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If you asked me when I first started to play fantasy baseball I couldn’t give you a correct answer. I have been playing fantasy baseball for so long that I can’t even remember when I first started. During all this time I’ve won my fair share of titles, and have come in the top three of countless others. On a few occasions I came in fifth out of twelve teams. That is because I lost several key starters to injuries that season and as a consequence I couldn’t recover to higher than fifth.

Do not think that competing in fantasy baseball is a piece of cake. The competition is brutal, the season is lengthy, other owners sometimes let their team go dormant, and in the worst cases, some owners collude with each other to win by not so fair means. So it may seem easy to play at first glance, but all in all competing in fantasy baseball can be tough.

Nothing beats the thrill that competing in fantasy baseball gives you. After all, despite all the downsides and the difficulties, you play to entertain yourself, to have fun. What could be more exciting than winning that first prize after a long season?

I thought long and hard about this and finally I decided to share with the rest of you some of my strategies for coming in first in fantasy baseball. Trust me, I didn’t arrive to this conclusion easily. I was so close to keeping my mouth shut, but contrary to my better judgment I decided to share. My main concern is making fantasy baseball more competitive across the board. The fact that some of you reading this may someday compete against me or the fact that one of my tougher league rivals may read this does not concern me. I just want to play, have fun, and win.

So what are we waiting for?

Let’s get started. Here is what I have done over the years and what has helped me win those elusive fantasy baseball titles:

- The most important part of any fantasy baseball session is the draft;

Yes, it’s true. The draft will make all the difference. You can recover from a poor draft, but it is better to not have to. In case of a poor draft you will need a lot of luck and a lot of other things to go your way in order to win the title.

Preparing for the draft is the most important thing that you can do. Now do not get me wrong, I am not telling you to go and read every chart known to man. A simple cheat sheet will do the trick. Sports Illustrated and ESPN offer such cheat sheets. Then make note of your league’s scoring system, and target players that fit into the system. Here’s a simple example: let’s say that your league awards four points for a homerun and one point for a stolen base. All you have to do is focus on the homerun hitters.

- Position scarcity;

Another key factor that you must take into consideration is position scarcity. Your draft plans must take into consideration if your league starts one catcher or two. Usually there is a big gap between the upper tier catchers, and the middle of the road catchers. In this case you may want to reach a little earlier in such a league. You are advised to go through each position and mark out where you think the drop offs are.

Personally I take each cheat sheet list by position, and draw a line at each level. I draw a line under the fourth player if I think the top tier guys are the first four at a position. During the draft if I see the top four players at that position going off the board, I know I can wait until later to pickup that position and focus on another position. Reaching for a position with lesser players when there are higher tier players available at another position is not advisable.

- Never draft a pitcher in the first round;

When it comes to drafting this is one rule that I always respect. Not many people out there will agree, and some may even call it an unwise decision. They may have a point, but I’ll tell you why I never draft a pitcher in the first round. If you go back through the last few years of drafts, more often than not, pitchers taken in the first round don’t pan out as well as the position players. There is no shortage of quality pitchers and you can wait on this position.

- Don’t get caught up in the emotion of a “run”;

During the drafting process avoid getting caught up in the emotion of a “run”. Beginners may not know what a run is, so I will explain. A run consists of three or more players at the same position being drafted one after another. A run occurs for a several reasons, such as the top tier is seen as drying up.

Make sure not to be fourth or fifth owner who gets involved in this. It may seem like a good idea at first, but most of the times the smart owner who lets everyone else panic draft, fills other draft holes with higher quality players. So pay attention.

- Closers must not be overvalued;

Ask anyone and they will all say the same thing: plenty of saves can be picked up form the waiver wire. They all say the same thing only because it is true. I thought it would be common knowledge by now, but is seems that there are still people that spend a fourth or fifth round pick on someone like Mariano Rivera. Usually closers are sporadic, so you should pick one at the opportune time, if you see good value.

Don’t overvalue closers and don’t waste a pick on a closer. You are better of drafting another player, a higher quality player. Lots of saves can be drafted in middle or late rounds.

- Stay up to date on injuries, trades, minor league call ups, etc.

