How To Gamble With Dice
Archaeologists recently uncovered a 600-year-old die that was probably used for cheating. The wooden die from medieval Norway has two fives, two fours, a three and a six, while the numbers one and two are missing. It is believed that the die was used to cheat in games, rather than being for a game that requires that specific configuration of numbers.
One of the oldest dice games and arguably one of the most popular. Merging is done by dragging and dropping one dice onto another. They must have the same dot count and be of the same type, with a few exceptions. Merging will increase the dot count by 1 and change the dice type to a random one from the deck. Dice dot count will only affect the Attack Rate of the dice as each dot attacks at the Attack Speed. 3-Floor Casino 0.082 3.583 Lucky Number 8 1 Star Casino 0.058 4.3 Chip Mass Production 9 2 Star Casino 0.04 5.16 Corruption 10 3 Star Casino 0.028 6.192 Employees 11 4 Star Casino 0.02 7.43 Can buy anything 12 5 Star Casino 0.014 8.916 Getting Lazy 13 Casino Village 0.0097 10.699 Unlucky Number 14 Casino Town 0.0068 12.839 Particle Accelerator 15. The Stickman (the guy with the stick who assists the Dealers) will push about five dice toward you. With only one hand, pick up two. Next, roll the dice hard enough so that they hit the wall of the opposite end of the table. The object of this Come Out roll is to establish a Point, which needs to be something other than a 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12.
Today, dice like this with missing numbers are known as tops and bottoms. They can be a useful way to cheat if you’re that way inclined, although they don’t guarantee a win every time and they don’t stand up to scrutiny from suspicious opponents (they only have to ask to take a look and you’ll be found out). But there are several other options of cheating at dice too, and I’ll talk you through some of them here.
It should be noted that using these methods in a casino are illegal and I’m not suggesting you adopt them in such establishments – but it’s an interesting look at how probabilities work.
For a fair die, each number has an equal one in six, or 16.67%, chance of appearing. In the case of the die found in Norway, the numbers four and five are twice as likely to appear (as there are two of them), so have a one in three, or 33.33%, chance. The table shows these probabilities.
It does not take too much imagination to see how tops and bottoms can be used to your advantage. Let’s assume that we are playing with two normal dice. There are 36 possible outcomes but only 11 possible total values the dice can produce. For example, six-four, four-six and five-five all add up to ten.
If we instead used two top and bottom dice with only the numbers one, four and five on them, we can never roll a total of 11 or 12 as we don’t have a six to make that total. Similarly, we can never get a total of three as we don’t have a two and a one. But we also cannot get any combination that would produce a total of seven, which would otherwise be the most likely total to appear with a probability of 16.67%. In a game of craps there are times when it can be really bad to throw a seven. So if you are playing with dice where a combination of seven is impossible, you have a distinct advantage.
As these kind of tops and bottoms dice will not pass even a cursory, closer inspection, they have to be brought into the game for a short time and then switched out again. This requires the cheat to be an expert at palming, meaning being able to conceal one set of dice in your hand and then bring them into play while simultaneously removing the other dice.
Using two dice, with the same three numbers repeated, might be too risky so a cheat would probably only want to switch in a single die into the game. In our example, this would mean no longer avoiding a total of seven, which would still have a probability of 16.67%. But now the totals of five and six would also have this probability.
In craps the odds are such that when you are required to avoid a seven, it is the number most likely to appear. Switching in a single dice can still reduce the house’s chances of winning, by making other totals equally likely to appear.
Loaded dice
Loaded dice can make cheating harder to spot. These can take a number of different forms. For example, some of the spots on one face could be drilled out and the holes filled with a heavy substance so the die is more likely to land with this face down. If you were to drill out the number one, this means that the number six is more likely to appear, as the six is always on the opposite face to the one. Another way of loading a die would be to slightly change its shape, so that it is more likely to keep rolling. This may only give a small advantage, but it could be enough to tip the game in the cheat’s favour.
With tops and bottoms it is easy to know the probabilities of various totals appearing. This is not the case with loaded dice. One way of gauging the probabilities is to toss the dice a number of times (possibly thousands) and work out what numbers appear and how often. If you know that seven is less likely to appear than it would with fair dice then, over the long run, it would be a cheat’s advantage.
Controlled throws
One other way to cheat doesn’t require an unfair die at all but involves learning how to throw in a very controlled way. This can involve effectively sliding or dropping the die so the desired number appears. If two dice are used, one can be used to trap the other and stop it bouncing. If this is done by a skilled operator, it is very difficult to see.
Dominic LoRiggio, the “Dice Dominator”, was able to throw dice in what appeared a normal way but so that they would land on certain numbers. This was done by understanding how dice travel thorough the air and controlling each part of the throw. It took many (many, many) hours of practice to perfect, but he was able to consistently win at the craps table.
Many would consider what LoRiggio did to be advantage play, meaning using the rules to your advantage. This is similar to card counting in blackjack. The casinos may not like it, but you are technically not cheating – though some casino may try to make you shoot the dice in a different way if they suspect you are doing controlled throws.
If you’re like me, sometimes you want to put as little effort into your games as possible. You want to play a game that requires little-to-no skill and let everything be left purely to chance.
The best way to scratch that itch is to figuratively and literally roll the dice. Casinos offer a variety of simple dice games. You may be able to play these in your own home. So grab your kids, because we’re about to get simple. Actually, grab your dog, or even your neighbor’s dog, because these games are so simple, even they may be able to play.
Of course, when you think of gambling with dice, the first game that comes to mind will be real money craps. Craps can be a fun game, but we’re going to go even easier. Keep in mind that the dice games I’m about to mention are usually regional games. To broaden your dice gambling horizon and keep your night at the table nice and easy, here are 5 easy dice gambling games you should know about.
