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-
-
- * * * LAS VEGAS CRAPS * * *
-
-
- Tedeschi Software>>>
- 4506 Osceola St.
- Denver CO 80212
-
- (303) 477-5223
-
-
- I N S T R U C T I O N M A N U A L
-
-
-
- F E A T U R E S
-
-
-
- o Full-featured simulation of an actual craps table including all bets
- normally offered in a Las Vegas Casino.
-
- o Allows player(s) to select specific attributes of the craps table such as
- minimum bet, free odds multiple, and player stakes.
-
- o A sophisticated HELP utility featuring a probabilities screen and "Craps
- Assistant" which offers betting tips based on the history of numbers
- previously rolled.
-
- o A full-featured "Strategy" editor which allows you to create betting
- strategies, save them to disk, and automatically play the strategies (up to
- 9999 rolls) under complete computer control.
-
- o Fast and friendly reporting of game dynamics such as comeout status,
- point, and last number rolled.
-
- o Complete information about a particular bet, i.e. On/Off status, maximum
- odds bet, bet amount, and corresponding payoff amount.
-
- o General bet type information, i.e. pay odds, winner numbers, loser
- numbers, house edge, and bet quality.
-
- o Full implementation of the following bets:
-
- Pass Line, Odds on Pass Line, Come Bets, Odds on Come Bets, Don't
- Pass Line, Odds on Don't Pass Line, Don't Come Bets, Odds on Don't Come
- Bets, Field Bets, Place Bets, Buy Bets, Big 6 and Big 8 Bets, Any Seven,
- Hard Ways, Yo, Lo, Hi, Joe, Any Craps, Craps & Eleven and the Horn Bet.
-
- o Full graphics representation of all players' chips, dynamically updated.
-
- o Animated, rolling dice with numbers generated by a 48-bit random number
- generator, continuously seeded by the number of microseconds passed since
- power-up. This guarantees the true randomness of numbers.
-
- o An animated dealer stick which moves players' bet markers toward their
- chip rack when winning bets and removes markers when losing.
-
- o Game play authenticated by experts.
-
- o Digitized sound and speech.
-
- o For any 512k Amiga. One to four players. Operates on AmigaDos 1.2 or
- greater...multitasks and runs on RAM-expanded machines.
-
-
- -----------------------------------------------------------------------------
- L A S V E G A S C R A P S
-
- by Arthur Tedeschi
-
- CONTENTS
-
-
-
-
- About "Las Vegas Craps" 3
-
- Setting Up 3
-
- Tutorial for Craps Beginners 4
-
- Tutorial for Advanced Players 9
-
- Strategies and Auto-Play 13
-
- Rules of Play 17
-
-
-
- About "Las Vegas Craps"
-
- The inspiration for this game simulation is the result of this author's
- enjoyment of the game of craps. Of all the casino games available, craps is
- probably the most dynamic and action-packed, yet is probably the most
- neglected among casino games written for the home computer.
-
- This game was written with the following goals in mind:
-
- 1) To provide as realistic a simulation as possible to tutor the
- beginner in this excellent game.
-
- 2) To place a powerful tool in the hands of an experienced player in
- which a particular strategy may be tested before laying down real cash on a
- real craps table.
-
- 3) To educate current and potential players of craps on the finer
- points of the game and hopefully prevent them from making poorly thought out
- bets.
-
- 4) To allow several "customizable" options in which players may
- closely simulate the actual play in a real casino.
-
- 5) To provide a simple, yet elegant user interface.
-
-
- Setting Up
-
- Loading the Game...
-
- Las Vegas Craps may be loaded from either Workbench or from the
- CLI/Shell. If the program is installed on a Workbench disk (the other files
- which appear on the program disk must appear in the same directory as the
- game program), simply double-click over the game icon. The game will load
- automatically. If loading from the CLI, simply type at the CLI prompt
- "Craps". The game will then load itself into your computer.
-
- From the Main Requester...
-
- When the game is fully loaded, the Main Requester will appear and
- wait for you to enter vital set-up information.
-
- At the left of the requester are the players' names boxes. Click
- into the string gadget boxes and type in the names of the players (1 - 4
- players may play). If only one person will be playing, enter it at player
- one's box (and leave the others blank). If two are playing, fill in boxes 1
- and 2..etc. Utilize the backspace and del key in order to edit your entries.
-
- Further down the requester, you'll find the box in which to enter the
- players' "Stakes",or the total cash available to each player during the game.
- Simply click in the dollar amount. (It is suggested that beginners start with
- a reasonable amount ($200 - $500) in order to get a good feel for the game
- before betting big.)
-
- At the top right is the MinBet gadget. Enter your desired minimum bet
- for that table. Typical amounts range from $1 - $10 (depending on the
- casino).
-
- The arrow gadget below is the "Free Odds" gadget. Simply click the
- "up" arrow to increase the free odds multiple or click the "down" arrow to
- reduce it. The range is from 1 through 10 (the number is shown to the
- right of the arrow. Typically, when the gambling economy is good in Vegas,
- the multiple hovers around 1x - 3x.
-
- When finished, click over the "Play" gadget. If any mistakes were
- made, a "House Message" will inform you of your error and allow you to re-
- input before beginning the game.
- Tutorial for Craps Beginners
-
- The tutorial is placed at this point in the manual so that you may
- begin enjoying the game immediately. Beginners and experienced players
- should follow through the Beginner's Tutorial at this time. Beginners should
- then read the "Rules of Play" section further in the manual to become better
- acquainted with the rules of the game. Advanced players may wish to skip
- the "Rules of Play" section and move directly to the "Tutorial for Advanced
- Players" in the next section.
-
- Part 1: Main Requester
-
- * Click the mouse pointer in the Player 1 box and type your name. Click
- the mouse pointer in the Player 2 box and enter any other name.
-
- * Click into the stakes box and type "200".
-
- * Click into the MinBet box and type "2".
-
- * Click over the Play gadget.
-
- If you've made no errors,the Requester will have vanished and reveal-
- ed the entire craps table. If your computer is equipped with an audio monitor
- with the volume set at normal level, the table dealer will chant his typical
- "Coming Out, Coming Out, Bet On Craps." Note: The audio generator, after
- the initial comeout chant, will default to OFF. At this point, or at any
- other point during the game, you may enable the dealer's speech by accessing
- the pull-down menu "Voice" and setting it to the "ON" position.
-
- Part 2: The Main Screen
-
- Let's take a minute to look over the screen. From bottom to top:
-
- The Player Stats area is at the very bottom of the screen. Each play-
- er has a dedicated area which indicates the player's name (or chip rack if
- the player is the current bettor),a box to indicate total winnings, a box for
- total disposable cash, and a box for total bets out.
-
- Directly above the Players' Stats area are the Bet Control Gadgets.
- These are the row of green and red rectangles which line the bottom frame
- of the craps table. Above these gadgets is the craps table itself. You've
- probably already noticed that the left half of the table is identical to the
- right half. This is done so that players may stand relatively near their
- bets, and the dealers have a close access to both the players and their bets.
