A Roundtable with Heavy and the Mad Professor
Mad Professor:
For the Precision-Shooter, I think that Put bets can be a valuable tool in the casinos that allow it.
When I play at Casino Royale in Vegas, that is one of the major attractions of the place. I’m not there for the food at Denny’s, or the scenic parking lot out back. I’m there because there is a profit opportunity.
In the off-hours from about 4:00am to 8:00am their long tables are usually set at $1 minimums and a $500 max flat bet, with 100x odds that max out at $2500.
The advantage here is that you can get some incredible signature-number action going.
For a base bet of $1, you get TRUE odds for the balance of your bet, instead of the normal Place bet pay-offs. That reduces the house-edge to an infinitesimal number. That is one more way to maximize profits. If you comfort-level fades, you can remove your odds at anytime and have only $1 at risk.
My betting method is to first establish the Point number. After that, I’ll Put bet my usual signature-numbers of 6, 8, 9, and 5. I’ll leave out any of those numbers if it is the Point. In that case, I’ll simply back my Pass Line bet with 100x odds.
Here’s a simple profit comparison:
On a 2x odds table, with a $35 Pass Line bet, where 9 has been established as the Point, you would back it up with $70 in 2x odds. The winning payoff would be $133.
With a $1 Put bet on the number 9, backed up with $100 in odds, the payout is $151. That $18 profit differential is equal to a 17.8% return on investment.
If you Place bet $100 on the 9, a winning bet would pay you $140. The Put bet still offers an 11% better return on exposed bankroll. The last time that I looked there weren’t many investments that were offering a legitimate 11% or 17% premium OVER NORMAL returns. That’s a tangible profit that belongs in YOUR pocket.
If I have a paying Put bet on the 9, I replace it with another $1 base bet, but this time I lock up some of my previous profit, and only back it up with $30 in odds. This still pays $4 more than a comparable Place bet on the 9, and THAT my friends, is worth a 12.9% premium over what the Place bets pays.
If you look at Put betting on the 4 and/or 10 IF they are in your normal range of repeating numbers, the profit benefits are an even higher 26% premium on the SAME AMOUNT OF MONEY!
Using this method, I have NEVER been hassled over my dice setting or shooting.
I know most other people HATE the mini-dice Crapshooter game where seven people sit around a single-dealer table. I gotta tell ya, I love them. At Casino Royale, they let you set the dice to your hearts delight. For the Precision-Shooter, these tables are custom-made for our efforts.
When you add Put betting to their 10x odds on these $1 or $2 tables, it is still a VERY good bet.
Heavy:
The rules on put bets vary from casino to casino. Just to give you a couple of examples – the Harrah’s in Shreveport where I play will take put bets all day long. They have max 10X free odds so you can put a number for $5 and play $50 in odds behind it if you wish. Right across the river is the Horseshoe – where they have 100X free odds – and no put bets. When asked why they’ll tell you it’s because of the 100X odds that they don’t allow put bets – simply makes it too good of a deal for the player who can afford it.
Some casinos with high limit free odds on line and come bets will let you put a bet with limited (say 2X) odds – but there is really no great advantage to doing this.
I haven’t been to Vicksburg for a year and a half now – but the Harrah’s there used to have unlimited free odds up to the table max – which was $500 on any number – so they essentially had 100X odds on their $5 game … but during the mid-week daytime hours that was usually a $3 game – again with unlimited free odds up to the table limit. So you used to see a lot of big money players in there playing $3 on the line with $500 free odds – then putting all of the numbers with $500 behind each number. $3500 on the table at one time – and I’ve seen three or four players on the table playing this way at the same time. WAAAAAAYYYYYY out of my league.
Sometimes I wonder if the MP and I have spent time at that mini-tub table at Casino Royale. It is one of my favorite places to play – for all of the reasons named.
It seems to me that when this type of low limit – high odds game is available it is a perfect way for skilled setters to play. It also speaks volumes as to why we should chart the other shooters at the table. This does not necessarily mean keeping a pad and pencil handy, though I’ve done it on occasion. You simply make a mental note of the player and any numbers he is repeating as a result of his setting and throwing.
The other situation where I will use a put bet is when stepping up to a table mid-roll and observing a skilled setter at work. Again, though, there are only a few low limit tables around where I’ll make this play. In a $5 game with 3, 4, and 5X odds – I’m just as well off placing the point.
Mad Professor
You are right about over betting.
For my sessions at Casino Royale, or at other $1 minimum, 100x Odds casinos, your betting has to be tempered with discipline and bankroll restraints.
It’s relatively easy to have $606 on the layout without dollar ONE of profit locked-up in your rack.
If your shooting is OFF for that session then you’d better hold your ass, because there’s a whole lot of pain heading your way.
Obviously you wouldn’t want to play “short-stacked” in high-odds or high-bet situations, or ANY casino situation for that matter.
I wouldn’t recommend that a beginner use such high-level bets when they are starting out.