Do not assume that you are done just because your draft is complete. You must also keep up with current events such as on injuries, trades, or minor league call ups. This way you can avoid starting a player that was injured and will not be able to play for months.

Be active, be informed. Make sure your starting pitchers are all going to pitch that week, and the hitters you start are regulars on their own team. Backup outfielders will not get you close to winning the title. - Stay on top of free agents in your league; You definitely do not want to be the owner that has to top waiver wire position and never uses it. Pay special attention to the free agents you choose. Do not pick them randomly, just for the sake of doing it. Some free agents fizzle out, others perform like champions, so you should make sure there is a balance. You can never know how things will go, but making an informed decision is the better way to go about it.

- Remember that having fun is the main objective.

The purpose of these fantasy baseball sessions is to entertain yourself, to have fun. Let’s say you drop a player and an opponent picks up that player. The player then has a great season, breaks all kinds of records. It’s ok to be upset, but do not get too caught up in this. Shake it off, the situation could have been reversed. Accidents like this one will always happen, even if you make and informed decision. The game would be thrilling if everything went as planned.

Remember that in the end it is a game, it is not a life or death matter. You are playing to have fun, and if you keep the advice I have given you in mind you may very well be the next fantasy baseball title winner.

The position at a Texas Hold’em is one if the most important aspects of the game; is even more important than the size of the stack. The chances of taking the pot are increased if you play your position the way you are supposed to.

The late position allows you to win more often because you have the opportunity of observing the bets of the players before you. That information will help you decide whether to call, fold, or raise.

Let’s take the following example: you play in the late position in a $1-$2 no-limit cash game and your hole cards are 3D 8C. The flop reveals AH, AS, 5C. A player from in an early position bets $15. This makes the other two players fold.

Normally you would have to flop since you don’t have anything important in hand, but something is not right. Considering that are two Aces in the flop, and supposedly he has another Ace, he should have tried to keep everyone in hand. The situation did not required a raise, unless if it’s a bluff.

So you stay in the game and you call his bet. The turn reveals 7H. This makes your opponent to raise $25 but you call that and you re-raise $20. He folds and you take all the money. The late position and understanding your opponent helped you take all the money.

The Internet Gambling Enforcement Act recently passed by the American Congress has had a significant impact on the American gambling market. The UK market is not only going strong, but thanks to this bill the UK online betting industry is experiencing a boom. The British government is welcoming the new business as it means more revenue for the government.

This also means more betting industry jobs in increasingly technical fields, such as programming, IT, security and network management, as well as sales, marketing and financial jobs.

Skilled programmers with innovative ideas, and market development specialists who know how to target and develop new games toward potential market niches are the most sought after. Information security and network security professionals are also in high demand as security is an issue when huge amounts of money are constantly transferred. DDoS attacks and extortion against the major UK betting sites during the March Cheltenham Festival have been reported, making security one of the highest priorities.

What you must know about the betting industry is that it is a fast-paced, exciting business. Fortunes are made and lost in an instant by customers and operators alike. It employs a wide range of people, from accountancy and office management, to marketing and advertisement, to development and design.

A total of 17 casinos in the UK have been recently granted their licenses. This makes it the perfect time to get a job in the online betting industry.

Large casino licenses have been granted in:
-
- Great Yarmouth;
- Kingston-upon-Hull;
- Leeds;
- Middlesbrough;
- Milton Keynes;
- Newham;
- Solihull;
- Southampton.

Smaller casino licenses have been granted in:

- Dumfries and Galloway;
- Bath and North East Somerset;
- Luton;
- Scarborough;
- Swansea;
- Torbay;
- East Lindsey
- Wolverhampton.

If you have noticed a license granted near you, why not get betting industry job close to home?

Manchester is the location of a super casino that is estimated to generate thousands of new jobs. The job offer is wide, ranging from hospitality workers to croupiers to office management staff and accountancy professionals. This is indeed the best time to get a job in the betting industry.

Below we have posted some advice from betting industry recruitment professionals which are meant to help those of you that want to follow a career in the betting industry:

- Brush up your CV;

- Highlight the skills that are most in demand. Currently the online betting industry is avidly looking for skilled people for customer service jobs.