- On this table, Players 1 and 2 must place their bets on the left side of the
- table and Players 3 and 4 on the right. The bet area at the center is
- common to all four players. At the top-center of the table is the Roll
- gadget (the large red dice). Only click on this gadget after all players
- have placed their desired bets. At the very top of the screen is the Menu Bar
- Message. Here you will find various bits of useful information regarding the
- current shooter, reminders of set-up parameters, and all sorts of bet
- information.
-
- Part 3: Selecting the Current Bettor
-
- Before we actually place a bet, we must determine the current bettor.
-
- * Click over Player 2's name box.
-
- You should have noticed that Player 2's chip rack is now visible (and
- the name has disappeared). Player 2 is now the current bettor, and the
- mouse pointer will change to red (Player 2's color).
-
- * Now click over Player 1's name box.
-
- Player 1's chip rack is now visible and Player 1 is the current bettor (and
- the mouse pointer will change back to white, Player 1's color). Note: At
- the beginning of the game and after every roll, the current bettor will
- default to Player 1.
-
- Part 4: Reading the Menu Bar Message
-
- The current menu bar message indicates the game status. The Shooter
- is the player who will be rolling the dice on the next roll. (Should indicate
- Player 1's name.)
-
- The RollType indicates the game status, either COMEOUT or PASS.
- More about this later. (Should indicate COMEOUT at this time.)
-
- Pt is the point number. Again, more about this later. (Should
- indicate "0" at this time.)
-
- Next is Num, or the previous number rolled (the sum of the two dice).
- This should be "0".
-
- After that is MinBet, or the minimum bet chosen at time of set-up.
- (Should be $2.)
-
- Lastly, we have Free, or the Free Odds multiple chosen at time of
- set-up. (Should be "X1".) More about this later.
-
- Part 5: Selecting A Bet
-
- We will now select a bet.
-
- Near the left-center of the table, locate the bet named "FIELD".
-
- * Make certain that Player 1 is the current bettor, and click over the
- "FIELD" bet.
-
- You have now selected the "FIELD" bet. The bet should now be
- highlighted. Before we actually place a bet on the "FIELD", let's explore
- the Menu Bar information.
-
- Note that the Menu Bar Message has now changed...by both color and
- information offered:
-
- The BetName is simply the name of the bet. This should indicate
- "Field".
-
- The Odds indicate the ratio at which the casino will pay on your bet.
- Example: If the odds were 2 to 1, the house would pay you $2 on a bet of
- $1. If the odds were 3 to 2, the house would pay you $3 on a $2 bet...but
- on a $3 bet the house would only pay $4. In other words, the house will
- not pay off in change, only even dollars. You must always be aware of this
- when placing a bet in order to glean your entire advantage. Example: A
- bet with odds of 6 to 5 will pay $12 on a $10 bet but will only pay $10 on
- a $9 bet. Bet carefully. The casino already has the advantage on most
- bets...you don't need to give them another. (You should notice that the
- "FIELD" bet pays at 1 to 1 odds. In this instance, a glance at the bet itself
- will indicate that a roll of a 2 or 12 will pay triple odds, or 3 to 1.)
-
- Bet indicates the total dollars bet. This should be "0" at this time.
-
- Pays indicates the payoff amount which the house would pay on that
- particular bet amount (based on the odds ratio). (This should indicate "0" at
- this time, since we've not yet placed the bet.)
-
- Stat indicates the status of that player's bet. On indicates that the
- bet is in force on the next roll. Off indicates that the bet will not be in
- force on the next roll. (Should be "On" at this time.)
-
- Let's further explore the information available on the "FIELD" bet:
-
- * Click on the "NUMS" Bet Control Gadget on the bottom frame of the
- table.
-
- The Menu Bar Message has changed again. The information posted is
- now the Winners and Losers, or the numbers which will cause you to win
- this bet on the next roll or to lose it. (Note: On the "FIELD" bet, 2 or 12
- pays triple.)
-
- * Now click on the "INFO" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- The Menu Bar Message should now indicate some general information
- about the "FIELD" bet.
-
- BetName is simply the name of the bet.
-
- House Edge indicates the percentage of "edge" the casino has over you
- when you place this bet. Be cautious. As this number increases, your
- chances of winning this bet decrease significantly.
-
- And Quality is the author's subjective representation of the quality
- of this bet.
-
- Part 6: Placing Chips on the Bet
-
- Now that we've explored the necessary information about the "FIELD"
- bet and selected it (it should still be highlighted), we must now lay some
- chips on the bet.
-
- The player's chip rack at the top of the Players' Stats area contains
- the number of chips equivalent to the player's CASH amount indicated below.
- The white chips are $1, the red $5, the blue are $25, and the black are
- $100. Once a player has more cash than will fit on the chip rack, the $100
- chips above the maximum chip rack capacity will not be shown (but will fill
- the rack as it becomes depleted). Each time a player places a chip on the
- table, the game will update the chip rack in order to always give the player
- the maximum number of lower-value chips available (which equals his CASH
- amount).
-
- * Position the pointer over the red chip area of Player 1's chip rack
- and click once.
-
- You should have noticed that a red $5 chip has been placed on the
- "FIELD" bet.
-
- Check the Menu Bar Message. The Bet amount should now be $5 and
- the Pay amount value should be $5 (since the odds are 1 to 1).
-
- * Click over the $1 chip area of Player 1's chip rack.
-
- You should now see a $1 chip atop the original $5 chip.
- Check the Menu Bar Message and Player 1's Stat area. They should
- now indicate a $6 bet.
-
- Likewise, the blue ($25) and black ($100) chips react in exactly the
- same manner.
-
- Part 7: Aborting and Booking A Bet
-
- Aborting a bet simply allows you to remove your chips prior to
- booking it.
-
- * Click on the "ABORT" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- You should have noticed that your chips have been removed from the
- "FIELD" bet, your chip rack has gained them back, and your Stats area
- indicates that a bet was never made. You can always back out of a bet this
- way (prior to booking the bet).
-
- Booking a bet is simply the act of committing to the bet.
-
- * Click over the "FIELD" bet again.
-
- * Click over a $5 chip again.
-
- * Now click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- You have now booked your bet and may go on to place other bets on
- the table. Please notice that a tiny "x" marker has been placed in the
- bottom left corner of the "FIELD" bet in your color. This is your indication
- that you have a bet placed on the "FIELD". Also, check your Stats area.
- You should note that your CASH is now $195 and your BETS OUT is now $5.
-
- Now, let's check your bet.
-
- * Click over the "FIELD" bet again.
-
- You should notice that your $5 is still there.
-
- * Now click over the "ABORT" Bet Control Gadget.
- You should now note that your marker is still there. The "ABORT" Bet
- Control Gadget only works on non-booked bets. Like in a real casino, once
- you've made your bet you must live with it (with just a very few exceptions,
- which we'll get to later).
-
- Part 8: Forbidden Bets
-
- There will always be some bets on the table which a player, in a
- given circumstance, will be unable to make.
-
- * Click over the "COME" bet at the left-center of the table.
-
- * Now place any chip on that bet.
-
- * Now click over the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Notice that nothing happens. The "BET" Bet Control Gadget has been
- disabled because it is improper to place a "COME" bet on a COMEOUT roll
- (more about this later). Only the highlighted Bet Control Gadgets are
- enabled to your command.
