Stop Being Stupid

by Jerry TG

Any gambler with just the basic knowledge of craps will come to the realization that wagering any money on propositions bet in the center of the table is silly because of the high vig you give the house. No matter how silly the bet is (and it is silly) there still is a small chance of winning.

My real anger is the stupid bets that I have seen some players make. Some of these bettors are gamblers with knowledge of the probabilities at the

crap table. I put the blame on a noted gambling author who advised this bet in a book, that for the other material that it contains would be highly recommended by me. To protect the guilty I will not mention the author or the book by name, but any serious student of the game of craps will know who I am talking about.

I define a stupid bet as one that has a 100% chance of not winning and can only end in a tie or a loss. Who would make such a bet? It is rarely at the crap table that I don't see this bet being made.

The bet that I am talking about is the person who wagers at the same time an equal bet on the pass and don't pass line. He can only tie or lose. He justifies this bet by taking or laying odds on the point thrown. He therefore believes that since the odds bet is free(no vig is charged) he is not paying any vig. Wrong!!

Playing the pass line you will lose 28 units every 1980 decisions and lose 27 units playing the don't pass line. Playing both the pass and don't pass lines at the same time you will lose 55 units every 1980 decisions.

Playing the pass line without odds has a vig of 1.41% against you and slightly less playing the don't pass line. Playing both lines together brings the vig to 2.7% against you without any chance of winning.

Now that's a stupid bet!