To many casino people, Craps is their favorite casino game to play. It is fast, exciting and wild. It appears to be complicated at first but in actuality craps is it very simple. When playing craps, the object of craps strategy is for the "craps shooter" who is the person rolling the dice, to start the craps game when all bets are down and the stick man pushes the dice to him to begin his roll. The craps shooter throws the dice across the craps table so they strike the farthest end of the craps table from where the craps shooter is standing. The shooter is only the shooter for one round, then the pass the dice along to the next person on their left. This happens when a 'session' ends, and the new dice-holder starts the next session.

The very first roll the new shooter throws is called the 'come-out roll'. Before the shooter rolls the come-out roll for a session, they are required to make a pass-line bet. Other players will likely also make a pass line bet at this point, although it isn't necessary.

What the shooter rolls on the come-out roll is important. The resulting dice total will either win or lose for pass line bets or remain neutral for pass line bets. If it wins or loses (a win is a roll of 7 or 11, a loss is a roll of 2, 3, or 12) the session is instantly over and the same shooter rolls another come-out roll.

When the come-out roll doesn't instantly win or lose for the pass line bets, it means a different number must have been rolled. The only other numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. If one of these is rolled it becomes known as 'the point' number for the remainder of the session.

Now the pass line bets that have been left in limbo are resolved (won or lost) based around the point number. After the point has been set, the shooter just keeps rolling and rolling. If they happen to roll the point number a second time before they roll a 7, the pass line bets win. If the shooter happens to roll a 7 before they hit the point number again, the pass line bets lose. That's called 'sevening out'.

THE BETTING

The Pass Bet - A bet on the "pass" line is a bet with the craps shooter. This means that if, on his first toss of the dice, called the "come out" roll a 7 or 11 is thrown the "pass" line bets win and the craps shooter keeps the dice for another roll. If the craps shooter rolls a 2,3 or 12 all "pass line" bets lose. The craps shooter still retains the dice, he can however give them up at any time. Any other number 4,5,6,8,9,10 are called the "point" and the craps shooter will continue to roll until he makes his point. If a seven appears first the shooter and all pass bets lose and the dice go to the next craps player.

The Don't Pass Bet - This line bets against the craps shooter which means he will either crap out with a 2 or a 3, or he will get a point and 7 out before he makes his point. If a 12 is thrown the "don't pass" line becomes a push bet, nobody wins. The Come Bet - This bet is similar to the Pass Bet but need not be made on the come out roll. This line bet can be made any time after the shooters point has been established. You win if the next roll after your bet is a 7 or 11 and lose on a 2, 3, or 12. Any number other than these numbers becomes your point and you win if the number is repeated before a 7 is thrown.

The Don't Come Bet - Again, this bet is similar to the Don't Pass Bet, but need not be made on the come out roll.

Odds Bet - This is an additional bet made on a Pass, Don't Pass, Come or Don't Come bet that has already been placed. Odds bets can only be made once the point has been established. The advantage of an odds bet is that it is paid out at the correct odds.

Win Bet - This bet can be made on the following numbers: 4,5,6,8,9,10. It is a bet that the relevant number will be thrown BEFORE a 7.

Lose Bet - This bet can be made on the following numbers: 4,5,6,8,9,10. It is a bet that a seven will be thrown BEFORE the relevant number.

Field Bet - This is a bet on the outcome of the next throw. The "field" allows you to make a bet with every roll of the dice but you are limited by choice and you either win or lose on the roll, you get one chance only. You win if the shooter rolls 2,3,4,9,10,11 or 12 (It pays even money if a 3,4,9,10 or 11 is thrown and 2-1 if a 2 or 12 is thrown) But you lose on 5,6,7, or 8. You have 16 ways to win, but the house has 20 ways to win, thus giving the house that ever present edge.

Hardways Bet - This bet can be made on 4,6,8 or 10. It is a bet that the relevant number will be thrown in its double form BEFORE a 7 AND before that number is thrown in any other combination. There are four so-called hard way bets, they're called hard way because each of them can only be won if they come up in pairs. 10 with a pair of five's, 8 with a pair of fours, 6 with a pair of threes and a 4 with a pair of twos. Your hard way number must come up before either a seven or your numbers easy way equivalent. For example an 8 with a three and a five or a two and a six. These bets can be made any time before the dice are thrown.

