Play smart...learn how to play casino craps the right way!
Win-Loss Limits
by William J. Enslen, Jr.
Be smart, play smart, and learn how to play craps the right way.

I've read a lot of my colleagues' books and articles and, as best
I can remember, they all say that failing to set win/loss limits is
one of the worst things you can do.  I disagree--partially.

I agree with setting loss limits.  Divide your vacation time into
sessions and set firm loss limits for each session.  Without
them, you could go broke the first day and have to spend the
rest of your Vegas vacation watching the fountains and sinking
pirate ship 10 times a day.  Therefore, disciplined loss limits
allow you to manage your money so you don't go broke before
it's time to go home.

I disagree that you should also always set win limits ("always" is
the key word).  Many of my colleagues advocate quitting when
your winning streak ends.  If you're a local and can return to the
table day after day without restriction, then perhaps win limits
may serve some purpose.  But if you're an occasional gambler
who visits Vegas twice a year, I believe that win limits are
generally inappropriate.

Suppose you start your four-day vacation by playing your first
craps session.  Suppose your win/loss goal is to quit the
session if you lose your $100 buy-in or if you get $150 ahead.  
Two minutes after you buy-in, the table goes berserk with a
blistering hot roll.  The shooter throws for almost an hour
without a 7-out.  You interrupt your screaming, jumping up and
down, hugging, and kissing to count your chips.  Holy cow,
you're $900 ahead!  The shooter finally rolls a 7-out.  Now
what?  You've won six times your original win goal.  Do you quit?
 If so, how long do you quit?  Do you quit altogether and not
play the rest of your trip?  If you quit, what will you do in the time
that you planned to play craps?

That's the dilemma you face if you're only an occasional
gambler, which most of us are.  Personally, I keep playing.  
Why?  I came to Vegas to play craps.  I didn't come to exercise
in fancy spas, or go shopping, or sight-see, or eat at fancy
restaurants, or look at boring water fountains, or ogle
half-naked pirates, or do anything else but gamble.  So, why
quit when I'm ahead?  If I quit after a $900 winning session, then
what?  Sit at the bar drinking beer watching everyone else have
fun at the craps table?  No way!  Like you, I'm a knowledgeable
player who understands and accepts that I'm likely to lose by
the time I check out of the hotel, but that's okay with me.  It's
pointless for me to quit after getting $900 ahead.  If money were
my motivation, I wouldn't have spent $1,200 for two airplane
tickets to Vegas, $700 for a hotel room, $500 (maybe more) for
food, $500 for my wife's massages, and $1,000 (probably more)
for my wife's shopping spree.  It doesn't add up.  If all I care
about is money, I would have saved tons of it by staying home.  
As long as I'm winning, I'm playing.  The only time I stop is after
I've lost my buy-in money for a particular session.  Then, when
it's time to start the next session, I drop another buy-in allotment
on the table and start having fun again.

However, win limits may be suitable for non-gamblers who rarely
play.  Suppose you visit Vegas to attend a convention.  You've
never gambled, you don't know how to gamble, you think it's a
silly waste of money, or it just isn't fun for you.  Your friend talks
you into going down to the casino to play craps.  You don't want
to go, but your friend won't take no for an answer, so you
reluctantly say, "Okay, but only for an hour."  Your friend has
the mojo working in high gear, rolling number after number.  
You don't have a clue what you're doing as you mirror your
friend's bets.  All you know is that the dealer keeps giving you
green chips and you keep stuffing them in your pocket.  The
streak finally ends after 20 minutes and you find yourself $300
ahead.  You tell your friend, "I'm taking my money and running."
 Rather than staying for the remainder of the hour that you said
you'd play, you reached a comfortable win amount and decided
to quit before losing it all.  For this type of non gambler, a win
limit makes good sense.

If you don't want to lose your shirt, you must learn the secret to
craps.  Don't fall for bogus winning systems or ridiculous
dice-setting claims.

Now you know!  Remember, be smart, play smart, and learn
how to play craps the right way.

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