Make 'Em and Break 'Em

Bust the House with the Craps Version of Going All the Way

The All-Tall-Small Bonus Play

A sexy little bonus play that’s been arousing the craps cult is called the Make ‘Em All bet (also known as Boom or Bust).

A triumph here is the equivalent of scoring a first date with a lavish supermodel (in her prime), dining at a 5-star eatery at the Bellagio, and capping it off with Prosecco, a jacuzzi dip, and a steamy all-night sex-a-thon.

Oh, and then having her pick up the tab.

Sound farfetched? Definitely.

Impossible? Well, a potato-faced musician named Billy Joel once landed the luscious Christie Brinkley, didn’t he?

Nailing the Make ‘Em All bet (also known as the ATS) is the ultimate thrill for the devoted craps player, as it often seems as elusive as an NFC Championship game is to the Dallas Cowboys.

It’s the walk-off grand slam or the sudden death overtime netter or the game-winning buzzer beater from beyond the arc.

On the rare occasion that it hits, anyone within a hundred-foot radius is subject to a celebration of decibels as high as the forthcoming payouts.

Here’s how it works:

The felt layout features a succession of numbers (typically encircled) from 2 through 12, excluding the 7. This layout typically appears directly in front of the seated pit boss.

In the same layout appears three boxes, signifying three separate bets: ALL SMALL, ALL TALL, and MAKE ‘EM ALL.

A player can only drop action on these bets immediately after a 7 appears, be it a come-out roll or a 7-out. No, the ATS cannot be played in the middle of an active roll.

From there, the dealer (or pit boss) covers each thrown number on the felt with a circular tab, indicating that it has been made.

For the All Small wager (also known as Little Ones), the current shooter must notch a 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 without the appearance of a single 7, including on come-out rolls.

For example, a hot shooter could make the point and fire up a 7-winner on the ensuing come-out toss, but the All Small wager goes kaput. The circular tabs are then withdrawn, the ATS is refreshed, and you’d need to drop another chip to start over again.

If it hits, however, the payout for the All Small is typically 30-to-1.

Likewise, the All Tall wager (also known as Big Ones) bids for the high end of the spectrum – the 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 without the 7 bearing its ugly mug.

Again, it’s a lustrous 30-to-1 payday.

And the Make ‘Em All is for the whole enchilada – a summation of both bets, requiring you to land every possible number (2 through 12) without a dreaded 7.

Since the 7 is the most common number produced by two die (six combinations produce it), the likelihood of tossing a 6, 8 (five combos each), 5, 9 (four combos each), 4, 10 (three combos each), 3, 11 (two combos each), and 2, 12 (only one combo each) seem about as likely as finding Gisele Bunchden on your Bumble feed.

The actual odds of such a feat are somewhere in the stratosphere of 200-to-1.

In some joints, the payoff for the Make ‘Em All is 180-to-1, but most commonly offered at 150-to-1. Still, dropping a nickel on the Make ‘Em All holds the potential of a whopping $750 payoff.

Many bettors engage in the trifecta – All, Tall, Small – in hopes of hitting just one. Tossing a red chip on all three sprouts a potential $1,050 windfall in most venues. Many dealers claim it occurs on average of a couple times over each 24-hour stretch.

Nonetheless, incorporating the ATS bonus into your life delivers an entirely new dynamic of excitement and engagement.

Suddenly, throwing a 2 or 12, even if you’re not betting the horn, brings heightened satisfaction for the ATS player. It takes one of the two most elusive numbers out of the equation, as a successful Make ‘Em All bid often culminates with snake eyes or boxcars.

With each new number covered by a circular tab comes a slight elevation of the heartbeat.

The jitters really kick in when you’re within one number of the big boom. Suddenly all other numbers, including the point, are a distant afterthought – and each lob of the dice becomes a special kind of surreal.

When it finally comes – it’s a feeling so climactic, so orgasmic, that it’s better than even ...

Well, it’s a good feeling.