Craps Betting Systems

Over the past hundred years or so, countless betting systems have been devised to lord over the tumbling dice. Quite clearly, no unbeatable system has yet been invented; otherwise casinos would all close their Crap tables. They know the House Edge defeats all methodologies over the long term.

Fortunately, there are several approaches that have proven successful in the short-term. Those that follow are particularly worthy of players’ attention.

Betting Progressions – Any progressive betting system that can be applied to wagering at the Roulette table can be used at the Craps table and perhaps with even greater effectiveness. That’s because the House Edge at Craps is roughly half that of European Roulette. Among the most popular progressions are Martingale (double up after a loss), d’Alembert (bet one unit more after a loss, one unit less after a win), Labouchere (the so-called cancellation system), Paroli (double up after a win) and 1-3-2-6 Betting, among others. All of these can be used for wagering on the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come and Don’t Come.

No Risk, Don’t Come – This oddly named system begins with a very strange wager—equal bets on the Pass and Don’t Pass so that they cover each other. When the come out roll results in Craps, Seven or Eleven, the result is a wash, with no money won or lost. The system only kicks in when the Point is established. Then, Free Odds are laid on the Don’t Pass, matched by an equal wager on the Don’t Come. Again, these two bets cover each other. Should the next roll be a seven, the Don’t Pass wagers win. If the roll comes up craps, the Don’t Come wins and the same wager is made once more. If the Come Point is established, the Free Odds Bet laid on the Don’t Pass is removed. What now remains on the table is an even-money wager on the Don’t Come that a seven will appear before the Come Point is made. This situation actually gives the player an advantage over the House. Too good to be true? Although it may seem foolproof, two problems arise. The system fails whenever a twelve is thrown on the come out roll, because the Don’t Pass bet results in a push and the Pass Line bet is lost. Also, should the shooter make the Point on the second roll, the Free Odds laid on the Don’t Pass bet lose and the Don’t Come remains at risk. Proceed with caution.

C.P.R. – Thanks to a catchy acronym, this system is easy to remember. Applied only to the Place Bets, it stands for Collect, Press and Regress. Begin by betting six units on the box number six or eight. Upon winning, COLLECT the seven units won, but leave the original six-unit wager active. A one-unit profit is guaranteed regardless of subsequent rolls. When the selected box number comes up again, PRESS it by letting the winnings ride and collecting one unit in profit. When the box number scores a third time, REGRESS to the original six-unit wager and collect the profits—22 units in total—for which just six units were ever at risk.

P.B.S. – This system also has a catchy acronym for Place Bets made exclusively on the box numbers four or ten: Press, Buy and Stop. Begin by betting five units on the selected box number. When it wins at 9-to-5 odds, pocket four units and PRESS five units on the same box number. Even if the wager loses now, the worst case is a net loss of one unit. If the box number wins again, it will pay 18 units at 9-to-5 odds. Now, BUY the box number for 20 units and pocket eight units in winnings for net gain of seven units guaranteed. Following a third win, payable at 2-to-1, STOP and collect the 39 units (40 units minus a 5% commission for the Buy bet). The system concludes here, but the player may wish to leave 20 units on the Buy bet or claim 15 units and return to the initial Place Bet of five units. Again, only five units were ever at risk.

More Systems – Buyer beware. Many books and tutorials claim to show the way to beat Craps. They have intriguing names such as Goldmine Craps, Foolproof Craps, Power Craps and the Ultimate Craps System. But any system that claims to be unbeatable is a sure moneymaker for the author, not the reader, because it must be based on faulty mathematics or a bald lie. The House Edge ensures a profit for the casino, so no system can possibly win all the time. Go for short term gains and quit the table while ahead. Gradually is the only way a record of success can be achieved.

Published on: 06/05/2012

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