-
- * Click over the "ABORT" Bet Control Gadget to remove your chip and
- return to the bet-selection mode.
-
- * Now click over the blank area directly beneath the "PASS LINE" at the
- left-bottom of the table.
-
- Aha, this bet must be allowable since the "BET" Bet Control Gadget is
- highlighted. Good, but no cigar. This blank area is an "ODDS" bet behind
- the "PASS LINE". We'll see why you can't place this bet.
-
- * Click over any chip area to place a chip on this bet.
-
- * Click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- A House Message should pop up indicating that an error was made
- (more about that later).
-
- * To clear out, click over the "ABORT" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- When this tutorial ends, feel free to explore the bets on the table,
- but keep in mind that some of them won't be open to a bet. To back out,
- simply click over the "ABORT" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Part 9: Rolling the Dice
-
- Make certain that you're now back to the main bet selection status.
- (All of the Bet Control Gadgets should be disabled.) Also, check to see that
- your marker is still on the "FIELD" bet. If that's all set, you're now ready
- to roll the dice.
-
- * Click over the "Roll" gadget located at the top-center portion of the
- table.
-
-
- You should have seen the dice roll and stop on the right side of the
- table (Players 1 and 2 roll to the right and Players 3 and 4 roll to the
- left). The total of the numbers shown on the dice is the number rolled.
- Also, that number should be reflected at the Nums location of the Menu Bar
- Message.
-
- Also, you should have noticed that the dealer's "stick" came down and
- either took your "FIELD" marker toward the top of the table (you lost) or
- pushed it and another square marker down toward your chip rack (you won).
- The chips dropped indicate either the total chips lost or, upon a win, the
- total bet plus the payoff.
-
- If one of the "FIELD" numbers came up, you won your bet, and your
- chip rack and Stats area should indicate that fact. Since your bet amount
- was $5, the house would've paid you $5 in winnings, which should be reflected
- in your WINNINGS box. You should also have $205 in CASH ($195+ $5 winnings +
- $5 original bet returned to you), and your BETS OUT box should be back to "0".
- If a 2 or a 12 came up the casino would've paid you $15 and your Stats should
- indicate it. Note that your WINNINGS box is only a running indicator of your
- net winnings throughout the game and has no effect on your CASH, the true
- indicator of your fiscal condition. Several bettors like to wager based on
- their winnings, thus the WINNINGS indicator.
-
- Unfortunately, if a non-field number came up, your first experience
- with this game has not been a good one. You lost your bet. The loser
- numbers would be either 5,6,7, or 8. These four numbers will come up more
- often than the combination of 2,3,4,9,10,11, or 12,strangely enough (which is
- why the casino offers the bet). Your Stats area should now indicate -$5 in
- the WINNINGS box, $195 in the CASH box, and "0" in the BETS OUT box.
-
- If the number rolled was a 4,5,6,8,9, or 10, the Menu Bar Message
- should reflect that number at the Pt location. Also, an "ON" marker should
- have appeared over the boxes near the top of the table at the number's
- location (on the left and right of the table). This is the game POINT.
- More about that later. This doesn't affect the "FIELD" bet, since it's
- determined by the next number up.
-
- Part 10: New Game
-
- Since we must reset the game in order to learn the next function, now
- would be and excellent time to explore the Game menu.
-
- * Holding down the right menu button, move the mouse pointer to the
- top-left of the menu bar at the area marked "Game". While still holding the
- right button down, note the two items in this menu.
-
- New is the menu item which allows you to re-set the game and start
- over. All information about the previous game will be lost, so be certain to
- use this function with care.
-
- Exit allows you to exit the game and will return you to your original
- destination, either the Workbench or CLI. Again, use
- this with care, as it will clear all of your previous game stats.
- * While holding the right mouse button, release it over the New item in
- the "Game" menu. Click over "Do It" when asked if you wish to start a new
- game.
-
- If everything went well, you should now be viewing the familiar Main
- Requester. Though they appear blank, the original entries are still in force.
- You may, at any time, either modify them or leave them alone.
-
- * Click over the "Play" gadget.
-
- The requester should've disappeared and returned you to the craps
- table. The game is now reset and we may begin anew.
-
- Part 11: Cash Bets
-
- Occasionally, you may wish to bet large amounts of money and clicking
- on chips may cause them to scroll off of the screen (though the bet amount
- will still be reflected in the game statistics). During these situations, it
- may be quicker to make a Cash Bet.
-
- * Click over the "PASS LINE" bet near the left bottom of the screen.
-
- * Click over the Bet Control Gadget marked "$$$".
-
- The Cash Bet Requester should now be in view.
-
- * Click into the string gadget of the Requester, erase the "0" and type
- "5".
-
- * Click over the Do It gadget.
-
- * Click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Note your marker in the left bottom corner of the "PASS LINE" bet.
- You can always back out of a Cash Bet by selecting the "ABORT" gadget of
- the requester.
-
-
-
-
-
-
- Tutorial for Advanced Players
-
- This tutorial assumes that you've played craps and possess adequate
- knowledge about the rules of the game. It is also assumed you've been
- through the Tutorial for Craps Beginners, as no attempt will be made to
- review the lessons in that tutorial. Beginners are advised to now read the
- Rules of Play at the end of this manual before attempting serious play,
- though browsing through the bets can cause no harm and is thoroughly
- encouraged.
-
- Part 1: Pass Line Bets
-
- If you've just completed the Tutorial for Craps Beginners, you should
- have a $5 bet on the "PASS LINE". If not,
-
- * Select New on the "Game" pull-down menu.
-
- * Type your name into the Player 1 box.
-
- * Type "200" into the Stakes box.
-
- * Type "1" into the MinBet box.
-
- * Click over the "Play" gadget.
-
- * Select the "PASS LINE" bet in the bottom-left region of the craps
- table.
-
- * Place a $5 (red) chip onto the bet.
-
- * Click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
- Note: In lieu of clicking over the "BET" Bet Control Gadget, you may also
- click the Right Mouse Button as a shortcut.
-
- Now that you've made a $5 "PASS LINE" bet, you may now roll the
- dice.
-
- * Click on the "Roll" gadget.
-
- If a Natural number came up, you've won and we now have a new
- COMEOUT.
-
- If a Craps number came up, you've lost and we have another
- COMEOUT.
-
- If a Point number came up, you should've noticed the "ON" markers
- placed over the point number at both sides of the table.
-
- * If the new status is a COMEOUT, continue placing $5 bets and
- "Roll"'ing the dice until you reach a "PASS" game status with an established
- point. If you've already established a point, move on to the next section.
-
- Part 2: Odds Behind the Pass Line
-
- We will now place an "ODDS" bet backing up your $5 "PASS LINE" bet.
-
- * Click over the blank area directly below the "PASS LINE".
-
- If all went well, you should now see two more lines of information
- directly below the Menu Bar Message. The top line is the amount you've
- bet on the "PASS LINE" and the second line indicates the maximum odds bet
- you can make based on your original bet and the FreeOdds multiple chosen
- at the beginning of the game. Since "X1" was chosen, you may bet a
- multiple of one times your "PASS LINE" bet or the minimum amount required
- to take advan-tage of the natural odds of that Point number. The top line
- should indicate $5, and the bottom line should indicate $5. If you had
- chosen "X2" as the odds multiple, the MaxBet would be $10. Please note
- that the maximum odds bet follows the basic rules of most craps tables.
