Casinos require you to hit the pyramid-patterned back wall—or come reasonably close—on your toss. Therefore, it would seem you have no chance to control your tosses.
However, “dice control” proposes that you can exercise command over your results. Below, you can find out more about how dice control (a.k.a. controlled shooting) works and if it’s a feasible strategy for you.
Also see: the Gambling Times guide to Basic Craps.
What is Dice Control?
Controlled shooting refers to the process of manipulating dice tosses to produce desired outcomes. It requires you to both set (explained later) and toss the dice in a consistent manner to achieve your goals.
When you consider the table length (12-14 feet) and pyramid-patterned back wall, it becomes clear that you cannot expect to routinely roll desired combinations.
Instead, dice control only calls on you to produce desired results a small percentage of the time to win. If you occasionally manipulate tosses, you can gain an advantage over the house and earn profits.
Dice Setting
“Setting” refers to how you grip the dice before tossing them. Your chosen set should differ based on your current bet and the combination(s) needed to win.
Here’s a setting example using the popular “3V” set:
- You place the dice so that the threes form a “V” shape.
- This set hides seven combinations.
- It exposes the six (5 & 1) in front, hard six (3 & 3) on top, eight (6 &2) in the back, and hard eight (4 & 4) on the bottom.
The 3V set works well for any bet where you need a six, hard six, eight, or hard eight to win. Furthermore, it helps prevent you from rolling a seven when the latter would cause you to lose.
Dice Control Requires Practice
You can’t expect to control dice results through setting alone. This skill also requires practice so that you produce a smooth, consistent roll.
Again, you must toss the dice hard enough to touch the back wall. However, you also want your toss to be soft enough so that the dice only “kiss off” the wall.
Your goal is to reduce the amount of force with which the dice hit the wall. By doing so, you subsequently minimize the amount of randomness involved with your roll.
Hours of practice help you find this balance. You can either rig a homemade table on which to practice or buy a regular craps table if you have room for it.
Sevens to Rolls Ratio
Sevens-to-rolls ratio (SRR) offers a way for you to measure your dice control performance. It refers to how often you roll sevens compared to other combinations.
A pair of dice can produce 36 possible combinations. Rolling the dice randomly, you’ll generate a seven on six out of every 36 tosses.
Therefore, your SRR will be 1:6 (6/36) on average. However, you can increase your chances of winning by altering your SRR by just a small amount.
Given that you try to avoid rolling a seven in most cases, you normally want to lower your SRR. Here’s an example:
- You make a “place 6” bet.
- This wager requires you to roll a six before a seven to win.
- Through dice control, you only roll a seven on five out of every 36 tosses.
- 5 / 36 = 1:7.2 SSR
You must track your results to determine your SRR. You’ll need a large sample size to accurately determine whether you’re properly manipulating dice results.
That said, you should practice for a considerable amount of time before actually gambling on your dice-control abilities.
Where can I play Legally?
Craps can be played legally at almost all brick-and-mortar casinos around the world.
Online is a different story. Many countries and states don't allow online gambling yet, but there are a few states with legal gambling:
- New Jersey
- Pennsylvania
- Nevada
These states also have legal poker, betting and casino. For more New Jersey online casinos, click here.