OH CRAPS
Craps Players Recount A Few Table Experiences
By John Grochowski
Craps players have nearly as many angles as the dice bouncing off the wall, and they have the stories to go with them. In this edition of Table Talk, let’s focus on a few tales craps players have shared.
Len
The table was pretty hot, and everybody was making money except for one guy betting the don’t. The dark sider’s chips were eroding and he said, “I never do this, but I can’t take it anymore. I’m going to bet with you guys.”
A big cheer went up and one guy went all preacher on us. “Hallelujah, hallelujah! He was lost, but now he has found the light.”
Of course, the table turned cold. I went point-seven, and the next couple of shooters sevened out fast, too. The “preacher” guy said, “Augustbe it’s time we all found the dark instead.” Another player said, “I have a better idea. Why don’t we just chip in for a little darkness.”
And we did. Eight of us each gave the dark sider $10 in chips on the condition he’d bet the don’t on the next couple of shooters.
I wish I could tell you that switching him back to the don’t put our luck back on track, but it didn’t. The table stayed choppy and the don’t guy won back a little money. The rest of us lost a little back to the house, but we’d already won pretty good.
I said, “Gentlemen, it’s time I locked up a profit. A good night to you all.”
I don’t know if any others left or if they won any money after that, but I was happy to get out with my winnings.
Faye
You know all those old clichés, “Baby needs a new pair of shoes,” and all those things you don’t really hear all that often. I heard a funny turn on it once.
The dice had just passed to a new shooter, nice-looking man in his mid-30s, I’d say. Just as he took the dice, a young woman carrying several shopping bags came up behind him and said, “Baby needs a new pair of shoes.”
He did a double take and said it looked more like a dozen pairs of shoes. Everybody laughed. He turned back to the table and before he rolled said, “Daddy needs to pay for a new pair of shoes, and it looks like a few things to go with them.”
Herm
I’ll admit it. I’m a dark side player. The house edge is a little lower on the don’t, and that’s more important to me than making any temporary friendships at the table.
Mostly, I leave the right bettors alone and they leave me alone. They make their bets and I make mine. I get some ribbing when the shooter gets hot, but nothing I can’t take.
Every once in a while there’s someone who is seriously angry that I would dare to bet against the shooter. Not often really, but I’ve been told there ought to be a law against my kind, that devil’s spawn like me should be ashamed of showing my face and that there should be a special place on the deportation lists for people like me.
The ones I really like are the ones who are so sure they’re going to break me. Just last week, a new shooter told me, “Man, you are going to lose so bad.”
He rolled a 6. I laid the odds and added a don’t come bet, and came right back at me. “Are you listening at all? That’s more you’re going to lose.” Then he rolled a 9, a laid odds on that and added another don’t come bet.”
This time, he made sure the whole table heard. “We have a slow learner here. He insists on losing it all.”
Next roll was an 8. I laid odds on the 8 and stopped there. I like to have the don’t pass working with two don’t comes, all with odds.
Of course, there was more chatter. “Look at that – 6, 8 and 9. Couldn’t be better for the whole table, except you. Couldn’t be worse for you.”
Through all this, I basically said nothing. Just smile, shrugs and the occasional “we’ll see.”
I left it that way when the dice came up 4-3 on the next roll and I won the don’t pass, both don’t comes and all the odds. I just added the chips to my rack and started with a new don’t pass bet.
The shooter didn’t take it that well. “You got lucky, but you’re luck’s going to run out. You’ll see.”
I told him it probably would, and left it at that.
Wes
Six in the morning, I was warming up, playing alone at the only table that was open. Just me and the crew. I might have been ahead a little bit. I’d make a couple of points, seven out, then point seven the next time, then make a couple of points.
This other guy asks if he can join me. I told him welcome to the table. I was mid-roll, but when I sevened, he took the dice. First roll: 7. Second roll: 7. Third roll: 7.
He said, “Sorry about that,” and I told him, “Hey, there’s nothing wrong with winning your pass bet on every roll.”
He did it again. Fourth roll: 7. Finally, fifth roll, he rolls a 5, we both take odds, I bet come, he bets 6 and 8.
Sixth roll: 7 out. Unbelievable. He says, “Augustbe I should come back when there aren’t so many 7s in that arm,” and he leaves. The crew and I could just laugh.
