WinCraps™ Frequently Asked Questions

Question #1: I'm interested in playing WinCraps. How do I get started?

Answer: First, you'll need a copy of the game software. If you don't already have a copy then click here to download the latest version of WinCraps. The file you'll download is a single file named WINCRAPS.EXE which is actually a collection of many files that have all been compressed together into one self-extracting zip file.

To install the game, simply run WINCRAPS.EXE. You can do this by clicking your Windows Start button, then choosing "Run", and entering the path and file name of WINCRAPS.EXE. For instance, if you downloaded WINCRAPS.EXE into your TEMP folder, you would enter C:\TEMP\WINCRAPS.EXE Another option is to open your Explorer and double-click on WINCRAPS.EXE.

A small window with three buttons will appear. Press the one marked "Setup" to proceed. This will cause the game files to be extracted to a temporary folder. A craps table will then appear and you'll be presented with opportunities to select a permanent folder as well as create shortcuts. The default folder is C:\WinCraps but you can select another or create a new one if you like.

All of WinCraps' files are copied to the single folder which you specify. There are no hidden files and no changes to your system registry or configuration. When installation is complete (or if you should cancel installation) the temporary files and folder will be deleted.

If you're unable to install WinCraps using the automated installation program, you can manually extract WinCraps' game files from WINCRAPS.EXE using any standard zip program. In this event, if you're installing WinCraps into the same location as an earlier version of WinCraps, be sure to overwrite all files.

To run WinCraps, simply invoke the game from the desktop or program menu shortcut that was created during installation. If you did not allow WinCraps' installation program to create a desktop or program menu shortcut for you, or if you manually extracted the game files using a zip program, then you must locate and run the file WC51B.EXE. You'll find this file in the folder you specified during installation or extraction.

- Click the "Start" button on your taskbar
- Select "Run"
- Enter the path to the location of the game file
- For example, C:\WINCRAPS\WC51B.EXE

Note: If you're installing an earlier version you'll need to look in the game folder to find the executable game file name and use that. For instance, to run version 4.7d you'd enter C:\WINCRAPS\WC47D.EXE

Question #2: After installing WinCraps, I dragged the game's executable file (e.g. WC50.EXE) to my desktop. But when I try to run the game I get something that says "runtime error". What's with this?

Answer: By dragging the main game file to the desktop, you isolated it from its needed support files. You should keep all of WinCraps original files together in the same folder. (New files that you create such as Auto-bet and Dice Roll files can be located anywhere.) The same is true for shortcuts. Any shortcut you create needs to start in the folder containing the main game file as well as its support files.

The easiest way to create a shortcut is:

1) Using your explorer, open the folder containing WinCraps' files (this would be C:\WinCraps unless you changed it)
2) Right-click the main game file WC51B.EXE. A menu will appear.
3) Select SEND TO. A second menu will appear.
4) Select DESKTOP (Create shortcut)

An alternate way of creating a shortcut is:

1) Right-click your mouse pointer while pointing over an open space on your screen (desktop). A small menu will appear.
2) Select NEW from the menu. A second menu will appear.
3) Select SHORTCUT. A "Create Shortcut" box will appear.
4) In the location box enter C:\WINCRAPS\WC51B.EXE (unless you installed WinCraps into a different folder. In that case enter the folder you used or find it with the BROWSE button.)
5) Click NEXT
6) Enter a name for your shortcut such as "WinCraps"
7) Click FINISH

A shortcut will then appear on your desktop. Just double-click it to start the game.

Question #3: WinCraps has been properly installed on my computer but some strange things happened inside the game when I ran it. Any ideas?

Answer: Most likely the game's default save file has become corrupted. This is easily corrected by exiting the game and deleting the file DEFAULT.CRP from your WinCraps folder. This is in effect a "master reset" and will result in all the game features reverting to their original WinCraps settings.

Question #4: Will WinCraps run on Windows Vista?

Answer: Yes. However, if you're running anything earlier than version 5.1 you'll need to download a file called WINHLP32.EXE if you want to be able to run WinCraps' help file. Microsoft decided not to support their older help file format and did not include WINHLP32.EXE with Vista. Although Microsoft does not allow developers to redistribute WINHLP32.EXE they do allow users to download it free of charge from the following site: go.microsoft.com/fwlink/?LinkID=82148

Question #5: Will older versions of WinCraps run on Windows XP or Vista?

Answer: Yes. However, if you're running version 4.7d or earlier and if you should experience any problems, you may need to do this: Open your Windows Explorer to the WinCraps folder. Right click on the main game file (for instance, the main game file for version 4.7d is WC47D.EXE), choose Properties, and then click the Compatibility tab. Check "Run this program in compatibility mode for", and select the Windows 95 version. Also see question #4.

Question #6: Will WinCraps run on my Mac?

Answer: Yes. Although WinCraps is written for Windows, many folks are running it on their Macs using either Virtual PC or Soft Windows.

Question #7: WinCraps seems to be running very slowly. Is there anything I can do about it?

