The BDalt Betting Method
A low-risk betting approach ideal for Optimal Craps is known as the “BDalt” method named after a free system popularized by the late Bill Dalton. The original write-up can be found here. It’s not as simple as 6 & 8 flat betting, but it’s easy once you grasp the concepts, which are:
Make pass line and come bets to establish TWO box numbers with full odds until you get EITHER a pass line or come bet win with those full odds. After that win, reduce (regress) the odds on the remaining number to 50%, and take 50% odds on every new bet. From then on, strive to establish and maintain THREE working numbers, each with 50% odds, by continuing to replace pass line and come bets and always taking 50% odds. Do not work odds bets on come outs. (NOTE: That’s the casino default and the Simulator’s default, but the Simulator has an option to work come odds on the come out.) Start over after any 7-out.
When the dice are cold and you can’t get a number to repeat to save your life, it’s painful, but when a hand gets going and the third box number is frequently established and numbers are hitting, it does quite well. On-and-off repeaters are especially nice. An interesting aspect of the method is that often you’ll have just won a bet when a 7-out comes, so you’ll only lose two working bets with odds and your come bet (made to replace the number that just hit) will win. Also, after a pass line win sometimes the next come out roll will be a seven. When that happens you’ll win your pass line bet and, if you have come bets, they lose, but their odds are returned unless you had them turned on.
Due to the BDalt method’s regression strategy for odds bets, for a skilled DI it wins less than pure pass/come/odds betting on every roll. The tradeoff is less volatility. By limiting the number of bets that can be made on point numbers to three, the method overcomes the significant challenge of overbetting the percentage of your bankroll you want to risk on any given hand.
Over millions of simulated BDalt hands, the average bet for 100-roll sessions is the starting line bet multiplied by 6. Therefore, a DI who wants to have a $60 average bet that risks 1% of a $6,000 bankroll would need to play at a table with a $10 or lower minimum.
To play at a table with a $15 minimum with a 1% risk level, a DI’s average bet would be $90, which would require a $9,000 bankroll. Alternatively, a DI using a $6,000 bankroll who’s comfortable with a 1.5% risk level could play at a table with a $15 minimum with a $90 average bet.
For those playing the BDalt method at $15 or $25 minimum tables with 3x4x5x odds, for 50% regressions for the 4, 6, 8 and 10, round the bet down to the nearest $5. For example, at a $15 table the initial odds for a point of 6 or 8 would be 5x or $75. If the bet hits, a 50% regression would be down to $37.50. Round the bet down to $35. (The simulator uses this approach.)
Make pass line and come bets to establish TWO box numbers with full odds until you get EITHER a pass line or come bet win with those full odds. After that win, reduce (regress) the odds on the remaining number to 50%, and take 50% odds on every new bet. From then on, strive to establish and maintain THREE working numbers, each with 50% odds, by continuing to replace pass line and come bets and always taking 50% odds. Do not work odds bets on come outs. (NOTE: That’s the casino default and the Simulator’s default, but the Simulator has an option to work come odds on the come out.) Start over after any 7-out.
When the dice are cold and you can’t get a number to repeat to save your life, it’s painful, but when a hand gets going and the third box number is frequently established and numbers are hitting, it does quite well. On-and-off repeaters are especially nice. An interesting aspect of the method is that often you’ll have just won a bet when a 7-out comes, so you’ll only lose two working bets with odds and your come bet (made to replace the number that just hit) will win. Also, after a pass line win sometimes the next come out roll will be a seven. When that happens you’ll win your pass line bet and, if you have come bets, they lose, but their odds are returned unless you had them turned on.
Due to the BDalt method’s regression strategy for odds bets, for a skilled DI it wins less than pure pass/come/odds betting on every roll. The tradeoff is less volatility. By limiting the number of bets that can be made on point numbers to three, the method overcomes the significant challenge of overbetting the percentage of your bankroll you want to risk on any given hand.
Over millions of simulated BDalt hands, the average bet for 100-roll sessions is the starting line bet multiplied by 6. Therefore, a DI who wants to have a $60 average bet that risks 1% of a $6,000 bankroll would need to play at a table with a $10 or lower minimum.
To play at a table with a $15 minimum with a 1% risk level, a DI’s average bet would be $90, which would require a $9,000 bankroll. Alternatively, a DI using a $6,000 bankroll who’s comfortable with a 1.5% risk level could play at a table with a $15 minimum with a $90 average bet.
For those playing the BDalt method at $15 or $25 minimum tables with 3x4x5x odds, for 50% regressions for the 4, 6, 8 and 10, round the bet down to the nearest $5. For example, at a $15 table the initial odds for a point of 6 or 8 would be 5x or $75. If the bet hits, a 50% regression would be down to $37.50. Round the bet down to $35. (The simulator uses this approach.)