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Text File | 1994-08-20 | 32.0 KB | 745 lines

INTRODUCTION The game of Craps can be an intimidating and confusing experience for newcomers. This program was created not only as a game but also as a learning tool for beginners and seasoned veterans alike. Much effort has gone into making this game as complete as possible. Unlike other 'Craps' games, this game allows every bet that is permissible in a real casino. Besides having multiplayer capabilities, this game offers complete statistical information and a wealth of other features. If you don't know the rules of Craps, please read 'HOW TO PLAY CRAPS'. Otherwise skip to 'HOW TO PLAY THIS GAME'. It is strongly recommend that everyone read the section on 'HOUSE ADVANTAGE' under the 'HOW TO PLAY CRAPS' section. BASIC CONCEPT The basic concept of Craps is that bets are made on the outcome of throwing two, six-sided dice. There are many possible bets that can be made from the 36 possible combinations, but after studying the house advantages of these bets, you will see that only a few are worth spending money on. DICE COMBINATIONS Dice Number Combinations Number of ways to roll 2 1-1 1 3 1-2,2-1 2 4 1-3,3-1,2-2 3 5 1-4,4-1,2-3,3-2 4 6 1-5,5-1,2-4,4-2,3-3 5 7 1-6,6-1,2-5,5-2,3-4,4-3 6 8 2-6,6-2,3-5,5-3,4-4 5 9 3-6,6-3,4-5,5-4 4 10 4-6,6-4,5-5 3 11 5-6,6-5 2 12 6-6 1 PASS LINE BET This is the most common bet on the Craps table (and one of the better ones). This bet is best made before a point has been established. This occurs either at the beginning of the game or after someone has 'crapped out' (rolled a 7 at the wrong time). On this game you can tell if a point has been made by looking at the row of numbers near the top of the board (4,5,6,8,9,10). If one of these numbers has a round plastic 'puck' on it then that number is the point. If the puck is off to the side of the board and not on any of the numbers, then it is OK to make a pass line bet. After placing a pass line bet, the next roll of the dice will be the 'come out roll'. On this roll, if the dice show a 7 or 11 you win. If they show a 2, 3 or 12 you lose. If the dice show anything else, (4,5,6,8,9,10) this then becomes the 'point' and the plastic puck will be moved to that number. Once a point has been made, the object of the game is reversed. After a point is made, then you want to roll that same point again before a 7 is rolled. If the point is rolled again, you win, if a 7 rolls, you lose. This is the most difficult concept of the game. Before a point is made, you want a 7 to roll, after a point is made you don't want a 7 to roll. You can only lose on a 7 after a point is made. TO RECAP: Before a point is made if you roll a : 2, 3, 12 You lose 7, 11 You win 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 That number becomes the point After a point is made if you roll a : 2, 3, 11, 12 Doesn't matter 7 You lose the point You win The casino advantage on this bet is only 1.4% which means that for every $1 you bet, in the long run, you will only get 98.6 cents back. There are no bets in which the advantage is in your favor. The best you can do is to make the bets that have the least advantage for the casino. While it is legal to make a pass line bet after a point has been made, it is very foolish to do so. Odds can be taken on a pass line bet. Taking odds will be discussed later. EXAMPLE: The puck is not located on any of the numbers, meaning that a point has not been made. A $10 pass line bet is placed. The next roll of the dice is a 4. The puck is moved to the 4 and the point is 4. The goal now is to roll a 4 again before a 7 is rolled. If a 4 rolls, you will be paid even money ($10 in this case). If a 7 rolls, you will lose your $10. DON'T PASS BET This bet is the opposite of a pass line bet. A don't pass bet can be placed only if a point has not been made. On a come out roll you win if a 2 or 3 is rolled and lose if a 7 is rolled. After a point is made, you win if a 7 rolls and you lose if the point is made. The only thing that is not opposite is that if a 12 rolls on the come out roll, you neither win nor lose. This 'push' is what gives the casino the advantage. The house advantage is virtually the same as on a pass line bet (1.4%). Odds may be taken. A Don't Pass bet may be removed at any time. EXAMPLE: The puck is not located on any of the numbers, indicating that no point has been made. A $10 don't pass line bet is placed. The next roll of the dice is a 7. You just lost. Another $10 bet is made. The next roll comes