When you’ve attained enough skill at dice control to challenge the casinos, your initial visits may be a bit daunting. Craps is a game with lots of action, and there is always lots of chatter and cheers around the table. Below, I will try and discuss some things to keep in mind when you enter the casino and head towards the craps table. Many are common sense suggestions, but they are the kinds of things you might otherwise overlook when confronted by the bright lights and noises of a busy casino. Craps is a very social game. In fact, you may interact with players at a craps table more than any other casino game. When most people aren’t shooting, they’re betting on whoever has the dice and cheering them on. If the shooter wins, then everyone wins. Keep this in mind if you decide to bet the don’t pass line. By doing so, you are betting against the shooter and almost all (if not all) of the players at the table. This can quickly make you a rather unpopular figure. Of course, if you are there to win money instead of making friends, then it probably shouldn’t bother you too much. Also, a possible advantage is that you might drive away some of the players if you have any success betting this way. This will speed up the play of the game and ensure that you get more turns at the dice. Casino dealers like to keep the dice fresh with pointy corners and sharp edges. At the start of every shift, new dice are usually brought in. This is good for the precision shooter, as new dice are easier to grip and react better when they hit the felt. New dice also give those who practice dice control a better chance to control backspin. When possible, always use the freshest dice available.

“Dice control” or “dice setting” is an advantage play technique used in craps to set and throw the dice in such a way as to make the dice more likely to land on certain numbers. Skeptics assert that controlling the dice in this way is practically impossible, but notable gambling experts like Michael Shackleford and Stanford Wong seem to give some credence to the notion that this might be possible. If so, then dice and craps could be elevated to a game of skill like darts or pool.

Dice Control Tips

Be sure and watch out for your thumb when tossing the dice. If your dice tend to cross over one another after being tossed, then your thumb is more than likely the guilty party. Be sure and throw the dice fast enough that your thumb loses contact with the dice before the roll off your fingers. Otherwise, the thumb will tend to push the dice apart.

Backspin is placed on the dice to counter the forward motion of the dice and to keep them from landing on a random number after bouncing against the back wall of the table. Keep in mind, however, that backspin must always be accompanied by axis control. If not, you will still achieve random results.

Sweaty fingers can also become a problem when tossing the dice. To counter this, try placing a piece of chalk in your pocket. When your fingers begin to get sweat on them, just reach into your pocket and get enough chalk dust on your fingers to counteract the perspiration. You might also want to try antiperspirant, although some pros complain that it makes their fingers sticky.

When you throw the dice, they should rotate together in the air and their left-right axes should be parallel to the table. If one die tends to fly higher than the other one, then chances are strong that you have a problem with your grip. The dice should also bounce straight forward. If your dice are bouncing to one side, then you probably did not align them correctly.

It is also important to not draw too much attention to yourself before handling the dice. Have a good time, talk with the other players, and try not to tip off the dealers to the fact that you are an advantage player. For example, stay away from big buy-ins. You might even try fumbling with the dice a bit to give the impression that you don’t spend every waking hour in your home practicing dice control.

When tossing the dice, try and make it look as natural as possible. If you are turning your hand upside down and examining the dice, this is going to tip off the dealers. And remember that casinos have the right to bar you from the craps table and even declare certain rolls void if they do not hit the back wall of the table. Just use a little common sense and you should be fine.

When taking on the casino, your best bet is to get in as many rolls per hour as possible. It is optimal if you can find a table with only a few people. This way, you can roll the dice every second or third hand. While crowded tables are best avoided, there are times when you may want to visit one of these. The main reason is because there are other precision shooters at the table. This means that you can actually bet decent sums of money while waiting to handle the dice. Otherwise, you’re usually just killing time with chicken feeders and waiting for your turn. Another reason to join a crowded table is because a spot is open and the dice will arrive there shortly. If you do this, be sure to place a bet on the current shooter so that you will be offered the dice when he or she 7s out. You will also find craps tables which have no customers. While you will have the dice all to yourself, consider that you will also have the undivided attention of all 4 dealers. It’s better to bring a friend along, when possible, to deflect some of the attention away from your impressive rolls. The term “pyramids” refers to the bumps on the walls at the ends of a craps table. When shooting the dice, the dealer will expect you to bounce them off the pyramids on a consistent basis. Pyramids are there to change the axis of rotation of the dice and therefore produce a random number (although most shooters would still have random results without it). For this reason, you will want to make sure that the dice hit the table first before they collide with the pyramids. Otherwise, backspin will have no chance of counter-acting forward momentum.