For Sale The Dice Doctor (1 Viewer)

[linux]

Well, this is my first sale, but I'm still collecting chips so it's a book. The Dice Doctor by Sam Grafstein is a classic on how to play craps written by a guy (who I'm sure is dead now...) that played craps for a living, starting by hosting floating craps games as a kid and then playing daily in casinos. It's a humorous book with a lot of good stories and solid advice on how to play the game smart.

This book is out of print and I'm selling it for what I paid, $30 plus $3.49 shipping. The book is in like-new condition with no notes/marks, etc. I bought it new several months ago but decided I'm likely not making it back to LV and am trying to clean out my bookshelfs.

 

[ArielVer18]

Well, this is my first sale, but I'm still collecting chips so it's a book. The Dice Doctor by Sam Grafstein is a classic on how to play craps written by a guy (who I'm sure is dead now...) that played craps for a living, starting by hosting floating craps games as a kid and then playing daily in casinos. It's a humorous book with a lot of good stories and solid advice on how to play the game smart.

This book is out of print and I'm selling it for what I paid, $30 plus $3.49 shipping.

View attachment 1042473

I love this book! GLWS

 

[upNdown]

How can you play craps for a living? Aren’t the odds in the casino’s favor?
I’ve never played craps. I understand the basics and I understand the house edge is low on some bets, but I’ve always assumed that was just a game that you play when you want to lose your money slowly.

 

[linux]

The essence of the book is to bet progressively (increase your bets on every win until the shooter 7's out and then go back to the original bet) and grind (stay at the table for hours). If you bet progressively you make more money when the dice are hot. I think he also gave lessons. But yeah, from a cold, hard look at the odds (which I think are ~ 49% if you play smart and stay away from the prop bets) it's the best game against the house unless you play blackjack and can count cards.

 

[moose]

They way you beat craps is to write a book about how to beat craps because if there was a way to actually beat craps you sure as hell wouldn't write a book about it....

 

[slisk250]

Craps is simple. Learn the house advantage of every bet and then stay away from everything except the pass/don’t pass with full odds, come bets with full odds, place bets on the 6 and 8.
Played correctly, the house should never enjoy an advantage more than .5 percent depending on odds allowed.

 

[Nanook]

Craps is simple. Learn the house advantage of every bet and then stay away from everything except the pass/don’t pass with full odds, come bets with full odds, place bets on the 6 and 8.
Played correctly, the house should never enjoy an advantage more than .5 percent depending on odds allowed.

This is the basics of how to not lose much edge in craps and is considered "smart play"

 

[jpietrella]

If you bet progressively you make more money when the dice are hot.

Hysterical

 

[linux]

Hysterical

It actually makes sense. If you have a roll of say, hitting 5 numbers before the shooter 7's out and you're only betting on the pass line, then at a $10 bet you'll make $50 if you don't bet progressively, but if you do bet progressively you'd bet $10, $15, $20, $30, $45 (increase by about 50% each time), and you'll make $120. Those number of course increase if you're also using odds, which you should.

 

[jpietrella]

It actually makes sense. If you have a roll of say, hitting 5 numbers before the shooter 7's out and you're only betting on the pass line, then at a $10 bet you'll make $50 if you don't bet progressively, but if you do bet progressively you'd bet $10, $15, $20, $30, $45 (increase by about 50% each time), and you'll make $120. Those number of course increase if you're also using odds, which you should.

I agree there's a way to lose more slowly. The idea of hit dice cracks me up.

 

[moose]

It actually makes sense. If you have a roll of say, hitting 5 numbers before the shooter 7's out and you're only betting on the pass line, then at a $10 bet you'll make $50 if you don't bet progressively, but if you do bet progressively you'd bet $10, $15, $20, $30, $45 (increase by about 50% each time), and you'll make $120. Those number of course increase if you're also using odds, which you should.

Fallacy. Unless you walk away, you always leave money on the table. First of all just watch a table and see how often those fire bets actually pay off - it's a pretty rare event. Let's assume you win 4 numbers then he 7s out. $10 betsx4 =40, but you lose your 5th bet, so net $30.

Progressively you win the first 4, $75 net, but you lose your 5th bet $45 = net is the same $30.

Almost nobody quits in the middle of the roll so the casino always wins the final bet. When they say the house edge is .5% (or whatever it actually is) that is based on each individual roll of the dice. But the reality of the nature of the game is you always lose the final bet.

 

[upNdown]

Fallacy. Unless you walk away, you always leave money on the table. First of all just watch a table and see how often those fire bets actually pay off - it's a pretty rare event. Let's assume you win 4 numbers then he 7s out. $10 betsx4 =40, but you lose your 5th bet, so net $30.

Progressively you win the first 4, $75 net, but you lose your 5th bet $45 = net is the same $30.

Almost nobody quits in the middle of the roll so the casino always wins the final bet. When they say the house edge is .5% (or whatever it actually is) that is based on each individual roll of the dice. But the reality of the nature of the game is you always lose the final bet.

Damnit. I guess I’ll unpack my bags.

 

[linux]

I agree there's a way to lose more slowly. The idea of hit dice cracks me up.

Fallacy. Unless you walk away, you always leave money on the table. First of all just watch a table and see how often those fire bets actually pay off - it's a pretty rare event. Let's assume you win 4 numbers then he 7s out. $10 betsx4 =40, but you lose your 5th bet, so net $30.

Progressively you win the first 4, $75 net, but you lose your 5th bet $45 = net is the same $30.

Almost nobody quits in the middle of the roll so the casino always wins the final bet. When they say the house edge is .5% (or whatever it actually is) that is based on each individual roll of the dice. But the reality of the nature of the game is you always lose the final bet.