- Had your "PASS LINE" bet been $2 with single odds (X1), and a 6 or an 8
- had been established as the Point, the house would still allow you to make a
- $5 bet.
-
- * Place a $5 chip on the "ODDS" behind the "PASS LINE".
-
- Reading the Menu Bar Message, you should note that had the Point
- been 6 or 8, the Pay amount should be $6. Had the Point been 5 or 9, the
- MaxBet should be still be $5, but the Pay amount should be $7. Note that a
- $4 bet will get you $6. The house only pays odds on even multiples. The
- correct bet to make is $4, as the extra $1 of the $5 bet will only be paid at
- even odds.
-
- But for the sake illustration, we'll stay with our $5 bet.
-
- * Click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Part 3: Pulling Down A Bet
-
- Only two bets on the table may be pulled down after "booking" them:
- The "ODDS" bets and the "PLACE" bets.
-
- * Click on the "ODDS" bet behind the "PASS LINE". Your $5 chip should
- appear.
-
- * Click on the "PULL" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- * Place four $1 chips on the "ODDS".
-
- * Click on the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Your bet should now reflect $4. You could've easily removed the en-
- tire amount by "PULL"'ing the bet and clicking the "BET" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- The "PULL" Bet Control Gadget can also be used on other bets to
- "clear" the chips, but never after the bet has been "booked".
-
- Part 4: On and OFF
-
- The "ON" and "OFF" Bet Control Gadgets allow you to specify "ODDS"
- and "PLACE" bets to be on or off on the next roll. After that roll, they
- will fall to the default status.
-
- * Click on the "ODDS" bet behind the "PASS LINE". Your four $1 chips
- should pop up.
-
- * Click on the "OFF" Bet Control Gadget. You should not note that the
- status of the bet in the Menu Bar Message is "OFF".
-
- This bet will be inactive on the next roll of the dice. Should the
- Point number or a 7 be rolled on the next "Roll", your bet will be returned
- to you. Please note that "PLACE" and "ODDS" bets are automatically OFF
- on the COMEOUT roll.
- You can also change the status of OFF bets by turning them ON.
-
- * Click on the "ON" Bet Control Gadget and book it.
-
- The ON status should now be reflected in the Menu Bar Message, and
- the bet will be working on the next roll of the dice.
-
- Part 5: Come Bets
-
- * Place a $5 bet on the "COME" line and book it.
-
- * Roll the dice.
-
- What we wish to do now is to set up a situation to illustrate an
- "ODDS" bet behind a "COME" Point bet. If your Roll resulted in either a 7,
- 11, or a Craps number (2,3,12), then repeat all sequences up to and including
- your "COME" bet being moved up to a COME point number.
-
- You should notice that the marker which was on the "COME" bet is
- now in the top box of the two boxes directly below the new COME point
- number. This is your "COME" number bet.
-
- We will now place an "ODDS" bet behind that COME number bet.
-
- * Click into the small box directly below your COME number bet.
-
- You should notice that the two familiar lines of the "ODDS" Menu Bar
- Message are now displayed. The same rules apply to making a "COME"
- "ODDS" bet as a "PASS LINE" "ODDS" bet.
-
- * Place a $5 chip on this bet and book it.
-
- Part 6: The "Don'ts"
-
- The "Don't" bets work exactly like the "Do" bets, except you're now
- betting with the house and against the shooter. To simplify the instructions,
- I'll only detail the differences here and leave the Rules of Play to explain
- the intricacies.
-
- The "DON'T PASS" line is at the bottom of the table, directly above
- the "PASS LINE".
-
- The "DON'T PASS ODDS" is near the left center of the table.
-
- The "DON'T COME" is near the left top of the table.
-
- The "DON'T COME" point numbers are in the lower box of the two
- boxes above the point numbers.
-
- The "DON'T COME ODDS" are in the upper box of the two boxes above
- the point numbers.
-
- Part 6: Place Bets
-
- The "PLACE" bets are the boxes in which the point numbers reside.
-
- * Place a $20 bet on the 4 "PLACE" bet, but don't book it.
-
- Note that the odds pay at 9 to 5 and that the bet will pay $36.
-
- Part 7: Buy Bets
-
- * Click on the "BUY" Bet Control Gadget.
-
- Note the message on the Buy Bet Requester. A $1 (5% of the "PLACE"
- bet) charge will buy you the natural odds of 2 to 1 on the 4.
-
- * Click on Do It and book the bet.
-
- The payoff is now $40. Note: You must place chips on the "PLACE"
- bet before attempting to "BUY" the natural odds.
-
- Part 8: C & E Bet
- * Place a $5 bet on the "C & E (Craps & Eleven) near the bottom left of
- the center table bets and book it. Note that bets have now been
- automatically placed on the "ELEVEN" and "ANY CRAPS" bets. Since the
- bet was evenly placed between these two ($2 each), $1 was returned to you
- as change. Regardless of your table minimum bet, a "C&E" bet can never be
- less than $2.
-
- Part 8: The Horn Bet
-
- * Place a $5 bet on the "HORN" bet which is located near the right
- bottom of the table's center bet section and book it. This bet will place
- one-fourth of the total bet in each of the following bets: "TWO", "THREE",
- "ELEVEN", and "TWELVE". Any remainder will be returned to you after the
- division by four. Again, regardless of any table minimum established, the
- absolute minimum for the "HORN" bet is $4.
-
- Part 9: The Other Bets
-
- The other bets on the table work as you would expect them. The Hard
- Ways bets win when the "hard" numbers are rolled and lose on the "easy"
- numbers and 7. The 2,3,11,12 bets are decided on the next roll along with
- the "FIELD" bet. Seven wins when the next number rolled is 7 and loses on
- all other numbers. Any Craps wins on a 2,3,12, and loses on all other
- numbers.
-
- A general note on all bets: In many casinos, as you win certain bets,
- the dealers will leave your original bet on the table in hopes that you'll
- "let it ride". This game always returns your bet to you.
-
- Part 10: FlashBets
-
- The second pull-down menu, "FlashBet", allows you to quickly deter-
- mine where all your bets are on the table. Simply pull the menu down to your
- name and release the right menu button of the mouse. All of your bets will
- flash a few times, enabling you to quickly determine their locations.
-
-
- Part 11: Help Screens
-
- The fourth pull-down menu, Help, allows you to obtain statistical
- information regarding the probabilities of any number to be rolled (or any
- bet to win or lose). Please remember that probabilities are simply
- mathematical estimates, and that the number 12 could very well be rolled 10
- times in a row (though the odds against this occurring would be staggeringly
- high). Some successful gamblers utilize probabilities in order to determine
- when to bet on a particular number (or bet). The HELP screens are
- included in order for the player to review the roll history and ascertain how
- it affected the success of his strategy. Also, a player could utilize the
- screens in order to determine, probability-wise, when it might be a good
- time to place a particular bet.
-
- * Pull down the "Help" menu to the "Assistant" item to "Bets".
