Craps : When the Dice are Cold

The other night I tried Shizen for the first time. It’s a Japanese restaurant at the Rampart Casino. Being a Sushi lover, I try to go once weekly. At $100-$200 a dinner it can get pretty pricey. Ah, Sushi and Sapporo. Anyway, after enjoying a nice Sushi meal, I headed to the Craps table for a little action before heading out. The Rampart Casino is a smaller locals style casino in Las Vegas. It has a Mediterranean feel to it. There’s not too much in the way of action. The casino has a couple Craps tables, a handful of Blackjack tables and so forth.

While I was at the table, which was up and down, a man walked up and threw down about $800 for some change. The first thing he should have noticed was the two “don’t’” players on my right that had a nice supply of chips. They were enjoying themselves. That’s usually a sign that the table isn’t hot. He could have also noticed that the table was not packed and that other players were being somewhat cautious with their bets.

Despite the warning sites, Jack (that’s what we’ll name this guy) gets ready for some action. Once the point is established, he throws down $150 across ($30 per number). He also has the point for $30 on the passline with odds. Can you tell me what the very next roll was? If you said 7, we have a lovely set of steak knives for you. So Jack is down $180 in less than 30 seconds. But that’s the breaks right? Next point comes out, and he’s in for almost another couple hundred.

This time 3 numbers come out before the 7. It was still a losing bet for Jack. Frustrated, he decides to try to get his money back on one roll. The dice have to heat up right? He doubled his wagers (around $400 in action) and added $25 to the hard 6,8 and 10. Oh brother, this is not going to end well—that’s what I was telling myself at the table. The shooter lets the dice fly. They bounce around the back. I see the first die settle—it’s a 4. The other die spins around and settles—oh no, it’s a 3.

Jack stares at the 7 for a minute then starts swearing. Jack and his angry rage leave the pit and go forward to destinations unknown. What’s the whole point to this story? Simply, don’t be a Jack. If you are going to gamble, do it wisely. Give yourself time to get into the game and ability to withstand losing streaks. Craps players should learn to observe the table before jumping in. Here’s an easy tip. If you are going to play on the game the regular way, look for “don’t” bettors. Are they fat and happy? If so, be very cautious. If not, the water might be fine so take a dip. It’s amazing how much money can be saved and won by the simple task of observation.