Craps - Playing Partners

by Larry Edell, published on Wednesday, October 3 2001

The most common method of partner play is when one person bets on the pass line and the other on the don't-pass. The pass line player will lose here on the 12, but that means only once in 36 rolls or so. You won't win any money doing this, but you'll get free room, food and beverage for both of you, worth much more than the occasional loss on the twelve. A better way of playing is to use the above method, but take odds on favorable points and lay odds on unfavorable ones. For example, if the point is 5, 6, 8, or 9, the partner on the do-side can take double odds on the pass line, while the don't-side partner will only make the flat bet. This way, you will get paid on the "free" odds portion of your pass-line bet, which gives the casino absolutely no advantage over you (other than the occasional 12 on the come-out). On the other hand, if the point is a 4 or 10 the don't-side partner can lay odds while the do-side player only makes flat bets. Of course, when both of you are finished playing, you'll split the profits evenly, so you can take turns playing the do or the don't. A third method of play is bypassing the come out roll and one player betting come on every roll and the other don't-come. If the 5, 6, 8 or 9 is the point, the come player will take odds, and if 4 or 10 is the point, the don't-come player can lay odds. Again, you will get paid on the come's "free" odds only - with almost no house advantage. We found these methods to work best if the players have different last names and play on opposite sides of a crowded table. Hand your comp cards to the pit boss separately and don't talk to each other. Play for an hour or so, for at least $10 per bet so you'll get the maximum comps. Have a silent signal to end each session and cash out separately. Give partner playing a try - it's a great way to get the most out of every craps game! And, as always, pass this craps with partners article to a friend.