
Throwing the dice in craps is very simple and doesn’t require much knowledge. That said, if you want to roll the dice like the pros, there are special techniques you can employ to ensure you have maximum control of the dice.
With a set technique that you can rely on every time, you can roll consistently and even master the art of throwing the dice on a straight axis and minimizing rotation. So, if you want to play craps like an experienced player, these five best dice sets will ensure optimal throwing technique and the most control.
Hardways Set
The Hardways set is arguably the most popular dice-setting technique, both among pros and beginners. As the name implies, the core of this dice setting style is to position the dice to display a hardway number. It doesn’t matter which hardway number you pick, only that the two dice have the same number facing outwards.
The main goal of this set is to minimize the chance of producing a 7 on the roll. Regardless of which hardway you pick to face outwards, no side will have a total of 7 at the moment of throwing the dice. Of course, for this dice-throwing technique to work properly, you must throw the dice in such a way that they stay on their axis.
If you use the Hardways set and manage to keep the dice on their axis when rolling them, you will eliminate 33% of the ways you can roll a 7, as you will remove numbers 6 and 1 from the equation. The possible combinations that will remain are 2 and 5, 5 and 2, 3 and 4, and 4 and 3.
With this in mind, the Hardways dice setting technique is the best choice if you want to protect against a 7 when acting as the shooter.
All 7 Set
The All 7 set is another very popular craps dice setting technique. The goal of this technique is completely opposite to the previous one, as you want to maximize the chance of rolling a 7 when acting as the shooter.
With the All 7 Set, the dice are positioned so that a total of 7 is showing on all sides. For example, you can set the dice so that the dice are displaying 4 and 3 on the top and bottom and 5 and 2 on the front and back. Through their axis, they will also display a total of 7, as one side will show a 6 while the other will display a 1.
Naturally, this technique is aimed at those players throwing the dice on the come out roll. If you’re throwing the dice after the point is already established, this dice-setting technique is a poor choice from a craps strategy perspective.
Straight Sixes Set
With the Straight Sixes set, you position the dice so that the pips (dots on the dice) run directly across the two dice. The front of the dice will be fives, while the back will be twos. This is a great dice set if you want bigger control on the come out roll. This is because the Straight Sixes set offers four possible ways to hit a 7.
Additionally, this dice-setting technique also keeps the two ways of hitting a 3 or 11, along with one way of hitting a 4 or 10, meaning it can also offer you a good chance of winning the field bet on the come out roll.
Crossed Sixes Set
The Crossed Sixes set is seemingly very similar to the previous dice-setting technique, with the two sixes being placed perpendicular to each other. However, this rotation of one of the dice changes the goal of the throw quite a bit.
Craps players primarily use the Crossed Sixes set to increase their chances of hitting an outside number like 4, 5, 9, or 10. Moreover, you also have a good chance of hitting a 2, 3, 11, or 12. Because of this, the Crossed Sixes set is a popular choice for both the come out roll and after the point has been established.
2V Set
Lastly, the 2V set is a craps dice setting technique in which you set the twos in a V formation. With this set, the dice will display a hard four on the top and a soft four on the back. They will also show a hard ten on the bottom and a soft ten on the front.
With that in mind, this dice-setting technique is best used when you want to maximize your chances of hitting an outside number. In other words, if you manage to keep the two dice on the same axis, you will have a solid chance of getting any of the 4, 5, 9, or 10 winning outside number combinations.