In a game of craps, is it considered cheating if you set the dice before you roll them?

Question

I had found a video on youtube, showing a dice expert setting and rolling dice. I was wondering if this is done in a casino, will they call it cheating.

Answer 1

Actually, the majority of people that I see in a casino "set the dice". The casino's consider it a fantasy, but if they didn't let people set dice they would gamble somewhere else.

They do get upset if you don't hit the back wall, and if you touch the dice with two hands.

In my experience I have never seen them rule a "short throw" invalid, but they try to exert a lot of pressure on you to make sure both dice bounce off the back wall. My guess is the pressure would get very intense if you threw four or five short throws in a row. Eventually they would ask you to leave the table.

Most people throw short out of simple hand-eye coordination problems. They are embarrassed when the dice bounce off the table.

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Superstition is a huge part of gambling. Every casino operator knows this and they try to indulge it as much as possible. I've seen people sit at the craps table with notebooks keeping track of every person's throws. He was looking for people who had good dice control and would bet heavier when they were rolling. Dice and poker players are among the most superstitious.

Answer 2

No its not cheating although if the casino thinks you are throwing the same way to the same spot and setting the dice before the toss they may toss you...

Answer 3

Wow... what a great question!

Merely setting the dice is not cheating.  However, if the intent of your setting is to "alter the elements of chance, method of selection or criteria which determine...  the result of a game", it IS cheating under Nevada Revised Statute 465.015 (and in most other jurisdictions as well).  In other words, if your intent is to roll fewer sevens or to otherwise influence the random nature of the roll of the dice (as expressly stated in some of the more vogue dice control books on the market), yes, it is cheating and an illegal Class B Felony in the State of Nevada.

That having been said, most casinos and astute craps players know that dice control is a myth, promoted by "dice experts" with vested interests in books, seminars, youtube videos, whatever.  (Save your money.) So the question becomes, if dice control doesn't work, how can it be illegal?  I'll answer that question with another question.  If counterfeit currency doesn't work in a slot machine, is it illegal to try and use it?

I've only had one experience with a casino that prohibited setting dice.  Don't worry, you won't get kicked out for doing it; they see it all of the time.  I do it myself sometimes, setting my point on the top face of the dice, not because I expect to get any results from it, but because it's fun!

Craps is a wonderful game of chance.  And there is only one category of rollers: random rollers.  That includes you, me, AND your youtube "dice experts."

Answer 4

In general the dealers want a fast throw. Taking time to set the dice slows the game, so they mostly do not like it, but may not say anything if you do not take too much time doing it. The video you saw is of a system the casinos are well aware of, and if you consistently set and throw the dice in that manner, you will get a comment from the crew, most likely.

It is NOT cheating, and as long as you throw against the wall, this is a valid throw. If you fail to hit the wall, the throw can be negated and you can be made to throw again. Do it a couple more times, and they may make you pass the dice and you might get skipped for the next roll. They may even ask you to leave the table, or the casino.

This system involves trying to make the dice land on the number you set, and the casino wants to see the dice bounce off the wall and tumble, to get a fair throw.

When I play, I will always set the dice on the table to the number I wish to throw, this takes only a second. Then I move my hand away for a millisecond to display the dice, open palm up, then swoop them up, swirl once and throw them in one movement against the opposite wall. I try to make the throw go a bit higher than the table wall height, bounce on the table and then hit the wall.

No one has ever complained about this, as long as I hit the wall each time.

I also use the Calculated Craps method to bet, it seems to work for me. Here is a link:

http://www.thedoverpro.com/craps.htm

Also, I always am sure to tip by putting a bet on the pass line for the crew before I start throwing. This makes them both happy and a bit more tolerant of me! lol

Answer 5

If they don't hit the back wall it's a no throw but you won't get pulled for it unless you do it constantly.

Setting the bones is a fallacy. So is controlled throwing.

Answer 6

Nah you can set the dice how ever you like.  Since craps players are one of the most superstitious gamblers out there, the casino is willing to let players fulfill their own superstitions by setting the dice (it makes no difference to the casino- the house still has the edge; dice set or not).

If the video you saw was the same one I saw, it had a guy basically dropping the dice and calling the numbers out.  It wouldn't work at a casino for two reasons.  One, you have to throw the dice across at least three feet of felt, not merely drop them.  Secondly, not only do the dice have to travel across the table, the dice need to hit a jagged wall which cause the dice to bounce off in a random manner.  So, even if you do set the dice exactly how you want them, you still have to get them to act exactly how you want them.  And that's really diffficult to do.

As far as I know, the only real way of cheating at craps is switching dice.  And that's a skill that takes years to master to make it look naturally.

Answer 7

It is not cheating to set dice. I always set them to boxcars(12) before I throw. Some dealers and boxmen might bust balls if you dont throw them hard enough but it NOT a rule. They just make it uncomforable for you. Just hit the back wall and they should be content.