The most important thing to remember when you are playing any game - craps, blackjack, roulette, etc - is that you are hoping to have fun. Yes, you want to walk away from the computer having won something.
Everyone wants to win! But, you also want to have fun. One of the most important tips in playing is to remind yourself that you are trying to have fun. If you walk away having lost a little bit of money, but you had two hours of entertainment, then your money was well spent. It would cost you money to see a movie, go out to dinner, or watch a play; sometimes it costs you money to enjoy two hours of craps as well. But, that money is well spent. This is a very important strategy for play.
The strategies here aren't systems; and this is an important thing to note and understand. Craps has very few people offering you specific systems, or systematic ways to bet and win all the time. This is because craps is less structured than a game like blackjack, and it's certainly much more random. The best way to approach craps strategies is to look at ways to control your game and your bankroll.
Basic Craps Strategies
So, let's look at ways to control your game first. Often while playing craps, you will get bored of playing the same bets and will find yourself starting to make bets you hadn't planned to make. This is often a product of playing pass line bets and place bets. Sometimes these bets sit there, waiting to get resolved, and you get a bit antsy and look for more action. The best strategy, if this does happen to you, is to play some come bets. These have a nice low house edge, and are safer to play for some excitement than are calling out hardways or asking for C & E.
Secondly, it's important to look at your bankroll when creating a craps strategy. Many people have unrealistic expectations for themselves and for how much money they want to make. They say they won't stop playing until they have doubled their money. Experts agree that you've done well if you leave 20% up. So, what should you do? It's a good strategy to say that you will stop playing if you lose 50% of your initial gamble. So, if you started with $100, you stop playing if you lose $50. If you start winning, it's often a good idea to pocket 50% of what you started with and then play with whatever you have left. So, again, if I started with $100 and now I have $200, I'll put away $50 and play with the $150 I have left. I can repeat this idea as many times as I continue winning. These two ideas - for winning and losing - can help a lot. No matter what happens in the game, I walk away with something left; I haven't lost everything and I've had fun.
And again, it's important to remember that you are playing for fun as well. If you walk away having lost $50, but with $50 still in your pocket, then you enjoyed yourself for an hour or two and really didn't lose very much. Your time and entertainment are important as well. Hopefully, these strategies, to have fun, to think about ways to control your game, and to think about your bankroll, will help you to succeed at craps. Enjoy yourself and get rolling!