1 – Chuck-a-luck
Chuck-a-luck is played in many smaller casinos. It’s simple and entertaining because of how flashy the game can be. The game is played using a giant spinning hourglass that holds the dice.
Players at the table place bets, and then the dealer will start cranking and spinning the hourglass. Three large dice tumble inside the cage as it spins. There are 5 types of bets that you can place.
The game table is divided into different betting areas. You can place a numbers bet, where you place chips on any of the 6 numbers on the dice that you think will be rolled.
A high bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be over 10.
A low bet is when you place chips on the area indicating that the total of the 3 dice will be under 10.
A field bet is when you place a bet that the total number on the dice will equal 1 of the numbers in the field area.
And then there’s the jackpot bet, where you bet that all numbers rolled will be the same.
Easy right? You can easily play this at home.
2 – Klondike
Klondike is a game that’s played with 5 dice.
It’s simple—the dealer rolls his or her dice first, then the player rolls in an attempt to roll a higher combination.
There are 6 possible combinations. From highest to lowest, they are: 5 of a kind, 4 of a kind, full house (3 of a kind and a pair), 2 pairs, 1 pair.
In real money casinos, you can bet to roll a combination higher than the dealer, lower than the dealer, or you can place a bet to “beat 2 aces,” where you must roll 2 pairs.
Keep in mind that all ties in this game count as a win for the house, so it can be harder than you think to continuously come out on top. The main takeaway from this is that there is definitely a house edge for Klondike, and because the dealer wins on ties, you end up with a house edge somewhere around 5%.
Now that edge can also change depending on the rules of the casino. If you’re not familiar with house edges, I’ll say that a 5% house edge is bad—it’s not the worst (Keno is around 20% for example, and some games are even higher than that), but when you compare it to blackjack, it’s bad.
Blackjack might have a house edge of around 2% for players who know what they’re doing, and it can go down to half of a percent or even lower for players who are implementing a strategy.
So yes, this game can be easy and fun, but there’s a price to pay when you’re playing this at a casino.
3 – Hazard
The casino game craps supposedly evolved from hazard, so if you want a simplified version of craps, this is definitely the game you want to try. A fun fact about the origins of this game is that supposedly it was invented much earlier than many gambling games.
Many gambling games can trace their roots all the way back to ancient China or Egypt—I’m talking thousands of years here. But not hazard. Hazard is believed to have been invented by European crusaders back during the 12th century. Sure that’s not yesterday, but it’s not thousands of years either!
Historians believe that the game was invented to pass the time while the European knights were laying siege to a castle that was called “Hazart,” and that it slowly grew in popularity over time, exploding into even more popularity in the 17th and 18th centuries when people began to have more leisure time to play games.
The game is played with 2 dice and only has a few rules you need to follow.
First, you’ll need to decide who rolls first among the group of players. This person is known as the caster.
The caster chooses a number 5 through 9. This number is called the caster’s “main.”
The caster can also roll for this number.
If you’re the caster, and you have the option to choose your main, you’ll probably want to choose 7. Rolling 7 on dice is statistically easier than rolling any other number.
The other players will place bets on whether the caster will win or lose, then the caster rolls.
After the main number is chosen, the caster rolls the dice for or chooses a chance number, which is 4 through 10. If the same number is rolled twice in a row, it’s a win. If the main is rolled after a chance, it’s a loss.
Other numbers to remember are:
- Main of 5 or 9, then a roll of 11 or 12 loses.
- Main of 6 or 8, then a roll of 11 loses, but a roll of 12 wins.
- Main of 7, then a roll of 11 wins, but a roll of 12 loses.
- Rolling a 2 or a 3 is always a loss.
4 – Sic Bo
Sic Bo originated in China, and it made its way to the West in the late 1900s. Sic Bo is an easy game to play, but if you see this game table at a casino, it could look a little intimidating.
The game table has every dice combination and payout odds. You can place your bets on the table, and in most cases, the dealer will use an electronic dice shaker to throw the dice.
The table is divided into the 3 betting sections. You can place a bet on what number shows up on 1, 2, or all 3 dice. There is even an area on the table for combination bets, but the combinations are specific.
Odds of a payout are less likely here. You can also place a bet on the total number rolled. Since the table shows you exactly every possible number you can bet on and the odds of winning, you barely have to do any thinking.
Just make sure you’re keeping track of your real money.
5 – Banca Francesca
Banca Francesca is similar to Baccarat, but this version of the game is mostly played in Europe, particularly Portugal, and of course it’s played with dice instead of cards. The name literally translates to “French Bank” in English. Don’t worry, you don’t need to speak Portuguese to play this game.
The rules are simple. Players place their chips on 1 of 3 betting areas on the game table. The betting areas are “big,” which is 14-16; “small,” which is 5-6; and “aces,” which means that all 3 dice have rolled a 1.
There are pretty slim odds of rolling aces.
Big and small bets pay out 1 to 1, and aces bets pay out 61 to 1.
Luckily, players are allowed to change bets before the dice are rolled, so if you bet aces and you’re not feeling lucky, go ahead and remove those chips.
The house edge here is actually pretty good, around 1.5%, so compared to some of the other games I’ve listed here, this one is worth playing.
Conclusion
Real money gambling is supposed to be fun, or at the very least, isn’t supposed to be work. These easy dice games can get your blood pumping or be a source of relaxation.
But, either way, there isn’t a steep learning curve associated with any of them. In fact, most of the dice games mentioned here are 100% chance. If that’s what you’re looking for, be sure to try them.
How Do You Gamble With Dice
Have you played any of these dice games before, or do you know of any other easy dice games that you think are worth mentioning? Leave a comment to share your thoughts and experiences with playing easy dice games.