Your question, Ralph, is the reason why more than 90 percent
who visit casinos deny themselves playing what many consider
the most engaging, exhilarating game the casino has to offer.
Not only that, if craps is played correctly, the percentage
favoring the house is less than video poker, slots, roulette
and even blackjack; that is, Ralph, if players like you
follow the fundamental principles I've laid out on my audio
tapes and stick to pass line bets with odds or placing the
six and eight.
But still, when the game gets electric, the communal consciousness
of the players leads to a table of whooping, rooting and
apprehensive participants. This creates a game that both
confuses and overwhelms. Now add your complaint: A dealer
(stickman) with a rattan rake in hand moving the game pace
along at high speeds, yelling calls that only someone in
the industry might understand. Your best bet is to learn
the lingo. By no means, Ralph, is the language eloquent,
but it is expressive and the best way to learn is by putting
the dice in your hands. So shooter, you're coming out, hands
up, feet off the table, let'em loose and I'll make the calls.
TWO: "Craps," "two aces," "rats
eyes," "snake eyes," "push the don't,"
"eleven in a shoe store," "twice in the rice,"
"two craps two, two bad boys from Illinois."
THREE: "Craps," "ace-deuce,"
"ace caught a deuce," "winner on the dark
side," "three craps three, the indicator,"
"small ace deuce, can't produce," "the other
side of eleven's tummy." (Here's an example of an old-time
crap dealer, Judd, who invents a call that made its way
across Nevada to a carpet joint that I've worked in. It
doesn't make sense, like many of the calls, so your confusion
is fitting.)
FOUR: "Little Joe," "little Joe from
Kokomo," "hit us in the tu tu," "ace
trey, the country way."
FIVE: "After five, the field's alive,"
"thirty-two juice roll" (OJ's jersey number),
"little Phoebe," "fiver, fiver, racetrack
driver," "we got the fever."
SIX: "Big Red, catch'em in the corner,"
"like a blue chip stock," "pair-o-treys,
waiter's roll," "the national average," "sixie
from Dixie."
SEVEN: "Seven out, line away," "grab
the money," "five two, you're all through,"
"six ace, end of the race," "front line winner,
back line skinner," "six one, you're all done,"
"seven's a bruiser, the front line's a loser,"
"up pops the devil," "Benny Blue, you're
all through."
EIGHT: "A square pair, like mom and dad,"
"Ozzie and Harriet," "the windows,"
"eighter from Decatur."
NINE: "Center field," "center of
the garden," "ocean liner niner," "Nina
from Pasadena," "What shot Jesse James? A forty-five."
TEN: "Puppy paws," "pair-a-roses,"
"pair of sunflowers," "the big one on the
end."
ELEVEN: "Yo leven," "yo levine the
dancing queen," "six five, no jive."
TWELVE: "Craps," "boxcars,"
"atomic craps," "all the spots we got,"
"outstanding in your field," "triple dipple,
in the lucky ducky," "double saw on boxcars."
Look there, Ralph, you just rolled a seven. Column's over.
Cinco dos, adios.
