Friday, December 01, 2000

For a really low volatility pattern of play that keeps house advantage at a minimum and heightens entertainment, try this slow hedge system.

One of you (in our case, husband) places a don't pass bet until he establishes a point and then lays full odds. He makes no other bets. The other ( in our case the wife) skips the come out roll, and then places a Come Bet or two or three with full odds.

Then, generally, (unless you decide at some point to bet that the shooter is on a long roll) you both wait for ALL bets to win or lose and then start the pattern over again.

Unlike the do-don't pattern, you are not actually betting against one another, only to be worn down by the boxcar double loss. But you are making the seven do different things to your bets, so it is less likely to have huge losses or huge wins and a smaller bank roll will give you just as much fun and the same good house advantage, plenty of time to drink the free drinks and more opportunity to quit a little ahead when it is time for the buffet.

However, if the right numbers come in the right patterns, you can have a big win, or on a long roll without sevens, deciding to replace come bets can let you win with the table, or if the table is choppy with point, seven, point, seven, you will also clean up because you win the don't and the initial come bet. If you like to roll, the choppy table is the best scenario because it will clear the table of players while it doubles your bankroll and give you plenty of turns at rolling the dice.

What is also fun is you can pretend to have this great fight where the wife says, You are sooooo stupid for betting on the dark side against the shooter, What is the matter with you?"

And he answers, "Just wait until you see how the dice fall out, then you can talk out the other side of yo face."

And she retorts, "Yeah, well we'll see how the dice' fall out' mister BIG ROLLER, and you better hope they fall out on the good guys side or you'll see what doesn't fall IN when we go back upstairs. "

It is so much fun to play with the table superstitions. We have had a blast doing it. The fake argument also gets rid of those stares the old guys give you for betting the dark side if you try this pattern by yourself. One time it even inspired an old guy to make an extra bet, "for the little lady" just to give her support in the fight of the good against the evil. Almost like coming to her rescue in a domestic dispute.

And of course, since you are working with the same bankroll, you both have plenty of action because whatever you might pretend to say, you are hoping, in your heart, that both bets will win.

Since you have two people watching the payouts, you reduce the chance for dealer error, not that the dealers will get very bored with you during play fighting, or lose their sense of how you are betting. Often they will get involved in the banter and the drama too which is a good thing because it keeps their concentration on the outcome of the game.

We usually decide where to stop the pattern of betting and wait for reconciliation of the bets by the volatility of the number that becomes the don't pass point. If a don't ten is thrown, and then a do six, we will be more likely to take a couple more come numbers than if a six is the don't and then a ten is the come. In fact, if we want to play conservatively when a don't six or eight show, we will wait for that to win or lose. leaving it bare without any come numbers following it. Or if we have a good bankroll for liberal betting and a ten don't is followed with a six come and then an eight come, we just keep putting up come bets until another number shows, hoping that lots of sixes and eights pop up in a row before the seven hits. That is a great money maker too.

An of course, when you don't play together, one person can manage all of this quite well except for the play fight.

Generally, after the first don't bet I take come numbers depending on the number that was thrown for the don't. Again, this does not change House Advantage, but it wager more money when the house has the least chance.
If the Don't is 6-8, I simply wait for it to win or lose.
If the Don't is 5-9 I make at least two come bets.
If the Don't is 2-10 I make at least three come bets.

If I have not lost money in a session, and any of the 6-8 come bets pay, I make one more come bet and continue after every 6-8 pay until there are no 6-8 come bets waiting for decisions.

Finally, while I may get a few negative stares playing solo when I make the first "don't" bet, I just dismiss any negativity with " That is just a hedge" and lots of cheering for the Come Numbers with no complaints or whinning when the Don't loses and the same verbal kudos to the good roller. Generally, I am not excluded from the general good spirits of the table. The exception is when the rolls follow a pattern of immediately establishing a point and then bringing the devil seven on the next roll. The table loses, but I win both bets and it makes people mad. However, those sorts of choppy tables mean that generally craps players will leave soon.