-
- This screen indicates, pictorially, the best three bets (in order of
- best to third best) to make under the following parameters:
-
- "Solid Bets"...These bets have nothing to do with the calculated probabilities
- and are simply the most solid bets that the player has yet to make. They
- represent what the computer feels to be quality bets based on the house
- edge.
-
- "Hot Probs"...These are the top three bets based on the probabilities of the
- winning numbers being rolled on the next throw of the dice.
-
- "Cold Probs"...These are included to illustrate the worst (from worst to
- third worst) bets which could be made, probability-wise.
-
- * Click on the "Return" gadget.
-
- * Pull down the "Assistant" and "Tip" menu.
-
- This screen simply lists notably strong or weak bets or numbers. Once
- the probabilities rise below or above arbitrary thresholds, they appear on
- this screen. Note the four ranges: "Very Strong", "Strong", "Weak", and
- "Very Weak".
-
- * Click over the "Return" gadget.
-
- * Pull down the "Probabilities" menu.
-
- This screen supplies useful details regarding the roll history and
- probabilities based on both the history and the natural probabilities of the
- numbers rolled. The fields on this screen are:
-
- "Total Rolls"...The total number of rolls since the beginning of the game.
-
- "Number"...Each number which can be rolled, from 2 through 12.
-
- "Actual Tms. Up"...Or, the number of times each number was actually rolled.
-
- "Prob. Tms. Up"...Or, the quantity of times each number should have been
- rolled (probability-wise) based on the total number of rolls.
-
- "Variance Act/Prob"...The difference between the actual times up for each
- number vs. the probability times up. This number allows you to tell at a
- glance how closely a number is varying from probability.
-
- "Since Last"...The number of times since that number has been rolled. This
- field allows you quickly determine that a number hasn't been rolled for a
- while.
-
- "Prob. Again"...This indicates in how many rolls that number should be rolled
- again (probability-wise).
-
- "Prob. Next"...A probability-based prediction on the chances of a particular
- number being rolled on the next throw of the dice relative to the other
- numbers. This field summarizes the screen's predictions and is loosely based
- on an odds percentage.
-
-
- The Strategy Editor
-
- Las Vegas Craps is unique among computerized craps games in that it
- incorporates a powerful strategy editor which allows the user to pre-test his
- strategies before committing them to the craps table. After the strategies
- are created, the player can save them to disk, edit them, view them in
- whole, auto-play them for any number of rolls (up to 9999), or play up to
- four of them simultaneously. Obviously, this feature delimits Las Vegas
- Craps as simply a game for amusement purposes only and renders it as a
- powerful tool for the serious as well as casual craps player.
-
- Simply put, Las Vegas Craps defines a strategy (or strat) as a series
- of bets to be made on a single roll based on user-defined conditions. These
- parameters can consist of the game status (Comeout, Pass, or All Bets), the
- game Point, number probabilities (either high or low), or even upon the
- amount of cash the player has in reserve. All of the strat functions are
- located under the "Strategy" menu. To give you a preview, we'll
- demonstrate an auto-play sequence of a previously-created strat:
-
- * Load up the game, enter your name as Player 1, stakes of $300, MinBet
- as $2, and Free Odds as 2. Click on "Play".
-
- * Pull down the "Strategy" menu and the "Open" menu item.
-
- A disk requester should open indicating the strats available on the
- program disk within the "strats" directory.
-
- * Click over the first strat listed then click over "O'K".
-
- The first strat is now loaded into memory as resident strat number
- one. This corresponds to Player 1 when auto-played.
-
- * Select "Roll" and "No Gfx" from the "Strategy" menu.
-
- The main game requester should pop up waiting for game parameter
- input. We'll use the parameters previously entered.
-
- * Simply click over "Play".
-
- The rolls requester will pop up asking you to enter the number of
- dice rolls.
-
- * Enter 100 and click over "O'K".
-
- The computer is now in auto-play mode with no graphics. Note the
- countdown of rolls on the top left. Things will be moving very quickly as
- the computer automatically places the bets, rolls the dice and calculates the
- wins, losses, and cash status. You may interrupt execution by clicking the
- right mouse button. If you do, the main requester will come up. Click over
- "Play" to return to the table screen. If you waited for the rolls to count
- down to 0, you may now see how the strat performed over 100 typical rolls.
- If the losses were great, either the strat wasn't a very good one or the
- numbers worked against it (even a great strat can die when the numbers
- aren't going for it). You may wish to view the Probabilities screen on the
- "Help" menu to see how the numbers shook out.
-
- * To clean up, we'll remove the strat from memory. Choose "Close" from
- the "Strategy" menu. Click on the single open strat. Click over "O'K".
- The strat is now removed from the system and four others may now be
- opened.
-
- Part 1: Creating a Strat
-
- * Assuming you're at the table screen, select "Create" from the
- "Strategy" menu.
-
- The Strat Editor should have popped up and you may now create a new
- strat. Assume we wish to first place a "Field" bet on every roll.
-
- * Click over the "All" gadget. This means the bet will be placed on
- all rolls, regardless of the game status.
-
- * Click over the "Set" gadget near the bottom.
-
- That should have brought you back to the table screen. You may now
- select your bet of choice and place chips on it.
-
- * Click over the left "Field". (Note: When creating a strategy, Player
- 1 is the assumed player, so all bets must be made on the left side of the
- table.)
-
- * Click twice over the $5 chips to place a $10 bet. Click over "Bet"
- or simply click the right mouse button.
-
- If everything went well, you're back to the Strat Editor and ready to
- place Bet #2. You may place up to 30 bets within a single strategy. We
- will now check to see that Bet #1 was entered correctly.
-
- * Click over the "down" part of the arrow near the bottom center of the
- editor.
-
- You are now viewing Bet #1. If the bet was executed correctly, it
- should indicate:
-
- "Bet #"...The current bet number of the strat. Should be #1.
-
- "Strategy Name"...Should be "New", as we've not yet named it.
-
- "Bet $"...Should be $10.
-
- "Resident Strategy #"...Should be #1 of four possible open strats (assuming
- you closed the preview strat).
-
- "Bet Type"...Should be "Field".
-
- "Roll Type"...Should be "AllBets".
-
- "If Point", "If Prob" and "If Cash" should all be zero.
-
- * If there's a problem, you may edit Bet #1 at this time. When ready,
- click on the "up" arrow to move to Bet #2.
-
- * Click over the "ComeOut" (the default) gadget,click the "Set" gadget,
- place a Pass Line bet for $10 and click over "Bet" to return to the Strat
- Editor. You may click the down arrow if you wish to check your work.
-
- * Make certain you're on Bet #3. Click over the "Pas" (for "Pass")
- gadget, click the "Set" gadget, and click over the appropriate Odds bet
- below the Pass Line bet from Bet #2. A message will pop up indicating that
- the bet was placed at maximum odds. On all odds bets, the computer will
- always place the maximum bet allowed for you. Obviously, there is no way
- the system could allow you to enter a $ amount for an odds bet since the
- Point is determined at game time and an arbitrary odds bet would likely be
- incorrect. Also, the max odds bet encourages intelligent play.
