Loading Craps Dice

A dice is a small polyhedral object usually cubic in shape which is used to generate numbers or symbols in a game. These characteristics of dice make it suitable as a gambling device, especially for playing craps and other casino games. A traditional die is of a six face cubic structure with slightly rounded edges and each face marked with numbers or circular patches, or pits, called pips.

Why Players Load the Craps Dice

It should come as no surprise that dice play an important role in gambling and playing Craps. Since the dice play such an important role in deciding the outcome of each game, many players have devised various methods to guarantee each roll. Loaded dice is one trick gamblers often use to do just that.

Why do people use loaded dice? To produce skewed or even predictable results in Craps games. It is used by players for purposes of deception and financial gain. They are cheating at Craps and we don’t endorse this kind of behavior in any way. This article is simply for educational purposes.

How To Load Craps Dice

A loaded die has been altered so that it lands with a particular side facing upwards more frequently than normal. There are various methods of transforming a normal die into a loaded one. In the past, the methods described below have been used by Craps players to tamper with the dice.

• If the dice being used are not transparent, it’s possible to add weights to one side of each die. Weight is added by inserting several pieces of lead on one side. Once the weight of the dice increases, its centre of gravity also shifts from the center and makes the heavier side always fall facing downwards.

• Another intelligent method that is used by some players is to have a drop of mercury at the reservoir placed at the centre of the dice with a capillary tube connected to another reservoir made at the side of the cube. The load is activated by tapping the dice on the surface of the table so that the mercury leaves its actual position and travels to one side.

• You can also make a variable loaded dice without using any heavy metal inside it. You can use wax inside the cube and change the loading by breathing on it or holding it firmly in your hand, causing the wax to melt and the weight to drift down. This technique requires a great deal of preparation including hollowing the dice, preparing wax and re-sealing the dice while still allowing access to the wax in the center through a painted screen in one of the number pits.

• If you have access to the Craps table (whether through a private casino or home game), you can make a pair of magnetic dice and install a magnetic coil on the Craps table. Then, you can calculate which magnetic pole is on and accordingly turn on the coil and your dice will respond accordingly. Obviously, this method is next to impossible at any public casino and can result in a wide range of felony charges if you are caught fixing the table. If you are going to go to such lengths to use magnetic dice and a magnetic table, you might as well simply weight the dice.

Protection Against Dice Loading

Casinos obviously take great steps to prevent players from using loaded dice -- weighted or non weighted. The normal dice that are used at the casinos go through a rigorous verification process to protect the casino from cheaters. Some of the extra security measures adopted by casinos to protect their dice from being tampered with are:

• Casinos use dice with sharp edges and corners rather than round edges to make slight differences in round edges easier to detect.

• Casino dice are usually transparent to help prevent weights from being stuffed into the dice.

• In the event that a loaded dice is suspected at a casino and the authenticity of the dice is brought into question, casino employees will measure the dice with a micrometer to check for any sign of tampering.

Using loaded dice is illegal and you will face stiff penalties if you are caught tampering with any casino game. Keep the game of Craps fun for all casino visitors and play fairly. The small amount of money that you can win by cheating is nothing compared to the thousands of dollars and fees and jail time that you can face if caught.