Craps and some of its superstitions

[Alan Mendelson]

I was thinking some more about this post by Arc in the thread about 18 yo's in a row being thrown. I think Arc approached this as a VP player and not as a craps player. Let me discuss a few points about his post, not to criticize Arc but because I think the points are interesting in terms of discussing craps and how it's played and the superstitions of craps. I'll take them one at a time.

If a math person had been there, they would likely have placed a bet after the first 5 throws (that's already almost 2 million to one).

As I mentioned in the original thread, a big superstition among craps players is that after three horn numbers (an 11 is a horn number) the 7 is due. Most of these superstitious craps players would have turned their bets "off" after the third yo (11).

But prior to the third yo, there would be a good chance that players would bet on the yo "returning" or being rolled again. There is a phrase for this behavior "see a yo, bet a yo." Stickmen at craps routinely will urge players to bet the yo to repeat -- and of course the main reason for this is that the one-roll bet on the yo or the horn has a high house advantage. Frankly, betting the yo is not a player-friendly bet.

They would have concluded the dice were loaded and tried to take advantage.

There aren't many players in casinos who think the dice are loaded or even that they are off balance. Sure, dice are never perfect because the first time they are touched molecules are moved and dirt becomes affixed. But reality tells us that minor imperfections have no impact on the other physics of the dice game including speed, bounce, trajectory of the dice throw. In other words, what's a little grease going to do to this wheel?

The interesting thing about this is had anyone bet on 11 vs. whatever you actually did, it could very well have changed the timing and the next 11 wouldn't have shown up.

In video poker where there is a random number generator, when you push the button has a lot of impact on what possible card might be chosen in the selection process.

In craps there is also the superstition that if you delay the shooter the dice will get cold and a bad number (7 out) will follow. Dice players traditionally want the game to keep moving at a fast clip so the "7" doesn't have a chance to "slip into the game."

It's all superstition, of course. Time delays do not affect the shooter or the roll of the dice. But the reality is a shooter who is trying to influence the dice if his rhythm is thrown off could lose his "touch."

There are all sorts of other superstitions in the game of craps, and I'll give a few that I am familiar with:

1. When the stickman changes a 7-out is coming
2. When the dice are changed because one or both flew off the table a 7-out is coming
3. When the shooter starts to laugh or joke with dealers or other players a 7-out is coming
4. When a new player enters the game while a shooter is trying to make his point a 7-out is coming
5. When the shooter stops to order a drink or to tip the cocktail waitress when she delivers his drink a 7-out is coming

For the record: the chance of a yo (11) being thrown is 1/18. After a yo is thrown the chance that the next throw also being a yo is 1/18. After 17 yo's are thrown the chance that the next throw also being a yo is 1/18. After 1,000,000 yo's are thrown the chance that the next throw also being a yo is 1/18.

[JSTAT]

There are all sorts of other superstitions in the game of craps, and I'll give a few that I am familiar with:

1. When the stickman changes a 7-out is coming
2. When the dice are changed because one or both flew off the table a 7-out is coming
3. When the shooter starts to laugh or joke with dealers or other players a 7-out is coming
4. When a new player enters the game while a shooter is trying to make his point a 7-out is coming
5. When the shooter stops to order a drink or to tip the cocktail waitress when she delivers his drink a 7-out is coming

What never fails to produce a seven-out is when I'm loaded on come bets with odds and the wife asks, "How are you doing?" Followed immediately with cinco dos, adios

[FABismonte]

Another craps superstition: A first time female dice thrower-- a craps virgin -- will have a good roll.

[Alan Mendelson]

Another craps superstition: A first time female dice thrower-- a craps virgin -- will have a good roll.

I'm about 50/50 on this one.

Linda did okay on her first roll. Won money on her.
Gwen did great on her first roll. Won a lot of money on her and then lost all of it and more. LOL
Ex wives #2 and #3 were not great on their first rolls and cost me dearly.

[FABismonte]

My wife (still on #1) had a good roll the first time she shot the dice. She hit three passes and a bunch of numbers. But she was nonplussed when a die flew off the table and the other players started yelling at her "say same dice!" She was like "why is everyone screaming at me?" She was thinking she did not mean to miss the table so why are people being mean to me?

FAB

[Alan Mendelson]

Wife #2 rolled a craps on her first throw. Players at the other side of the table started yelling "apologize, apologize." So she called out to them "I'm sorry."

[RoeIncarnate]

My wife turn $30 in promotional chips into $90 on her first go. She is still usually my lucky rabbits foot.