Laying a number to hedge a feature bet at craps?

[Alan Mendelson]

Several times when five of the six points in the Fire Bet have been made a player will lay (bet against) the remaining point. Let's say the shooter has made the 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9 for five of the points in the Fire Bet and now needs only a ten. On the next come out roll he hits the ten to set it as his point. Now, if he makes the point the Fire Bet will pay 1000 to 1. At this time some players on the Fire Bet might lay the ten (a bet that the 10 won't be hit) to hedge the Fire Bet losing.

Personally I've never bet against the point to hedge my Fire Bet. I want the sixth point to hit and I want all the money. (Only three times have I been at a table when all six points were hit for the Fire.) But some players will do this -- and they'll even do it when a fifth Fire Point is being worked.

The question can also be asked about the Small, Tall, All Bets. Let's say the only number left to hit is an 9 for a 35-to-1 payoff on the Tall and a 175-to-1 payoff on the All. Do you lay the 9? A lay bet on the 9 means a 7 will appear before the 9.

Again, I wouldn't hedge. I want all the fun and all the money. But I have missed that one remaining number several times -- when I rolled and when another shooter had the dice.

Sometimes the remaining number is a horn number -- a 2, 3, 11 or 12 and I've never heard of a casino allowing a No-2 or a No-3 or a No-11 or a No-12 bet. I guess you could hedge with an "Any 7" bet with only one number remaining to be hit, but that could become very expensive as the Any-7 is a one-roll bet and it loses if any of the other numbers are rolled, and not just the single number needed for the ALL payoff.

So craps players -- your opinions and strategies, please?

[RS__]

I'd say personal preference. For something paying a lot of money (1000:1), definitely might be worth the hedging, especially if you've got a big bet on it [or the amount won would be significant to you]. Same thing with the ATS (175:1 or 210:1 [for ALL + SMALL or ALL]. If you normally play $1-5 or something on such a bet, but this time (for whatever reason) you put out a larger wager ($10 or $25?)....might be a good time for a hedge, especially if you don't play frequently. On the other hand, if you play 4 hours a day every day and always have the same amount on the fire (or ATS), probably best to not hedge the bet. My opinion // what I think I'd do if I were in that situation.


BTW, another fun bet you might like -- I believe it's called the "Repeat" bet. Basically you get paid for how many times you hit the SAME point in your roll. Instead of trying to hit each point at least once, you're trying to hit the same point several times. I don't know what the HE is, the odds, payouts, etc. are.

[RoeIncarnate]

I had an ALL bet that just need the 9 to hit. I laid the 9 so that I would have some win if the 9 wasn't hit.

The rational way to lay the 9 would be to lay around half of the expected ALL win. I didn't do that, I laid about a third I think. Unfortunately I won the lay bet.

[FABismonte]

I have only been on the fifth active firebet passe three times. The first and second times the fifth was hit without me really paying attention to laying a bet. The third time, I had the dice and I had a bit of a losing weekend and up to then was feeling snakebit up to that roll. So when the firebet got on the fifth unique number - a 10, I layed $400 against the four paying the vig to win $200. I had a $5 firebet wager for me, plus a buck for the dealers. The dealer reminded me to add odds on my ten, but I waved him off when I reminded him that I was already laying the number. I had thought about making a hard 10 as insurance in case the 10 was rolled hard to make up some against my $400 lay, but I did not do so. Good thing, as a six and four rolled for an easy ten. The dealer told me that it was the best bet I ever lost, and I agreed.

The last unique firebet point was a nine and I rolled that as the point number. I even had bet $10 on the nine on the hop on the come out. I then layed $600 on the nine to win $400. It was exciting to have a chance to win $5000. Unfortunately, I won my lay bet. So I guess I broke even in those two hedges (ignoring the vig which I paid up front).

If I have any strategy, I guess it is that if I am behind that trip or feeling unlucky, I lay against the fifth and (hopefully sixth) fire bet. If I am significantly ahead, I guess I would just ride my luck and so for it without a hedge.

As to the All, Small and Tall, I have never hedged. But I have seldom played at such a table. Just the small or tall is not worth it to me as it is 34 to 1. But I would consider a hedge if the All were one roll away. But the only time I was on the All, it required a 12 and I cannot hedge against that. Luckily the 12 was hit, giving me both the Tall and the All. So I would consider a hedge only if it were a number I could lay and going for the All.

FAB