- Being fluent in multiple languages and personable telephone personality are the most valued skills sought by the betting industry.

- Currently there is a high demand of web designers, software developers, accountancy professionals and auditors.

- We can expect a high demand for more traditional casino jobs like dealers, floor managers, chefs and hospitality staff in and around the new license locations.

Good profits can be made by gambling. But you must bet on sports and you must treat it seriously. Think of it as an investment. A good investment must generate profits.

Did you know that most countries do not tax sports gambling winnings? That’s right, all the money you win by wagering on sports is tax free. You get to keep it all.

Here is how I think about it. Sports betting and trading on the stock market are very similar. The basics of making money by trading on the stock market are to buy low and sell high. When it comes to sports betting you make risk free betting money by backing at high odd and laying at low odd on most used betting exchange Betfair.

According to the statistics around 98% of the people wagering on sports constantly lose. This is strange as this strategy is so common and freely available. It really is a mystery to me why they keep losing.

After serious consideration I came up with an answer. There are two main reasons why people wager on sports and lose:

- The emotionally driven urge to beat your opponent, which in this case is the online sports book;

- The desire to make a fast, easy buck by wagering on horse races and backing on high odd winners.

There are some factors that set apart a successful bettor from an average bettor. The same factors apply to a successful and an average broker on stock market

The key factor that will make all the difference is knowing when to buy / lay and when to sell / back.

Risk free money can be made by getting such information and knowing when to make a move. The online sports betting industry is very unpredictable, but a player with the right information can make a considerable profit. Information really is power.

The truth of the matter is that it really isn’t that hard to get hold of this information. You will not believe how much you can find out just by browsing on the internet. The information is there for free, just waiting for you. But I guess it’s true when they say that information is as good as the person that is using it.

At least now we know why productivity drops during the basketball tournament.

The NCAA basketball tournament starts every year on March 15th and lasts until April 2nd. The national championship game will take place Monday, April 2nd.

A total of 64 basketball teams will take part in this tournament. They will battle it out on the basketball field until there will be just two. The only way to stay in the tournament is to keep winning. All the losing teams are out of the tournament. This is traditionally called “The Big Dance”.

Out of the 64 teams that started the tournament, the 32 winners will play on Thursday and Friday and again Saturday or Sunday. 48 teams will be out of the tournament by late Sunday night. The remaining 16 teams, known as the “Sweet 16” will advance to the third round next Thursday and Friday. Only 8 teams will be left two days later. Four teams will be left later on, and then the national championship game will take place.

According to the experts people will wager around $2.5 billion on the NCAA basketball tournament this year. Only 4% of the estimated $2.5 billion will be wagered legally in Nevada.

Fun fact: The total amount of money wagered on the NCAA basketball tournament surpasses the amount of money wagered on the last Super Bowl.

Mathematical fact: The odds of picking a perfect bracket are 9,223,372,036,854,775,808 to 1. That is 9 quintillion to 1, or a billion times bigger than 9 billion. It is even bigger that Bill Gates’ estimated fortune.

Here is how I think about it: if every man, woman and child on planet Earth randomly filled out 10 million brackets each, the odds would be less than 1% that even one would have a perfect bracket.

RJ Bell from Pregame.com has a few pointers meant to help you pick the winner. You may even know him if you ever gambled online.

Note that the statistics presented below cover the last 21 years of the NCAA basketball tournament, starting with 1985 when the tournament expanded to 64 teams.

- Be very selective about picking any team below a No. 12 seed to win in round one. No. 16 seeds are 0 for 88 and No. 15 seeds are only 4 for 88.

- In 11 out of 24 games, for the last 6 years, No. 12 seeds have beaten No. 5 seeds and No. 9 seeds have beat No. 8 seeds

- No. 1 seeds advance almost automatically in round two. 86% of the time they will win heir first two games.

- The No. 12 and No. 10 seeds you picked to win in round one will have a 50% chance of winning in round two.

- Only 9% of the teams seeded No. 13 or lower advance past round two.

- Advance exactly three of the No. 1 seeds in the “Sweet 16”. Only 70% of the No. 1 seeds advance into the Elite Eight.

