The Secret of Betting Dont
Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?
How about the secret of Betting From the Don't side?
Besides being an unpopular bet, the Don't Pass is a dangerous bet to make. Before the point is established the casino clearly holds the advantage. You will win your bet if a 2 or 3 rolls, but lose your bet if a 7 or 11 rolls - just the opposite from the pass line. (On the don't pass the 12 is a "push"). The 2/3 combination rolls 3 times (in 36 sample rolls) while the 7/11 combination rolls 8 times. So, with your bet in the don't pass box, you are favored to lose by an 8 to 3 margin.
To make matters worse, if the point does get established, you might want to make three don't come bets. This 8 to 3 casino advantage, is present not only for the initial don't pass bet, but the three additional don't come bets as well.
However, once you get past the come-outs, you hold the advantage on any number - either for the don't pass or the don't come. So your don't pass plus three don't comes could be highly profitable, if only there was some way of protecting your initial bets.
Wanna know the secrets that Craps pros use to protect their don't bets?
Let's find out!
The easiest way to protect your don't come bet is to temporarily add odds to your don't pass bet. If your don't pass is $10, you should back it up with $10 odds for one roll only, while you place a $10 don't come bet. If the seven hits, you lose your don't come bet but win on the don't pass (plus odds), so you come out ahead. After your first don't come is established, you can remove the odds on the don't pass, which was there to protect the first don't come bet from a losing on a possible seven.
Now, you're home free. Your second don't come can be placed without a money loss. If the seven rolls now, you will win your first don't come, lose the second, and win your don't pass. If another point number rolls you can make a third don't come bet also.
If you don't like adding odds to your don't pass bet, you can just reduce your second don't come bet to protect the first one. For example, if your first don't come is $10, make your second only $5. This way if the seven rolls you are still ahead by $5.
For an easy hedge bet on the don't pass bet itself, you could try a $2 bet on the hardway number if the point is 4, 6, 8 or 10. If the point rolled is 4 or 10, you would lose your $10 don't pass but win $14 ($2 at 7:1). If the point rolled is 6 or 8, you would lose your $10 don't pass but win $18 ($2 at 9:1).
So when you play on the don't side, use the don't pass odds only as a hedge for your first don't come bet. Why not give this a try the next time you play "on the dark side".
Pssst...! Now you know the secrets of protecting your don't bets!
(c) 2005 by Larry Edell
You can get a FREE issue of The Crapshooter, the only newsletter devoted exclusively to craps! Just send two first class stamps to The Crapshooter, Dept EZA, PO Box 421440, San Diego CA 92142, or you can subscribe at http://www.TheCrapshooter.com. You'll also receive a FREE catalog and a special FREE offer!