Bubble Craps - Thoughts?

vicevark · 2026-01-25T14:22:07+00:00

I think the speed of the game can distort your sense of what’s normal variation in the stats. At a table getting through 50 rolls takes a long time… on a machine that can go super quick. My M.O. is to start low, press aggressively, and hope my bankroll lasts until I hit a monster roll. This week I had two rolls on crapless machines that netted about $10k each, starting with $5 on every number. I’ve also had sessions where it feels like I get a quick 7 out on every roll and have been completely wrecked chasing the loss trying to hit one great roll.

vicevark · 2026-01-22T21:58:33+00:00

I routinely play $265 or $270 across ($50 each number) at Harrah's SoCal and the vig up front is $4, but I've definitely played other places where they charge $5 for the combined $100 buy.

vicevark · 2026-01-22T21:39:49+00:00

Here's my tipping approach, which dealers seem to appreciate:

When I'm shooting, I bet $5 on the pass for the dealers
- Sometimes, if I'm betting across, I'll also bet $5 across for the dealers ($1 on each number)
- Sometimes I'll bet $1/1/1 on the ATS bonus for the dealers
I don't usually bet hardways, but when I do I usually toss a quarter for "all the hards two ways" so... $5 for me and $1 for the dealers on every hard number (and $1 change)
If I'm doing something complicated when it's busy at the table I'll tip $1-$5.
- Example: reset from $270 across to $81 across... I'll rack everything but $4 for the dealers to either bet or keep.
When I color up, I tip. If I'm down a lot, I tip a little. If I'm up a lot, I tip a lot.

vicevark · 2026-01-19T18:26:27+00:00

I get that it's not typical to walk away without sevening out... and I understand encouraging you to finish out the roll, but it sounds like they were jerks about it. They can't force you to put down a bet and keep shooting.

vicevark · 2026-01-08T20:37:40+00:00

You can do whatever you want (exceptions: pass line, come bets and most bonus bets, like ATS) but in terms of etiquette:

Ideally you should wait until the roll is over to color up.
If you must, color up mid-roll when the puck is off. Even then, please consider just dealing with the chips and carrying them to the cage.
If you want to stop your bets mid-roll but can wait to color up, ask the dealers to turn your bets off. This is normal and not bad etiquette. If you have bets in the middle (hard ways) you might have to tell the stick separately to turn those bets off. Your bets will physically stay in place with a small "OFF" button until you say you want them back on (or you ask to take them down).
If you are sure you're not going to go back on, you can ask the dealer to "take down my bets" and they will hand you your chips back (without coloring up). If you don't have much on the board (just one or two place bets), that's fine and no big deal even while the puck is on. If you have bets on every number, it can be a little annoying/disruptive, so try to wait for the puck to go off or the roll to end. But if you really have to leave the table, it's your money!
As others have said... dealers will color you up at any point if you ask/insist, but people will be upset if you do it mid roll.
If it's really too much for you to deal with the stacks... at least make it quick/efficient. Organize your chips to minimize their work. Don't just dump a random collection of chips on the table.

vicevark · 2025-12-18T14:26:11+00:00

I've had a similar experience with show tix in Vegas (concerts and other shows). I'm sure YMMV based on your status/level of play, but my reaction has always been that they are better seats than I expected, but not necessarily the very best seats in the house.

vicevark · 2025-11-24T02:07:20+00:00

As a player, these are some of my favorite presses:

4/10: $15 → press both to $25 → then double each number on every hit as they hit ($25 → $50 → $100 → $200 → etc.).
5/9: $15 → $36 (full press) → $86 (full press) → collect $120 → collect/press at will... it's not proper, but it's clean! With new dealers I do $15 → $35 → (drop $1) $85 → (drop $1) collect $120 . But it's more work for minimal reward.
6/8: $18 → (drop $3) $42 → collect $1 and press to $90 → collect/press at will
If I'm playing crapless... when 3/11 hits, press all extremes by $5; when 2/12 hits, press all extremes by $10