- No team seeded No. 12 or lower has ever advanced into the Elite 8.

- Exactly one or two No. 1 seeds have made the Final Four 18 in the last 22 years.

- Do not advance any team lower than a No. 8 seed to the Final Four. Only 2 out of 88 Final Four teams have been seeded lower than No. 8.

- Do not advance any team lower than a No. 6 to the championship game. No such team has ever made it to the championship game.

- Usually the championship is won by a No. 4 seed or higher. For 18 consecutive years a No. 4 seed or higher has won the NCAA basketball tournament.

Keep this information in mind the next time you enter an office pool. It may prove very useful.

The online casinos usually offer more gaming excitement than the land based ones and not many players know this. It is important to recognize which online casinos are the best and which ones can offer you that excitement.

The reputation of the casino is important because you must be sure that the casino you play at will give you your money back. If you play the game for hours and you don’t receive your money what’s the point of playing? If you want to know about the most secure casino but also about the notorious ones read on forums related to this subject. There are plenty forums which praise or criticize the online casinos and you can use them as a guide. It is also important to know if the casino is licensed in its own jurisdiction.

The bonuses offered by each casino are also important. You will receive some bonuses at most of the casinos, but the casinos impose their own rules when it comes to offering the bonuses. There might be cases when two casinos offer the same bonus but one casino has a higher wagering requirement for the bonus. At one casino you might bet much more in order to receive the bonus so it’s important to read the terms and conditions of each casino every time before you decide to join.

The online casinos offer more benefits; because the odds are increased online meaning you have more chances of winning money. The online casinos also offer bonuses to the players, to convince them of joining their casino. The land based casinos do not offer such bonuses. Overall the online casinos are better than the land based ones, but each player decides what type of casino he chooses.

Slots are one of the simplest casino games, because they don’t have any rules to follow. You just pull a lever, or press a button to spin the reels and hopefully you will win the big jackpot. You will know if you win the jackpot because the light and the ringing bells will go like crazy.

There are different types of slot machines, with different coin denominations. Some machines are mechanical, electromechanical video, or touch-screen. At the latter a simple touch on the screen can change the slot game to a poker one. Bonus slot games have been added and they repay the player in certain situations, (when 3 bonus symbols on a pay-line or in the pay-field appear) with free slot spins, coin multipliers or progressive jackpots.

Slots have huge success in casinos; they are played by all types of players, bringing 9% benefits to the casinos. The players usually win 85% - 98% of the times. A very popular type of game is the progressive online slots, because this game can make you a millionaire. Every time a player pulls the lever, an amount of the wager goes to the pot. Many machines are linked together so thousand of layers contribute to the pot. Usually the progressive jackpot grows to thousand or millions of dollars and anyone can win it.

First of all let’s make sure that everyone understands what a Big Slick is. If you are dealt an Ace and a King as your first two cards, then you have a Big Slick. Getting such a card combination is rather rare and it is one of the better hands to start with. Most poker players get carried away when they get a Big Slick and overplay their hand. Having such a good hand makes them think they will surely win the round and get that big pot. And winning pot after pot is what will get you to win the poker tournament.

The Big Slick is a tricky hand. You are well advised to be extremely cautious whenever you get it. A Big Slick can be a blessing and win you the tournament or a curse and lose you the tournament. You have to be extra careful about how you play a Big Slick. The first thing you must keep away from is going all-in every time you are dealt an Ace and a King. It may be a good idea to go all-in if you’re short stacked and you want to make a stand, but otherwise, do not do it.

As a rule of thumb, whenever you are dealt an Ace and a King, do not rush into things. Take a little time to think about it; do not simply put all your chips on the line. Ask yourself a few questions first:

- What is your table position? Are you in early, middle or late?

- How does your chips stack compare with the opposition?

Take the time to answer these questions and act according to the answer you come up with. Remember to always think before you act.

Let’s say that you are in early table position, and there have been no callers or raisers before it’s your turn to act. In this case you should definitely raise. But make sure to raise big so as to discourage all the players holding weak hands. Raising the big blind three or four times should do the trick. You will thus let all the other players around the table know you have a strong hand and you mean business. The players holding weak hands will pick up on this and fold.

