Craps: Controlled Shooter Betting Strategy

The betting strategy for the Controlled Shooter is very different from the average craps player. While the goal of the average craps player is to place bets having a lower house edge (casino advantage), the Controlled Shooter’s is betting according to which bets give him/her the greatest advantage over the casino based on their skill set.

For the Controlled Shooter, determining where their advantage over the casino lies based on their skill set, requires;

Tracking a significant number of rolls during their practice sessions to ensure they have developed consistency in their results
Understanding their ‘RSR’ (Rolls to Seven Ratio) advantage over the casino.
- The ‘seven’ will show 1 out of every 6 rolls based on normal probabilities.
- For the Controlled Shooter, even a 1 in 7 ratio can have significant impact on their results at the craps tables.
Understanding their ‘Signature Numbers’ and their percentage advantage versus normal probabilities, based on their level of consistency and the dice sets used in their toss.
- Signature numbers are the numbers that the Controlled Shooter rolls most often. This can be impacted, or altered using a different dice set.
- Understanding the percentage advantage over the normal probabilities of your signature numbers is critical, as it’s possible that your advantage is not enough to flip the house edge in your favor.

Take a look at the chart below. It displays each of the bets and their standard ‘house edge’ as well as the impact of a Controlled Shooter’s ability to alter the probabilities in their favor.

CS Advantage

As you can see, only the most consistent and proficient Controlled Shooters should even attempt to use their skill sets on prop bets. The percentage advantage needed to flip the house edge on these bets are significant.

Even if you are skilled enough to take advantage these bets, it’s wiser to direct those skills toward greater advantages on other bets.

Example: It would take a 10% advantage to flip the edge into your favor by .9%. Yet, using that 10% advantage on placing the 6 or 8 would give you a 8.5% advantage over the house.
Personally, I’ll take a shot at prop bets ONLY if my toss is ‘dead on’ that day AND I’ve already hit my win goal for that session. Otherwise, why make my task harder.

While there are a number of different betting strategies you can use to take advantage of your skills, we’ll take a look at 2 basic strategies based on tracking results of your throws.

RSR STRATEGY

If you don’t know, or have not yet determined your Signature Numbers, but you’ve identified that you have a definite advantage in your RSR (Rolls to Seven Ratio), then you’re better off betting the pass line and adding as much in odds as your bankroll can support.

With the low house edge on these bets, it only requires a .5 advantage (1 in 6.5 rolls) to make a difference in your results.

The CAUTION in using this strategy is that you’re committed to the number hit during the come-out. That may or may not be one of the numbers you’ve altered in your favor.

SIGNATURE NUMBERS

This is the preferred betting strategy for ‘Controlled Shooters’. It takes some time to track practice rolls and determine the appropriate dice sets to use, put it will give you the greatest control on where you’re placing your investment on the table.

Assume you’re signature numbers are (5) and (8) and you’ve determined that your advantage is more than enough to flip the probabilities in your favor, then…

Place a pass line bet for the table minimum
If the point is (5) or (8), then load the odds and place bet the other number
If the point is not one of your signature numbers (4, 6, 9, 10), then do not place odds behind the pass line bet, but place bet the (5) and (8).

As you hit your bets, you can either ‘collect & press’ or ‘collect & spread’ or any combination of the above.

By using Signature Numbers, you’re targeting your bet investments toward your skill sets, which give you much better control and doesn’t waste money on bets that aren’t likely to come in.

For more information on becoming a Controlled Shooter and flipping the odds on the casino, check out…