A few table layouts add designated spaces for some of the more unique proposition bets, but all craps tables contain the same basic design. Attributed to John H. Winn, the dice maker who took craps from the steamboats on the Mississippi into popular casino play in the 1800′s, this table layout was originally called the Philadelphia layout. Offering a payout of 1/2, this bet has the lowest odds on the craps table. The chance of you winning is 66.7%, so the house edge is 2.44%. Yes, you have the best chance of winning, but the payout means that the casino still holds the advantage. 'Fixed my toss and made me a winner.' This DVD includes the portion of the seminar that deals specifically with the mechanics of the grip and toss, along with roughly twenty minutes of tossing and coaching live at the craps table. You'll see Heavy and his students setting and throwing the dice with the camera running real time to show the results. The Dice Center unit works on a principle of vibrating table and dice detection. The dice are evenly weighted and are capable of reading and displaying the results of each roll. A carefully calibrated vibration table assures that all dice land flat on the table and guarantees very fast and 100% reliable dice detection.

One thing is for certain when playing craps: Due to the house edge on every bet in the casino, the longer your play the same strategy, the more certain you will eventually lose to the casino.

Every bet, every strategy and every system is subject to the house edge that favors the casino. The casinos have made sure of that. That’s how they amass their fortunes. If you’re playing one single strategy, there will be times the dice are rolling in your favor and you’re racking up the winnings, and there will be times when you’re losing and depleting your bankroll.

In the long run, as you continue to play one strategy, those wins and losses will start to average out to the house edge of that strategy, which obviously will always lead to the casino winning and you losing. So, even if you’re ahead, the longer you play an individual strategy, the more you ensure the casino takes your money.

Unless you’re an advanced player with the ability to influence the dice, the only way to change that certainty, and give yourself a real opportunity to beat the casino in the long run, is to alter your strategy to fit the current trends on the table.

To win at craps, you need to maximize your ‘DO’ bets when the table is ‘warm’ and ‘hot’, switch to and maximize your ‘DON’T’ bets when the table is ‘cold’, and limit your risk and protect your bankroll when the craps table is ‘choppy’.

We’ve all seen the person who walks up to the craps table, buys in for $5,000 and immediately starts playing $640 across with quarters on each of the hardways without spending even a minute to assess the current trend on the table. Well, in 15 minutes and $2,500 in loses later, they’re scratching their head wondering what happened.

Regardless of whether you’re playing $5 & $6 bets on a limited bankroll or buying in for $5,000, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THAT GUY! You want to play SMART to win, and playing smart means betting according to the table trend.

There will be those (typically the ‘Math’ gurus) that will immediately jump in and tell you that identifying a craps table trend is impossible because, ‘Each roll of the dice is independent of the prior rolls, and any number can roll at any time, based on the probabilities of each individual roll’.

Technically, they’re correct. You can’t predict the next roll of the dice or when a table, or shooter, will turn ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, and you can’t predict when it will end, but we’ve all been there, and you certainly know when you’re in the middle of a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ table run or a shooter is having a ‘massive’ roll.

Being able to identify current conditions and trends early, and matching your betting strategy to those trends, is your best bet at leaving with the casino’s money. It’s not easy, but if you know what to look for, the more you play, the better you’ll get at assessing current conditions at the tables and seeing trends start to develop.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

You’re looking for a ‘warm’ to ‘hot’ table or a ‘cold’ table. That’s where the money is and your observations need to start when you walk into the casino and approach the craps tables.

How many players are at the table?

  • Most players play the ‘Do’ side of betting. If you see two tables with the same minimums and one is full and the other is empty, it’s not hard to figure out that the full table is warm to hot and the empty table is cold. It doesn’t mean that either table will continue on those trends, but you can be pretty confident that’s the current trend.

What’s the mood at the tables?

  • You want to assess what the general enthusiasm is at each of the tables. People that are winning are smiling, there’s more chatter at the table, it’s louder, and there’s typically more energy on the hotter tables. If you’re looking at a quiet table, no one is smiling, the dealers are the only one’s socializing, the players keep looking up and over at the other tables, then you’re likely looking at a cold or choppy table.

Who’s reaching down into the craps table?

