Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Setting and influencing the dice roll is just part of the picture. To beat the dice you have to know how to bet the dice. Whether you call it a "system," a "strategy," or just a way to play - this is the place to discuss it.

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mycoalsmith

Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by mycoalsmith » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:45 pm

I was lamenting my last Craps trip - I just couldn't seem to do anything!

On Sunday, I went to the Presque Isle casino in Erie, PA. My first round of throwing, I was at stickman's left - #8 - clear over by the dealer as it was the only place open. I decided since I couldn't do anything with dice setting from the trip before, I would just try my luck at "chicken feeding". My rolls were: 8, 12, 8. Winner! 5, 8, 6, 3, 8, 5. Winner! 6, 2, 8, 9, 6. Winner. 3, 6, 8, 7.

I pretty much played all day and stayed even. When I had last colored up and counted, I was down $20.00 for the day. I thought about going home, but then thought "If only I could make them $20.00 up and break even." So, I bought back in, and the dice came to me after a few people. I was in one of my good spots - beside the stickman, but to his left. So I decided to try out my DI'ing. Set on 7 for the Come out roll and doubles after the point is set.

I started throwing: 7, 5, 12, 9 and then I stopped. Earlier in the day, I had been shooting from the right of the stickman, and I just didn't feel comfortable from the left. No one was to the right of the stickman, so I asked him - can I change places, I can't shoot comfortably from here? He asked the Supervisor, and they said "Yeah, just move his Pass line bet and 6 & 8 to the other side." So my chips got moved and the one lady player to my left said "You are doing okay, no need to move." I told her, I just wasn't comfortable throwing it from stickman's left. (I thought other players might be perturbed too, but no one said anything.)

Move to stickman's right and continue rolling: 6, 6, 6 - which was a weak throw. At this point, the last 6 didn't hit the back wall. The one pit boss said "You need to hit the back wall." I replied "I'm trying." She said "No, you NEED to hit the back wall." Pick up the dice, set them for doubles and roll: 6, 6, 11, 10, 11, 8, 9, 11, 5. Winner! I continue: 8, 4, 2, 5, 6, 9, 5, 5, 3, 6, 6, 4, 9, 5, 5, 2, 9, 12, 9, 9, 5, 5, 4, 8. Winner!

I continue: 7, 12, 5, 5. Winner! 7, 8, 6, 4, 4, 4, and 7 out!

I have NEVER rolled like that. I was conservative with my betting - $5.00 Pass line bet, and the 6 and 8. After so many 6's about half way through the game, I put a $5.00 chip on 4, 5, 9, & 10. By the time I was done rolling, I was up $382.00 for the day!

I don't know what it was - but I was just "in the zone". After my roll, the lady who had mentioned to me right before I moved "You are doing okay, no need to move." I said to her - I told you I NEEDED to move!

I'm going down to The Rivers and The Meadows in Pittsburgh on Friday. I'm hoping I get on another hot roll!

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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by heavy » Wed Mar 20, 2013 12:28 am

Nice report. Glad to hear you caught a hand - AND - wish I had been there to capitalize on it! Yeah, that's always how I feel when I read reports like this. Now if only you can recapture that magic next session . . .
"Get in, get up, and get gone."
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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by dork » Wed Mar 27, 2013 10:20 am

Mycoalsmith, If I may critique your betting without sounding condescending... a dealer broke me out of my "grind mode" betting strategy recently. At most, staying within my comfort zone, I was a $54 across bettor. His advice has paid off very well over the last two months, and converted sessions like yours into big money makers. He counseled me that I 'had to take a chance with casino money' and stop grinding with an "up one unit" strategy. I don't know what method you're using, but this would easily make more money on the same session than the $382 you quoted. (no offense meant)

His advice was to "choose a number, any number" and never collect the winnings until I'd parlayed that number at least 4x. I revise it according to my financial state--sometimes I take the profits at 3x and also take down the accrued bets leaving a $10 bet standing, other times I let it run the full 4 parlays. It depends on whether or not I'm back to even or started from profits... but his "chose a number, any number" is too haphazard for me. If you have a signature number and know what it is, parlay that number. If not, the following tracker might do best for directing your parlays...

Heavy taught me to lay out six $1 chips (or quarters [25 cent-pieces]), flat, side-by-side in the chip trough. (I like chips--they don't wobble like quarters do.) They represent the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. When a box number is thrown, I stack a chip on top of the correct marker. The first number that repeats twice is the "chosen number" and I parlay only that number 3-4x without collecting. All the other box number hits will go 'up one unit' each time they hit after "same betting" them to pay back my investment, but the 'chosen number' will (even at the 3x) pay at least 10x its' original bet ASIDE from the other box numbers' costs having been covered. Repeating the number again and again only adds pure profit.