-
- * You may check Bet #3 or move on to Bet #4. We will now demonstrate
- the "OnCash" conditional bet. Click over "All". Click over "OnCash". A
- requester will pop up asking you to enter a $ amount. Enter $500 and click
- over "O'K". Now click on "Set", select the "Any Craps" bet, place a $5 bet
- on it, and return to the Strat Editor by clicking over "Bet". What you have
- just done was to place the Any Craps bet on the condition that your cash
- amount is at least $500. This condition is useful if you wish to place an
- (ahem) "sucker" bet, but only if you have plenty of cash available to burn.
-
- * We will now demonstrate the "OnPoint" conditional bet. Click over
- "Pas". Click over "OnPoint". You will notice that several of the numbers
- lining the bottom of the editor have become outlined. These are the possible
- point numbers. Click over the 4. Now click over "Set". Select the
- Place 4 bet, place a $10 bet (sorry, no Buy Bets with strats), and click on
- "Bet" to return. The result of the previous action is that the Place 4 bet
- will only be made when the game point is 4. This allows you to structure
- certain bets around the point.
-
- * We will now place Bet #6 to demonstrate the use of the "OnProb"
- conditional bet. Click on the "All" gadget. Click over the "Hi" gadget
- directly below the "OnProb" gadget. This means we want the number to be
- strong, probability-wise. Click over the "OnProb" gadget. This time, all of
- the numbers on the bottom row of the editor will become highlighted. Click
- on the 12. Click on "Set", select the "12" bet for $5, and click on "Bet"
- to return. What we've just done is told the computer to always bet $5 on
- the "12" if the probabilities are high that 12 will be rolled on the next
- throw of the dice. This is handy if you wish to test the veracity of using
- probabilities in your betting. You could've also used the "Low" setting to
- place a bet based on a number's low probability factor; i.e. place the Hard
- Ways if the 7 is low.
-
- As you can see, many variations of bets can be made. Each bet may
- have no conditions, one condition, or a mixture of all of them. Creating a
- strategy also implies a fair understanding of the game. For instance, placing
- a Pass Line bet on a "Pass" condition would never allow the bet to be
- placed; or placing Come Odds bets without placing Come bets would never
- allow those bets to be placed. A Note on Come Odds Bets: Since you'll
- never know which number a Come bet could land on, if you wish to make
- Come Odds bets, you must bet the Come Odds for every number (with six
- separate bets). Of course, they will be placed for the maximum amount, as
- are all odds bets.
-
- * To finish up,click over the "EndBets" gadget. A requester will pop up
- asking you to enter a name for the strat. I suggest using a descriptive
- name, such as "pasfield" which would indicate Pass Line and Field bets.
- Click over "O'K" to exit the editor. Click over "Play" on the main
- requester.
-
- Part 2: Viewing A Strat
-
- Las Vegas Craps offers a simple way to view an entire strat without
- clicking through each bet on the Strat Editor.
- * Pull down the "View" item from the "Strategy" menu and select it. A
- requester will pop up asking to select an open strat. Click over the name
- of the strat you've just created and click over "O'K".
-
- A screen will display each bet from your strat in bet order. Click on
- the "More" and "Prev" gadgets to flip ahead or back a page, since only 10
- bets are shown on each. The screen shows all pertinent information about
- the strat bets: the bet name, amount, type (A=All, C=Comeout, P=Pass),
- OnPoint number, OnProb number (L=Low, H=High) and the OnCash amount.
-
- * Click over "Return" to return to the table screen.
-
- Part 3: Saving A Strat
-
- To save a newly-created strat to disk:
-
- * Pull down the "Save" item from the "Strategy" menu. When the
- requester pops up, click over our new strat. Note: If you have "strat"
- directories on both drive 0 and drive 1, you may select the appropriate drive
- on which to save the strat. Click over "O'K" to save the strat to disk.
- Remember that you may save only resident strats.
-
- Part 4: Opening A Strat from Disk
-
- * To open a strat, pull down the "Open" item from the "Strategy" menu.
-
- A disk requester will open showing the available strats on the direc-
- tory listed under "drawer". If you have a strats directory on disks in both
- drives, select the appropriate drive gadget. Pull the slider up or down to
- reveal more strats than can fit on the requester. Remember that only four
- strats may be open at any one time.
-
- Part 5: Closing A Strat
-
- * To close a resident, or open strat, simply pull down the "Close" item
- from the "Strategy" menu. Once the file requester opens, simply click over
- the strat name you wish to close. Click over "O'K" to remove it from
- memory. Warning: Once a strat is closed, you cannot retrieve it. Make
- sure you first save a strat if you plan to use it later.
-
- Part 6: Deleting A Strat from Disk
-
- * To delete a strat from your "strats" directory pull down the "Delete"
- item from the "Strategy" menu. When the disk requester pops up, select the
- strat you wish to delete and click over "O'K". Warning: Once a strat has
- been deleted from disk, it may no longer be retrieved.
-
- Part 7: Auto-Playing Strats
-
- Auto Play is available in two modes: On Gfx and No Gfx. If you wish
- to view the roll of the dice and the stick moving your money around, use
- the "On Gfx" menu item of the "Roll" item. This mode is useful when
- wishing to see the details of each individual roll or if you want to see if
- the strat is behaving as planned. The penalty here is speed. Use the "No
- Gfx" mode to inhibit dice rolls and stick movements. This mode offers
- extremely high speed but makes it difficult to view the results of individual
- rolls.
-
- To use the Auto Play function, you must first see that at least one
- strat is resident (or "open"). See the "Create" and "Open" explanations
- above. If at least one strat is open, the main game requester will then
- open. At this time, you may alter any of the game parameters such as
- stakes, MinBet, Free Odds, etc, (or you may use the parameters you inputted
- when entering the program). The Players' names fields will hold the strats'
- names in the order in which they were opened.
-
- * In summary, to auto play a strat(s), pull down the "Roll" item from
- the "Strategy" menu and select either "No Gfx" or "On Gfx". When the main
- game requester opens, make alterations, if any. Click over "Play". When
- the "rolls" requester opens, enter the number of rolls which you wish
- executed (1-9999). Click on "O'K" to start. You may abort during the Auto
- Play by clicking the right mouse button, but the game will take you to the
- main requester without allowing you to see the results of the game.
-
- Part 8: Strategy Restrictions & Hints
-
- The maximum number of Auto Rolls is 9999.
-
- The maximum number of resident (or "open") strats is 4.
-
- The maximum number of strats which may be saved onto disk is limited
- to your disk space. It is recommended that you store your strats on a
- "copy" of Las Vegas Craps, and write-protect your original disk. You may
- also wish to have a separate disk exclusively for strats. To make a "strats"
- disk, first format a disk (See your Amiga operating manual for instructions
- on disk formatting.) Then, with a Workbench disk in drive 0 and your
- strats disk in drive 1 (and an open CLI), type (at the CLI prompt) 'makedir
- df1:strats'. This will create a "strats" directory on your new disk. After
- the game is fully loaded, you may remove your program disk and replace it
- with your "strats" disk. A few strats have been included with your program
- disk.
- As mentioned previously, you may not place a $ bet on an odds bet.
- They will always be placed at the maximum allowable bet (based on the free
- odds multiple). You may wish to avoid selecting a high multiple (max is 10
- times) during strat Auto-Play, as the odds bets may be higher than you
- would like.
-
- Bets not available with strats:
-
- Horn Bet...To get around this, simply have a separate bet for the 2, 3, 11
- and 12.
