BY-THE-BOOK:                                                     5

Let’s look at the normal way craps is played and why most players lose over the long run. Let me state again: this book is not intended to teach anyone how to play-by the-book. I will give you some basics of by-the-book play but only so you know what’s going on and what the other players are doing. You might even want to try some of these wagers for yourself to add to your own winning strategy. I want to make a point here that the majority of bets are sucker bets and your goal is to be a smart winner, not a dumb sucker loser.

Before you begin play make sure you know what the minimum table betting limits are. All of the examples in this lesson are based on minimum bets without Odds. (Odds: An additional bet made on a Pass or Don't Pass bet after a point has been established. This bet can be removed at any time.) Common minimum table limits are $3, $5, $10, and $25. Watch the table action and trend the table before making a bet. Get a feel for how the dice are rolling and get a mind set for your play. This is very important and I cannot stress it enough! Always, ALWAYS, observe the table action and trend before jumping in!

Come Out Roll: The first roll of the dice after a point is made or change of shooter. Establishes the Point.

I tried the proper method of playing and betting craps and had a great time. The following plays are just brief examples of playing by the book. Remember, I am not going to get into all of the details. If I tried to get into every detail of the game this book would be close to a thousand pages and most of it would be worthless anyway.

This is the most popular area of play on a craps table and where you will be spending most of your time. It consists of the “Pass Line” and the “Point Numbers” box.

I will discuss the other areas as we go along but for now this is where you need to concentrate.