The other thing I do when I make the point is to increase the PL odds by 50% every time I win. I think it was the Dice Doctor (Sam Grafstein) who said something I took to heart (being a nickel and dime grinder)-- if I may paraphrase--"nothin' hurts worse than to see a neophyte repeatedly hit his point and still have only single odds behind his PL bet at the end of his hand." That observation alone broke me out of my 'never winning "big" ' when the points were hit quickly (because my steady as rote cheap 1-3x odds never 'incrementally' increased). Assuming a table limit of 3-5x, let's just make an example this way-- PL $5, odds 15. Winner.. next PL bet--$5 odds 25 winner... next PL bet $10 odd 40 winner... next PL bet $15 odds 60. The PL bet must increase in order to allow the higher odds bet (increased at ~50%) if the table limits are as low as 3-5x.

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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by heavy » Wed Mar 27, 2013 2:58 pm

Great advice Dork.
"Get in, get up, and get gone."
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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by memo » Wed Mar 27, 2013 3:14 pm

dork

If I understand you...
54 across. Same bet until even. Then up a unit on each hit.
But the number that first hits twice..
parlay it 3 or 4 more times
Then take profit each time it hits again :?:

Memo

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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by dork » Wed Mar 27, 2013 6:34 pm

Memo,

Yes, you've summarized my betting scheme correctly--with just a minor variation when I'm betting on myself (mind you, I almost never bet $54 across [that much money anymore] on a random roller--if I feel "left out", I'll use Heavy's Heat Seeker strictly and exactly on randoms).

I know my signature number is '5'. Therefore, from the first '5' hit, I'm parlaying the 5 until at least the 3rd parlay. The next hit on the 5 is decision time--if I'm behind, I'm a real chickenshit and down the winnings and all of the bet except $10 and start over. If I'm even or ahead, I'll parlay again. Then I'll take the next winnings only. From there, you can do whatever you like. In my case, I've only used this system for 2 months, but at this point I've then parlayed, same bet (and 7'd out) with the intention of parlaying every other hit.

All other boxes that hit except the 5 are 'up one unit'. From the first roll, excepting hits on the 5, I "same bet" until I make up the $54 expense. (I don't worry about recouping the 'roughly' $15 on the PL and its' odds--but you could--all you need to do is 'same bet' one more time. Even if the PL odds are greater than 2x [say $60 after several points made] I'll consider the PL and odds "covered" already) Once in rare while I'll find that my tracker shows that I'm hitting some other number more often than the 5. I don't change strategy--I'll still parlay the 5--usually, I've already got ~$60 on the 5 when I realize the 9 or 10 is pounding. I've considered moving the place bet (minus $10) from the 5 to the more frequent-hitting number, but I haven't ever come off the place-bet-5 yet. I probably should, though, especially when I get into a pound-the-10 session. The tracker doesn't lie.

If you don't know what the signature number is, then what I do is as you said--I just let the tracker tell me who's rolled the repeater again first and that number becomes the "chosen number" which I'll parlay just as I'd do if I were the shooter.

mycoalsmith

Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by mycoalsmith » Wed Mar 27, 2013 11:36 pm

Dork,

Interesting style!! I will have to try that. I'll let you know how it works out.

mycoalsmith

mycoalsmith

Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by mycoalsmith » Thu Mar 28, 2013 10:40 pm

Dork,

I'm intrigued by this parlaying one number. I will certainly try it on my next Craps trip. One question though, I understand that parlaying means the whole win goes back onto that number. But when the 6 and 8 are usually placed with $6.00 increments, how does that work if your number is 6 or 8 and you parlay it? Your $6.00 bet with a win of $7.00 would give you a parlayed bet of $13.00. How do they determine the payoff for that when it wins after hitting again?

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Re: Who knew it was so hard to hit an 8?

Post by dork » Fri Mar 29, 2013 12:18 am

On a true 6/8 parlay, the bet would increase to these totals:

bet = $12 (dealer pays you $1)
$24 (dealer pays you $2)
$48 (dealer pays you $4) [$42 bet returning $12 to you would make a more convenient or 'manageable' bet--it pays $49--a. k. a. "$50 for $1")
$102 (dealer pays you $2)

In all cases on the 6/8, they'll only parlay in multiples of 6; they'll return (pay) to you the extra dollars over multiples of 6--so for your example, the bet doesn't go to $13, it goes to $12 and you get a dollar.

Sometimes you'll owe them a couple bucks, sometimes they'll owe you. For instance, on the 5/9, a $10 place bet pays $14. Parlay that and the bet is $24. The payoff on THAT bet is $35. Since the bet on the 5/9 should be an even number, $24 plus $35 equals $59, so they'll either give you back $4, or, if they're looking out for you, they should ask you for a dollar to take the bet to a round even number--$60.

Likewise, if you parlay the first hit on a $10 place bet on the 4/10, the payoff is $18 or $19 depending on the house juice policy. In either case, the parlayed bet should amount to $30--so they should ask you for either $1 or $2 to round off the 4/10 bet to a 'full' parlay.

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