My last trip to Las Vegas was a major disappointment regarding the loss of quarter craps in numerous casinos around town. Especially in the "low rent" downtown district with the 10% hotel tax..

I always played at the Union Plaza and Binions because they offered quarter craps 24 hours a day.

But no longer! The only quarter game I found was at the El Cortez so I spent a lot of time in one of the oldest hotels in Las Vegas and had a hell of a great time doing so.

It never ceases to amaze me that some of the downtown casinos would rather allow their crap crews to lean on empty tables and oggle the passing crowds instead of offering a twenty-five cent dice game.

I had a short discussion with one of the Pit Bosses who had absolutely nothing to do while the craps crew stood by listening to our conversation becasue they had absolutely nothing to do too on a $3.00 minimum table.

He basically said that a quarter table is not a profitable venture for the house so they no longer offer the game and it was more profitable to let the crew lean on an empty $2 or $3 table.

Well that sounded like Civil Service Government ethics to me so I walked away scratching my head and did my best to attempt to figure out the math and let someone other unbiased individual like you determine what policy would be better for the house.

I can't figure it out because I am biased and strongly in favor of quarter craps downtown.

It is my contention that the house loses a lot of money by allowing a craps table to remain empty becasue they set a high/higher minimum. I also contend that they are risking the lost of many new players who are more than willing to learn the game on a quarter table but not on a $2 table.

I learned on a quarter table many years ago at numerous clubs throughout Las Vegas and so did many others. And I learned the game as well as anyone else I am proud to say.

I love the game and encourage all I meet in Las Vegas to join me at a quarter table so I can teach the the odds and other intricacies of the of the funnest and friendliest game in the world.

Now quarter craps doesn't mean I merely risk a quarter on every roll of the dice

When a quarter player plays craps, he usually places 3 quarters on the Pass Line, takes the odds and Places the 6 and the 8 for a total of $4.50 to $5.00 and up if he plays the Come in addition to the above.

A quarter player will usually throw some quarter chips on the prop bets for the Boys, so you can figure no less that $6.00 on the table at risk for a quarter player at the start.

A quarter player is like a shill. He usually gets a quiet table going. Plus he's tipping the waitress as he's playing and drinking an occasional beer or two.

Doesn't it make more sense to have a quarter player playing than no player at all??

I do think that the casino bosses who make these "dumb decisions" fail to realize that most of us go to casinos with wives and girlfriends who don't like the game of craps, so they are off someplace in the casino feeding quarters and dollars into the slot machines. They are there becasue someone they love is playing quarter craps.

Another important factor these bosses probably fail to consider is that quarter prop bets and sevent-five cent line bets are like warm ups for the average playere. Within thirty minutes my bets have picked up considerably.

And the biggest point they should consider is that they lost me as a customer. A customer who is always a pretty big loser as a result of his passion for the game of craps.

I'm small potatos but I can always count on loseing a minimum of $700 everytime I stay too long at the craps table. Well, sometimes I win, but it is very seldom.

This year I stayed downtown for four days. The hotel I stayed in got $3.00 of my gambling bankroll (one roll of the dice) before I moved on down the street to the El Cortez where I had a blast playing quarter craps.

Downtown bosses, you lost my business when you got high and mighty. I'm afraid many others will be feeling the same unless you change your attitude.

I offer this becasue I have loved the downtown casinos since the 1950's and would hate to see it slowly fade away.

I've noticed that the soul of Binion's Horseshoe has been destroyed. You can feel it in the atmosphere and in the eyes of its employees. I sincerely hope that this is not a sign of things to come.

Any comments about this quarter game from anyone is sincerely appreciated. Is a quarter game really nonprofitable for a casino and is an empty table more profitable?

It beats the hell out of me!




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will800

Will, I can't comment on the craps because I don't usually play craps. But I will comment on Binions. Went down to Binions last night and it was as dismal as usual. The atmosphere is worse every time I go there. I keep wondering when they will go bankrupt or be bought out.

Will,
I'll offer my 2 cents here.
I don't play the game, but if I was to learn, it would seem a 25 cent table would be the best place to start. But cutting out the cheap tables, they have cut down on the new people they'll bring into the game. In the long run that isn't going to be a good thing. But I feel many of the downtown casinos are looking at today and not tomorrow. I also feel the canopy isn't doing for business what they had all hoped for. Lots of family with kids down there for the show, they ain't gonna be gambling!
As for the decline in the 25 cent table (again I must remind you, I don't play) was 2 & 3 dollars the next step? No 50 cent games or dollar games to be found?
Now as for the strip, have you ever given the Klondike a try for craps? They have dime roulette, so I'm guessing the limits on the dice table is pretty low too.


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Lee-PA
Moderator, What's New Forum
lee@talkvegas.com

Will800,
You are correct about them chasing off the begginers. This will be our third trip to Vegas and I am interested in learning craps now that I have a handle on BJ. But if the limits are to high you can write me off. [img]http://www.talkvegas.com/ubb/frown.gif[/img] I can't afford to lose too much money as I learn a game.
You can get so much from a book but you have to play the game to really get a feel for the game.

Hi Will,
I realy enjoyed your topic about the quarter craps. I can tell you have a real passion for the game. It comes through on your comments.

I'm new at craps and I enjoy it but I know I have so much to learn. My "dream date" would be someone who knows the game completely and was willing to spend a couple of hours at a table with me. As you say, if it were a $.25 table I could play and not be that concerned about losing and eventually I could increase my bets.

Are you going to bet in Las Vegas in February?? If you were I'd love to find an inexpensive table with you and learn some of the finer points.

Thanks for bringing up a great subject.

Tom Casey