Two business trips earlier this year fortunately took me to Lima, Peru and Australia. While researching what to do and see I was surprised when I saw both places had casinos. The local websites said Craps was part of the game and that made the good news great!  
 
Lima, Peru had small casinos all over the city. Only the larger casinos and hotels actually had craps. I stopped by the Blue Dolphin Casino to check it out. I quickly learned that craps was a one table game and open only from 9pm. All other table games were open from 5pm and slots were 24hrs.  
 
This got me thinking that maybe craps had some local rules that I needed to know. The following day at 10pm I expected to see the table open and the action in motion, it was not. I asked the pit when will they open and he said when someone wants to play. I said that's me and he called a crew over to start the game.  
 
The game is played in US dollars with a one dollar table minimum and $5000 max bet. Odds are 2x regardless of the point. The table was a 12 footer with a bounce slightly higher than I would have preferred. There was also a very nice plush high chair at every position around the table. You could comfortably sit and play if you choose. I moved the chair and assumed stick left, and crew bets need to be piggybacked. I cautiously set the dice, 3-V, not knowing what the box might say. I had a nice toss that landed (5-1) that was immediately called no roll. One die did not hit the back wall; I made it seem like no big deal but knew I had to re-focus. I also had a 4-3 toss that was called a no roll when one die did not hit the back wall; I thought this was being fair. I established a point of 9 and hit a second roll hornet. I moved my pass line bet to $25 and took $50 odds and hit it 2 rolls later. I decided to use the money from my pass line bet to play $50 on the line. With a point established of 6 I was feeling pretty good and put $100 odds. I had inside action from the previous point and hit 2 inside numbers before hitting the point. By now I have been at the table 15 minutes and was up $300 on a $600 buy in. When I said color in they could not believe I was leaving. A friend that I was with said, "you make them open a table for you to play, win $300 in 15 minutes then leave, you are bad".  
 
The casinos in Lima had their own unique way of doing things. The drinks are free and food can also be served at the table. The waitress will tell you what is on the buffet and dessert table and bring you any entree or dessert. The drink rail on the table is wide enough to accommodate the plate. Tips are expected by the crew especially when you hit something big. I had parlayed a $5 hard ten that hit twice on a second trip to the casino. When I was paid the box said "don't forget the crew". I felt like a High Roller because on my second trip there were random rollers there. They all played $1 pass line with $2 odds. When I parlayed a hard way or took $25 plus odds the other players eyes opened wide. Overall it was a nice challenge to roll the dice in Lima.  
 
Australia was not only a 24 hour airline trip from home but a day ahead. I concluded the Australians did not follow the NFL because it was a sport that was not even played on the right day. Monday Night Football was seen on Tuesday morning. The city of Brisbane, in Queens land, north of Sydney is home to the Conrad Treasury Casino. This place was really nice with the building facade resembling a Treasury Building with tall Roman pillars.  
 
Remembering how things went in Peru I went to the casino midday to check it out. I was happy to see their only table open. There was one spot open, stick left, so we were off to a good start. Stick left 2 was shooting so I stood clearly away until he was done. The game was played in Australian dollars with a $5 minimum pass line and Las Vegas 3-4-5- times odds. It was a 12 foot table and dice setting was allowed. I bought in for $600 and charted the table. My very first bet after watching at least 10 rolls was a $15 YO and $10 Horn High Twelve. Wouldn't you believe it but the next toss was a second roll YO. I stayed up about $100 up by the time I got the dice. The shooter to my left was crowding me so my first 3 tosses were crap numbers. I became very popular because the table was on these numbers.  
 
With each toss of the dice I started to get in the zone as I was trying to beat the craps numbers. On the fourth toss I hit a six. This being my fifth toss I had slowly started to move the shooter next to me away. I was now getting comfortable with a lot of room to play. The next four rolls stayed inside and I hit the six on roll number 9. Roll ten was an 8 and the 3-V setup I was using was feeling very comfortable. Eight came right back on toss 11 and I was going into automatic by now. Roll 12 was a hard 4. I had $110 inside and totally shocked the table as I went through a full 6-8- progression. Beyond toss 15 it was just me, the dice and the table. I could see no one else there and the numbers kept appearing. I was talking to the dice and commanding myself to visualize the number. By now the Box person had two pits guys as company and I know they were thinking "I am glad we got this on tape because no one will believe me when I tell them he was talking to the dice and himself".  
 
As we got close to the third stick change I started to get tired. When an unexpected 12 showed up I called my bets offs and pulled my odds down to a single unit. I placed a $5 Horn High Twelve and $5 YO then sevened out. The table went nuts because they could not believe I was off when I sevenened out. The box person did tell me "I see you played this game before", and complimented my toss. I was up $900 and it was time to go. The shooters at the table said in a heavy Aussie accent that I really showed them something that day and welcomed me to come back any day.  
 
A couple of days later my travels took me to Sydney, home of the Star City Casino. This place took me two days to be able to play. Craps is the least popular table game and open from 12noon to when the pit closes it down. I got there around 1pm and expected to see the same as in Brisbane. There were 2 shooters at the table, both on the don't and winning. Stick left was open and I bought in. I was handed the dice, set the 3-V, and immediately told no dice setting here shooter. Point was a six. The dice are sent back to you exactly how they landed. If I stayed on axis life would be good. Seven out on toss number three. Net result: Down slightly more than $200.  
 
The dice quickly made it through two shooters and were headed my way. This time I was going to focus more on what I could control and less on what I could not. If the dice were set to a number I liked I went through my rhythm, if they were not I would purposely toss them off axis to avoid a number I did not want. When I was told not to set the dice, I realized they had no objection on how I tossed them. Across betting, pressing inside for three hits and down on the fourth along with hitting the point brought me back to even. A lady straight out was shooting from the don't, but I had a very good vibe about her. I place bet $110 inside, placed the 4 and 10 for $35 when she hit an inside number and then bought the ten for $100 when she hit the ten. After her fifth toss I took all my action down and she sevened out. I colored in and walked away $200 up.  
 
In Australia under no circumstance can you tip the crew. There is even a "Don't feed the bears" type sign that says tipping is not allowed. You should not toss your chips anywhere, but put them next to your odds and the dealer will reach over and ask you what you would like. The words nickel, dime, and parlay are not understood. Parlay is called "pressed to win" and I translated what I wanted when I said Nickel and dime. I still cannot get over Hardways were referred to as Hardies. I would have really liked to "press to win" a Hardy 6 while I was there.
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