  • Even if you can’t get into a position to see into the table, look to see who is reaching down into it. Is it the players picking up their winnings from each of the rolls, or is it the dealers sweeping the bets off the tables because another seven rolled? Again, another tell tale sign of what the current trend is at the tables.

How much money is on the table in bets?

  • A great indication of whether a table is hot or cold is the amount of money that’s on the table relevant to the number of players at the table. If the table is warm to hot, you’ll see lots of money on place bets, heavy odds money, and you usually see plenty of money on the hardways and even on bonus bets like the ‘All Tall’ and ‘All Small’. Cold tables typically see little money on tables as players pull back on their betting or their remaining bankrolls don’t afford them bigger bets.

How much money is on the rail in front of the players?

  • To further confirm what you’ve observed so far, take a look at the rail in front of each of the players. Are they loaded with lots of green and black chips, or are there only small handfuls of red and white chips. If people are winning those rails load up pretty quickly. On the other hand, the rails empty quickly when the table is cold.

Ask, Ask, Ask

  • Lastly, don’t ignore the obvious. When you walk up to the table, ask the players to your right and left ‘how the table’s been’. Most will be honest but don’t forget, they’re seeing it from their perspective. If they’re placing ‘Do’ bets on a cold table, it’s going horribly for them, but if they’re playing the ‘Don’ts’, that same table has been great.

Craps Secrets Tip – When you buy in, throw a chip on the table and say ‘Any point for the table’, then try to get the dealer to confirm your observations. Ask ‘How long has the table been hot (or cold)?’. All dealers appreciate the tip and they’ll usually give you the scoop. And… the dealer will place your tip on the hottest number at the table.

While none of this is a guarantee, when you start stacking up one clue after another from the above, you’re going to right much more often than your wrong.

No trend lasts forever, and the trend you identified will certainly change. You need to remain diligent and observant to ensure you identify the change earlier than later. (If in doubt, just stop betting temporarily until you know where the table is heading.)

TRACKING THE TABLE

One of best ways to identify subsequent trend changes earlier is to track the table. Tracking keeps you diligent and aware without having to commit everything to memory. Whatever tracking system you use the key is to keep it as simple as possible so you can focus on your betting. There are many tracking methods out there, but I’ll walk you through what I track and how.

Simple Tracking Method

The tracking system I use is simple and only tracks repeating number and rolls between 7s. To execute this system you need to use 2 rail sections at the craps tables. The rail directly in front of me is for my bankroll, and the section immediately to my right is my tracking rail.

Show Me Pictures Of A Craps Table

You use both slots on the rail to track

  • Rolls Between 7s
    • The slot closest to the table is used to track the number of rolls between 7s.
    • Stand 1 white chip for every non-7 roll and start creating a row from left to right
    • When a ‘seven’ rolls, place a red chip next to the last white chip placed
    • Track a total of 20 to 24 rolls, about 3 to 4 shooters, then start pulling chips from the left side of the row
    • More than 2 ‘sevens’ within 12 rolls is a cold trend, less than 2 ‘sevens’ within 12 rolls is a warm to trend
    • What you’re looking for is to identify changes to the current trend and this should help you see that clearly
  • Repeating Numbers
    • With a little overlap, you can fit 6 chips lying flat in the slot
    • From left to right, they represent the box numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10)
    • When any box number is rolled, place a white chip in the spot for that number
      • You can use a red chip to designate hardways if you play them
    • Your looking for the hot numbers, numbers that are repeating
    • Track a total of 20 to 24 rolls, and then start over

After getting some practice tracking the craps tables, you’ll be amazed at how in tune you can become with the trends that are happening. Does it always work? No, but it works well enough that once you start tracking the table and maximizing your winnings, you may never go back to blind betting again.

The goal of everything we’ve discussed around assessing craps tables and identifying trends, is to ensure we’re using the right betting strategy at the right time, to take as much from the casino as possible.

Let The Trend Guide The Strategy

Contrary to popular belief, you should never walk into a casino committed to play one particular strategy. That’s the fastest way ensure financial ruin of your bankroll. Instead, you should walk into the casino with a repertoire (or toolbox) of strategies to use dependent on the trends at the table you’re playing at.

