only having $50 on the table at any time, you still need to have a $1000 BR. You can lose $200 so fast, and if that is the total BR, you are done. Meanwhile, the guy with the $1000 BR keeps playing and on the next 2 shooters he gets $150 back. He is down $50, and you are ($200) and busted. Of course, the next 2 shooters could be crappy too, and now he is out $300....
I agree with you 100%. It's difficult to play craps with a small bankroll at a $10 table and get the action and hope that your money lasts. $500 at a $5 table will last you a long time but the money won and lost with $30 on the table is very small. $500 at a $10 table with $50 action gives you a good shot of not busting out but once again it falls well below the risk of ruin probabilities.
Many of the Strip casinos, and almost all of the downtown and off-strip locals casinos, collect a $1 vig from a $25 bet after a win .
It doesn't specify which casinos, but I guess you could ask around.
on 4/10 $5 + $100 odds
on 5/9 $5 + $75 odds
on 6/8 $5 + $60 odds
So you would have $195-$315 on the table at one time. I would think you would need a minimum of $3K to play.
Sometimes late at night in downtown Vegas they reduce minimums to $3 or even $1 at 3 AM (with 5X odds). The $1 min is rare. You can play these high action games with a relatively small bankroll.
Quote: pacomartinSo if you are playing DP + 2 "don't come bets" at 10X odds (like Main Street) you would have
on 4/10 $5 + $100 odds
on 5/9 $5 + $75 odds
on 6/8 $5 + $60 odds
So you would have $195-$315 on the table at one time. I would think you would need a minimum of $3K to play.
Sometimes late at night in downtown Vegas they reduce minimums to $3 or even $1 at 3 AM (with 5X odds). The $1 min is rare. You can play these high action games with a relatively small bankroll.
Yep. Though I never play at the 10X level, because I have trouble even finding a $5 table around here. I usually can only afford 1-2x odds on my bankroll. It would be fun though to play a $1 table.
Quote: ruascottIs there anybody here that plays the "wrong" side and makes multiple Don't Come (w/odds) bets to go along with DP? I've never played this way before - I typically play PL + 2 Come bets, varying the odds - but I'm curious if anyone has experience with this. It seems that possibly there would be less volatility here, since one seven-out and you win several bets, but you don't get wiped out with only one roll like the "right" player does.
Well, I did venture into this the last trip, since I was getting killed right way betting.
I had a PL bet with odds, and I decided to slip in a DC bet. It was a 6, so I took no odds.
The shooter came right back with a 6.
So I placed another DC bet. The shooter rolled a 9. I put $15 on for odds.
Shooter rolled the 9 two rolls later.
I made a 3rd DC bet. Shooter rolled a 7, and I lost the DC and my PL bet.
And that folks, is how you can play both ways and still lose all of your bets. It was that kind of trip.
Quote: ruascottYep. Though I never play at the 10X level, because I have trouble even finding a $5 table around here. I usually can only afford 1-2x odds on my bankroll. It would be fun though to play a $1 table.
If you can't afford the high odds multiple with a DP and two DC, consider sticking to the DP and putting the money you would have bet on DC on the odds. No increase in expected loss, more free variance, but maybe too boring for you.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Quote: RaleighCrapsWell, I did venture into this the last trip, since I was getting killed right way betting.
I had a PL bet with odds, and I decided to slip in a DC bet. It was a 6, so I took no odds.
The shooter came right back with a 6.
So I placed another DC bet. The shooter rolled a 9. I put $15 on for odds.
Shooter rolled the 9 two rolls later.
I made a 3rd DC bet. Shooter rolled a 7, and I lost the DC and my PL bet.
And that folks, is how you can play both ways and still lose all of your bets. It was that kind of trip.
Ouch, not fun at all.....
Quote: konceptum
This thread has me wondering some other things, that I hope people are willing to answer. The first is for those who switch between Do and Don't. Somebody mentioned somewhere that they have a system for knowing when to switch back and forth. How do you people like to do this? I know some people figure if someone makes a point, then switch to the Do, and if somebody 7-out, then switch to the Don't. Just curious as to what people like to do.
Unless you believe there are "controlled shooters" that you can recognize, there is no rational reason to switch OR to stick to one side or the other. If you want to switch, just to make it interesting, flip a %*&^$(%)ing coin!
Quote: konceptumAnother question is for those who stick only to the Do or Don't. If you're at the table and things are not going your way, do you leave or keep playing waiting for the luck to change. If you do leave, what is your criteria for leaving? For example, if you're playing the Do, and a shooter 7-out, would you leave? Or give the next shooter a chance? What about two people 7-out? What about 3? Again, just curious as to what people like to do.
