"E" is For Edge

by Larry Edell

A casino is a profit making enterprise, and so it takes a small percentage out of almost every bet you make - whether you win or lose. This is called the "casino edge". For example, on the "Any Seven" it takes 16%, but on the pass line with double odds, it only takes about 1%. In practical terms, the Any Seven bet means that your money will be used up faster - sixteen times faster-than the pass line. In order to use as much of your money as possible to win, you need to keep as much of it as possible, and give the casino as little edge as possible. But how do you know which bets have the least possible casino edge, and provide the most possible advantage to the player?

Let's find out!

As mentioned previously, the pass line with double odds has a casino edge of only about 1%. The same is also true for the come, don't come, and don't pass. These four bets are the best ones for the recreational gambler. If however, you want to take a little more risk, you can make a little more money by playing with a partner.

If you have a partner, one of you can play on the "do side" (either pass or come line) and the other can play on the "don't side" (either don't pass or don't come). You would make the same identical bets, so that they cancel out.

You can make money by adding odds to your bets after the points are established. For example if the six or eight were the point, you might add maximum odds on the "do" side. If the four or ten were the point, you might add maximum odds on the "don't" side.

The only risk to this method is the twelve. Every once in 36 rolls or so the twelve will roll, and you will lose the pass or come bet but will not win the don't pass or don't come. In some casinos the two is "barred" instead of the twelve. If you are betting $10 units, you will lose that $10 once every 36 rolls or so to either the two or the twelve. Still, it's not a bad price to pay for a good system that works most of the time.

By using this "Partner Play," you really are minimizing the casino edge. The pass/come or don't pass/don't come casino advantage gets eliminated, and you are left with the odds bets with a zero % casino advantage. All you have to worry about is the twelve (or the two), so if someone is setting the dice and betting big on the craps numbers, maybe you should wait that roll out.

Even though the pass/don't pass and come/don't come lines have a very low casino edge, there is a way you can get it even lower - by playing partners! So if you always wondered what kind of bets provided the lowest edge and most advantage to the player, now you know!

And, as always, good luck at the tables!

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