Let’s say that you are in middle to late table position, or in small or big blind position. There have been raises before you or perhaps even a re-raise. In this case you should fold. The players that raised and even re-raised may be holding better hands, such as Ace-Ace or King-King. Your Ace-King, Big Slick is no match and you are well advised to fold. You should also fold if you have raised the pot from early position and another player re-raised.

Note that Big Slick is not an exceptionally strong hand. It may look like a very strong hand, but it is simply Ace high. If the flop passes and you do not improve your hand, you may very well lose.

The flop is a crucial time for your Big Slick. Chances are 2-to-1 that you will get an Ace or a King. If you do get a pair, you can continue the game. If you do not, putting more money into the pot is up to you and you should give it serious consideration. If you are first to act post-flop, then you should play a continuation bet. This will show all the other players around the table that you were serious pre-flop and your hand has improved after the flop.

Big Slick may look like a strong hand, but if after the flop you did not get an Ace or a King, any player holding a pair can beat you. This refers to those players that were holding a pair pre-flop and the players that hit a pair on the flop. If after the flop you notice a player betting large amounts, and you are still holding nothing more than a Big Slick, you are well advised to fold. The tournament is not over and there are other pots to win.

Note that staying in the game and putting more money in the pot in hopes of getting a strong hand on the turn or river is not a good idea. Chances are you will lose the pot and even lose the opportunity to finish in the money if you have recklessly put to much money into that pot.

The point I am trying to make is that Big Slick is a good hand to get, but do not get carried away. Just because you got an Ace and a King does not mean you will win the pot. You must use your head and play smart. Always keep in mind that Big Slick is nothing more than Ace high. Your chances of winning the pot are small if you do not improve your hand on the flop. And even if you do improve, you may still be behind and lose.

Big Slick is the most overplayed hand in poker tournaments. Do not be dazzled by it and play sensibly. Fold if you are behind. There’s no point in overplaying your hand and losing a lot of money. Folding a Big Slick if you are behind is the most sensible thing to do. You may have lost that pot, but you are still in the tournament and there are other pots to be won.

The only constant is change. This is certainly true when it comes to technology. For the past 10 years newer and newer technology has been introduced in casinos. Nowadays land based and online casinos alike use some of the most advanced technology around. But what will the future bring? What new innovations will be made in the next ten years?

Ed Rogich, Vice-President of Marketing for International Game Technology or IGT says that the wave of the future is made of high-tech casino floors, impacting both slot machine and table game play. IGT is the world’s leading electronic gaming device developer and manufacturer.

According to Ed Rogich, these are the main trends that you should keep an eye out for:

- Server-based slot machine technology;

- The impact of the low-denomination slots on the gaming world;

- State-of-the-art video and audio reproduction.

Ed Rogich had this to say: “Our world revolves around networks. The same concept applies when you network all the slot machines on the floor (server-based technology). You can deliver games on demand to all the different machines that are hooked up on the network.”

We can expect high-definition, wide-screen video technology to replace the slot screens used today. We already see this happening in our homes. The TV screens from ten years ago seem ancient compared to the new flat-screen HD TV.

Ed Rogich had this to say: “A perfect example of all the technologies coming together is the IGT Star Wars series. We’re coming out with our second chapter of games which are in high definition on IGT’s Advanced Video Platform (AVP) and include actual video from the movie that recreates the look that you saw on the big screen with better sound than we have ever before put on a machine.”

A good example of new technology implemented by IGT is the Soul Train 70’s musical themed slot carousel and the Price is Right themed group of games. These new formats will soon be launched in casinos and they will feature multi-level progressives with mystery bonuses.

Ed Rogich had this to say about low denomination machines and the impact they have on the gaming industry: “Our MegaBucks wide-area progressive is available in Nevada in a five-reel penny denomination. It’s a linked progressive ‘for pennies on steroids’. A three-dollar bet buys 60 pay lines with the chance to win $10 million or more.”

