The Craps Mini Field-Place System Tested
by Steve “Heavy” Haltom
by Steve “Heavy” Haltom
Come Bet vs Place Bet Pt.1 - Casino Craps is an informational video that describes the advantages of the come bet and the place bet. I compare the come bet a. Place bets on the 6 and 8 only offer the house a minimum advantage. See how an experienced dice controller can increase the odds of winning at the craps table while playing place bets.
Regardless of the fact that no system out there will beat a negative expectation game over the long run, articles about betting systems and strategies seem to get far more positive comments from readers than any other articles we publish. For that reason, in this article we’re going to focus on none other than with the infamous Field-Place System. Sold in magazines, bookstores, and on-line under dozens of different names for sixty years or more, the Field-Place System is one of the oldest strategies around. These days a popular variant is called the Iron Cross. Barstow used to call a similar strategy the Treadmill, which in itself should tell you what he thought of it. It’s been marketed as the 87% System, the Anything but Sevens System, the Fremont Street Grind, and under at least a dozen more names – many of which I won’t mention here because they were the names the players came up with for this play after investing hundreds of dollars in it and losing thousands more.
The play itself is relatively simple. Most of you are well acquainted with it. You make Place bets on the Five, Six, and Eight plus a bet in the Field. The Field bet covers the Two, Three, Four, Nine, Ten, Eleven, and Twelve. You’ll sometimes see urban players running a similar strategy using the Big 6-8 bet instead of Place betting the Six and Eight. These guys like the “self-service” bets like the Big 6-8 and the Field and play more of an intuitive game than most of us. Irregardless, the idea is to cover every number on the dice except the Seven. It’s better to make two unit bets on the place action and one unit bets in the Field but you can play it at the one unit level, which is what we’re talking about here when we discuss the “Mini Field-Place System.” You risk four units total and you are guaranteed some sort of a win (or a push on the urban version assuming the player also places the five) on every toss – unless that Seven shows. For players who first “discover” this system it’s often some sort of a “Eureka!” moment. They believe they’ve found the Dutchman’s Lost Mine. Then they take it to the table and learn the truth about Fool’s Gold.
How do the payouts work in this play? Let’s assume a $5 game that pays double on the Two and triple on the Twelve in the Field. You’ll have to wager $6 each on the Six and Eight Place bets but can get by with $5 on the Five and in the Field, so your total wager will be $22. Now, you could take that same $22 and bet $22 inside, but you’d only get paid if an inside number rolled. Remember, the Field-Place System, which we’re playing at the table minimum, gets you paid on every decision unless the seven rolls. Here are the payouts:
Two Rolls – Pays $10 in the Field
Three Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Four Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Five Rolls – Lose the $5 Field bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Six rolls – Lose the $5 Field Bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Eight rolls – Lose the $5 Field Bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Nine Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Ten Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Eleven Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Twelve Rolls – Pays $15 in the Field
Three Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Four Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Five Rolls – Lose the $5 Field bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Six rolls – Lose the $5 Field Bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Eight rolls – Lose the $5 Field Bet – win $7 for the Place bet – Net Win $2
Nine Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Ten Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Eleven Rolls – Pays $5 in the Field
Twelve Rolls – Pays $15 in the Field
So far the math looks great on this system. It’s all win win win – pay pay pay. Of course, on your two strongest numbers – the Six and the Eight – your wins are diluted by your loss in the Field. The loss on the win on the Five Place bet in the Field also dilutes the win there. Those diluted payoffs – combined with the frequency at which the Seven rolls in relation to the other numbers – turn this into a negative expectation strategy. On average, for every 36 rolls of the dice you’ll win $123, but you’ll also lose $132. That’s a $9 loss over 36 rolls, or .25 cents a roll for those of you who are struggling with Common Core math.
Of course, what the system player is looking for is enough variance in the game to put him ahead so that he can walk away with a win. He may approach the game with a number in mind – say to win $150. But to get the kind of variance he needs on a dollar per dollar basis he can’t rely on volatility alone. So he has to increase his bet size. Instead of betting $5 on the Five and $6 on the Six and Eight he tests out different amounts. Say $50 on the Five, $60 on the Six and Eight and $25 in the Field. The logic is that he’s always assured of getting green chips in his payout so he’ll reach that $150 win objective quicker. The problem is that variance is a two-edged sword. To front that sort of average bet he needs a session bankroll of $1500 instead of $150. The stack of quarters extracted from every decision adds up quickly. And don’t forget – you only WIN one bet at a time. When the Seven shows ALL of those bets lose. I recall standing next to a guy who was playing the system at this level once. He was loudly bragging to everyone at the table how great it was as he locked up a full rail of green chips. Then he started to get quiet as the chips began to migrate back to the other side of the table. In the end he gave it all back plus what he bought in for – and went back to the ATM for a bankroll infusion and re-buy. He had the volatility he needed. He just didn’t have the discipline to quit while he was ahead.
