Introduction

If you are a precision shooter, there are a few things you should pay attention to since these tips can greatly improve your dice control at a specific craps table. One of the first things you should look for is if there is any padding under the table felt. Believe it or not, thicker and softer padding is actually better than no padding at all. Second only to blackjack card counting is the so-called mythical art of dice control in the game of craps.Just as card counting involves careful observation of the deck to determine when the odds are in the player’s favor, dice control is the art of consistently throwing the dice roll after roll in an attempt to skew the results so fewer 7s show than is mathematically expected – quickly.

One of the most frequently asked questions I get, and certainly the most frequent about craps, is whether dice setting is for real. Publicly until now I said I never saw enough evidence either way and had no position. Privately I was more skeptical. However in May 2004 Stanford Wong, whom I have enormous respect for, attended a 4-day seminar on dice setting and as a result reversed his position and gave what I think could be said is an endorsement. Shortly afterward I saw him at a social function and asked him about it. He obviously did believe that some people can influence the dice but that is was very difficult and something few have mastered.

Wong's comments inspired me to take dice setting more seriously. I had previously been in communication with Frank Scoblete and Larry Edell on the subject, suggesting that I be allowed to observe some top dice setters for myself. Both were agreeable but due to scheduling problems nothing ever came of it. Until recently I also lived within about one mile of dice coach Beau Parker so there was no good reason to keep avoiding the experiment. So after playing phone tag we finally met on July 22 with three other dice setters at the Bellagio.

Before starting Beau explained that dice setters are not able to control every single throw but only influence the dice towards certain numbers. At a 3-4-5x odds table the house edge is only 0.374% so it only takes a slight influence of the dice to overcome that house advantage. However a slight influence could take thousands of rolls to become obvious over the normal randomness of the game. So we both agreed one session was unlikely to prove anything.

As I emphasize on the topic of Internet casino cheating the proper way to make a case for a non-random game is to set up a hypothesis first, then gather data, and then statistically test the data for how well it fits the hypothesis. So I asked Beau what I should be testing for. He said on the come out roll that I should test for winning rolls of 7 and 11, and on all other rolls to test for rolling anything except a 7. Following are the specific results. Each come out roll begins a line.

Parker Experiment Results

Date	Casino	Shooter	Rolls
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Beau	7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Beau	2
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Beau	6,8,6
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Beau	8,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	11
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	2
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	6,10,5,9,3,3,12,5,9,5,8,6
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	11
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	10,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Pablo	7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Pablo	7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Pablo	5,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Michael	10,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Beau	4,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Debbie	6,3,4,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Pablo	9,2,4,6,8,4,2,10,5,8,5,5,11,8,6,2,8,7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Michael	11
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Michael	7
July 22, 2004	Bellagio	Michael	4,6,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Beau	6,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	8,11,6,6,9,4,10,6,6,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Michael	6,6
July 22, 2004	Westin	Michael	5,4,5
July 22, 2004	Westin	Michael	4,5,12,4
July 22, 2004	Westin	Michael	9,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Beau	7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Beau	7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Beau	9,6,5,8,9
July 22, 2004	Westin	Beau	6,11,4,3,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	5,6,3,11,6,6,5
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	12
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	11
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	5,9,8,4,8,11,5
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Debbie	6,7
July 22, 2004	Westin	Michael	10,7

The next table summarizes the results. The sample size is too small to perform any robust tests. However just an eyeball test shows the results are thus far close to expectations in a random game. So clearly more testing needs to be done, and is planned for.

Parker Experiment Summary

Event	Number
Come out rolls	37
Come out wins (7 or 11)	11
Expected come out wins (7 or 11)	8.22
Non-come out rolls	79
Non-come out win (non-7)	65
Expected non-come out win (non-7)	65.83

For more information on dice setting or professional lessons please visit Beau Parker'sdicecoach.com.