1 - Buy Bet Here you can guess that a certain number will be rolled before a 7. It's the same as a place bet but a Buy Bet pays true odds with a 5% charge with a win.
2 - Don't Come Bet Opposite of a 'Come Bet'. Odds are the same.
3 - Place Bet Here you can bet that a certain number will be rolled before a 7. The odds are 9:5 on a 4 and 10, 7:5 on a 5 and 9 and 7:6 on a 6 and 8 roll.
4 - Come Bet Is basically the same as the 'Pass Line Bet' but the bet is made after the shooter gets point. The shooters next roll then becomes this bets come out roll. This bet wins with 7 and 11 and loses with 2, 3 and 12. If another number is rolled then your counter is moved to the corresponding place (see number 10 on diagram) And for you to win a point must be regained before a 7 is rolled. The odds are 1:1.
5 - Field Bet Is where you bet if the outcome of the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. Any other figures lose. 2:1 are the odds for 2 and 12, and the rest are 1:1.
6 - 6 & 8 You bet if a 6 or 8 will be rolled before the next 7. Odds are 1:1.
7 - Don't Pass Bet A simple bet, that the shooter does NOT win the game. The odds are 1:1.
8 - Pass Line Bet The simplest bet; you bet that the shooter wins the game. The odds are 1:1.
9 - Odds Bet This strengthens your 'Don't Pass Bet' or your 'Pass Line Bet' but this bet is made after point on the shooters come out roll. The odds are 2:1 for a 4 and 10, 3:" for a 5 and 9 roll and 6:5 for a 6 and 8 roll.
10 Number 10 corresponds with information in the 'Come Bet'.

A Don't Come Bet is a bet made after a point is established. It works the same way as the Don't Pass Bet. If a 7 or 11 is rolled, it's an immediate loser. If a 2 or 3 is rolled, it's an immediate winner. If a 12 is rolled it is a standoff and you neither lose nor win (hence, the "Bar" in the name of this area) Any other number which is rolled becomes your Don't Come Bet Number. If this number repeats before a 7 is rolled you lose. If a 7 is rolled prior to this number you win.

When the "shooter" rolls a 7 or 11 on the first throw (The Come-out roll) it is refer to as a "natural" and an automatic win. On the other hand, if 2, 3 or 12 rolls, it is called, "craps" and you lose your Pass Line bet. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) becomes your "Point." You win if the "Point" repeats before 7 rolls, and you lose if 7 show before your "Point." Is made. Place these bets in the area marked "Pass Line" on the layout.

When I produced a qualifying score and managed to manipulate the ball into the replay hole, a loud pop sounded rewarding a credit for another game. There was a ball return at the bottom of the hole. After racking up more points and the credit, it would pop the ball back out into play. The longer I could keep the ball in play, the more points and "free games" I could win. It was all skill and I paid for my lessons. I set aside my allowance money to finance my pinball addiction. Yeah, at the age of twelve, I was addicted to pinball. I could only play on weekends. The only thought that got me through Sunday mass was day dreaming of playing pinball. Is that a sin? Just as soon as I could get out of my Sunday best, I'd peddle my bike down to Park Lanes, the bowling ally just the other side of Mineral Palace Park on Main Street.

I played each nickel as if it were my last. I learned how to give that machine just the right shove, at the right time, to send the ball back up with just a little more ump, up to the high point bumpers without tilting. I learned this from an older boy. He had slicked back hair. He wore a white T-shirt with a pack of smokes rolled up in the sleeve. In the beginning, I did not know about manipulating the game. When I saw if for the first time I was so impressed. Of course, I had to learn about tilting the machine, which ended my session without the chance of a reward. I eventually learned every nuance of that pinball game. On a good day, I could play for an hour or so, investing maybe three nickels.

Dice games and pinball games are a lot alike. Both games are designed to challenge the player. Both games tempt the player to keep playing for the win. Both games are rigged for the player to lose. A pinball game has a sloping table. A dice game has odds that favor the casino. In pinball, the ball tends to pass down the middle of the table avoiding the action. In dice, the rolls tend to be short, adhering to probability. Not knowing all the nuances will cost you money. You run the risk of "tilting" either game by pushing too hard. You have a limited investment for either game. You pay for your lessons. If you hold on to your "nickels" long enough you may catch a hand. Best results are had when you have a playing method that keeps you in the game. Simply, you want to get the most "points" from every bet and sustain your playing time. By sustaining your playing time, you increase the propensity of running into a winning streak.

