Craps Part 3 - Dark Side Playing

Michael Shackleford: Alright, it’s the start of a new Come Out roll, and I want to take this chance to introduce a different type of bet – the Don’t Pass bet. In the game of Craps, this bet works in direct opposition to the Pass Line bet. Essentially, when the Pass Line wins, the Don’t Pass bet loses, and what helps the Don’t Pass bet win ultimately leads to a loss for the Pass Line.

The relationship is simple: what benefits one bet harms the other, and vice versa, with one noteworthy exception. Rolling a 12 will result in a loss for the Pass Line bet, but it does not give a win for the Don’t Pass; instead, it results in a push. That’s why we have the visual of two sixes here indicating that rolling a twelve is barred, meaning it leads to a push during the Come Out roll.

I realize that this might sound a bit perplexing, but I’ve discussed this thoroughly on my website. For now, let's go ahead and place a Don’t Pass bet.

Dan Lubin: Six easy. Mark to six.

Question 1

Michael: Similar to the Pass Line during the Come phase, after placing a Don’t Pass bet, you can also place an Odds bet, and in this instance, it's advisable to wager $30 right next to it, correct?

Dan: Exactly, but when laying odds on a Don’t Pass bet, ensure that the lay odds are positioned between your main bet, the flag bet, and the dealer area. So if she’s seated adjacent to the stick, the odds would be placed in this spot rather than over there, and her Don’t Pass bet would have the odds situated here instead of there. That means you’re betting $30 to potentially win $25 based on the lay odds.

Michael: Yes, and remember, this functions inversely compared to the odds on the Pass bet. A roll of seven here will score a win, and your $30 stake would yield $25 since rolling a seven is statistically more probable than rolling a six. While it's true that a majority of the players tend to favor the Pass line, which makes you a dissenting player hoping for other players' losses to result in your gain.

Angela Wyman: The person at the table that everyone talks about.

Dan: Such players are often looked down upon by the right rollers. Five, [unintelligible 00:02:12] five.

Michael: Nothing happens with that roll. At this point, you could opt to make a Don’t Come bet if you wish, though I won't delve into that right now since it works much like a Come bet, but flips the outcome. Simply keep rolling until you get either a six or a seven. You’re aiming for a seven.

Dan: Nine, center-field. Six, a line.

Michael: That’s, unfortunately, great news for the Pass line players, but not for us. We end up losing. Initially, we were betting on the Pass line in hopes of hitting a point, but now we’re turning to what's referred to as Dark Side betting, going against the rest of the players.

Angela: So the takeaway is to avoid betting against the crowd.

Michael: My strategy is to maximize the odds in my favor when playing at the casino. The house edge on a Pass line bet is 1.41%, whereas on a Don’t Pass bet, it’s slightly more favorable at 1.36%. That’s a mere 0.05% advantage on the Don’t Pass. Now, the question is, do I therefore choose to bet on the Don’t Pass just to gain that extra 0.05%? I can see Dan’s head shaking, but most of the time, I certainly will. I constantly strive to tip the odds as much in my favor as I can, and if that makes me a villain at the table betting against the norm, so be it. Bring it on.

This time around, I’ll demonstrate my own approach to the table by placing Don’t Pass bets, Don’t Come bets, and consistently backing them up with the maximum odds available. That is definitely the optimal way to play Craps in terms of reducing the house advantage.

So let’s see how it goes. We’re kicking things off with the Don’t Pass bet.

Dan: Eight easy, mark the eight.

Michael: You’re going to place a lay bet of $30 here, which serves to back up your Don’t Pass bet. Additionally, if the table allows for odds of three, four, or five times, your lay bets are always six times your Don’t Pass wager. That’s an easy rule to remember. Now let’s also place a Don’t Come bet.

This functions similarly to a new Don’t Pass bet but is made when it’s not a Come Out roll.

Dan: Four easy.

Michael: Let’s enhance your last Don’t Come bet by adding a $30 lay bet.

Question 2

Angela: Is there something I need to say to you at this moment?

Dan: Lay odds.

Angela: Lay odds.

Dan: And you put it in the DC, very good.

Michael: And I can execute a Don’t Come bet. However, I wouldn’t voice my desire to roll a seven in a real casino since the other players might already dislike me for wagering on the Don’t Pass. Moreover, they tend to be superstitious and believe it brings bad luck to openly mention 'seven,' particularly when it’s not a Come Out roll, so announcing that would really irritate those around me.

Dan: 11.

Michael: The Don’t Come bet results in a loss, so let’s place a fresh Don’t Come bet.

Dan: Eight easy.

Michael: We’ve lost on this bet. Now, let's go ahead and make a new Don’t Pass bet. By the way, all the other bets are still active.

Dan: Now she can calculate the odds on the [unintelligible 00:05:58]

Michael: Yes, let’s proceed with a $30 odds wager on top of the eight, and let’s get [unintelligible 00:06:08]

Dan: Six easy.

Michael: Alright, let’s supplement this with $30 in odds. Now, let’s place a new Don’t Come bet. Seven.

Dan: Eight.

Michael: We’ve lost against that eight, so let’s back the new bet on eight with $30 in odds. Additionally, let’s go for another Don’t Come bet. With the Don’t Pass bets you’ve placed, each time a number you already have a stake on comes up, you lose, but when a seven shows up, you win across the board, which is exhilarating.

Dan: Eleven. Take the DC. So, this bet is taken up.

Michael: The seven has caused all of our bets to win except for the last Don’t Come bet. So Dan, enlighten Angela about how much we’ve just won.

Dan: Absolutely. She incurred a $5 loss on her last DC bet, but she laid down $30 in odds, which nets her $25 on the odds payout. Additionally, she wins $5 on her original Don’t Pass bet, topping her total to $30. With the seven activation, she will collect behind the eight and four. With her $30 stake, she’ll be compensated $15 because two is the winning figure.

Moreover, she gets an even return on her flag bet. For the lay odds on the eight, $30 earns $25, and I have to pull out extra funds since her earnings are significant, while also rewarding her with even money on her flag bet and distributing her winnings from the DC, clearing out her successful Don’t Pass stake.

And [unintelligible 00:08:25], plus now a new shooter gets to roll the dice. Nevertheless, consider this – A Dark Side bettor, or Don’t bettor, technically benefits from a seven out, but they effectively lose the right to roll.

Michael: Just to clarify, a shooter is permitted to place a bet on the Don’t Pass. I think there may be some confusion in that regard.

We’ve already covered all the bets allowed on the table, namely the Pass, Come, Don’t Pass, and Don’t Come, all backed up with odds. These constitute the best bets you can make. In essence, all you really need to know about Craps revolves around those bets. If you stick to those, you’ll do quite well. However, there are plenty of other options available at the table that aren’t as favorable.

Some of these are categorized as Place bets, so let’s discuss those next.

Written by: Michael Shackleford