Gaming Guru

Craps A to Z Series - "I" is For Inside!

© 2002 by Larry Edell

Inside Bets

Betting inside (place bets on the 5, 6, 8 and 9) has always been popular due to the fact that these four numbers roll 18 times compared to only six times for the seven. However, due to this advantage, many crapshooters do not know when to take their bets down. In fact, if you leave your bets up for too long and a seven shows, you could actually be losing money!

For example, let's say you have $44 inside, which would give you $10 each on the five and nine, and $12 each on the six and eight. If you win any two successive bets, you would be $28 ahead. If you leave your $44 inside up, keep the $28 win, and the seven showed after your third inside hit, you would win $42 ($28 + $14) but lose the $44 inside bet. This gives you now a net loss of $2 instead of your previous win of $28!

How then are you supposed to know how and when to take your inside bets down?

Let's find out!

Let's go back to your $44 inside and, instead of leaving all of the bets up after one hit, let's look at regressing them down to insure a profit on future inside hits. After the first hit, just instruct the dealer to regress your place bets down to $22. He will return your $14 in winnings plus $22 ($44 - $22). Now, you have $5 on the five and nine, and $6 each on the six and eight.

On the second hit, you will win $7. Ask the dealer to regress your inside bets to $6 on the six and eight only. He will give you $7 plus $10 ($22 - $10).

On the third hit, you will win $7 again, and this time ask for all your bets to be taken down. You now have a $28 profit on this third hit compared to the previous loss of $2.

Now, let's see what happened in both instances of three winning inside bets, and the seven rolling after the third inside hit.

Of course, you can figure out these payoffs in advance for any number of inside hits, but you will still find that a regression series is a safer, more reliable (and profitable!) one when it comes to inside betting. The next time you bet inside, just remember to regress down on your winning bets, and remove them all after three hits. If you're content with small wins you will last longer and win more!

So, did you always wonder how to decrease or remove your inside bets?

Well now you know!

And, as always, good luck at the tables!