Answer: Here are a few possibilities:

1) Check the volume. If you have the game sounds turned on but your volume is turned down, then what seems to be a delay is actually the game attempting to play the sounds. In most cases your volume can be controlled from the Sound tab on WinCraps' Configuration screen.

2) Check the time delay on the Auto-play screen. If you're using auto-rolling (not the hyper-drive), check the time delay setting on the right side of the Auto-play screen. The Auto-play screen is accessed from the Action menu.

3) If you're running version 4.7 or later, another possibility is that you have too many statistics screens open. Each open statistics screen consumes an extra bit of time because it's actively updated as the game runs.

4) If you're running version 5.1 and the hyper-drive seems very slow, check to make sure that you've turned off the events log recorder (Select Statistics - Events Log - Options and uncheck Record Events) The events log slows down the hyper-drive because it takes time to write selected data to your hard drive.

Question #8: Is there a way to automatically play the same rolls over again so I can compare different methods?

Answer: Yes, absolutely! You can repeat the rolls played using either of two methods:

1) Provide a seed to the random number generator and re-enter that same seed each time you want to play the same rolls. See RNG in the help file or on the "Misc" tab of the Configuration screen.

2) Record a dice roll file and replay the file when desired. Select "Dice Roll Files" from the "Action" menu or find it in the help file.

Question #9: Can you recommend a good system to play?

Answer: That depends on what you define as "good". We all have our own desires, goals, limitations, and expectations. How much risk do you want to take? How long do you want to play? How much are you willing to spend? Will you accept small wins or would you like to shoot for the moon? What may be a good system for someone else, may be completely wrong for you. Therefore, the only one who can really decide what's a good system, is you.

In order to develop and/or evaluate your system, you're going to need to practice with it. But do you really want to do that in a casino with your hard-earned cash at stake? Hardly. Save yourself a lot of time, energy, aggravation, and MONEY by practicing on WinCraps first. Although nothing (including WinCraps) can guarantee what your outcome will be on your next outing, with enough practice you should develop a feel for the kind of action you might expect to see.

An important thing to remember regarding systems is that those utilizing bets with lower house advantages will on average lose less than those utilizing bets with higher house advantages. For instance, a system that plays the Hard 10 will ON AVERAGE lose more than a system playing an equivalent amount of action on the Passline. A table of house advantages can be found in WinCraps' help file.

Question #10: How can I get the bankroll indicator to reset so I can start over?

Answer: Select "New" under the "Game" menu to reset the table. Your initial bankroll will be determined by the settings on the "Bankroll" tab of the Configuration screen. The Configuration screen is also found under the "Game" menu. If you don't want to start a completely new game, you can make bankroll adjustments through an ATM on the bankroll tab.

Question #11: How do I play an auto-bet file?

Answer: First you need to open the auto-bet file as follows:

1) Start WinCraps
2) Click on the "Action" menu and select "Auto-Bet" (the auto-bet screen will appear)
3) Click on the "File" menu and select "Open" (a file list box will appear)
4) Select an auto-bet file from the list, then click on "OK". (If desired, you can double click on entries to select them. For instance, to change folders, double-click an entry in the folders box).

The file will load and appear on the auto-bet screen. You can edit any of lines if you like. To play the file, click on the box near the upper-left which says "Active", then return to the game table and begin rolling.

Question #12: I'm trying to write some auto-bets but I can't get the game to log any of the lines I make. Can you advise?

Answer: To log an autobet, first modify the type of line that you want (Condition, Action, etc.), then click on the command button next to the line. For instance, to log a condition line, click on the button to the far left marked "Condition". When you do, the condition line will turn red and the mouse-pointer will change. Next click inside the large logged bets box at the point where you want the line to appear. Voila!

Question #13: How can I use auto-bet to bet all the Place bets except for the point?

Answer: There are many ways to do this depending on what you want to do. The easiest would be something like this:

This will keep all Place bets except the point covered at all times and for the same amount. However, if your intent is to allow winning bets to be pressed up then you shouldn't use a blanket statement to make the bets. In this case, you only want to make bets where the existing Place bets are zero so you need to address each bet individually, something like this:

This preserves pressed amounts except where the new point number is established. However, sometimes people who play Place bets want to preserve the amounts from the new point numbers and transfer them to open Place bets. For instance, say the point is 6 and the Place 8 had been pressed up to $30. The shooter makes the 6 and then establishes a new point of 8. The Place 6 now needs a bet and the Place 8 needs to come down. The solution is to transfer the $30 on the Place 8 to the Place 6. In fact this is usually what the dealer will ask if you'd like to do. In some cases you'll need to add or remove a small amount to properly size the new bet. For instance, if a $10 Place 9 bet is transferred to the Place 8, the dealer will ask you to throw in $2 to make it a $12 bet. If you'd like to play this way, you can use an auto-bet file called place bet point xfer.bet to do it for you.

Question #14: I'd like to make a Place 6 or 8 bet for less than $6, but each time I try, the program changes it to $6. The same thing happens when I try to make Place 4,5,9,or 10 bets for less than $5. Is there a setting to allow me to do this?