up 8. The goal now is to roll a 7 before an 8 is rolled. If a 7 is rolled, you will be paid even money ($10). FIELD BET This is a very simple bet. A field bet is a one-time only bet, meaning that it is only good for one roll of the dice. If the number of the dice rolled is the same as one of the numbers in the field box then you win even money. The exception to this is the 2 and the 12. If a 2 rolls, you get paid double. If a 12 rolls, you get paid triple. The house advantage is 2.8%. Some casinos will only pay double on the 12. This raises the house advantage to 5.6%. If you are playing for real money, be sure to check that the table pays triple on the 12. If it doesn't, go to another casino. Many beginners start out with this bet because you don't have to understand the concept of a point to be able to make this bet. COME BET This bet is the same as a pass line bet except that it must be placed after a point has been made for the pass line. The next roll will be that bet's come out roll. Once a point has been made for a come bet, that bet will be moved to just inside the box below the number you just rolled. A come bet can only be made if a point has already been made. Once a come bet has been moved to its new point, another come bet may be made. Odds may be taken. EXAMPLE: A point has been made. You place a $20 come bet. The next roll is a 6. Your $20 will be moved to inside the box just below the number 6. The object now is to roll a 6 again before a 7 is rolled. If a 6 is rolled, you will win $20, if a 7 rolls, you lose your $20. EXAMPLE: A point has been made. You place a $20 come bet. The next roll is a 7. You just won even money ($20). Note that if you had a pass line bet, it would have lost on that roll because it was a come out roll only for your come bet. DON'T COME BET Same as a don't pass line bet except that it may be placed after a point has been made for the pass line. The don't come bet will also push on a 12 like the don't pass bet. Like a come bet, a don't come bet will be moved to just above the number you just rolled. Odds may be taken. A Don't Come bet may be removed at any time. EXAMPLE: A point has been made. You place a $10 don't come bet. The next roll is a 9. Your $20 will be moved to inside the box just above the number 9. The object now is to roll a 7 before a 9 is rolled. If a 7 is rolled, you will win $20, if a 9 rolls, you lose your $20. PLACE BETS This is a bet that is made directly on one of the box numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10). These bets may be made at any time and also removed at any time. You win if that number is rolled before a 7 is rolled. These bets do not pay true odds (this gives the casino the advantage). Bet: Pays: House advantage: 4 or 10 9 to 5 6.7% 5 or 9 7 to 5 4.0% 6 or 8 7 to 6 1.5% Because of the pay-off, you must bet in increments of $5 for the 4,5,9,10 or $6 for the 6 and 8. Obviously, the 6 and 8 are the better bets because of their lower house advantage. When a Place bet wins, you are given a choice of what to do next. You can take the bet down and collect your money, you can let the bet ride or you can double the bet. Place bets are "off" on the come out roll. This means that the bet will neither win nor lose until a point has been made. If your Place bet wins, you are given the choice of either taking the bet off (OFF), letting it ride (STAY), or having it doubled (DOUBLE). You can only double the bet up to $1000 or the total amount of your chips, whichever is less. BUY BET This bet is virtually the same as a Place Bet except that it pays true odds. The catch, however, is a 5% charge for placing this bet. Because this game deals only in integers, (I doubt a casino will want to break a chip in half for you.), a Buy Bet must be made in $20 increments ( 5% of $20 is $1). Buy bets are "off" on the Come out roll. This bet may be removed at any time. LAY BET Opposite of Buy Bets. A Lay Bet wins when a 7 rolls and loses if the number you bet rolls. This also pays true odds and a 5% commission is charged on THE AMOUNT YOU CAN WIN. For example, if you think a 7 will roll before a 10, you would lay $40 on the 10 plus the $1 charge. If this bet won, it would pay 1 to 2 so you would win $20 (5% of $20 is $1). Lay bets are "on" for the come out roll and may also be removed at any time. If the bet is removed, the 5% charge will be returned to you. BIG 6 / BIG 8 These are great bets if you want to show everyone how stupid you are. These bets pay even money if a 6 (or 8 depending on which bet was made.) rolls