Even Wynn Las Vegas has been won over by penny machines. Ed Rogich had this to say: “We’ve got a special Steve Wynn version of video penny MegaBucks that’s in the Wynn Las Vegas property. Who ever thought Steve Wynn would have penny machines? Ten years ago he would have said that you’re absolutely crazy to think he’d ever offer a penny machine on his floor.”

Did you know that some penny slot machines offer jackpots of $10 million?

When it comes to craps many players will tell you that it is a fun, exciting, fast paced game. But other players will also tell you that they know very little about craps and consequently are intimidated by it. The simple truth of the matter is that craps does not have to be intimidating. All you have to do is take the time to learn the rules of the game and some betting options. The rules are quite simple and so are the betting options, so it should not take you long to understand them and get ready to play craps.

If you want to learn the basics of craps all you have to do is keep reading this article. We will cover the basic information you need to know, such as information about the craps table and some betting options. If you keep this in mind craps will no longer seem like an intimidating game. Also once you know the basics you will easily pick up on all the other betting options and rules.

The “crew” is the official name for all the people standing around the craps table. On each side of the table you will see two dealers. They are responsible for their half of the table and each can handle around 7 or 8 players at the same time. Their responsibilities include exchanging cash to chips and collecting or paying off bets. The seated boxman is found in between the two dealers. He will keep an eye on the crew and all the betting. If any problem arises he will solve it. Across the table from the seated boxman you will see the stickman. He is called this way because he has a big, curved stick which he uses to push and pull the dice. He is responsible for setting the pace of the game, announcing the outcome of a roll and keeping track of the center bets.

When you find the craps table of your choice, look for an open spot and step up to the table. A word of warning though: craps players are extremely superstitious. So if you step up to the table and there is a hot roll going on, avoid putting your money in the table. You should wait until the stickman places the dice in the middle of the table. The reason for this is very simple. If the dice were to touch your hand while placing your money on the table all the players will not look at you kindly. Remember that they are very superstitious and they will consider any tampering with the game or dice as bad luck. As a rule of thumb you should avoid any situations when the rolled dice might hit your hand. Simply keep your hand out of the pit when a player is rolling the dice.

When the timing is right, and by that I mean the dice are in the middle of the table and nobody is rolling the dice, you should put your money on the table. The dealer will take your cash money and exchange it into chips. Pick up the chips and place them in the rail in front of you. You can now start to play craps.

Let us now take a look at some of the betting options that craps offers. The simplest of bets is the “pass line” bet.

The player that rolls the dice is called the shooter. The first roll of the dice is known as a come out roll. The “pass line” bet applies to the come out roll. This is a “with the dice” bet, meaning you are wagering the shooter will win. Here is what will happen, according to the number that comes up on the come out roll:

- If a 7 or an 11 is rolled out on a come out roll, the shooter wins. All the players that made a “pass line” bet will be paid even money.

- If a 2, 3, or 12 are rolled out on a come out roll, the shooter loses. All the players that made a “pass line” bet will also lose.

- If the shooter rolls out a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on his come out roll, this number will become the point. A white colored puck with the inscription “on” will be placed on the corresponding number on the table layout. The shooter will continue to roll the dice until the outcome of the game is determined. If he rolls a 7 before the point number he will lose the Pass line bet. All the players that made a “pass line” bet will also lose. If he rolls the point number before a 7 he will win the Pass line bet. All the players that made a “pass line” bet will be paid even money.

If the shooter rolls a 7 and it is not his come out roll he will lose his “pass line” wager. The expression “seven out” is used to announce that he lost his wager. He will no longer be the shooter. The stickman will give the dice to the nest player, in a clockwise manner. If he takes the dice he will be the new shooter and he will get to roll the dice.

Note that you do not have to take the dice and become the new shooter. Refusing to be the new shooter is always an option. The stickman will simply offer the dice to the next player, and so on, until a player will accept to be the new shooter.

Let us now take a look at “place bets”. On the table layout you will see several boxes with the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 written on them. Making a “place bet” means that you are placing a bet on any of these numbers. You will win if the shooter will roll this number before a 7. If he rolls that number first, you will receive a payout. If he rolls a 7 first, you will lose your wager.

To make a “place bet” simply take as many chips as you wish, hand them to the dealer and tell him on what number you wish to wager. He will take the chips and place them on the number you have told him.

