LESSON 3: FIELD & PROPOSITION BETS
The Field
First and foremost, the more experienced a player becomes, the less he or she plays the field. There are 20 ways to lose, 16 ways to win and the payout is even money--except for the 2 or 12, each having 1/36 probability on any given roll. Playing the field is easy and can be fun. It is a self service bet and every roll is either a winner or a loser. I've seen players do well in the field, and yet they always go home broke. Like in blackjack, if you play the field on every roll you will lose in the long run. You can do well for some periods, but the periods you don't will be longer and thus cost you more. Essentially, putting money in the field is a bet the 2,3,4,9,10,11 or 12 will roll next. With all those numbers it seems like a good bet, and, when the dice are favoring those numbers it is! My advise is if you play the field:
- Stand where you can make your bets without assistance or having to reach across the table.
- Make your bets on time (before the dice are in the air) to avoid being hit by the dice.
- Pay attention to your money. Its your responsibility to know which bet is yours and collect your winnings. If you do not the original wager and its payoff are both bets on the next roll. If you want to let it all ride stack the payoff on top of the original bet.
- If you go all in on a field bet and win once or twice good for you! Just don't do it a third time and remember; the field will break your heart.
Proposition Bets
All bets in the middle of the table are called "prop bets" and fall into two main categories: hardways and one-roll bets. Some important facts about these bets are:
- It is the responsibility of the dealer on stick to "book" and pay these bets.
- Any prop bet made AFTER the dice have been moved from the center of the table (on their way to the shooter) is a "late bet" but may still be booked at the dealers' and/or box superviser's discretion.
- They are collectively the biggest money maker on the table—for the casino.
Communication is essential for players making these bets. To ensure a prop bet is booked one must successfully communicate the wager to the dealer on stick who, in turn, must repeat the bet or simply say "bet." Once this verbal confirmation has been made the player's bet has been booked and will be honored regardless of wether or not the chips have been placed in the appropriate spots. This procedure varies only slightly from casino to casino. Best practice is to make your bets on time, use the correct terminology and have a general idea of what your bet should pay. Dealers are taught to subtract losing prop bets from the payout of the same player's winning prop bet so the same wager remains for the next roll. Part salesperson, the stickman should also offer pressure to a winning bet. Because there can be several wagers to multiply, add or subtract; payouts are easy for a dealer or player to miscalculate. For this reason I recommend having only a general idea and not to dwell on small discrepancies on payouts. It is important to stay positive when mistakes happen, so often I see negative energy bring losses to players.
1) Hardways:
Think of hardways as a bonus on whichever number (4,6,8 or 10) already being bet. Each hardway has a 1/36 probability of rolling, yet the hard 6 and 8 pay 9 to 1 versus 7 to 1 for the hard 4 and 10. A hardway bet loses when a seven rolls OR when a number rolls the "easy way." Because for each the 4 and 10 there is only one easy way the number may come (3,1 and 6,4 respectively), there are less ways to lose a hard 4 or 10. Hense the lower payout. Best practice for hardways is to bet no more than 25% the dollar amount already wagered on a particular number. For instance, say the point is 4 and you have it bought on the line for $20. A reasonable wager on the hard 4 would be between $1 and $5. If/when the winner four rolls the $20 buy will pay $39 (2 x $20 - $1 vig).
$1 hard four:
- Total investment = $22 ($20 buy + $1 vig + $1 hard four)
- No four - payoff = 0
- Easy winner four - payoff = $40
- Four hard winner - payoff = $47
$5 hard four:
- Total investment = $26 ($20 buy plus $1 vig + $5 hard four)
- No four - payoff = 0
- Easy winner four - payoff = $40
- Four hard winner - payoff = $74
So for an extra $5 the winner 4 has a chance of earning $35 in addition to the $39 for the buy on the PASS LINE, almost doubling the winnings. This 0 to 25% range for hardway bets is merely a suggestion. A player need not bet anything besides the hardways.
2) One-roll bets:
One-roll bets can serve to insure one's PASS LINE, don't pass, come or don't come bets. Other than that they are, like the hardways, a means to enhance one's existing wagers. The same rules of communication apply. We'll begin with payouts and the inherent probabilities which are the basis of all one-roll bets.
30 to 1:
- 2,12, hard 4,6,8 and 10 (hopping hardways) = 1/36 for each
15 to 1:
- 3 and 11, easy 4 and 10 - 2/36
- 5s and 9s, easy 6s and 8s - 4/36
- 7s (reds) hoppin - 6/36
4 to 1:
- any 7 (big red) - 6/36
Examples:
- Any Crap
- C & E
- 7-11
- 3-way Crap
- Horn
- world
- 7s hoppin'
- hardways hoppin