Craps A to Z Series - Q is For Qualify - How You Can Qualify A Shooter!

by Larry Edell, published on Friday, November 1 2002

Craps From A to Z Q is for Qualified © 2002 by Larry Edell Craps is the only game in the casino where you, as the shooter, can influence hundreds, perhaps thousands of dollars due to your skill as a rhythm roller. But, if you are not the shooter, is there some way of determining if the shooter is skilled or not? Let’s find out! It is extremely important to qualify your shooters. There are some people who practice at home and have developed their own rhythm. And there are some who possess a natural ability, even though they might be unaware of it. Of course it can be profitable to bet on each shooter, if you bet on the “do” side for experienced shooters, and the “don’t” for inexperienced ones. For those you are unsure of it is best not to bet at all, until they become qualified. A shooter becomes a qualified shooter if any two of these three things occur - (1) He sets the dice, grips them and throws them the same way each time into approximately the same spot on the table each time. (2) He bets big on himself and has minimum bets on everyone else. (3) He rolls an abundance of point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) and a minimum of other numbers (2, 3, 7, 11, 12) before he makes his point. If someone is a qualified shooter, you should always bet along with him, even though you might normally be a don’t player. And if someone is definitely unqualified (exhibiting none of the above three qualities) you should be betting against him, even though you are normally a pass line, come or place bettor. You should not judge a shooter for their buy in, appearance, or the number of chips in their racks. You’ll meet older gents that have come with $100 who are expert shooters and have been playing the exact same way since 1958. You’ll see millionaires who like to burn through 50 black chips in an hour and just don’t care. Looks aren’t everything in craps. To be a qualified shooter, one has to prove himself first to his fellow players. When you do start to play, you should not bet right away. Watch the other players and see how they shoot and bet. Ask the people next to you about hot shooters or streaks. You can even ask the dealers - they are there to help you. Be aware of any don’t bettors at the table, and who they bet on, and who they don’t bet on. Observe how people bet and handle themselves while shooting, and how they behave and bet when they don’t shoot. To remember everyone’s betting habits, you can give them an imaginary name, occupation, and betting style. For example you might see the player in spot #3 as a farmer named Bill who has a craps table in his silo, and bets using eggs that his chickens have hatched. Player #5 might be a widow named Sara who inherited her husband’s money, and doesn’t know how to bet but really loves to gamble. Make your characters fun and interesting so that you remember them when it’s their turn to shoot! So, have you ever wondered how to qualify a shooter? Well, now you know! And, as always, good luck at the tables!