Stanford Wong Experiment

In August 2004 debate was raging at Stanford Wong's site bj21.com about dice setting. The discussion could be found under the member's only Green Chip section on craps. A professional gambler there challenged Wong to a bet. The terms of the bet were whether precision shooters could roll fewer than 79.5 sevens in 500 rolls of the dice. The expected number in a random game would be 83.33. The probability of rolling 79 or fewer sevens in 500 random rolls is 32.66%.

I was asked to be a monitor for the event, but was out of the country at the time. However I did make an $1800 bet on the over with a well known gambling writer. The dates and locations of the event were kept very quiet, and were not being made available to the public. The shooters were Wong himself and someone known only as 'Little Joe.' According to Wong, the experiment went well and not one roll was called dead nor disputed by the two sides of the bet present at the event. The following table shows the results by shooter.

Wong Experiment Results

Shooter	Total Rolls	Total Sevens	Percent Sevens
Wong	278	45	16.19%
Little Joe	222	29	13.06%
Total	500	74	14.80%

Congratulations to Wong on winning with five sevens to spare. The probability of rolling 74 or fewer sevens in 500 random rolls is 14.41%.

Internal Links

• How the house edge for each bet is derived, in brief.
• The house edge of all the major bets on both a per-bet made and per-roll basis
• Dice Control Experiments. The results of two experiments on skillful dice throwing.
• Dice Control Advantage. The player advantage, assuming he can influence the dice.
• Craps variants. Alternative rules and bets such as the Fire Bet, Crapless Craps, and Card Craps.
• California craps. How craps is played in California using playing cards.
• Play Craps. Craps game using cards at the Viejas casino in San Diego.
• Number of Rolls Table. Probability of a shooter lasting 1 to 200 rolls before a seven-out.
• Ask the Wizard. See craps questions I've answered about:
  
• Simple Craps game. My simple Java craps game.

Written by: Michael Shackleford

Craps Dice Control - Setting the Dice and Beating the Casino

Dice Setting and Casino Craps

'Dice control' or 'dice setting' is an advantage play technique used in craps to set and throw the dice in such a way as to make the dice more likely to land on certain numbers. Skeptics assert that controlling the dice in this way is practically impossible, but notable gambling experts like Michael Shackleford and Stanford Wong seem to give some credence to the notion that this might be possible. If so, then dice and craps could be elevated to a game of skill like darts or pool.

This section of our site tries to provide some basic information about how to set the dice in craps.

Dice Setting Tutorial

You don't have to be a certain size to succeed at dice control. Being left-handed or right-handed doesn't matter either. Age and gender simply are not factors either. And you can stand anywhere at the table and still succeed at dice control. With practice, anyone can become a winning shooter. All it takes is enough practice to perfect your technique.

The number of fingers used to handle the dice varies from shooter to shooter. One crapshooter might use 2 fingers, while another may opt for the 5-finger approach. And even if 2 shooters use the same number of digits, it’s likely that the positioning of their fingers will differ.

How to Control The Dice

Tossing dice can be broken down into 3 distinct elements. They are:

• Grip
• Alignment
• Delivery

Grip

For illustrations of the various acceptable ways to grip the dice, check out one of the following websites:

Most dice control instructors will tell you that the less you actually have to touch the dice the better. In other words, hold the dice where you can exert maximum control over the spin, but also try to keep contact between your fingers and the dice to a minimum. Of course, you ultimately have to find the grip which is best for you and use it.

It is also important to be sure and place equal pressure on each die. This will take some practice, but it is crucial in establishing proper dice control technique. If done properly, the 2 dice in your hand should feel as though you are holding one rectangular object. If it feels like you are holding two distinct dice, then you aren't doing it right.

Make sure that the dice have no space between them when preparing to throw. If you don’t, then the dice may fly off in different directions when thrown. If you’re unsure of whether your dice are kissing each other, you can always turn your hand over and examine your dice from the bottom (it is best if you only do this during practice, as it will draw unnecessary attention at the craps table).