before a 7. The house advantage is 9.1%. Remember that the house advantage on a Place 6 or Place 8 bet is only 1.5%! They are located on the corner of the board nice and big just to attract suckers. In Atlantic City these bets pay 7 to 6 which make them the same as the Place 6 or Place 8 and therefore a much better bet. These bets may be removed at any time. EXAMPLE: You bet $6 on the big 8. At the same time, you make a $6 place bet. After several rolls, an 8 is rolled. Your big 8 bet just won $6 while your place bet wins $7. MORAL: Place bets are better. PROPOSITION BETS These are located at the left of the board. They are one-time only bets. These bets are the SEVEN, 1-1, 6-6, 1-2, 6-5 or ANY CRAPS (2,3,12). These bets may be placed at any time. In order to win, the roll of the dice must equal your bet. The Hardways are located above the proposition bets, 'hardway' means having the same number on each die, so a 4-4 is called a hardway 8. Hardways are not one-time bets. They stay on the board until they win by rolling that combination or lose by rolling a seven. You can also lose by having the number come up 'soft' say, for example you bet the hard 8 (4-4) and a 6-2 rolls. You lose. Hardway bets may be removed. Bet: Pays: House Advantage: Hard 4 7 to 1 11.1% Hard 10 7 to 1 11.1% Hard 6 9 to 1 9.1% Hard 8 9 to 1 9.1% Any Craps 7 to 1 11.1% Any 7 4 to 1 16.6% 11 15 to 1 11.1% 2 30 to 1 13.9% 12 30 to 1 13.9% 3 15 to 1 11.1% As can easily be seen, Proposition bets are completely stupid and should be avoided. EXAMPLE: A $10 bet is made on the 11. If the next roll of the dice is a 11, then you win $150, otherwise you lose your $10. Think about it: You must win at least 1 in 15 bets to break even, however, the odds of rolling a 11 is 1 in 18. EXAMPLE: A $10 bet is made on the hard 4. The next roll is 9, nothing happens. The next roll is a 7, you lose. HORN BET This bet is a combination of the 2, 3, 11, and 12 proposition bet. The bet is made in $4 increments, with $1 going on each of the four bets. The pay off is the same as the regular proposition bets. This is a one-roll bet. Example: A $4 bet is placed on the Horn area. The next roll is a 2 (1-1). The bet would pay 30 to 1 for the $1 that was on the 2 and the other 3 $1 bets (3, 11, 12) would lose. The Horn bet is an easy way to make four stupid bets at once. TAKING OR LAYING ODDS You can take odds on two bets; the Pass Line and the Come Bet. You can also take odds on the Don't Pass and the Don't Come Bet. For those bets it is called laying odds. For simplicity, I will refer to "taking odds" for both taking or laying odds. This game allows both single and double odds as this is now common practice in most casinos. By taking odds, you are backing up your original bet with more money. The difference is, however, that the money you put down for your odds bet will be paid off at true odds instead of even money. Odds are the best bet at a craps table as it gives the casino almost no advantage. Odds may be taken at anytime after a point has been made and also removed at anytime. For example, if you had a $2 pass line bet and the point was a 10, if you won without odds, you would receive even money or $2 plus your original $2 bet. Single odds on this bet would be $2. Double odds would be $4. With Single odds, the payoff on a win would be $2 for your line bet plus $4 for your odds bet (odds payoff on a 10 is 2 to 1). With Double odds, the payoff would be $8 for the odds bet. The house advantage on a line bet with odds is less than 1%. Pass Line bet or Come bet: Point Number Odds Payoff Chips for single odds Chips for double odds ------------ ----------- --------------------- --------------------- 4 or 10 2 to 1 Same as Bet Bet * 2 5 or 9 3 to 2 Next even amount Bet * 2 6 or 8 6 to 5 Closest multiple of 5 multiple of 5 * 2 Don't Pass bet or Don't Come bet: Point Number Odds Payoff Chips for single odds Chips for double odds ------------ ----------- --------------------- --------------------- 4 or 10 1 to 2 Bet * 2 Bet * 4 5 or 9 2 to 3 Bet * (3/2) Bet * 3 6 or 8 5 to 6 Bet * (6/5) Bet * (12/5) It is very important to know how much money to place for odds. If you don't play the correct amount, the house will only pay even money for the bet! Most casino employees will help you determine the correct amount to bet. This program automatically calculates the amount needed for single and double odds. It is strongly advised that you take odds whenever possible and, if you can afford it, double odds. EXAMPLE: A $10 pass line bet is made and the point is 