Hmmm, sounds plausible and you're right that you lose your last bet, so let's detail it out:

Non progressive, 4 winning bets:

$10 x 4 = $40 - $10 (5th losing bet) = total winnings: $30

Progressive, 4 winning bets

1st roll: $10 bet, win $10
2nd roll: $15 bet, win $15, total winnings: $25
3rd roll: $20 bet: win $20: total winnings: $45
4th roll: $30 bet; win $30: total winnings: $75
5th roll; $45 bet: lose, so winnings are $75 - $45 = $30.

Wow, you're correct. This says that you're better just holding the same bet, and you have less money on the table. I'll have to open the book and see if Sam has anything further to say about betting this way.

 

[Skipracer]

now I’m curious. I’ll take the book.

 

[slisk250]

Fallacy. Unless you walk away, you always leave money on the table. First of all just watch a table and see how often those fire bets actually pay off - it's a pretty rare event. Let's assume you win 4 numbers then he 7s out. $10 betsx4 =40, but you lose your 5th bet, so net $30.

Progressively you win the first 4, $75 net, but you lose your 5th bet $45 = net is the same $30.

Almost nobody quits in the middle of the roll so the casino always wins the final bet. When they say the house edge is .5% (or whatever it actually is) that is based on each individual roll of the dice. But the reality of the nature of the game is you always lose the final bet.

Moose makes a great point about losing the last bet you make. Also…you don’t make money unless you leave with theirs.

I think the optimal play is pass/don’t pass line with full odds, 2 come/don’t come betswith full odds. You are covering 3 numbers. These are the bets with the absolute lowest house advantage. You could also just play pass/don’t pass plus making place bets on the 6 & 8. Still very low house advantage.

If you ever double your starting stack (chips on rail), time to possibly hit and run when you lose that last bet.

 

[davislane]

we should rewrite the PCF equivalent. How to play craps and harvest fracs whilst losing the least amount of money.

 

[upNdown]

we should rewrite the PCF equivalent. How to play craps and harvest fracs whilst losing the least amount of money.

Honestly that’s the most interesting thing to me. Because any other debates boil down to either devising a system to beat the house (which we’d all agree is impossible in the long run) or devising the system where you lose the least the slowest, which doesn’t interest me - I’d rather play poker.

 

[slisk250]

we should rewrite the PCF equivalent. How to play craps and harvest fracs whilst losing the least amount of money.

I actually have a strategy for harvesting 5s or 1s. Never played with fracs on the tables. If those yellows in Black Hawk were THC, I’d loot them on a weekly basis.

 

[slisk250]

First, you need tables with 10 minimum bet to max $1s but $15 is much more likely to find in Vegas strip

$1 strat - when buying in, ask for a barrel of 1s so you can make bets for the. Play pass with odds. Make $12 place bets on the 6 and 8. The payout is $14on those place bets. If they start paying 15 asking for change, switch the bet to 18 or 24 to make sure you are getting 1s. Make hardway bets for the dealers covering the 6/8. Then they know those losing bets are burning up those 1s and you can reload…all the good ones are in your pocket when the dice are in the air as nobody is watching you.

$5 are more simple. Place $18 bets on 6/8. The payout is 21. Lots of 5s.

an added benefit if you are ”losing” on a busy table Harvesting 5s. It’s easy for this when you are pocketing hundreds of dollars in 5s. Assuming you have a players card and bought back in a few times, they track it. The casinos think you are losing big…it’s not the case. The dealers know exactly what is happening and if you are regularly making bets for then, they don’t give a shit.

 

[davislane]

How woul

First, you need tables with 10 minimum bet to max $1s but $15 is much more likely to find in Vegas strip

$1 strat - when buying in, ask for a barrel of 1s so you can make bets for the. Play pass with odds. Make $12 place bets on the 6 and 8. The payout is $14on those place bets. If they start paying 15 asking for change, switch the bet to 18 or 24 to make sure you are getting 1s. Make hardway bets for the dealers covering the 6/8. Then they know those losing bets are burning up those 1s and you can reload…all the good ones are in your pocket when the dice are in the air as nobody is watching you.

$5 are more simple. Place $18 bets on 6/8. The payout is 21. Lots of 5s.

an added benefit if you are ”losing” on a busy table Harvesting 5s. It’s easy for this when you are pocketing hundreds of dollars in 5s. Assuming you have a players card and bought back in a few times, they track it. The casinos think you are losing big…it’s not the case. The dealers know exactly what is happening and if you are regularly making bets for then, they don’t give a shit.

I know zero about craps. How would one harvest fracs using the above strat? I think the table min is $5 from memory

 

[slisk250]

How woul

I know zero about craps. How would one harvest fracs using the above strat? I think the table min is $5 from memory

Have no experience with lower min tables that payout fracs. I’d need To think about it. It’s simple though. Make the bets that give payouts including whatever chip you are h7nting.

 

[FDLmold]

There is not a single winning bet on the craps table, unless you can find a way to sneak $$ onto a Don’t Pass bet after a point has been rolled.

 

[ArielVer18]

$1 strat - when buying in, ask for a barrel of 1s so you can make bets for the. Play pass with odds. Make $12 place bets on the 6 and 8. The payout is $14on those place bets. If they start paying 15 asking for change, switch the bet to 18 or 24 to make sure you are getting 1s. Make hardway bets for the dealers covering the 6/8. Then they know those losing bets are burning up those 1s and you can reload…all the good ones are in your pocket when the dice are in the air as nobody is watching you.

I should try the sucker bets in the middle. To get $1s, I usually slide four greens to the dealer after a new point and say "4, 6, 8, 10" for my standard high variance craps strategy. This guarantee me two $1s to start. However, they get stingy and start asking for $1s back when they see me with more than 5 $1s and I hit one of my buy/place bets.