Damned if You Don't

Dabbling with the Dark Side

How Dark Side Betting Unveils the Wrath of Fellow Crapsters

Imagine being a devout Boston Red Sox fan and the best man shows up at your wedding donning Yankees pinstripes.

Or if your partner in Chicago Bear brotherhood approaches you with a dreaded cheesehead wedge wrapped around his skull.

It would feel akin to a Lionel Messi instep drive to the testicles, would it not?

That’s precisely how the majority of craps shooters feel when you waltz onto their table and plop a few coins down on the Don’t Pass bar.

For whatever reason, it’s taken in a deeply profound and personal way.

And when it happens, every player at the table now shares one thing in common.

They all hate you.

You’re now met with a host of seething stares that burn through you like acid through rubber.

To them, you are the enemy – the ultimate traitor. You’ve now bestowed upon yourself all the forthcoming jeers, disses, and ball-busting you can possibly absorb, only to intensify if things don’t go your way.

Although your chances of fisticuffs have just increased by tenfold, we shall examine whether your brush with the dark side is worthy of all the incoming hostility.

Or if it’s perhaps just the smart play.

Here’s a few simple and obvious incentives for banking on the Don’t Pass line.

The Table’s All Icicles

The table is colder than the frozen tundra at Lambeau. In fact, you’ve had two piss breaks since the last point was made.

Yet, for so many players, the prospect of switching to the dreaded Don’ts is utterly incomprehensible. Remember, emotional players bet with their tickers; smart ones bet with their brains.

Each Pass line inhabitant is banking defiantly on the drought ending with each passing shooter. They’ve become like the Dallas Cowboys faithful, swearing this year is the one, despite not whiffing Lombardi silver since the Bill Clinton administration. Meantime, their bankroll is vanishing faster than Lebron’s hairline.

Switching to the Don’t Pass bar under such wretched conditions is neither rebellious nor renegade. It’s common sense.

Successful gambling is often about recognizing the trends and patterns and capitalizing accordingly. If a table is frigid, riding the Don’t Pass wave until it breaks is the wise play – even if it comes with some equally icy stares.

It’s Smart Strategy

Meet enough craps gurus and you’ll realize a high ratio of them base their genius strategies on the Don’t Pass or Don’t Come lines.

Any why not? With six combinations, the 7 is the most common number in a dice roll. It seems only logical to formulate a plan dependent upon the Big Red (another term for the out-7).

But let’s face it. Going the way of the Don’t is hardly the “fun” or sexy method of shooting craps. Whereas most players crave the adrenaline that comes with a sizzling hot roll, raking in an abundance of cash on every toss, the Don’t Pass approach requires equal doses of patience and restraint.

Instead of delivering instant gratification, it is a slow burn that often pays dividends over time and a series of lousy shooters.

The key to Don’t Pass success is survival of the Come Out roll, which becomes your greatest threat with each new shooter.

There’s a 22.2 percent chance of a 7 or 11 (a Don’t Pass line loss) surfacing on the initial toss, which dwarfs the 8.3 likelihood of producing a 2 or 3 (a Don’t Pass line win).

However, enduring the Come Out roll immediately gives you the upper hand. Once a point has been determined, the odds will favor the Don’t Pass line bettor in every possible scenario.

You’ll enjoy a 66 percent chance of defeating a 4 or 10 point, 60 percent chance of prevailing against a 5 or 9 point, and a 54 percent likelihood of winning against a 6 or 8 point.

During a roll, many Don’t players will opt for multiple numbers to wage against in hopes of a 7. The Don’t Come bar allows for additional action for those players short on patience.

The Martingale Effect

Don’t Pass line betting is an excellent platform on which to employ the Martingale strategy. As a refresher, the Martingale system is when a player doubles up his bet after each defeat to ensure the losses are fully recouped (and a little more) on the next win.

Incorporating the Martingale into a Don’t Pass line play is a true exercise in patience, but one that could pay off swimmingly.

Let’s say, for example, you’re dabbling on a $25 table. When the dice are pushed to the next shooter, drop a green sucker onto the Don’t Pass bar and wait for the Come Out roll results.

If a natural (7 or 11) is thrown, resulting in a loss, do not venture any further with the current shooter. Wait until the dice are slid to the ensuing shooter before dropping two greenies onto the felt. It is unforgivable to get smoked by the guy or gal who fires off five straight 7s on the Come Out lob.

However, if a point is established and subsequently made (let’s say an 8), wait for the shooter to 7-out before doubling up on the ensuing shooter.

If the point is not made, rack your $25 winnings and start anew with the next shooter.

Although this method often feels like the drip-drip-drip of Chinese water torture, this endeavor could ultimately prove a lucrative one indeed.

Don’t Be Shy

The greatest Don’t of all is don’t, don’t, don’t let the surrounding riffraff deter you from dropping currency onto the Don’t Pass or Don’t Come feature.

Your fear of offending your table neighbors may come at the expense of your chip budget.

Remember, there’s a reason why the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come features exist on the table layout. They are and always have been part of the game.

Also, the House edge on each of these bets (not including odds) is a measly 1.36 percent, which is more favorable (for you) than its 1.41 percent advantage over Pass line wagerers.

We’ll be revisiting the Don’t Pass approach and all the impending methods through which it can be utilized.

Meantime, if there’s an opportunity to beef up your bank by migrating to the dark side, take our stern advice.

Don’t Pass on it.