-
- C&E Bet...To get around this, simply have a separate bet for the 11 and Any
- Craps.
-
- Buy Bet...Sorry, it can't be done.
-
-
- Rules of Play
-
- This section attempts to only present a very simplified version of
- the rules of casino craps. There are some very good books available on the
- game which go into much greater detail; these should be available from your
- local library, often within books written about casino games in general.
- Nonetheless, this section should be suitable enough to get most beginners
- started.
-
- It must be emphasized here that not all tables subscribe to exactly
- the same rules or subtleties of craps. Versions of the game vary from state
- to state, city to city, casino to casino, and even table to table within a
- casino. Still, the basics of the game are fairly general, and typically, the
- only variances usually relate to small differences in odds, or subtleties in
- which bets are paid. Be forewarned: Learn the rules of a table before
- laying bets down. The responsibility for learning the rules of any casino
- game ultimately lies with the player, and in no way should Las Vegas Craps
- be used as your only reference to the game of Craps.
-
- The Environment
-
- Craps is typically played on a large table which can accomodate up to
- 20 or so players. Four casino employees usually man the table: The
- stickman stands near the bottom of the table (on the Las Vegas Craps
- screen), the boxman usually sits opposite him on the other side of the table,
- and the two dealers usually to either side of the stickman (to handle
- individual players' bets). The stickman usually handles the dice and passes
- them on to the appropriate players. The boxman is what you might call the
- "banker"; he guards the chips and makes change, and he also supervises the
- actions of the dealers. The dealers handle the individual bets on the table.
-
-
- New Game
-
- At the beginning of a new game, the stickman will offer the dice to
- the player to the left of the boxman. This player is the designated
- "shooter". The shooter must place either a Pass Line bet or a Don't Pass
- Line bet (this restriction does not apply in Las Vegas Craps). That player
- may also choose to pass the roll to the next player (again, non-applicable to
- this game). Before the shooter rolls the dice, all bettors at the table may
- place their bets. The first roll of the shoot is called the COMEOUT roll.
- All players who've placed bets on the Pass Line are called "right" bettors,
- and players who've placed bets on the Don't Pass Line are called "wrong"
- bettors.
-
- The COMEOUT ROLL
-
- After all players have placed their initial bets, the shooter rolls
- the dice. The combination of the numbers rolled determines the first number.
- On the COMEOUT, Pass Line bettors win if the number is 7 or 11 (natural);
- they lose if the number is 2, 3, or 12 (craps). Alternatively, Don't Pass
- Line bettors win if the numbers 2 or 3 are rolled on the COMEOUT and lose
- on 7 or 11 (12 is a "tie" and their bet will be returned to them). When
- either 7,11,2,3 or 12 are rolled on the COMEOUT, the status for the next
- roll will again be COMEOUT, as the shoot will begin again (and the same
- shooter will roll the dice).
-
- The Point
-
- When a number other than 7,11,2,3 or 12 is rolled on the COMEOUT,
- that number will become the Point (can be either a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10). At this
- point, the COMEOUT roll ends. The shoot continues until the shooter rolls
- either the Point number (and we have a new COMEOUT roll with the same
- shooter) or a 7 (and the roll passes to the next player to his left). (This
- status is known as PASS in our game.) If the shooter eventually throws the
- Point number before rolling a 7, he will make his "point" and all Pass Line
- bettors will win their bet and Don't Pass bettors will lose. If the shooter
- rolls a 7 first, the Pass Line bettors will lose and the Don't Pass Line
- bettors will win (this is known as the shooter "seven'ing out", and is
- typically a sour note to most of the players...except those betting the
- "Don'ts").
-
- The sequence of play written up to this point denotes the basic play
- of the game, and many bettors seem to never learn the rules past this stage
- (though just betting on the Pass or Don't Pass constitute fairly good bets).
- The bets mentioned in the following sections are typically variations of the
- previous bets or one-shot (determined by the next roll) bets.
-
- To sum up: COMEOUT Roll:
-
- Pass Line wins on 7 or 11 and loses on 2,3, or 12.
-
- Don't Pass Line wins on 2 or 3 and loses on 7 or 11 (12 is a tie).
-
- After the Point is established (PASS):
-
- Pass Line wins if the Point is rolled before a 7 and loses if the 7
- is rolled first.
-
- Don't Pass Line wins if the 7 is rolled before the Point and loses if
- the Point is rolled first.
-
- Restrictions:
-
- Both bets can only be made before the COMEOUT roll.
-
- Understanding the Odds
-
- Understanding how the odds for the numbers being rolled is tantamount
- to playing this game intelligently, as the best bet to place on the craps
- table is an odds bet. Briefly, the number 7 has the statistically greater
- chances of being rolled over any other number because of the high number
- of combinations of the dice which will add to produce a 7; i.e. 6 and 1, 1
- and 6, 5 and 2, 2 and 5, 3 and 4, 4 and 3, or 6 possible combinations.
- Similarly, a 4 can only be rolled with 3 possible combinations of the dice;
- i.e. 3 and 1, 1 and 3, 2 and 2, 2 and 2. It should follow, then, that the 7
- should come up (probability-wise) twice as many times as should the 4. The
- correct odds, then, should be 6 to 3, or 2 to 1. You should figure these out
- on your own, but the breakdown is:
-
- 2 and 12: 6 to 1.
- 11 and 3: 3 to 1.
- 4 and 10: 2 to 1.
- 5 and 9 : 3 to 2.
- 6 and 8 : 6 to 5.
-
- And these are the odds which the casino will pay when these Point
- numbers are thrown...but not on the Pass Line.
-
- As previously noted, 2,3,7,11 or 12 can never be the Point, so we
- need only concern ourselves with the 4,10,5,9,6 or 8.
-
- Placing an Odds Bet
-
- As soon as a Point becomes established , Pass Line and Don't
- Pass Line bettors may place an odds bet, clearly the best bet on the craps
- table, as it pays at the natural odds of the Point number. As far as I know,
- this is the only casino bet which doesn't have a built-in edge for the house
- (with the exception of talented card-counting Blackjack players). The Pass
- Line and Don't Pass Line bets always pay at even odds, so the house will
- always have an established 1.4% edge on these bets, but the Odds bets pay
- the natural odds. Therefore, a $2 Odds bet on the Point of 4 would pay the
- bettor $4 (or 2 to 1).
-
- Casinos, being in the business of making money, would rather not make
- this the most obvious bet on the table. This is why the bet usually isn't
- even specified anywhere on the craps table. Typically, for the Pass Line
- Odds bet, the bet is usually located in the blank area directly behind the
- Pass Line Bet. On the Don't Pass, the bet is usually located on the area
- just to the side of it (on Las Vegas Craps, the Don't Pass Odds is located
- on the left-center and right-center sides of the table). Logic would
- dictate that the casinos would regulate the maximum odds bet which a player
- could make. Obviously, if a house allowed a player to place a $1 bet on the
- Pass Line and then a $100 bet on the Odds bet behind it, the casino
- wouldn't stay profitable for any long period of time. Therefore, most
- casinos do limit the amount of this bet, and it's usually related to the
- amount of the bet on the Pass or Don't Pass Line (the Free Odds multiple).