5. Single odds would be $10 and double odds would be $20. If the bet wins, with single odds you would receive $10 for your line bet plus $15 for your odds bet. With double odds, your odds payoff would be $30. EXAMPLE: A $2 pass line bet is made and the point is 6. Single odds are not available because the closest multiple of 5 (for a $2 bet) is $0. However, in this instance, the casino will allow you to play a double odds bet of $5. If the bet wins, you will receive $2 for your line bet plus $6 for your double odds. EXAMPLE: A $10 don't pass bet is made and the point is 4. Single odds would be $20 and double odds would be $40. If you won, you would receive $10 for single odds and $20 if you had double odds, plus the $10 for your line bet. Bet: House Advantage: Pass Line - double odds .6% Don't Pass - double odds .6% Come - double odds .6% Don't Come - double odds .6% Pass Line - single odds .8% Don't Pass - single odds .8% Come - single odds .8% Don't Come - single odds .8% Pass Line - no odds 1.4% Don't Pass - no odds 1.4% Come - no odds 1.4% Don't Come - no odds 1.4% Place 6 1.5% Place 8 1.5% Lay 4 2.4% Lay 10 2.4% Field (pays triple on 12) 2.7% Lay 5 3.2% Lay 9 3.2% Place 5 4.0% Place 9 4.0% Lay 6 4.0% Lay 8 4.0% Buy 4 4.7% Buy 5 4.7% Buy 6 4.7% Buy 8 4.7% Buy 9 4.7% Buy 10 4.7% Field (pays double on 12) 5.5% Place 4 6.7% Place 10 6.7% Big 6 9.1% Big 8 9.1% Hard 6 9.1% Hard 8 9.1% Hard 4 11.1% Hard 10 11.1% Any Craps 11.1% Proposition 11 11.1% Proposition 3 11.1% Proposition 2 13.9% Proposition 12 13.9% Any 7 16.6% STRATEGY I'm a programmer, not a professional gambler. However, after reading many books on the subject and spending about 1000 hours writing programs to simulate Craps, I feel I've earned the right to throw out some advice: Quite simply, the smart way to play Craps is just to know the house advantages and to only play the bets that give the house the least possible margin. Here are the ONLY bets that I'll play: Pass Line Don't Pass Come Don't come ** double odds on all the above bets ** Place 6 or Place 8 I cannot over stress that you take odds whenever possible and double odds if they're allowed. It is much better to have a $5 line bet with $10 odds than to have a $15 line bet with no odds. NOTE: I know I just told you to play only those few bets. Do that in Las Vegas. As far as sitting in front of your computer goes, remember THIS ONLY A GAME. It is not your money. Feel free to make all the stupid bets that you want. But when you're in Vegas and it's your own money . . .. MOUSE NOTES This game works best with a mouse. Of course its not required, but since you can get a good mouse for about $70 nowadays, you might want to think about getting one. The game is designed to work with a Microsoft Mouse (MS Mouse). Virtually all mice will emulate the MS Mouse or have a special driver that allows it to do so. Consult your mouse manual to see if it can emulate a Microsoft Mouse. MOVING AROUND This game is very flexible in how it is run. There are usually 2 or 3 ways to accomplish anything. If a mouse is found, it uses it. It can tell the difference between a 2 button mouse and a 3 button mouse. In the lower right of the screen a picture of the mouse will appear with explanations of what each button will do at any given time. If you do not have a mouse, the cursor keys will simulate one. Here's how that works: arrow keys - movement <shift> arrow keys - fast movement (2 X speed) <enter> or <+> - select (left button of mouse) <-> - roll dice (right button of mouse) Note that for the (2 X speed) to work properly, the arrow keys on the keypad must be used, not the separate arrow keys on a 101-key keyboard. See the section on 'hot keys' for other keyboard functions. The plus and minus keys are used mainly for incrementing and decrementing the bet amount and also to allow the game to be played entirely from the cursor pad. The main menu can be popped up in 3 ways: by pressing <esc> by moving the mouse to the top of the screen by pressing the middle button on a 3 button mouse All function of the main menu can also be called upon by using hot keys. MAKING BETS This is simple. Just move the cursor to one of the multi-colored chips on the lower right of the screen and select it. The number below the chip is the number of those chips that you have left. The left button (or +) will increment your bet while the right button (-) will decrement the bet. You can pick up as many different colored chips as you like, however the maximum bet at this table is $1000. Once you are satisfied with the