The shooter, or anyone wishing to bet that the shooter will win, places his bet "on the line" (in the area marked "Does Pass," "Line," or "Win" on various layouts) Anyone betting against the shooter places his bet in the area marked "Don't Pass." Anyone wishing to bet on a special contingency, such as that craps (2, 3, or 12) will or will not be thrown on the next roll, places his bet in the appropriate space on the layout; such bets are called proposition bets. The house maintains a mathematical advantage on all bets of about 1.4 percent, higher on certain layouts and special bets.

For gambling to remain fun, you need to know that you are not spending more than you can afford. Gambling operators are trying their hardest to get you to play for as long as possible – so it is very easy for you to spend more than you can afford. Setting a limit for your turnover (or losses, if that is easier) and keeping records help you to know how much you are spending. Use the gambling diary that is part of the game Guide to keep track of your wins and losses.

This system is a little more sophisticated, but the results can be as devastating as our old friend Martingale. It is a series of numbers, each of which is the sum of the last two numbers in the system, like this: 1-1-2-3-5-8-13-21-34-55-89-144. Advice about betting it varies, but one of the more common is to bet the series as you lose. If you win a bet, fall back one in the series If you win that one, start over, if you lose, continue on in the series.