5 Count Craps
- Dear Frank, First let me start by saying that I love your craps books Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos and Forever Craps. I have a question when using the 5-Count. I was playing in Detroit the other day using the 5-Count on the 6 and the 8.
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- Craps 5 Count Method This method first surfaced in 1994 and there has been a lot of controversy about whether it works at reducing the house edge or not. Some studies have shown that it increases the player’s overall take when the comps are good – by not betting on every player you’ll be at the table longer, and your playing cash will go.
How the 5-Count System Works. Since 1994 craps players have debated whether the Captain’s 5-Count system is legit. This system tells you when to bet on a shooter other than yourself. Here are the 5 counts: Any point on the Come Out roll roll. Any good roll after the 1 st Count roll. Any good roll after the 2 nd Count roll. Craps: Utilizing the 5-count The key concept to every system in my book, Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos, is the Captain’s “5-count;” a deceptively simple yet revolutionary method of craps playing. Without the 5-count, all my other methods of play would just be intelligent betting strategies.
- Appendices
- Miscellaneous
- External Links
5 Count Craps Betting
Introduction
Basic strategy blackjack players sometimes ask me for a simple way to overcome the small house edge in blackjack, with little worry over being recognized as a card counter. This is often done with the motive of milking the casinos for comps and offers. What follows is, in my opinion, the easiest card counting strategy to achieve the above goal and still put the odds in the player's favor.
How It Works
- Establish what your minimum and maximum bets will be. Usually the maximum will be 8, 16, or 32 times the minimum bet, or any power of 2, but you can use whatever bet spread you wish.
- At the beginning of each shoe, start with your minimum bet, and a count of zero.
- For each five observed, add one to the count.
- For each ace observed, subtract one from the count.
- If the count is greater than or equal to two, then double your last bet, up to your maximum bet.
- If the count is less than or equal to one, then make the minimum bet.
- Use basic strategy for all playing decisions.
This strategy was designed to be most effective on a six- or eight-deck game. I recommend playing only on games with liberal Strip rules, which are as follows:
- 4-8 decks
- Blackjack pays 3 to 2
- Dealer stands on soft 17
- Double after split allowed
- Late surrender allowed
- Re-splitting aces allowed
- 75%+ penetration
Such games are easy to find in Las Vegas, although sometimes a higher minimum bet is required. In the low-roller pits, the dealer will usually hit on a soft 17, which is bad, costing the player 0.22%.
Simulation Results
The following results were provided by Norm Wattenberger using his Casino Vérité software. The rules above were used, with six decks, and 75% penetration. In my opinion, Casino Vérité is the most robust and accurate blackjack simulation software on the market. It can be used to test just about any card counting strategy under any set of rules and conditions.
Ace/Five Count Statistics
5 Count Craps Strategy
| Spread | Player Advantage | Average Initial Bet | SCORE |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1-8 | 0.30% | 2.7 | 3.1 |
| 1-16 | 0.45% | 4.2 | 5.3 |
| 1-32 | 0.57% | 7.1 | 6.5 |
SCORE is an acronym, coined by Don Schlesinger, for Standardized Comparison Of Risk and Expectation. It is defined as the advantage squared divided by the variance. The SCORE may also be interpreted as the expected hourly win per hand for a player with a $10,000 bankroll, who sizes his bets according to the Kelly Criterion, to achieve a 13.5% risk of ruin. As a basis of comparison, a Hi-Lo counter, with a 1 to 8 spread, under the same rules, has a SCORE of 8.40, compared to the 3.1 of the Ace/Five count.
5 Count Craps Method
Source: 'Blackjack Attack,' third edition by Don Schlesinger.
Earlier Strategies
After publishing this section, somebody accused me of stealing the idea from Edward Thorp. Indeed, in 1969 Thorp did discuss a similar strategy in his book 'Beat the Dealer,' in the fourth chapter titled 'A Winning Strategy.' The difference is that Thorp's strategy tracks fives remaining against total cards remaining. Later, in 1971, Lawrence Revere published a similar strategy as Thorp's in 'Playing Blackjack as a Business,' chapter 7 titled 'The Revere Five Count Strategy.'
Practice
5 Count Rule Craps
Practice your card counting skills with our trainer.
Captain 5-count Craps
Acknowledgments
- Norm Wattenberger: For the simulation results, using his Casino Vérité software.
- Don Schlesinger: For his many edits to this page.
5 Count Craps
Written by: Michael Shackleford