You need at least 2 to 3 ‘Right Side’ strategies to use when tables are ‘Hot’, 1 to 2 ‘Don’t Side’ strategies to use when tables are ‘Cold’, and at least 1 conservative, low money strategy to use (if you bet at all) to use when tables are ‘Choppy’.

You can find plenty of ‘Do’ and ‘Don’t’ strategies online, or you can check out the post on Winning At The Craps Tables.

EXAMPLE

Here’s an example of a recent visit I made to my local casino.

I walked into the casino with my ‘toolbox’ of strategies and made my way to the craps tables. There were two $10 minimum tables open, both with about 8 or so people playing at each.

One table stood out as no one at the table seemed happy, two players were looking over at the other table trying to decide if they should move to that table. Those were my first indications that this was a ‘cold’ table.

Reminder: You can make money on HOT tables and you can make money on COLD tables.

So I walked up to what looked like the ‘cold’ table and continued to assess the table.

Show Me A Craps Table

  • Very little money on the table aside from Pass Line bets.
  • The rails in front of the players were light, with one player holding his last 12 chips in his hands
  • One player in the corner playing the ‘Don’t’ side… His rail was loaded with chips

Show Me The Top Of A Craps Table

That was enough for me, I started playing one of my ‘Don’t’ strategies and immediately started tracking the table.

Sevens were rolling every 3 to 4 rolls with an occasional 5 and not a lot of repeat numbers showing either. It stayed that way for about 25 minutes which was more than enough for me to start trading green chips for black chips and obviously I was happy.

No trend lasts forever and all of sudden, the count jumped to 7 rolls and the 8 repeated 3 times during the roll and the point was made. Not sure if I was seeing an anomaly after losing that bet, I sat the next roller out. He had 6 rolls before a 7 and repeated the 5 twice and no craps numbers during his roll.

Nothing is a guarantee, but I came off my ‘Don’t’ strategy and switched to one of my ‘Do’ strategies. Next roller was mediocre and I was just under break even for his roll so I decided to try one more ‘Do’ bet before deciding the table might be choppy.

Show Me A Blackjack Table

Thank goodness I did, because the table went immediately HOT and the next 3 rollers had monster rolls. After the 3rd hot roller, there was a Point-7 Out, so I colored up and left with much more than my original win goal for the night.

Does it always work out as perfect as that? Obviously NOT, but more than enough to make up for the times it doesn’t. Also, by having a toolbox of strategies for hot, cold and choppy tables, you’re well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

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Craps Secrets has merged with the Black Chip Club

Please visit us at BlackChipClub.com

Show me pictures of a craps table

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If you have any questions, suggestions or recommendations, feel free to leave them in the comments section below.

In the meantime…

BEST OF LUCK AT THE CASINOS!!!


Craps is found in all Las Vegas casinos that have more than a handful of table games. The rules are generally the same from one casino to another except for the odds permitted online bets and whether the Field pays double or triple on 12.

Playing Craps at Online Casinos
If you are ready to start playing craps but are not currently in Las Vegas, we can show you some of the Top Rated Online Casinos where you can start playing craps for real money.

Las Vegas Craps Minimum Bets

Las Vegas craps minimum bets range from $1 to $50. Here is a list of all Las Vegas casinos that spread craps with its minimum bet. These minimum bets were recorded on weekdays. Higher minimum bets may be found during peak hours.

$1 Craps
  • Club Fortune
  • Jokers Wild
$2 Craps
  • Arizona Charlie’s Boulder
  • Jerry’s Nugget
$3 Craps
  • Fiesta Rancho
  • Fremont
  • Sam’s Town
$5 Craps
  • Plaza (Crapsless and traditional game)
  • 4 Queens
  • Aliante Casino
  • Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
  • Bally’s
  • Binion’s
  • Boulder Station
  • California
  • Cannery
  • Downtown Grand
  • El Cortez
  • Ellis Island
  • Fiesta Rancho
  • Gold Coast
  • Golden Nugget
  • Green Valley Ranch
  • M Resort
  • Main Street Station
  • Orleans
  • Palace Station
  • Rampart
  • Santa Fe Station
  • Silver 7’s
  • Silverton
  • South Point
  • Suncoast
  • Texas Station
  • The D
  • Tuscany
  • Westgate
$10 Craps
  • Bellagio
  • Circus Circus
  • Encore
  • Excalibur
  • Hard Rock
  • Harrah’s
  • Red Rock
  • Park MGM Casino
  • Sahara Las Vegas
  • Treasure Island
  • Wynn

