Crapless Craps House Edge

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What About Crapless Craps? Is It Playable?

It seems to be a law of the gambling universe. If a casino promotes a game as better than the standard game, it is always worse – for the player, not the casino.

This results in a house edge of 2% using European wheel numbers, and 4% using American wheel numbers 1, fitting it neatly between traditional craps 1.4% and the Crapless-Craps Pass/Come-line 5.3% house edge. A shuffle through the Gaming mailbag: Q. I don’t quite get why the house edge is so much higher in Crapless Craps. I’ve seen that the house edge on pass or come is 1.41 in regular craps and 5.

In craps a few casinos are offering 'Crapless Craps' or 'Never Ever Craps.' The casinos proclaim, 'Never lose your pass line bet due to a craps number being thrown.' I don’t know about you, but I just hate it when my pass line bet is scooped up because a 2, 3, or 12 shows on a come-out roll. So this is a good thing, right?

The answer, as expected, is no. Instead of losing your pass line bet when a craps number is thrown, it becomes a point number. However the 11 – normally a pass line win on come-out – also becomes a point in crapless craps. The probability of making a point of 2 or 12 is 1 in 7. The probability of making a 3 or 11 is 1 in 4. Because you still only get even money for your pass line bet, the house edge for a pass line bet in crapless craps is 5.38 percent. The house edge for a pass line bet in the standard game is 1.41 percent. Now you know why casinos push crapless craps.

Craps

Golden Touch™ teaches that you should only play the games where you have an advantage. Whether or not you have an advantage in craps is determined by your skill in controlling the dice. The amount you can expect to earn because of your advantage not only depends on your skill, but also the bets you make at the craps table. For example, if you have diligently practiced over several months and your documentation shows you have avoided enough 7’s to garner a 5 percent edge, you will have nearly a 3.6 percent edge on a pass line bet in a standard craps game (5% minus 1.4%). In crapless craps, however, the house still has an edge of 0.38% (5% minus 5.38%).

Compared to the difference in pass line bets, the additional place bets on a crapless craps layout are even more heavily tilted to the house. Placing the 3 or 11 carries a house edge between 6.25 percent and 10 percent depending on the casino. The 2 or 12 place bets make between 7.14 percent and a whopping 14.29 percent for the house.

Based on this information, common sense dictates you should play the standard game. But what if the regular tables are full or your spots are taken? What if crapless craps is the only game open?

The GTC preferred betting method for random rollers is a pass line and one or two come bets with odds after the 5-count. If you are a controlled shooter you want to minimize what you bet on random shooters and bet considerably more on your own rolls. With this in mind, a pass or come bet with double odds in standard craps has a 0.61 percent house edge. The same bet with double odds in crapless craps has a 2.02 percent edge making in a much less desirable bet. It makes placing the 6 and/or 8 a less costly option as that bet carries a house edge of only 1.52 percent, and has a hit frequency second only to the 7.

Okay, for random rollers in a crapless craps game it is better to place a 6 and/or 8 instead of making pass line and come bets. What about betting on your own rolls?

If you are a controlled thrower (and you are throwing well), the GTC preferred method is to make place bets. The 6 and 8 are preferred for their low house edge (1.52%). Since you are betting more on your own throws, buying the 4 and/or 10 (with the vig paid only on a win) is also a reasonable bet at about a 1.67% house edge. This edge can be lowered if you can 'push' the vig from $1 on a $20 bet (1.67%) to $1 on a $25 bet (1.33%) to $1 on a $30 bet (1.11%) possible even to $1 on a $35 bet (0.95%).

But what about those extra place bets available in a crapless craps game? What about betting on the 2/12 or the 3/11?

As you might expect, the house edge on a place bet for these numbers is abysmal. The true odds against making a 3 or 11 are 3-to1. For making a 2 or 12 they are 6-to-1. The games I looked at in Las Vegas and Tunica paid 13-to-5 on the 3/11. This translates to a hefty 10.00% house edge. In Las Vegas placing the 2/12 pays 5-to-1 amounting to a 14.29% windfall for the casino. In Tunica it was a little better, paying 27-to-5 amounting to 'only' an 8.57% casino advantage. By contrast, placing the 4/10 – with true odds of 2-to-1 – gets paid at 9-to-5 for a house edge of 6.67%.

The message is clear and simple; avoid place bets on the outside numbers, especially the very outside numbers. However, buying these numbers can minimize the tax on your wins by the casino.

Tunica allows buying the 3/11 for $10 with a $1 vig. This amounts to a 2.5% house edge. However if you buy the 3/11 for $25 as is allowed in Las Vegas as well as Tunica, the house edge plummets to 1.00%. If this isn’t enough to get excited about, consider buying the 2/12. In Tunica buying the 2/12 for $10 with a $1 commission puts the house edge at a decent 1.43% - just about the same as a pass line bet. But, if you buy it for $25, you still only pay a $1 vig on a win and the house edge is now a mere 0.57% - almost the same as a blackjack game that has decent rules.

Now that is something to get excited about. A controlled thrower does not need very much control to overcome about a half percent house edge. On top of that, hitting the 2 or 12 with a $25 buy bet pays $149. Heck, that is almost as much fun as hitting a Hardway bet. It makes it very tempting to change your set to make hitting these far outside numbers a bit more likely.