Answer: Yes, absolutely! Navigate to the Auto-play screen (found under the Action menu) and select "manual" on the "Auto-adjust bet amounts" feature. With "Manual" selected, the game will allow you to bet any amount you want (as long as it's not less than the minimum bet set on the Configuration screen). With either of the auto options selected, the game will automatically adjust any amount you bet to an amount that squares with the odds.

Question #15: Can I move checks from one bet to another?

Answer: Yes, you can move checks from one bet to another by dragging and dropping them. Just point at the checks and hold down the Alt key, then click-and-hold the left mouse button and move the mouse-pointer to where you want the checks to go. Finally, release the mouse button and voila! - your checks will be moved to the new location. The dropped checks will be treated the same as if you had placed them there normally and are therefore subject to any options you have selected such as Auto-Adjusting bet amounts. If you drop your checks over an area where checks are not allowed, they are simply removed from the table.

Question #16: At the casino I heard a dealer ask someone if he wanted to come "Down with odds". What does that mean and can I set WinCraps up to simulate it?

Answer: When you have a Come bet and the shooter rolls a number on which you also have a Place bet, the dealer will ask you if you want to come "Down with odds." It means to take down the Place bet and use the money to take odds on your newly established Come bet. You can set WinCraps up to give you "Down with odds" by checking both the "Auto-Take Full Odds" and "Auto-Remove Place Bets" options from the Auto-Play screen.

Question #17: How do I collect random data from http://random.org/ and use it to create a roll file to play on WinCraps?

Answer:
To collect the data:

• Navigate to http://random.org/
• At the top of the page click on "Numbers"
• Click on the button titled, "Switch to Advanced Mode"
• Fill out the form with how many numbers you want. There's a max of 10,000 per request which would equal 5000 dice rolls.
• Enter "1" for the lowest value and "6" for the highest value.
• Enter any number of columns.
• Where it says "Choose Numeral System" select "Decimal (base 10)"
• Where it says "Choose Output Format" select "Bare-bones text document."
• Where it says "Choose Randomization" select "Generate your own personal randomization."
• When you get the numbers, click on your browser's edit menu and choose "Select All" then click on the File menu and choose "Save As". Give your file a name and under the option "Save as type" select "Text file."

To create the roll file:

• Open WinCraps, click on the Action menu and choose Dice Roll Files
• On the Dice Roll Files screen click on the File menu and select New/Open
• Enter a name for your new roll file and click on OK
• Click on the Edit menu and choose Paste From Text File
• Enter the name of the text file you created when you collected the data.

That's it. Your rolls are now ready to play in WinCraps. You can add more rolls by repeating the process except instead of naming a new roll file, paste the rolls into your existing roll file (remember that the rolls will be pasted in starting at the Next Roll line as indicated on the Dice Roll Files screen.)

Question #18: How do I set the probability matrix to roll the dice with an SRR of 6.143?

Answer: SRR is a term used by many "dice-influencers" which stands for Sevens-Roll-Ratio and is simply a different way of expressing the probability of a seven. Normally the seven appears an average of once every six rolls and the probability is expressed as 1/6 = 16.67%. However, with SRR just the denominator is given, so the normal SRR is 6. A larger SRR value would mean that sevens are appearing less often and a smaller SRR value would mean that sevens are appearing more often.

There are several ways to enter an SRR of 6.143 into WinCraps' probability matrix. One way is to select the option: "Show as # rolls out of" (see item B circled in the diagram below) then enter 6.143 in the adjacent box and press the return key. The value next to the 7 will now read 1.024. Next you need to change the probability so that the number next to the seven reads 1.000 (see item A below).

Of course, you could just enter 1.000 directly and you'd be done. However, it depends on how you think obtaining an SRR of 6.143 is possible. If, like many dice-influencers, you believe that the probability of the dice can be changed by throwing them such that they rotate about an axis, then you need to change the values at the bottom of the screen next to "1st Die" and "2nd Die" until the value next to the 7 reads 1.000. This will ensure that the probabilities of the other numbers are also properly set. So for instance, for the 1-6 axis you would equally lower the values next to the 1 and the 6. Using a little trial and error on both dice with various combinations of the three axes you should be able to find the values you need. You can make this a little easier by clicking the Option menu and selecting "Compute percentage dice about an axis" (see item C below). In the second diagram below you can see one example of dice axes and shooter's effectiveness that will result in an SRR of 6.143.

Another way to enter an SRR is to convert it into a normal expression of probablity and change the matrix to reflect that percentage. So to convert an SRR of 6.143, divide 1 by 6.143 and you'll find that the probability of the seven is 16.278%. Now simply select the option: "Show as percentage" and change the probabilities of the two dice until the value next to 7 reads 16.278. In all cases, remember to activate the probability matrix when you need it and deactivate it when you don't need it. You can do this with auto-bets, hot-keys, or manually with the check box shown next to item D below.