When it comes to casino games, you are playing a game with a sloping table. The ball keeps "trying" to roll down the middle where you are helpless. When it does, you reload another ball (place another bet) and hope it is the one that stays in play long enough to put you ahead. You play each ball as if it were the only ball left, keeping the other balls safely in reserve. (money management)

How do you earn the "free game"? How do you play craps and score enough points for the "replay"? How do you make the most of each bet and keep your precious bankroll in reserve?

You come from an energy, an intrinsic belief, that the game can be beat. You create a belief that aligns with a winner's attitude. There is a way and you will dedicate yourself to finding it. You never settle for less and you give yourself every possible edge. You learn to expand your energy through a paradigm of abundance. You know that coming from scarcity and lack is the kiss of death holding you back from all that you deserve.

1. You are playing a game. You better be playing because you enjoy playing. You enjoy the challenge of the odds. You enjoy the thrill of winning and you enjoy the rush of excitement. You are able to accept the fact that not every session will be a winner. If it were, there would be no charge of energy from the winning.
2. You acknowledge your limitations. If you are not 100% serious about acquiring the skills necessary of an expert player, allow yourself to accept your level of play and still be able to enjoy the outcome. Where you find yourself is where you are. Gaming is a factor of skill not luck. You can always depend on your skill. The more you invest in knowledge and learning about the game the better your results will be!
3. You enter the game with only so many "nickels", at least make every nickel play with a properly supported bankroll. Make the smart plays that have the best return for the money at risk. It is all about keeping "the ball" in play as long as possible.
4. If you attempt to manipulate a game, have a subtle touch. When you "tilt" the machine, the game is over. It is a fine line between conservative play and knowing when to lean into the game. The old pinball game had a pendulum hanging inside the game. Pushing on the table would cause the pendulum to swing. If it swung too much, it would close a circuit and switch off the game. When playing craps, be mindful about swinging the pendulum out of control. You control the game by being in control of yourself.
5. When the opportunity arrives, have awareness and know how to handle it. You never know when a game is going to break loose with a monster roll. First, you have to be at the table when it does. Second you have to have something better than guessing to take advantage of it.
6. Gaming is like a two-edged sword. If you play too long, the odds will eat you alive. At the same time, if you cannot sustain your bankroll long enough, you will not be standing at the table when the hot hand does come along. You must have some method, some system of grasping opportunity automatically and you must have some way of playing the game that extends you limited funds, 5 cents for 5 balls.>
7. You do not have to be obsessive or compulsive. You have to be in control and play with disciplined. After all, who is going to look after you? You must be in control of you. Only you can put yourself in a game and only you can pull yourself out.
8. Limit your session to one bankroll, win or lose. When you have played all your nickels, be disciplined enough to peddle your bicycle home. It's probably time for lunch anyway.

The intended purpose of this metaphorical story is for you take a look at how you play your game. The person you take to the casino is the same person that you take into the game of life. All your strengths and all your weaknesses are always with you. You can only change those things that you truly wish to change. You can have anything you want but for one thing. You have to want it and you have to take the necessary action to get it.

Back in the days when I worked with Stuart Wilde seminars, participants were challenged to look at their lives. A person facing a challenging situation might be asked, "How is this like your life?" Meaning, do you see a pattern here? Is there a connection with your actions or reactions to this particular event and the way you function in "real life"?

For me, I think the pinball metaphor was a proving ground for the gaming experience that was to come in later life. How is it like my life? I approach both pinball and gaming in a similar manner; first, by striving for excellence and second, by playing with a passion to win, never settling for less than my best.

How do you approach casino games? How is it like your life? Take a moment for introspection. Reflect on any similarities between the game and your life. Be aware of anything that comes up that you may wish to change or improve? Until you stop to observe yourself, you tend not to notice yourself. There is so much more to the game than meets the eye. The tendency is to take for granted the obvious and accept it as truth. The truth is, reality is just a thought form. Simply changing your thought form, you change your reality. Strive for excellence and settling for nothing less than your best is a thought form. What you put out you will get back in return. Come from a big energy and the dedication of a winner. Check yourself when scarcity or lack tries to sneak in to your life. It is not just a way to play games. It is a life style. You can win them all.