bet amount, select the [finished] box and you will be prompted to move your bet to the table. An alternative method of finishing your bet is just to move the cursor above the thick black line separating the edge of the table (slightly above the chips). This will tell the program that you are ready to move the bet to the table. NOTE: A useful if slightly unrealistic bonus feature is that you can pick up a chip of one denomination and put it down on a chip of a different denomination to make change. For example, if you pick up a $25 chip, you can move to the $5 chips and hit the right button (-). This will lower the bet to $20 and give you an extra $5 chip. Once you are finished with your bet, you need to move it to the area of the table that you wish to place it. The dialogue box at the bottom center of the screen will tell you where you are at any given time. Once you are over the area of the table you want, simply press the left button (<enter> or +) to drop the bet. If you change your mind and decide that you don't want to make your bet, just press the button over one of your chips. This will put the bet back in you money pile. This is also the method of making change. For example, you can pick up 3 $25 chips, select [finished] and then select the $10 chips. This will increase the number of $10 chips by 7 and the $5 chips by 1 (7 * 10 + 5 = 75). If, for some reason the program tells you of an error when you try to drop your bet (such as trying to make a Come bet when no point has been established) you will still have your bet in your hand and be allowed to place it elsewhere. If you don't want to place it elsewhere, remember to put the bet back in your chip pile. HOT KEYS All selections from the menu bar can be accessed from the keyboard without having to pop up the menu: H - (H)elp T - (T)oggle settings O - take (O)dds on a bet R - (R)emove bet D - remove o(d)ds bet S - (S)tatistics B - special (B)ets Q - (Q)uit Several other actions are available: <spacebar> - (R)oll dice F - (F)ast roll - this will roll the dice without having the dice fly across the screen. It will also not spend the time to tell you which of your bets have won or lost. This is only for those very impatient people out there. X - e(X)change players - only if the two player version is active. P - (P)ass dice - in the two player version the shooter may pass the dice to the other player. F1 thru F4 - Screen blanker - if someone walks in that you don't want to see you playing this game, (your boss, perhaps) use this to clear the screen. Press any key to resume to the game. Multiple hotkeys are used for ease of use in a panic situation. TWO PLAYER OPTION At the beginning of the game you are given the option of 1 or 2 players. If 2 is selected you will be prompted for two names of 10 characters or less. The 2 player version looks identical to the single player version except for the player's name appearing just above the player's chips. Each player has his/her own screen including the table, the chips and so on. In order to change to the next player, simply click on the player name (or press X). After rolling the dice the game will pay off all bets for the current player, automatically switch players, pay off the second player, and then switch back to the original player. It is very important to keep track of which player is which (by looking at the name above the chips), otherwise, you could accidentally start spending your friends money! (or maybe just wait until he's not looking . . .) In the two player mode, one player is the shooter, meaning that person has the dice. Only the shooter can roll the dice. A person loses the dice by rolling a seven after a point has been made. When that happens, the other player becomes the shooter. You may pass the dice to the next player by hitting the "P" hot key. If one player was to lose all his/her money, that player is ejected from the casino. The remaining player may still play, but the program will revert to the one player mode. TOGGLE SETTINGS [NOISE] This simply turns the speaker on or off during play. [ODDS TOGGLE] In Vegas, you can temporally call odds bets off on Pass Line and Come bets by asking the dealer to do so. This means that your odds bet is inactive and can neither win or lose. On this game you can tell if your odds bets are active by looking at the puck. If it is black with white letters saying 'OFF' then your odds bets are inactive. [COME BET ODDS] Standard Las Vegas rules have odds bets on Come Bets 'OFF' during a come-out roll. However, you are allowed to