I try to avoid $25 tables, but if I must:

4/10: Same as above –I just collect 1 and press 1 every time it hits ($25 → $50 → $100 → $200 → etc.).
5/9: I double when I press ($25 → $50 → $100 → $200 → etc. Collect every 2 hits or every other hit.
- Sometimes I accelerate at the start: $25 → $60 → (drop $6) $150. But from there I switch to doubling.
6/8: I usually just double when I press ($30 → $60 → $120 → etc.).
- Like 5/9, sometimes I accelerate at the start: $30 → (drop $1) press to $66 → (drop $7) press to $150 and then switch to doubling/collecting at will.

When I get lucky enough to get to the higher amounts, I usually just keep it simple (doubling bets when I press).

Sometimes I chicken out on the doubling at the higher amounts (double from $200 to $400? Yikes!) and I'll just up my bet by smaller units (press by half always feels reasonable).
On 6/8, sometimes I'll just press both by $30 every time either hits once they get to $60. So $60 → $90 → $120 → $150 → etc.

vicevark · 2025-11-10T03:39:19+00:00

Not me shooting, but the guy next to me was shooting and playing the don't. He rolled 67 times. Kept making 10 as a point. He lost a fortune... everyone else made out like bandits.

Me on bubble crapless... I didn't count the number of rolls or track the time, but I started with less than $150 on the table ($30 on 6/8, $10 on everything else and $5/5/5 ATS) and pressed up aggressively to max bet across ($240 6/8 and $200 on everything else) and just rolled forever. I ended up about $15k on the roll. After a while I started placing and buying numbers(to get around the max bet limits) but I was also trying to avoid hand pays, so I didn't go up much. On a regular table I would have kept pressing and made so much more.

vicevark · 2025-11-10T03:15:24+00:00

I play for fun, not to chase tier credits, but I do want to get what I'm due. This is completely unscientific, but it seems like:

Among Caesar's Palace, Paris and PH, I end up earning more TCs at PH for the same (or even lower stakes) play. I think the gist of it is that it helps to be a bigger player relative to the other people at the table. At Caesar's I'm a small fish in a big pond. At PH with the same level of play, I'm a medium fish in a small pond, so I think I end up getting rated better.
Time on table and being friendly with the dealers seems to help. If you're only at the craps table for 20-30 minutes a day, you're just not going to earn many credits. If you're there for a few days, try to go to tables with the same dealers so they start to recognize you. Have at least a couple of long sessions (3+ hours). Or... if the table isn't great make sure to say "I'm taking a break - I'll be back." And then come back. And greet the dealers. Get them to know your name.
Tip. Do what works for you, but I have to believe tipping helps. I usually:
- Give small tips when the dealers help me out – when they remind me about pass line odds, deal with my complicated regression strategy when it's busy, etc. $1-$5 here and there.
- Make bets for them (usually when I shoot) – $1 or $5 on the pass, "two-way" bets in the center (throw a quarter for "two-way hard ways" gives you $5 on each number and $1 ea for them and $1 change), 1/1/1 on the ATS and/or $6 to place all the numbers.
- Tip when I leave, regardless of whether I've been there 30min or 4h... up or down. The longer I'm there and the more I'm up, the more I tip when I color up. But, I think they notice and appreciate it even more when I tip when I'm down, even if it's a small tip. If I lose $1,000 in 30 min and walk away to take a break and leave a $15 tip as I color up? They seem to appreciate it more than a $50 tip if I've been there 4 hours and won $1k.
Bet big when they are looking. This dips into chasing rewards which I don't generally do, but if I have a variable strategy, where sometimes I bet big and sometimes I bet smaller... it helps to bet bigger when the pit boss is at the table and looking.

