Practice Table

[The Admiral]

I'm thinking of buying a practice set up from AccuCraps. They offer two underlayments, traditional and the new bouncy one. I assume I should be practicing on the type that I would play on most often in the Casinos. What is more common in Las Vegas where I usually play? Not being a dice influencer, I've really not paid much attention to this.

[220Inside]

I'm not really familiar with their tables. How is the build quality?

There are so many places to play in Vegas that it's impossible to generalize table conditions like you are asking.

If you're just starting out and a self proclaimed "not a dice influencer", it might be a little premature to plunk down a good chunk of cash for a full size table even if it's a lower end one. Many of us, including myself, worked our way up to using a full size table using various less expensive options along the way.

[The Admiral]

AccuCraps doesn't sell full size tables, just practice rigs. It looks like good quality stuff. Check it out: https://accucraps.com/shop/ols/products Maybe I'll plan a recon trip to Vegas to do a casino crawl to specifically look at the table underlayments. I might have to throw a few dice along the way

[heavy]

Accucraps has been around a long time. How long? I remember some of their early stuff. They built a small rig that was what would have been about a half table if the table was six or seven feet long. Irishsetter had one he mounted wheels on so he could make it portable and throw it in the back of his car and take it to the casino with him to practice on. He had a cover for it so you couldn't see what it was. It was about the size of a roll-away bet. I mean, it was BIG. But it was a nice set up once you had it . . . well . . . set up. Just an end of a table with curved walls and the whole thing but it was all Irish ever practiced on and he was a hell of a shooter.

It appears they've gotten smarter with their stuff through the years. Personally, I wouldn't go with a bouncy underlay or a foam backed felt on a practice rig. Particularly if you're just starting out. You need to learn how to toss the dice on-axis, flat and square with the back wall first. Unless you can develop a solid baseline toss you'll never be able to toss worth a flip on a bouncier table (and who wants to anyway?). Given the choice in stopping in a casino an hour from my house and playing on a bouncy table or driving two more hours and playing on a good solid table - I'll drive three hours every time.

[The Admiral]

I recently purchased that practice rig. It’s the kind that has a separate landing zone and shooting station. What distance should I position the shooting station from the wall. I haven’t had any luck finding this information either on this forum or the internet. The distance for straight out is clear enough at 12 or 14 feet, but what about the distances from the other positions?

[heavy]

Back in the day when I was using a practice rig set up like yours I practiced from roughly eight and a half feet out. Here's why. On a 12' table the mid-way point on the table is 6'. To get to SL1 or SR1 you'd be shooting from around 7.5 feet out. But if you find yourself on a 14' table then SL1 or SR 1 is about 8.5 to 9 feet out. So I shot from that distance. Which means when I'm shooting from a 12' table my preferred spot is about SL or SR one and a half. I'm a big guy so I just set up "near" SL or SR 2 and "spread out" into 1 or 2 enough that no one else can squeeze in there. If they try I just tell them "that's my space" and back them off. If I have to, I'll move up and make them buy in behind me. But I'm always shooting from about the same distance, whether it's on a 12' or 14' table.

[dadada234]

Maybe this has been answered in another post, but if you don't have space for a practice table, what would you suggest to get your throws in between casino sessions?

I'll normally stand at the end of a king or queen size bed, prop pillows vertically to provide some randomness, and I'll usually have a book to provide a hard surface. I also place a dollar bill at the edge of the pillow to provide a target landing area - since I figure or have read that 6 inches to the wall is the spot to shoot for.

Appreciate any thoughts

[coaster]

Hiya 234,
Not sure about using a bed as a practice rig myself but have heard others say they have done that when starting their craps journey.

Like many others I started with a home built practice rig. It was what i could afford to use at the time. It gave me the chance to have the chance to practice, to learn about the game and to utilize bonetracker. I used it many years and it was a great help for my game.

Now back to the bed. One of the first things I do after checking into my room at a casino is get the ironing board set up to use as a platform to toss a a few shots into stacked pillows on the bed.

I use it to get a feel for the dice, to see how they are flying and how they are leaving my fingers. It's just a way to warm up a bit before doing it for cash.

Sometimes all is good in a few tosses other times I've needed twenty or so. This is always my routine in the mornings and usually after a break time. It always gives me a little extra confidence knowing I'm not starting off cold.

Good luck as you mature in your skills. You are in a fantastic place here to get help and information from many of the best in the world.

[dadada234]

That's a great tip using the ironing board. I'll use that next time since you can adjust the height and it can simulate better being at the rail.

I usually carry my notebook everywhere as it has all of the tips I've written down from this forum and from over the years of playing.

[heavy]

Yes. The ironing board has been the go-to standard for an in-room toss station for years. My buddy Shootitall built a small practice rig that would fit in a briefcase or tote bag that I carried with me for years when traveling. I could set it up on the bed, a night stand or table in the hotel room and toss into it and it worked great. Of course, you had to be skilled enough to keep the dice in the small practice rig - about 12 inches wide and 18 inches deep - or you'd spend the afternoon picking dice up off the floor. But after a practice session you didn't have to go to the gym for a workout. LOL.

[Big O]

IMG_2025-07-30-204231.png (19.72 KiB) Viewed 1122 times

IMG_2025-07-30-204109.png (18.79 KiB) Viewed 1122 times

I always carry a portable toss station on trips. Originally I used one similar to the ones Shootitall built that went together with magnets and broke down to fit in luggage. I then built one with 3/16 thick wood to make it lighter. Now I made on out of corrugated vinyl that folds up flat less than a half inch thick and only weighs ounces.

[coaster]

Nice work there O. Very innovative! If I was still traveling as much as I did for a few years I would buy one of those from you in a heartbeat.

[dadada234]

Would love those plans BigO or at least the dimensions or your rig.

[Big O]

dadada234
i will see what i can come up with. I dont have any plans. Originally i just cut all the pieces and held them together with velcro. Then i realized if i was careful i could cut everything out of one piece and fold it together so i wouldnt have a bunch of loose pieces to put together. Might take me a couple of days.