Some people leave and go to another table, as though that would make any difference. Well, of course it will, since it's extremely unlikely that the rolls will be the same on another table, but there is no way to know whether another table will be better or worse. You could leave a "cold" table just in time to miss a monster roll. Or not.
Quote: konceptumFinally, for those people that base things on bankroll type issues, again, what is your criteria? I usually go to the table with $200. If I'm betting the Do, and things are against me, I'll keep playing until I'm down $100, then leave with the remaining $100. On the flip side, if I'm every up $100, I'll pocket the $300 and play with whatever is left until it is gone, but if it goes up $100, again, I pocket the $100.
If you are not willing to lose the $200, why buy in for that amount? Whom are you kidding? >:-) I have had sessions where I was down half my buyin and came back to end up ahead. If I had walked, then I would have had a losing session. There is some relationship between how much you are willing to lose and your chances for winning a certain amount, but an even bigger factor is the volatility of your strategy. If you play with a short bankroll (or stop-loss), your early results are crucial, of course.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Quote: goatcabinIf you can't afford the high odds multiple with a DP and two DC, consider sticking to the DP and putting the money you would have bet on DC on the odds. No increase in expected loss, more free variance, but maybe too boring for you.
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Alan, I agree that from a HA perspective I'd be much better just betting one PL w/max odds I can afford. But as you said, that gets a little dull for my taste. I like to get multiple bets going for the fun factor, but figure I'm still getting a better HA (even with zero odds) than making place and/or buy bets. I figure at 2x odds I'm at about 0.6% HA on each of the bets, which I'm willing to pay, rather than say 0.2% I'd get at 5x odds.
I've never played the DP+DC before, though it may be worth a shot.
Quote: ruascottAlan, I agree that from a HA perspective I'd be much better just betting one PL w/max odds I can afford. But as you said, that gets a little dull for my taste. I like to get multiple bets going for the fun factor, but figure I'm still getting a better HA (even with zero odds) than making place and/or buy bets. I figure at 2x odds I'm at about 0.6% HA on each of the bets, which I'm willing to pay, rather than say 0.2% I'd get at 5x odds.
It's not just about a lower HA. Money you put on the odds gives you more variance without adding anything to your expected loss. Also, the more money you put on a single bet instead of multiples bets, the more variance. Look here:
1 $100 passline bet - ev -$1.41 SD $99.99
10 $10 passline bets - ev -$1.41 SD $31.62
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Quote: pacomartinI found a quote dated 10 October 2008.
Many of the Strip casinos, and almost all of the downtown and off-strip locals casinos, collect a $1 vig from a $25 bet after a win .
It doesn't specify which casinos, but I guess you could ask around.
Thank you very much. I've been looking for this for awhile.
Quote: goatcabinIt's not just about a lower HA. Money you put on the odds gives you more variance without adding anything to your expected loss. Also, the more money you put on a single bet instead of multiples bets, the more variance. Look here:
1 $100 passline bet - ev -$1.41 SD $99.99
10 $10 passline bets - ev -$1.41 SD $31.62
Cheers,
Alan Shank
Yeah, makes sense entirely, but it again goes back what's your goal in gambling. On my next trip, I could search out a great BJ game - with say 0.2% HA - and bet $1,000 on one hand. And then be done. But that doesn't provide me much entertainment value. I know by spreading my bets around, I'm much less likely to win big, but much more likely to get to play for several hours without busting out, and maybe I'll win some by being on the right side of the curve.
Of course the next time I tried it I lost on all three points in quick succession. Typically I'll only have one Don't Pass and one Don't Come on the table. I'm a small time gambler so I don't like having that much money risked all at once.
As for the original post, I typically decide if I'm playing pass or don't pass at the beginning of the session and ride that out and see where it goes. I typically play at Casino Royale for $3/$5 minimums buying in for $100-200. The odds are typically x20, but I play 3-4-5x odds either pass or don't pass. I start with the pass/don't pass and see where it goes. If I want more action I start come/don't come or place 6 or 8. If I feel really good (or stupid) I put down $2 on 12 on my own come-out roll when betting don't pass.
I dream of the day where my wife would allow me a $1000 bankroll for one of our Las Vegas trips let alone buying in at a single craps session for $1000.
I know that SouthPoint seems attractive but they only offer 2x odds, so I'm probably not going to go there. Is this logical? Not really. I usually play 2x odds even if more is available. I just "feel" the casino is being stingy, so why should I go there. I know it won't make a bit of difference to the dice though.