Las Vegas Craps Odds

Most craps tables on the Las Vegas Strip offer 3/4/5 times odds. This means that a player can wager three times the flat bet on a 4 and 10, four times on a five and 9, and five times on a six and eight. The maximum win with odds on any of these numbers equals six times the flat bet. A notable exception is The Cromwell, where players may take odds for up to 100 times the original wager.

Downtown Las Vegas and the locals market tend to spread 10 times odds. There are some exceptions. Below is a list of each odds grouping with the amount permitted by each house.

100x Craps Odds
  • The Cromwell
20x Craps Odds
  • Main Street Station
  • Sam’s Town
10x Craps Odds
  • Aliante Casino
  • Arizona Charlie’s Boulder
  • Cannery
  • Boulder Station
  • Eastside Cannery
  • El Cortez
  • Ellis Island
  • Fiesta Henderson
  • Fiesta Rancho
  • Golden Gate
  • Green Valley Ranch
  • Jokers Wild
  • Palace Station
  • Plaza (craps only, not crapsless, which is 2x)
  • Rampart
  • Red Rock
  • Santa Fe Station
  • Silverton
  • Stratosphere (crapsless and traditional)
  • Suncoast
  • Texas Station
  • The D
5x Craps Odds
  • 4 Queens
  • Arizona Charlie’s Decatur
  • Binion’s
  • Downtown Grand
3-4-5x Craps Odds
  • Aria
  • Bally’s
  • Bellagio
  • Caesars Palace
  • Casino Royale
  • Club Fortune
  • Cosmopolitan
  • Encore
  • Excalibur
  • Flamingo
  • Gold Coast
  • Golden Nugget
  • Hard Rock
  • Harrah’s
  • OYO
  • Linq
  • Luxor
  • M Resort
  • Mandalay Bay
  • MGM Grand
  • Mirage
  • Park MGM Casino
  • New York New York
  • Orleans
  • O’Sheas
  • Palms
  • Paris
  • Planet Hollywood
  • Rio
  • Silver 7’s
  • Treasure Island
  • Tropicana
  • Tuscany
  • Venetian
  • Wynn
2x Craps Odds
  • Plaza (Crapsless table)
  • Railroad Pass
  • South Point

There are also alternatives to playing Craps for real money if you are not in Las Vegas. Check out our live casino page to find out more about playing craps online.