Alignment

When aligning the dice, remember to do so with the lines on the craps table. This should allow you to get the proper alignment on the vertical axis.

Also keep in mind that the axis running the width of the table does not matter. This is also called the left-right axis. Before tossing the dice, it does not matter if they begin straight up, straight down, or tilted towards the target.

The axis running the length of the table, also referred to as the fore-aft axis, is very important. The heel-toe alignment of the dice needs to be parallel to the felt. To make sure that your dice are properly aligned, lower them down to the level of the table. If you’re doing it right, the edges and faces of the dice should make solid contact with the table. With practice, this will become second nature.

Delivery

To deliver the dice means to throw them against the far wall of the table. You are generally expected by the dealer to throw the dice in such a way as to assure that they will hit the opposing wall. This is done to make sure that the dice will bounce off the wall and achieve a truly random number. Of course, since dice control is about getting anything but a random number, you will want to try and deliver the dice in a way which will minimize the amount of dice reaction after touchdown.

The secret to this is achieving backspin while making sure that the dice do not move on any other axes. If properly delivered, the dice will stay together as they fly through the air, rotating only on their left-right axes.

During your delivery, you may choose to pivot with your shoulder, elbow, or wrist. Each shooter will have a different technique, and there is really no right or wrong way. It’s all a matter of which technique works best for you.

If your throwing motion pivots on the shoulder, you may find that you tend to throw in an arc instead of a straight line. This can be fixed by rotating your wrist slightly to counteract the rotation of the shoulder. This may take a lot of practice to get just right, but it should become a natural motion with time.

Tossing the dice with a pivot of the elbow looks unnatural and may bring you unwanted attention from the powers that be. While dice control is not illegal, keep in mind that the casinos still have the right to bar you from play if they think you are simply too good for them. This type of throw also places strain on the elbow, which might especially be a problem for older players.

Dice Control Tips

Be sure and watch out for your thumb when tossing the dice. If your dice tend to cross over one another after being tossed, then your thumb is more than likely the guilty party. Be sure and throw the dice fast enough that your thumb loses contact with the dice before the roll off your fingers. Otherwise, the thumb will tend to push the dice apart.

Craps Dice Control

Backspin is placed on the dice to counter the forward motion of the dice and to keep them from landing on a random number after bouncing against the back wall of the table. Keep in mind, however, that backspin must always be accompanied by axis control. If not, you will still achieve random results.

Sweaty fingers can also become a problem when tossing the dice.To counter this, try placing a piece of chalk in your pocket. When your fingers begin to get sweat on them, just reach into your pocket and get enough chalk dust on your fingers to counteract the perspiration. You might also want to try antiperspirant, although some pros complain that it makes their fingers sticky.

When you throw the dice, they should rotate together in the air and their left-right axes should be parallel to the table. If one die tends to fly higher than the other one, then chances are strong that you have a problem with your grip. The dice should also bounce straight forward. If your dice are bouncing to one side, then you probably did not align them correctly.

It is also important to not draw too much attention to yourself before handling the dice. Have a good time, talk with the other players, and try not to tip off the dealers to the fact that you are an advantage player. For example, stay away from big buy-ins. You might even try fumbling with the dice a bit to give the impression that you don’t spend every waking hour in your home practicing dice control.

When tossing the dice, try and make it look as natural as possible.If you are turning your hand upside down and examining the dice, this is going to tip off the dealers. And remember that casinos have the right to bar you from the craps table and even declare certain rolls void if they do not hit the back wall of the table. Just use a little common sense and you should be fine.

Dice Control - Some Final Thoughts

Craps Dice Control Strategies Cryptowolf

This article was intended to provide a basic overview of the proper things to strive for when tossing the dice. However, practice is the key ingredient. Practice enough and you’ll be a precision shooter in no time. Then all you’ll have to do is walk up to the craps table, place your bet, and watch the happy faces of the bettors as you roll 50 times straight.