I buy-in for $400 or $500 and set a loss limit of $150 or $200. Why buy-in bigger than that? I like to have some chips in front of me even if I am down.
I usually bet $3 on the pass line and make two additional come out bets. Place 5x odds behind all of them. I=f a shooter is hot, I may even top the pass line off with another $1 or $2 and add to the odds... I seem to be able to play for a long time without losing my shirt (no one would want that to happen!!) and win some every once in a while.
I guess I need a more aggressive style if I ever want to win much more than a couple of hundred dollars a session...
Quote: RonCI usually play @ Sahara because they have lower limits than where we stay most of the time. It is the first place I played in Vegas (in 1985). It is old, but we always have fun there.
I buy-in for $400 or $500 and set a loss limit of $150 or $200. Why buy-in bigger than that? I like to have some chips in front of me even if I am down.
I usually bet $3 on the pass line and make two additional come out bets. Place 5x odds behind all of them. I=f a shooter is hot, I may even top the pass line off with another $1 or $2 and add to the odds... I seem to be able to play for a long time without losing my shirt (no one would want that to happen!!) and win some every once in a while.
I guess I need a more aggressive style if I ever want to win much more than a couple of hundred dollars a session...
I think you are getting a good return on your money now. Even though you are buying in for $500, you are setting a loss limit of $200. So if you have $200 winning sessions, you are in effect doubling your money at risk, which I have always felt was a decent outcome.
$25 PL + FO
2 Comes + FO
$5 on the Hardways, each parlayed once.
Pray, Clap, High Fives, Cocktails.
Quote: lucky13
Pray, Clap, High Fives, Cocktails.
The most important part. :)
Quote: RaleighCrapsI think you are getting a good return on your money now. Even though you are buying in for $500, you are setting a loss limit of $200. So if you have $200 winning sessions, you are in effect doubling your money at risk, which I have always felt was a decent outcome.
You are 100% correct--I like doing it this way most sessions. I don't keep too close of track of each session but I do set money limits for each one based on bankroll. As I do well, I keep that "new money" out of the mix so that I pretty much always bring home at least part of my bankroll (depending on how my wife's slots go). I usually have at least a few winning sessions each trip.
I am sure I am up at Sahara--they mentioned that to me when I called for comps... I know the dice have no memory; I do!! If I can have a good session and enjoy the company, all is well.
I just want to step up one of every four sessions and get more aggressive next time. Bigger risks and bigger potential rewards.
Quote: RonCI am sure I am up at Sahara--they mentioned that to me when I called for comps...
It kind of bothers me when the casino points out that you are up (or even). The casino sets their comp formulas based on time played and the expected value of the house edge. They shouldn't try to guilt you if you beat those considerable odds.
A small casino will usually give you a room or some decent comps if you play $25 chips for four hours (roughly 400 plays). But they don't want to comp you for 20 $500 bets because the odds are not that much in their favor even though you are down $500.
So if you play 400 $25 bets and come out ahead, why should they point it out to you?
Quote: pacomartinIt kind of bothers me when the casino points out that you are up (or even). The casino sets their comp formulas based on time played and the expected value of the house edge. They shouldn't try to guilt you if you beat those considerable odds.
A small casino will usually give you a room or some decent comps if you play $25 chips for four hours (roughly 400 plays). But they don't want to comp you for 20 $500 bets because the odds are not that much in their favor even though you are down $500.
So if you play 400 $25 bets and come out ahead, why should they point it out to you?
I'm not sure they hold it against you, if you are winning. My first trip to Beau I had a good trip. My first session lasted 7 hours, and I went from $1500 down to plus $44. Next couple of sessions were shorter but I managed to pull out $200+ wins. Saturday afternoon I hit for plus $4400 on a 2 hour session. Unfortunately, I went back Sat. nght and lost most of it back. Well, I didn't lose it, as I know exactly where it went........
Anway, when I went to the host to get my room charges comp'd, he looks at me and asks if I had a good time. I replied for a first visit I was impressed and really liked the place. He responded, "well I should hope so. I show you are up $8,500." He had already comp'd everything so that did not seem to factor in. We also had a conversation about how they could have been so far off. I was up, but it was less than 1000.
In any event, it paid off for them. My next trip I gave them all of my money :-( , so they are way ahead at this point. Need a good trip for this next one, or RIO in May will be a lot of hours spent burning at the pool, and sitting in the Diamond Lounge drinking, waiting for the $5 tables to open up.