tell the dealer to have them 'ON' or 'working' during a come-out roll. In a two player game each player can control this separately. [PLACE/BUY BETS] Similar to Come bet odds, you can also tell the dealer to have Place bets and/or Buy bets 'working' on a come-out roll. If you are confused by any of the odds toggles, just leave them on the default settings - most Craps players do anyway. TAKE/LAY ODDS Once a point has been made for a Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come bet, you may take odds. The program will ask you to select the bet that you wish to take odds on. You will then be given a choice of single or double odds and shown the amount of money you will be charged for each. Single odds will be shown as a '-1' directly behind your bet. Double odds will show a '-2'. You may also take odds by selecting the bet that you wish to take odds on. A menu will pop up prompting you from there. See the section called 'Taking odds' under 'How to play Craps' for more information on taking odds. STATISTICS The game keeps track of all the bets that have been made and if they win or lose. This information is written to disk. The game keeps track of all 40 bets and is designed to give the player an indication of how well he/she has done on the various bets. It is NOT intended to be used to calculate the odds on the bets. If you want to do this, find a good book on Craps. (I've given you most of the odds in this documentation). NOTE: The number of rolls and the dice frequency are given for general information ONLY. Several people have written letters stating that they have rolled the dice 2000 times and that the random number generator is 10% off. For anyone who has taken a statistics class, in order to get accurate numbers for the probability of a random event you must have a very, very large sample. 2000 rolls is not even close. Tests have been run with the dice generator using sample sizes of up to 4 BILLION. With numbers this large, the maximum error calculated was .012%. For those who are interested, that program took a Compaq 20MHz '386 about 30 hours to run! SPECIAL BETS [PLACE BET, BUY BET, LAY BET] These allow you to make multiple bets at once. Some people like to have a place bet on all 6 numbers (its dumb, but if you want to . . .). For each bet (place,buy,lay), you are given three choices: ACROSS - puts a bet on all 6 numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) INSIDE - puts a bet on the inside numbers (5,6,8,9) OUTSIDE - puts a bet on the outside numbers (4,5,9,10) After selecting your choice, you will be shown the minimum allowable bet. You can then increase this number if you wish. Once you are satisfied with the bet amount, select the [OK] box and the bets will be made. LAS VEGAS CRAPS Version 3.2 By Kent Myers Copyright (c) 1992 Kent Myers P.O. Box 1105 Hermosa Beach, CA 90254 The author wishes to thank the following persons for their assistance, advice, teachings, beta testing, demo distribution, assembly language sub-routines, suggestions, and for basically slapping me around every time I tried to do something that they thought would compromise the final product: Doug Luce Bill Starritt Markus Houy Harry Myers Rick Snyder Jim Holloway Scott Klimczak Michele Evans Omar Salvati **** DISCLAIMER **** OK, time to get out the briefcase and put on my gray pinstriped lawyer's suit: I have been programming, playing and debugging various forms of this game on and off for over 6 years. Much work has gone into making it as accurate as possible and bug-free. However, I cannot be held responsible for the accuracy of this game or for the information in this manual. TRANSLATION: If you can win $1 million on this game and then go to Las Vegas and lose your life savings, don't try to sue me. REMOVE BET Several bets on a Craps table can be removed at any time. These are Don't Pass, Don't Come, Place bets, Buy bets, Lay bets, Hardways and Big6/8. Come bets and Pass Line bets can be removed before the dice are rolled. Simply select this option and then select the bet you wish to remove. You may also remove a bet by selecting the bet itself. A menu will pop up asking you if you want to remove the bet. REMOVE ODDS Odds bets may be removed at any time. Simply select this option and then select the bet with the odds you wish to remove. Odds bets on Pass Line and Come bets may be temporally made inactive by using the odds toggle feature. You may also remove odds from a bet by selecting the bet itself. A menu will pop up asking you if you want to remove the odds on that bet.