Intermediate Craps: Pressing, Crap Checks, Hard Ways and the All Tall Small
You know where to put your money and what the point is. Now you want some strategy, without needing a thousand-dollar bankroll. In part two of the series, Mike moves up to a $10 table at Park MGM.
The All Tall Small (bonus bets)
Many tables now have bonus bets, often called the All Tall Small (ATS). The idea is to roll every number in a group (all the small numbers 2 through 6, all the tall numbers 8 through 12, or all of them) before a 7. The dealers keep track for you, and it pays well if it hits. Toss your chips to the dealer before the come-out and ask for "all of them." At most casinos you can only make it on a come-out roll alongside a pass line bet.
Even rolls that don't pay you directly, like a 3 or an 11, move you closer to hitting it, so they're still good rolls to see.
The crap check
A pass line bet loses on 2, 3 or 12 on the come-out. A small crap check (Any Craps) protects it. With a $10 line bet, a $2 crap check pays $14 if a 2, 3 or 12 comes. You lose the line bet, but get back more than you lost. Is it smart? Maybe. Is it dumb? Also maybe.
Going across
"Across" means placing every number, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, except the point. With a point of 9 on a $10 table, that's $10 on the 4, 5 and 10 and $12 on the 6 and 8: $54. Add $20 in odds (double your line bet) and you've got $84 out. You need roughly $90 back before you're ahead on the roll.
Pressing one unit
Pressing means using part of a win to make the bet bigger. With $12 on the 8:
- $12 pays $14. Press one unit to $18 and take $8 back.
- $18 pays $21. Press another unit to $24 and take $15 back.
The more you press, the more each hit pays. That's where craps gets exciting. On the 4 and 10, which pay more but roll less often, you can press both together so they grow at the same rate.
Press first or collect first?
Mike ran it both ways. Pressing from the very first hit grows bets fastest but leaves you exposed if the shooter sevens out early. Collecting your money back first, then pressing, is slower but protects your bankroll. Put all your winnings in one spot on your rail so you can count where you stand during the roll.
The hard ways
A hard way bets that a 4, 6, 8 or 10 rolls as a pair: 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 or 5-5. It wins only on that exact pair and loses if the number rolls any other way ("easy") or a 7 shows. It pays much more than a place bet, which is why players love chasing them. Mike's whole Hardway Hunting series is built around parlaying them.
When the dice leave the table
If a die flies off the table, you can ask for the same dice back (they'll inspect them first) or ask for new ones. Mike just says "give me two," definitely not superstitious.
The real lesson
This session ended in "PSO after PSO after PSO": point, seven out, over and over. Mike was wearing the No P-S-O shirt and taunting the craps gods. Bad rolls happen at every level. That's exactly why bet sizing and a plan matter.
Wear it to the table
Betting progressions and press patterns don't change the house edge, and no system guarantees a hot shooter. Play with money you can afford to lose. 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
More craps strategy on the CZVegas YouTube channel.