Out of curiosity, I noodled around and found an archival test of the Field-Place System against the 72 Hours at the Casino book. Admittedly, the 14,967 rolls in that book have a slight dark-side bias, so it was obvious that the system would fare worse than in the statistical example cited above. It was even worse than I expected. The total win was $50,969. The total loss was $56,628. The net loss was $5,659.
72 hours at the casino. 72 of the most miserable hours of your life. It works out to about 36 two hour sessions or 18 four hour sessions. Hell, there was a time when I played that much in a single weekend. These days it might take me a month to get in that much play. Still, do you have an extra $5,659 to lose making $5 minimum bets?
Neither do I. And now you know why I hate this play.
Do yourself a favor. Just say no to this sort of thing and learn to beat the game by influencing the dice and betting the dice right.
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This post is necessary for the Real Craps Game video that will come this Thursday.
A few people have asked about more high stakes videos. Well, this Thursday, I will be posting a high stakes craps game that involves put bets. At first, I was going to do another high stakes video involving pass line+odds or come+odds. When it comes to high stakes bets, I refuse to give up too much advantage to the house. The problem with the RoadGambler method of play is that I’ve already done it three times on video; it was time for something new.
At the same time, as few people on various Facebook groups were asking about put bets. That’s where I hatched the idea of a put bet video.
It is time to put out another high stakes game while also answering the question of, ‘what is a put bet?’
For the very short and simple explanation, skip to the very end.
WHAT IS A PUT BET?
A put bet is simply a pass + odds or come + odds combination where the player gives up the advantage of the come out roll. That’s all there is to it.
Here is a pic from the upcoming game. This is $5250 worth of put bets. Like I said, it’s going to be a high stakes game with yours truly playing it out for your entertainment.
For reference, the pass line or come bet portion of the bet is known as the ‘flat’ because it pays even money.
Instant echeck casinos. Here is a close up that breaks up and shows the flat and odds part of the bet…
With standard pass+odds and come+odds betting, the player has a 2 – 1 advantage on the flat bet on the come out roll. On a put bet, the player gives up this advantage.
Reasons why Players May Prefer Put Bets
Players typically prefer put bets (over pass+odds or come+odds) for the same reason players prefer place bets.
Some players hate to see numbers rolled and not be paid.
Also, with a put bet, the player can select which number to bet and ‘put’ that number. Players who believe in ‘trends’ value the ability to select the number as a great advantage.
With a come bet, the player does not select the number; rather the dice selects the number.
WHEN TO USE PUT BETS OVER PLACE BETS
The following is the break even point for a put bet and place for each point is as follows.
- Point of 6 or 8, 5x odds
- Point of 5 or 9, 4x odds
- Point of 4 and 10…
- —If the commission is paid after the win, the player needs 19x
- —If the commission is paid before the win, the the player needs only 6x odds
(source: Wizard of Odds)
Note that the above is only true if the player has his or her odds working 100% of the time. If the player does not work the odds 100% of the time, the multiplier is higher.
Here is what I mean by the ‘break even point’…
On a place bet of 6 or 8, a $30 win on either number pays $35
What Is A Place Bet In Craps Machine
On a put bet of 6 or 8, a $30 win on either number also pays $35.
Both bets pay exactly the same amount.
On a put bet of 6 or 8, the $30 bet is broken down into $5+$25. In such a bet, the flat pays $5 and the odds pay $30, for a total of $35. Remember that for this break even point to be true, the odds must work 100% of the time.
Example of Why a Put Bet Can be Better than a Place Bet
Let’s say the point is 6.
- —win will pay $70
- Put bet of $60, which is broken into $5 + $55 (11x odds)
- —the payout on a win will be $5 on the flat and $66 on the odds, for a total of $71
So on the same bet, the player wins an extra $1 for the same win-loss conditions as a place bet.
Let’s use a higher multiplier than 11x. Let’s assume the player is a high roller and plays on a 100x max odds table.
- —a win will pay $700
- put bet of $600, which is broken into $10 + $590 (59x odds)
- —the payout on a win will be $10 on the flat and $708 on the odds, for a total of $718
So on the same $600 bet, the player wins an extra $18 for the same win-loss conditions as a place bet.