When playing craps the 2 dice can get a total of 36 combinations. Since you are using a pair of dice the odds of you getting a certain number depends on the dice combinations that can add up to that number. There are three dice combinations that make up a 4 and a 10, four dice combinations that make up a 5 and a 9, and five dice combinations that make up a 6 and an 8.

Here are all the dice combinations that you can get for all the “place bets”:

- 4: 1-3, 3-1, 2-2;
- 5: 1-4, 4-1, 2-3, 3-2;
- 6: 1-5, 5-1, 2-4, 4-2, 3-3;
- 8: 2-6, 6-2, 3-5, 5-3, 4-4;
- 9: 3-6, 6-3, 4-5, 5-4;
- 10: 4-6, 6-4, 5-5.

All place bets have a built-in house advantage. This means you will not be paid true odds. Your odds will always be influenced by the edge the casino has. This is true for any casino game, not just craps. The house advantage is the main reason why they make any money. Without it the casinos would not make any profits. Let’s take a simple example. When you toss a coin into the air you have a 50/50 chance of getting heads or tails. “Even money” is when you bet on such a game and are paid true odds. “True odds” means that for a bet of $5 for example you will be paid $5. But this will never happen in a casino. There’s no money to be made by paying true odds. So the casinos will always pay a little less than that.

For example, the true odds against making a 4 or a 10 before a 7 are 2-1, but you are paid 9-5 for your place bet on a 4 or a 10. The true odds against making a 5 or a 9 before a 7 are 3-2, but you are paid 7-5 for your place bet on a 5 or 9. The true odds against making a 6 or an 8 before a 7 are 6-5, but you are paid 7-6 four your place bet on a 6 or 8.

Here is what payout you can expect to get for a winning place bet of $5:

- A winning $5 bet on 4 or 10 pays $9;
- A winning $5 bet on 5 or 9 pays $7;
- winning $5 bet on 6 or 8 pays 7-to-6 and because of that you are advised to bet those numbers in increments of six dollars. You will thus get a $7 payout for all winning place bets on 6 or 8.

When making place bets the choice is always up to you. You can increase the betting amount, decrease it, or give up place bets altogether. Craps is a flexible game that allows you to wager as you see fit. In fact this is one of the reasons why craps is such a popular game.

Let us now take a look at the “field bets”. When placing a Field bet you are actually betting that the shooter will get a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on his next roll.� You will win if he rolls those numbers, but if he rolls a 5, 6, 7, or 8 you lose.

Usually the game only lasts about one roll, and your Field bet applies to the next roll. Chances are that the next roll may not even occur. If you are lucky enough to win a Field bet then you will be paid even money for the central numbers and sometimes the payout ratio is 2-to-1 if 2 or 12 come up. You will even get a 3-to-1 payout ratio for 2 and 12, but you will not be paid even money for the central numbers.

Let us now take a look at the “proposition bets”. You will find the Proposition betting area in the middle of the craps table, a bit to the right. This area is slightly separated from the rest on the betting areas. The Proposition bets are some of the more exotic bets that you can place at the craps table. They are one roll bets and they include the “Hardways” bets.

You can place a Hardway bet after the point has been established. A Hardway bet means that you are betting a hard total will come up. A hard 6 for example is made up of two 3’s. A hard 8 is made up of two 4’s. Any dice total that is made up of a pair of numbers is a hard total. If you decide to bet on a hard 6 or 8, the payout ratio is 9-to-1 but the house advantage is 9.1%. The payout ratio for a hard 4 or 10 is 7-to-1 and the house advantage is 11.11%. Ironically enough making a Hardway bet is indeed a pretty hard way to win at craps.

Other proposition bets include any seven bets and any craps bets.

The any seven bet is a next roll bet. You are betting that the shooter will get a 7 on his next roll.

The any craps bet is also a next roll bet. You are betting that the shooter will get an 11.

This pretty much sums up the basics of craps. As long as you have understood all the information presented here and you keep it in mind you should not have any problems playing craps. Knowing the basics will allow you to play craps without feeling intimidated and you will surely pick up on all the other betting options and rules as you play.