Evaluating a Craps Tournament

From Bill Burton,
Your Guide to online casino gambling.
FREE Newsletter. Sign Up Now!If you plan to enter a tournament at a casino you should first evaluate it carefully. I was recently invited to participate in a Free craps tournament at a casino in Las Vegas. My invitation letter said I would receive three complimentary nights along with free entry into the tournament with the opportunity to win the $3,000 first prize. I called and made reservations and was told I would be given all the details about the tournament at the "Welcome sharpshooter rules and cocktail party." I assumed it would be a normal type of tournament where each player participates by using tournament chips with players competing to amass the biggest bankroll. I was in for a big surprise when the rules were handed out and the tournament was explained at the “Welcome Party.”

This tournament was a Sharpshooter Marathon. Each player would have their individual rolls tracked every time they shot the dice. The player with the most rolls over the four-day 34-hour period would win the top prize. Then they explained the other details: P 1 Each player will use his or her own money.

2 Entrants must make a minimum $10 bet on either the pass line or the don't pass line.I have heard of tournaments where a player must use their own money. A $10 bet on the line is not unreasonable however; there was one more rule that was a real shocker.

3 Each entrant must make a $10 passline or don't pass bet on EVERY shooter at the table. Not only did you have to bet on each shooter, but the tables were also open to shooters not participating in the tournament and you were required to bet on these shooters as well.

I participated in the tournament the first day. I received the dice to shoot only twice in an hour and a half. In that time I determined that this particular tournament was not a good value. It doesn't take a math genius to figure out that the casino would earn enough money from the house edge to pay for all the prizes they were offering and more. I dropped out of the competition and was disappointed that I had made a special trip to Las Vegas to participate in this event. I had no one to blame but myself. It was my mistake for not demanding to know the rules up front and evaluating the tournament before I made airplane reservations. Before you enter a craps tournament here are some things to consider.

What are the rules?
Before you enter the tournament you should know all the rules. Will you be using your own money or will you be given tournament chips. What will be required of you when playing? Is there a minimum bet? If the promoters are hesitant about giving you all the rules up front, you may want to pass on a tournament.

What is the cost of the tournament?
If the tournament is free you need to assess if it is worth your time to participate. In my case they were giving a free room but it still cost me airfare to get there. If you must pay for the tournament you need to know if you will be getting a fair value for your money.

What are the prizes?
If you are paying an entry fee for the tournament, the majority of the entry fees should be returned to the players. Casinos hold tournaments to attract players into their establishments. They will be making money from additional play made by the entrants. If the tournament is free the prize money should be enough to justify your time to play. Is the prize money guaranteed?

How many entrants?
You should know if the tournament has a maximum or minimum number of players allowed to participate in the tournament. This will give you an indication of the competition. You should also ask if the number of players will effect the prize money if it is a free tournament.

How much time is involved?
Some tournaments can run for hours or even days. You should know how much time it will take. Some tournaments have you play an early round to qualify with the final rounds later in the day. This is done to ensure that you will stick around and play while you are waiting for net round of the tournament.

Evaluate all tournaments.
You can use these guidelines to evaluate any type of tournament you are considering entering. You must be sure that the tournament will have value for you. In my case I found out that the “free” tournament was anything but free.

Until Next time remember:
Luck comes and goes.....Knowledge Stays Forever.

Important disclaimer information about this About site.

More on Tournaments

Most Popular

Related Sites

Evaluating a Craps Tournament

More on Tournaments

Related Articles

Vegas Baby!

What's Hot