- Single odds dictate that the odds bet can never be more than the Pass Line
- or Don't Pass Line bets (though most houses will make certain accomodations,
- such as allowing a player to exceed the Pass Line bet so as to receive full
- odds payments on the Odds bet); i.e. If you bet $2 on the Pass Line and the 6
- becomes the established Point (which pays at 6 to 5), most houses will allow
- you to bet up to $5 on the Odds bet in order to glean the advantage of
- receiving the natural odds (a payoff of $6). Double odds allows you to bet
- up to twice the Pass Line bet. To sum up:
-
- Pass Line Odds wins if the Point number comes up before the 7 and
- pays at the natural odds of the Point number.
-
- Don't Pass Odds wins if the 7 appears before the Point and pays at
- the reciprocal of the natural odds of the number.
-
- Restrictions:
-
- A Pass Line bet must have been placed before a Pass Line Odds bet
- can be made, and its amount is limited by the Free Odds multiple allowed.
-
- A Don't Pass Line bet must have been placed before a Don't Pass Odds
- bet can be made, and it is also limited by the Free Odds multiple.
-
- Other factors:
-
- These bets can be made at any time as long as their respective Pass
- or Don't Pass bets are in force.
-
- The bets can be removed by the players at any time. (The casino
- would be more than happy to see you do this.)
-
- One final note: Intelligent strategy dictates that you place your
- largest bets on the Odds relative to other bets on the table, as they offer
- you a 50-50 chance against the casino.
-
- A Note on "Wrong" Betting
-
- By "wrong" betting, I do mean the "Don't Pass" and "Don't Pass Odds"
- bets. As previously mentioned, a "wrong" bettor is one who bets against the
- shooter and with the house (except on the COMEOUT roll when the 12 is
- rolled, which is a "tie" with the house). On a Point of 5, "right" bettors
- would bet $2 to win $3 (3 to 2 odds), but wrong bettors would bet $3 to win
- $2. This is known as "laying" the odds. The same allowances for "wrong"
- as well as "right" bettors are provided in order for bettors to take
- advantage of the full odds available on a number. It is always to the
- bettor's advantage to place the maximum odds bet allowable, but calculat-
- ing this amount can be a bit complex (especially for "wrong" bettors).
- Though Las Vegas Craps calculates this amount for you, it is advised that
- players attempt to calculate it on their own if they plan to play on a real
- table (players around a craps table must think quickly on their feet).
-
- Come and Don't Come Bets
-
- The "come" bets are merely sub-bets of the main shoot. These bets
- allow a player to place Pass and Don't pass, and Pass Odds and Don't Pass
- Odds bets after the Point has been established. In other words, after the
- Point has been established, a player may place a Come or Don't Come bet as
- if it were a new COMEOUT roll. Example:
-
- At the COMEOUT, you place a PASS LINE bet. A 6 is thrown on the
- next roll. The Point is now 6. You now place a COME bet. The next roll
- is a 5. The dealer will move your COME bet directly below the 5 PLACE
- bet near the top of the table. At this point, you may make an ODDS bet
- behind this bet (in the box below it). Had a 7 or 11 been rolled after the
- COME bet, you would have won the bet at even odds. Had a craps number
- been rolled, you would have lost the bet. But since a number other than
- these came up, that number became your "Point" for the COME bet. You
- may continue to make more COME bets as the shoot continues, but
- remember that all of your COME and COME ODDS bets will be lost at the
- toss of a 7 (or won when any of your "Points" come up).
-
- Alternatively, the DON'T COME and DON'T COME ODDS work exactly like
- DON'T PASS and DON'T PASS ODDS bets, allowing you to make the bets during the
- "shoot". Unlike the COME and COME ODDS bets, DON'T COME bets win on a 2 or 3
- (12 is a tie) and lose on a 7 or 11 ...on the next roll. If a DON'T COME
- "Point" is rolled, the bet gets moved to the box above the "PLACE" bet number
- and DON'T COME ODDS bets may be placed in the box above it. If a 7 is
- ultimately rolled before any of the DON'T COME points,the bettor will win all
- of his DON'T COME and DON'T COME ODDS bets. If one of the DON'T COME points
- is rolled before the 7, the DON'T COME and DON'T COME ODDS bet on that point
- will be lost.
-
- To summarize:
-
- On the roll after placing a COME or DON'T COME bet:
-
- COME bettors win on a 7 or 11 and lose on a 2, 3, or 12.
-
- DON'T COME bettors win on a 2 or 3 (12 is a tie) and lose on a 7 or
- 11.
-
- If a POINT number is thrown on the roll after placing a COME or
- DON'T COME:
-
- COME bets move to the box under the "PLACE" number thrown on that
- roll. COME bettors may then back up that bet with a COME ODDS bet.
-
- DON'T COME bets, upon the roll of a "point" number will move to the
- box directly above the "PLACE" number on the table. That bet can then be
- backed up with a DON'T COME ODDS bet in the box directly above it.
-
- Restrictions:
-
- COME and DON'T COME bets may not be made on the COMEOUT roll.
- A game Point must have already been established.
-
- COME ODDS or DON'T COME ODDS bets can only be made after a
- COME or DON'T COME bet has been established on a point number.
-
- Place Bets
-
- PLACE bets can be made at any time during the game by any player.
- A PLACE bet on a number wins if that number is rolled before a 7 and loses
- if the 7 is rolled before the number. The odds payed are slightly worse
- than the natural odds of those numbers being rolled (ODDS bets are
- preferable to PLACE bets).
-
- Buy Bets
-
- A BUY bet is nothing more than a PLACE bet which pays the exact
- natural odds of the number bet upon. But, for the privilege of placing a
- BUY bet, the player must pay a 5% fee. In Las Vegas Craps the minimum
- fee is $1 and always rounds up to the next highest $.
-
- Big 6 and Big 8
-
- BIG 6 and BIG 8 are nothing more than PLACE bets on the 6 and 8,
- respectively, except the payoff is at even odds. Need I say more?
-
- Hard Ways
-
- HARD WAYS bets win when that number comes up: Before the 7 is
- rolled; and before the "soft" combination of the dice for that number is
- rolled; i.e. A HARD 4 wins when the 2 and the 2 are rolled and loses when
- the 3 and 1 or 1 and 3 are rolled. The HARD 10 wins when the 5 and 5 are
- rolled and loses when the 7 and 3, etc. are rolled. These bets also lose if
- the 7 is rolled.
-
- One-Shot Bets
-
- The following bets are determined by the next roll of the dice:
-
- FIELD wins on 2,3,4,9,10,11,12. The bet pays even odds except for 2
- and 12, which sometimes pay double or triple (triple in Las Vegas Craps).
-
- ANY CRAPS wins on a 2,3, or 12 and loses on all other numbers.
-
- ANY SEVEN or "SEVEN" wins when the next number rolled is a 7 and
- loses when any other number is rolled.
-
- The '2','3','11' or '12' bets win when these numbers are rolled,
- respectively, and lose when any other number is rolled.
-
- The C&E (or Craps & Eleven) is a dual bet of ANY CRAPS and '11'.
-
- The HORN bet is a combo bet of the '2','3','11' and '12' Bets.
-
-