Splitting Buy Bets

[wudged]

I was trying to search which places in Biloxi have crapless craps and stumbled upon this article
http://www.readybetgo.com/craps/strateg ... -1514.html

The portion I'm interested in is:

Ask the friendly dealer if you can buy the 2, 3, 11 or 12 for $36 and still only pay $1 vig. If he says yes, ask him then if you can split up your bet and instead of betting $36 on one number, ask him if you can bet $9 each on all four numbers and still pay $1 vig for everything.

I was curious if anybody has ever successfully tried this (or even with 4/10) ?

I've been places before where buying the 4/10 for $50 each costs $5 - so I'm thinking you could make the argument for betting below the normal $20 buy-bet minimum (say 4/10 for $10 each.) It would end up costing you once you hit and would need to re-pay the vig, but I would think at that point you could just press it up to $20 without an issue. You could also take your bets down, but get no vig returned (or maybe even convince them to round it up to $1, for an effective zero edge!)

Any additional thoughts?

[sharkbyte]

I've been places before where buying the 4/10 for $50 each costs $5 -

I believe that is the true cost of the bets + vig. In most places you would likely be able to buy each number (4/10) individually for $52 each, and save yourself a dollar.

[heavy]

The "correct" commission on buy bets is 5% of the wager. That's why most Buy bets start at $20 - it generates a $1 commission. However, most casinos allow green chip bettors to wager $25 and pay a $1 commission - effectively reducing the commission to 4%. The farther you push the house on these things - the lower your effective commission percentage. If you can push them and only pay on the win - that gets it down even farther. I think most of the folks who haunt this board understand that. The idea of "splitting" a commission between multiple bets is interesting. I have played crapless games in the casino where they would let you buy the two and twelve and pay $1 commission total, but I never thought of it as splitting the commission because they kept half-dollars on the table and you could buy any number at the $10 level for .50 cents. You say potato . . .

Anyway, this is an interesting conversation and I'd like to hear more from you Mississippi boys as to whether you've encountered it. I suspect a little legwork will have to occur before we get the down and dirty answer, and I suspect it will come down to a casino-by-casino decision.

[Iceman95]

I will be at two different casinos on Monday and Tuesday. I will try this splitting and see what happens.

[Ahigh]

I've been able to split lay bets of all things at Red Rock here in Vegas. That's as close as I have done myself. I was able to lay the four and ten for $20 each and it only cost me $1 commission (up front) compared to a typical $2 commission.

Many dealers, you will find, may not be familiar with the casino's rules on this topic as few people attempt to do this even when it is allowed, at least here in Vegas. The more regulars you have the more that changes, but we are mostly tourist here.

[Iceman95]

I played Monday night and Tuesday morning. I have to say I did not do any buy bets. Tables for the most part were cold so I just stuck with DP and a few DC's. But I will keep this tactic in mind.

[Ahigh]

Main Street station allows $5 buy bets that pay $9.75 (commission on the win). This is the best in Vegas.

Joker's Wild offers a $0.25 vig paid up front on a $5 buy.

Lot of Stations Casinos will give you an "automatic buy" for a $10 bet paying $19.00 (but not $19.50 like Main Street Station) for a $10 bet on the 4 or 10.

The Silverton also offers a $19 pay on $10 four and ten bets.

Pressing all the way on $5 buys at Main Street Station can be loads of fun and you will be able to last a good long time if you buy the four and ten both and have at least $300. Pressing can be very gratifying on the 4 and 10 if you toss in the vig.

$5 -> $15 -> $40 -> $100 -> $275 -> (improvise from there)
-$5 -> -$5.25 -> -$2.50 -> +$17.75

You're basically looking for three hits and after that just say "press it all the way to the nearest green chip" or until the money seems ridiculous.

The first time you get to $275, you can just say "everything down" and make that ammo for your next round.

You will lose money pretty consistently unless or until the money gets ridiculous or you hit the max bet.

But if you want to burn $300 in a fun way with a chance to get crazy money, this is one of the best ways I know how to do that.

If the max bet is getting in your way, just go to another casino at that point.

[wudged]

At the Grand Biloxi, I asked about the $9 extreme outside numbers (as mentioned in the original article) and the dealers looked at me like I was crazy.

They then informed me that any buy bets on any number, crapless or regular, have to be in increments of $5, with the exception of $24 on the 5 or 9.

Also, for some reason, even though 3/11 (on crapless) pay 11/4, you are not allowed to make $8, $12, or $16 bets. You must bet in increments of $5 there as well and just lose the change. A $5 3/11 should pay $13.75 but you are only paid $13 on it. The same goes with 2/12, although with these numbers paying 11/2 you can bet $10 for an even payout. Betting only $5 robs you of $0.50.

[Mad Professor]

Hi Wudged,

Yes, those Crapless Place-bet payoffs are similar to what they are up here too, where they pay $13-to-$5 on the Place-3 or 11, and $25-to-$5 on the Place-2 or 12.

For Buy-bets on the Extreme-Outside, the $1 vig kicks in at the $20 mark.


MP

[heavy]

The original article was based on the original crapless game as featured at the Strat back in the day. Mississippi rules are indeed different.