Complete Las Vegas Craps Survey 2019

CasinoGameMin BetMax Bet# of TablesOddsField 12Video
PlazaCrapless Craps5100012 xTripleNo
StratosphereCrapless Craps102000110 xDoubleNo
StratosphereCraps102000210 xDoubleNo
4 QueensCraps550025 xDoubleNo
Aliante CasinoCraps51000310 xTripleNo
AriaCraps25500083-4-5 xTripleYes
Arizona Charlie’s BoulderCraps21000110 xTripleNo
Arizona Charlie’s DecaturCraps550015 xTripleNo
Bally’sCraps5300043-4-5 xDoubleYes
Bally’sCraps15500013-4-5 xDoubleNo
BellagioCraps10500013-4-5 xTripleYes
BellagioCraps25500083-4-5 xTripleYes
Binion’sCraps550035 xDoubleNo
Binion’sCraps320012 xDoubleYes
Boulder StationCraps52000310 xDoubleNo
Caesars PalaceCraps25500013-4-5 xTripleNo
Caesars PalaceCraps50500053-4-5 xTripleYes
Caesars PalaceCraps200500013-4-5 xTripleNo
CaliforniaCraps5100042 xTripleNo
CanneryCraps51000210 xTripleNo
Casino RoyaleCraps10100013-4-5 xDoubleNo
Circus CircusCraps10100022 xTripleNo
Club FortuneCraps110013-4-5 xTripleNo
CosmopolitanCraps25500063-4-5 xTripleNo
CosmopolitanCraps15500013-4-5 xTripleYes
CromwellCraps2550004100 xDoubleYes
Downtown GrandCraps5100025 xTripleNo
Eastside CanneryCraps3500110 xTripleNo
El CortezCraps51000210 xTripleNo
Ellis IslandCraps5300110 xDoubleNo
EncoreCraps10500053-4-5 xTripleNo
ExcaliburCraps10300043-4-5 xTripleYes
Fiesta RanchoCraps3500110 xDoubleNo
Fiesta RanchoCraps5500110 xDoubleNo
Fiesta HendersonCraps31000110 xDoubleNo
FlamingoCraps15500013-4-5 xDoubleNo
FlamingoCraps25500043-4-5 xDoubleYes
FlamingoCraps100500013-4-5 xDoubleYes
FremontCraps5100042 xTripleNo
FremontCraps5300012 xTripleNo
Gold CoastCraps5100033-4-5 xTripleNo
Golden GateCraps52500210 xTripleNo
Golden NuggetCraps5500053-4-5 xTripleNo
Golden Nugget (Pool)Craps10500012 xDoubleYes
Green Valley RanchCraps55000410 xDoubleNo
Hard RockCraps10300043-4-5 xDoubleNo
Hard RockCraps15300013-4-5 xDoubleNo
Harrah’sCraps15500033-4-5 xDoubleYes
Harrah’sCraps25500043-4-5 xDoubleNo
OYOCraps10100013-4-5 xDoubleYes
Joker’s WildCraps1500110 xTripleNo
LinqCraps15500063-4-5 xDoubleYes
LuxorCraps15300053-4-5 xTripleNo
M ResortCraps5300035 xDouble/TripleNo
Main Street StationCraps51000320 xTripleNo
Mandalay BayCraps15500073-4-5 xTripleNo
Mandalay BayCraps25500013-4-5 xTripleNo
MGM GrandCraps10500013-4-5 xTripleNo
MGM GrandCraps25500063-4-5 xTripleYes
MGM GrandCraps50500013-4-5 xTripleNo
MirageCraps25500063-4-5 xTripleYes
NYNYCraps15300033-4-5 xTripleNo
NYNYCraps25300013-4-5 xTripleYes
OrleansCraps5200063-4-5 xTripleNo
O’SheasCraps15500013-4-5 xDoubleNo
Palace StationCraps53000310 xDoubleNo
PalazzoCraps25500052 xTripleNo
PalazzoCraps50500032 xTripleNo
PalmsCraps10500033-4-5 xDoubleYes
ParisCraps15500063-4-5 xDoubleYes
Park MGM CasinoCraps10300053-4-5 xTripleNo
Planet HollywoodCraps10500063-4-5 xDoubleYes
PlazaCraps51000210 xTripleNo
Railroad PassCraps350013-4-5 xTripleNo
RampartCraps51000210 xDoubleNo
Red RockCraps105000510 xDoubleNo
RioCraps10500043-4-5 xDoubleYes
Sam’s TownCraps31000420 xTripleNo
Santa Fe StationCraps51000310 xDoubleNo
Silver 7’sCraps550013-4-5 xDoubleNo
SilvertonCraps51000210 xTripleYes
Sahara Las VegasCraps10300033-4-5 xDoubleNo
South PointCraps5200022 xTripleNo
South PointCraps10200022 xTripleNo
South PointCraps15200012 xTripleNo
South PointCraps25200012 xTripleNo
StratosphereCraps51000210 xDoubleNo
SuncoastCraps52000310 xTripleNo
Texas StationCraps51000310 xDoubleNo
The DCraps55000210 xTripleNo
Treasure IslandCraps10200043-4-5 xTripleNo
Treasure IslandCraps110012 xDoubleYes
TropicanaCraps15300023-4-5 xDoubleNo
TuscanyCraps550013-4-5 xDoubleNo
VenetianCraps25500052 xTripleYes
VenetianCraps50500032 xTripleYes
WestgateCraps5200033-4-5 xDoubleNo
WynnCraps10500073-4-5 xTripleNo
WynnCraps25500013-4-5 xTripleNo
WynnCraps1001000013-4-5 xTripleNo
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