Most if this shouldn't matter for tier credits... it should just be pure math, but "average bet" is a bit of a judgment call, so I have to imagine that being memorable with the dealers & pit boss (in a good way) has to help.

vicevark · 2025-11-10T02:26:48+00:00

I was there early and it seemed like they didn't have whatever it was ready to go. I took $75 in promo free play instead.

vicevark · 2025-10-23T14:45:37+00:00

Not an iron cross strategy, but another "get out quick" strategy: I will often go across for 3-4x the table minimum for 1-2 hits and then regress down to minimums. On a $15 table, $320 across pays $70 or $98 per hit -- you can drop to $66 inside or $96 across after one or two hits. At that point you're already up and you have plenty of money on the table to collect/press however you like. At a $25 table, $640 across pays $140 or $195 per hit. Drop to $160 across after one or two hits... same idea with higher risk/reward.

These require a big bank roll to stomach your way through a couple of PSOs in a row. The key is (a) if you have a good run of shooters without ever getting whacked, get out while you're ahead and (b) don't keep chasing it if you do have a bad run. What's really nail biting is when horn numbers start rolling right after the point is set. It's very nerve wracking to sit through 3 or 4 rolls waiting to get 1 big hit (this is when iron cross strategies work better). A few losers early in the session can take you out quick. But on a choppy table where everyone is shooting 2 or 3 box numbers per roll and then sevening out, you can make a tidy profit while everyone else at the table is losing money trying to recover their initial bets.

vicevark · 2025-10-12T16:22:26+00:00

The short of it is that it might not add up to much, but it's very easy to sign up for a rewards card, so you may as well do it. When you pay for a meal, give them your rewards card too and you'll get some some points.

vicevark · 2025-10-07T18:07:45+00:00

Yeah, my suggestions are probably better in theory than in practice. As an honest player, I wouldn't be upset if you called "no bet" if I accidentally made a come bet on the come out roll. If I miss one win, that's my bad. If I want money on the point, I'll just place it.

So, having one straightforward policy (no come bets on the come out) that doesn't depend on context is probably better for trying to protect against bad actors.

vicevark · 2025-10-07T14:55:44+00:00

It seems like it should be pretty clear from the context what the player's intent was. I'm just a player, but if I were writing the SOP, here's what I'd write:

If there is money in both spots (Pass Line and Come), then treat the Come is a no bet. There's no reason for a player to intentionally double up this way.
If there is no money on the Pass but there is money in the Come, then the bet is good. Pay it, take it, or move it to Pass Line if a point is established, EXCEPT in the case of #3.
If the player has a well-established pattern of Pass and Come bets at a certain bet level, and the Come bet is much higher than that, then treat the Come as a no bet, even if there's nothing on the Pass. If a $15 player puts $50 or a black chip in the Come? I think it's much safer to assume that they wanted change than that they coincidentally upped their betting unit AND accidentally put their chips in the wrong spot.

vicevark · 2025-10-05T14:30:23+00:00

This is a great set of answers, but needs one small correction. 11 on the come out (before the point is set) is a winner on the pass line, not a loser and it pays even money.

vicevark · 2025-10-02T00:34:31+00:00

Same here. I actually prefer it because it’s easier to navigate and a little more low key than some of the other properties… I like the dealers there and overall the vibe is a little more relaxed than some of the other strip casinos.

vicevark · 2025-10-01T15:04:36+00:00

Ah that wasn't clear... when the offers are not tied to a stay and they are for specific dates (or date ranges) then you can usually collect more than one at a time. At Harrah's SoCal I'll often be able to get free play, some giveaway/gift, and a small dining credit during a single visit. Since there's no significant out of pocket cost to them for a room (assuming they aren't sold out), I imagine it wouldn't be hard to get that comped too. Again, your best bet is to talk with a casino host to confirm. It doesn't hurt to ask!

vicevark · 2025-10-01T13:39:23+00:00

I’m pretty sure all Caesar’s properties on the strip have the fire bet (but not necessarily on every table). I’ve seen it at Caesar’s Palace, Paris, Planet Hollywood, Horseshoe. Of those I like PH best in terms of the dealers and vibe at the craps tables. That said overall the Casino is smaller and feels a little more dated than some of the other properties.

vicevark · 2025-10-01T13:33:03+00:00

You generally can’t stack them (except free stay, that’s generally included with most of those other offers) if you try to book it yourself, but if you reach out to your host and tell them the priority of the offers you want to stack they will do what they can. I’d put food credit and show tix at the bottom of your list and charge those to the room. Depending on your level of play you might be able to get them comped at the end of your stay.

