Craps A to Z Series - "R" is for Rhythm of A Table

by Larry Edell, published on Monday, December 2 2002

Do you walk around and study all the tables and their shooters, and choose the very best one? But exactly how can we differentiate between a good table and a bad one? Let’s find out! There are numerous indications of the direction a table is going. One is the amount of chips in shooter’s racks. If there are piles of chips it means they are winning, and the table might in the middle of a good cycle. If the players are talking to each other and cheering on each roll, this also indicates a good table. However, if everyone looks sad, and they all have just a few chips left, don’t despair - this is a great place for don’t bettors! Many times good crapshooters will have a favorite table at a certain casino. Maybe it is where they won a lot of money, or have seen a lot of good rolls. But it also might be that there are “soft spots” on the table, causing the dice to die and not bounce around so much. A lucky table can produce profits either for superstitious reasons or scientific ones. It doesn’t matter, just as long as it works! Once you find a lucky table, watch where and how people are throwing the dice, and then just mimic their efforts when it’s your turn to shoot. Once you become the shooter, you will remember what happened before, and get into the rhythm of the table, just like the previous shooters have. When you’re not shooting, you need to notice another rhythm - that of the new shooter. Is he tossing the dice in the same spot each time and getting good results? If not, just wait for another shooter, or go to another table. As someone who plays craps for money, not for fun, you should only be betting on the shooters who can produce a profit for you. Once you find a profitable shooter, you need to increase your bets gradually as you are winning. If you’re on the pass line, you might try one unit up with no odds, then with single odds, and then double. If you like place bets, also go up one unit at a time. Usually after the first win you’ll be playing with the casino’s money so you can continue pressing your bets (and keeping some profits) with no fear of losing. But, be sure to watch the shooter and the other players. If anyone takes their bets down, or does anything you consider unusual, it might change the rhythm of the table. You might then want to take your bets down. Finally, you don’t need to stay at the same table. If you bought in for $500 and are $100 ahead, you’re doing well and can stop. You’ll see that a lot of professional crapshooters leave right after they finish shooting anyway. And be sure to keep an eye on the other tables. If you hear cheering you might want to switch. You should always be on the lookout for rhythm rollers on other tables while you play! So, have you ever wondered how to find good rhythm rollers at lucky tables? Now you know! And, as always, good luck at the tables!