Craps Jackpots and Crackpots

by Frank Nunziata, published on Saturday, September 18 2004

We’ve already talked about the usual suspects you’re bound to run into at the blackjack table. Now let’s head over to the craps table, the noisiest, the rowdiest and perhaps the most exciting place to be in every casino. The Daddies Who Still Need A New Pair Of Shoes Old guys, in some cases really old guys, are a fixture at the craps table. The way old-school jargon like “Little Joe!” and “Box Cars!” roll of their lips, you would think the foxtrot was still a popular dance. These are the guys that learned to play craps in the alley behind the candy store, and even though the candy store’s been razed and replaced with a strip mall, they’re still looking for action. They know the game inside-out, but get bored with basic strategy and invariable make a $100 horn bet, only to leave the table in disgust. The Hoverers We talked about The Hoverers present at the blackjack table, and The Hoverers at the craps table are a similar breed. These folks aren’t gambling, but simply standing behind their friends who are actively participating in the game. As in blackjack, hot women are acceptable Hoverers, especially when they happen to be a virgin dice thrower and are rolling for the first time. The Oilmen You see him the minute you walk into casino. Actually, you see his cowboy hat the minute you walk into the casino. The Oilmen must love the fact that gas is up to 2 bucks a gallon, because all they play are black chips, and lots of them. Problem is, they have no clue. At a $10 minimum table with 5X odds, they bet $200 on the line and $50 behind. How the hell did they make all that money with that kind of thinking! The Yo Boyz If you’re surrounded by bling-bling and wanna-be rappers, you know the Yo Boyz are in town. The Yo Boyz only make $25 “yo” bets, and have a great time doing it. But deep down, The Yo Boyz really want to learn how to play craps. They will let their guard down and quietly asks a basic strategy player to explain his bets. Then they’ll try the pass line, but after not hitting their point a couple of times they’ll go back to throwing green chips on the table and yelling “Yo!” The Nabobs of Negativity The Nabobs of Negativity who consistently play the Don’t Pass line are generally reclusive guys with poor hygiene and don’t have too much luck with the ladies. Their first love is the extra .00001% advantage the “Don’t bet” gives them and they are visibly upset when a hot shooter has everyone at the table jumping up down like 4 year-olds at a birthday party. The Tony Sopranos Mainstays at the craps table, The Tony Sopranos have plenty of disposable, but surely untraceable, income at their disposal. With an expensive suit, a fetching young lady and maybe a couple of “buddies” watching their back, The Tony Sopranos bets hundreds of dollars per roll—and usually win. But win or lose, you can count on these guys to toke the dealers $500.