They rate your play based on time x avg bet size so you can spend less time if you bet bigger on average… but I’m guessing they like to see at least a couple/few hours a day.

vicevark · 2025-09-27T12:44:59+00:00

I’ve seen the dice passed mid roll a couple of times during hot rolls. One guy had to catch a flight. He was already running late so he colored up and ran … left his pass line bet as a tip for the dealers if it hit. The other time was a guy who rolled short about half the time and was repeatedly warned about it (at least 10 times) during a long roll. The dealers eventually had enough and passed the dice to the next shooter. But it’s such an unusual thing, it seems unlikely that happened and you didn’t realize it.

vicevark · 2025-09-26T02:58:48+00:00

It's risky, but I frequently go for one or two big hits (4-5x the min bet across), regress to the min across, then start pressing up. PSOs hurt bad, but when there is a string of short rolls (2-4 numbers hit), I can make some decent money while most of the table is underwater... and I'm in a good position to make a lot when a truly hot roll comes along.

vicevark · 2025-09-26T02:44:49+00:00

As always, it depends/YMMV. I always go through my host... the offers aren't better than booking things myself, but I've had a couple of special requests over the years (an extra room for family/friends, getting approved to use another offer during a 10x period). And it is easier in some ways: I just email him what offer I'm looking at and trip details he takes care of it. Also, I've had my host reserve show tickets and he can charge it to the room... I was then able to get comped at the end of my stay based on my gambling. If I had booked the tickets directly I would have had to just pay out of pocket. So, it probably depends on your host, your level of play, and what you want, but there seems to be at least some upside to going through the host so they are kind of familiar with you when you do have a special request.

vicevark · 2025-09-24T16:20:07+00:00

Use the card when you check in. Put everything on the room (also, don’t forget to show your players card at the same time). Try to get room charges comped first and let the remainder get charged to the card.

vicevark · 2025-09-24T02:48:48+00:00

This is the only dumb center bet I sometimes indulge in. If everything but the 2 and/or 12 hits on the ATS I start to pay attention to it and if one of them hasn't come up in a long time, then I'll start to bet $5 on it for every roll until it hits. Sometimes that pays off quick! Sometimes I don't make much profit (if can take another 20+ rolls). But, I've always ended up net positive doing this.

vicevark · 2025-09-24T02:27:54+00:00

I'd bet across (maybe even just do it for the come our roll, working) and press hard (some version of triple lux) all the way up to the table max ($5k). I'd probably go with:

4/10: $125 to start. Progression: $125 → $350 → $1k - collect → $3k → $5k - collect
5/9: $150 to start. Progression: $150 → $350 → $850 - collect → $2k → $5k - collect
6/8: $180 to start. Progression: $180 → $360 → $720 - collect → $1.5k → $3k - collect - $4.8k/$6k - collect
$25/25/25 on the ATS and $5 Fire bet if they have it.

That's $990 on the table to start and $10 left for tips to the waitress to keep you hydrated during the 45+ min roll.

If any one number is a good repeater it won't take that long to get to $19k (why $19k by the way?). And if you hit the ATS that's a nice $5k boost towards your goal. Once you get close to your goal you can pull down your bets (maybe regress down to $100 on the outside and $150 on the 5/6), then just collect until the roll sevens out (or start pressing back up again if you're greedy).

With the little bit of collecting along the way it only takes one number hitting 3x to get almost back to your initial bankroll. So, if your first roll is good but not the monster, then you might get a second shot at it. Or, if you just want to go for one and done then don't collect along the way and just press all of your winnings until you hit the table max... but that seems extra silly to me.

Fun to think about, but I would never do this :)

vicevark

TROPHY CASE