What Is A Place Bet In Craps Betting
Let’s do another example with another point.
Point of 5
- —win will pay $140
- put bet of $100, which is broken into $10 + $90 (9x odds)
- —the payout on a win will be be $10 on the flat and $135 on the odds, for a total of $145
So on the same $100 bet, the player wins an extra $5 for the same win-loss conditions as a place bet.
Let’s use a higher multiplier for the same point of 5. Let’s assume the player is a high roller and plays on a 100x max odds table.
Point is 5
- —win will pay $700
- put bet for $500, which is broken into $10 + 490 (49x odds)
- —the payout on a win will be $10 on the flat and $735 on the odds, for a total payout of $745
So on the same $500 bet, the player wins an extra $45 for the same win-loss conditions as a place bet. This means the player receives an extra $45 for doing nothing more than ‘knowing’.
This is another reason why 100x tables are so powerful. Many players argue that 100x odds games have no inherent advantage because, in the end, the 100x bettor and the $5 low roller will have the same, realized loss. But a 100x max odds table allows for players to ‘put’ higher odds, which results in winning extra money for doing nothing more than having knowledge.
Why It’s Important to Know the Break Even Multiplier
If you go below the break even multiplier, you are better off placing the number.
The following is an example of why…
Point is 5
- —win will pay $42
- put bet for $30, which is broken into $10 + $20 (2x odds)
- —the payout on a win will be $10 on the flat and $30 on the odds, for a total payout of $40
So on the same $30 bet, the player loses $2 on the put bet because the multiplier was not high enough. That’s why it’s important to know the break even multiplier.
If you are in doubt, then go with this imperfect rule across the board: your odds must be at least 5x in the points of 5, 6, 8, and 9 and do not put the 4 and 10. It’s not a perfect rule, but it will prevent you from losing too much.
HOW TO MAKE A PUT BET
To play the put bet, tender your chips in the same way you would tender your chips for a place bet and say that you want to put the number.
The result of you saying ‘put’ is that the position and stacking of your chips should look like a come bet.
You can put multiple points. If you put multiple points, it would avoid confusion (and is polite to the dealer) to cut out your individual puts first. For example, if you’re placing 6 and 8, you can just tender $120 in one stack.
But if you put 6 and 8 for $50 each, cut your chips into two $50 stacks.
WARNING: if your bet is positioned and stacked like a place bet, then it’s a place bet. You will be shorted on the payout if you do not verify that it is a put and not a place bet. Just for reference, here is what your put bet positioning should look like…
To make sure, ask your friendly dealer, is that a ‘put bet or a place bet?’ I generally do not like yes or no questions in this case because the casino environment can be loud.
DOWNSIDE TO THE PUT BET
There are three major downsides to the put bet.
The first downside is that sometimes dealers are not familiar with put bets, and here can be confusion about what to do. You will see an example of this a couple of times in the put bet videos.
The second downside is that many casinos, where it would be advantageous to use put bets, do not allow put bets. That’s really the main problem with put bets. They’re hard to find.
The third problem is that put betting requires a rather stout bankroll to play for any period of time. Players on a limited bankroll – such as $100 – are not going to be able to use put bets, unless they want to have a very short stacked bankroll.
Addendum:
Reader Henry S. asked two great questions about the put bet that requires me to add this downside, especially if you’re the type of player who likes to move his or her place bet around.
The put bet is treated exactly like a pass+odds and come+odds combo. The player can call off or take down the odds portion of the bet, but the flat is a contract bet.
Similarly, if the player wishes to move their put bet number to another number, the player must pay for the flat portion of the new number. The ‘old’ number would then have a name flat bet with no odds, and the player would play it out as it it had no odds.
Without spoiling too much of what is to come in the videos, you will see this in action in Part 2. It will become very clear.
ROADGAMBLER THOUGHTS ON THE PUT BET
I prefer pass and come bets to the put bet.
Mathematically, pass and come + odds are still a better play. For the players who absolutely insist on the place bet, if the casino allows put bets, and the player is playing high enough of a multiplier, there is little reason to not use the put bet.
TL;DR
Put bets are simply the pass+odds or come+odds combination bet where the player foregoes the come out roll. The bet is paid exactly like how a pass+odds or come+odds would be paid.
The casino has the advantage on the flat bet portion of the put bet, but on the odds portion of the put bet, there is no house edge.
That’s it!
If you’re still confused, you will be able to watch actual putt bets in action this coming Thursday.
In the meantime, if you have any questions or comments, feel free to drop them in the comment section below.
Posted in: Craps, Gambling