So, the next time the only open table is a crapless game, you don’t need to walk past it, you just need to be selective with the numbers you bet on and the type of bets you make. As an added bonus, hitting the extreme outside numbers can quickly increase your bankroll with very little taken by the house as a vig.

And remember, He who dies with the most toys … is nonetheless dead.

Happy (crapless) rolling,

Stickman


These days one can easily find many variations of casino table games including the game of craps. With standard game of craps easily found at almost all online and land based casinos there are yet few others to look for which have their own set of rules to play and odds to win. Here are the seven such popular types of craps games one can look forward to play at online or real casinos.

1. Bank Craps

This is the most popular version of the game online and is also known as Las Vegas Craps. It makes use of a different or special craps layout table and in this game the wagers are placed against the house. When played in a live casino the dice are thrown over a wire which has been stretched several centimetres above the surface of the craps layout table. The overall house edge for this particular craps game is about 1.4%.

2. Crapless Craps

This game was invented by a man named Bob Stupak. His aim was to create a game in which it would be impossible to lose a Pass Line bet by rolling a 2, 3 or 12. Crapless craps is a popular variety of craps played outside casinos, and gives better odds to the player by reducing the house edge for Come Out rolls. Also known as “ruse craps” and “never ever craps”, it is most popular in the state of Mississippi.Unlike Bank Craps, which is played in casinos, in Crapless craps it is impossible to lose your money on a Pass Line bet to craps (2,3 or 12) on the Come Out roll. This reduces the house edge and brings the odds in your favour. This is why you won’t find Crapless Craps in most casinos, because it isn’t profitable enough for them to run it. You can further decrease the house edge to virtual zero percent by placing large free odds bets. This acts as insurance for the Come Out roll, for example, instead of having three chances of losing, you only have one chance of losing with the 11. You cannot make a Don’t Pass bet in Crapless Craps – even though in the original games it gives slightly better odds than Pass Line (1.40% house edge instead 1.41%). This is normally the most profitable bet to make in Casino Craps, especially when you reduce the house edge with Free Odds bets.

3. Open Craps

You can play Open Craps which is also known as Private Craps and most often these are run illegally, usually in private settings, with one person bankrolling the game. Overall, the odds in Open craps are worse off than Bank Craps, however this also means players can win or lose more in the game (making it more exciting). Open craps is very similar to Bank Craps, except there are a few different side bets. A typical home-made Open Craps table has Win Line and Lose Lin along the numbers 4,5,6,8,9 and 10. The game kicks off with the shooter placing his bet in the centre of the playing area, all other players then have the option to cover all (or part) of the initial wager by placing their bets in the centre too. This part is known as Fading. After the shooter rolls the Come Out, the game is played like normal craps. If the shooter throws a Natural, then he takes all the money in the centre of the table. If the shooter throws Craps, then all players take their wagers back and split the shooter’s wager between them.

There are a number of side bets players can make also. All side bets pay 5% commission to the house, which is where it gets all its money. Common side bets include Point Bets, Hardway Bets, Off Number Bets and Proposition Bets.

House

Crapless Craps House Edge

4. Simplified Craps

Crapless Craps House Edge Video Poker

CrapsCrapless Craps House Edge

This is the best craps game for beginners. As the name suggests, Simplified Craps is a run-down version of the popular casino game with more simplified rules. Rather than having lots of complicated side bets, Simplified Craps has a very basic betting system. There are no Pass Line/Don’t Pass Line bets, Craps or Naturals. You simply roll the dice, and depending on what number is rolled, you win or lose.

The payouts are determined by the specific number you roll. Unfortunately Simplified Craps players are forced to sacrifice a large house edge for basic rules (house edge is 2.8%). However, I really enjoy playing this game and the lack of recondite betting systems means new players can join in more easily. The player wins if he/she throws a 2, 3, 4, 10, 11, or 12 and the player loses if he/she throws a 5, 6, 7, 8, or 9.

5. High Point Craps

High Point Craps is another fun version of Craps. In High Points craps, an initial roll of 2 or 3 is ignored until a different total is made. A roll of 11 or 12 makes you win even money (1:1), and anything else sets the Point number. Now you have to roll a number higher than the Point to win, anything less and you lose. Asides from this, the basic rules and bets of normal craps remain. The house has a 2.35% edge in High Point Craps.

6. Die Rich Craps

Crapless Craps House Edge

This game variation of craps is known as the most exotic variation, it’s also fairly easy to understand. If the player lands a 6 on the come-out roll, s/he wins instantly. But if s/he lands on a 1, s/he loses. The numbers between 1 and 6 are called the point numbers.

Players are given three more rolls after the point-number is established, to hit the point-numbers without rolling a 1. If they can’t manage to do this, the next player will throw the die and the game starts from scratch.

7. New York Craps

Crapless craps house edge

Crapless Craps House Edge Blackjack

New York Craps is predominantly played in New York, parts of the UK, and the Bahamas. The rules of similar to Bank Craps except you cannot make Place Bets or Come/Don’t Come Bets. All players must play on the box numbers 4,5,6,8,9 or 10. In addition, the table layout for New York craps is different, with two boxmen standing either side of the stickman and a base dealer at both sides of the table. Overall, New York Craps has slightly worse odds than Bank Craps, the casino take a 5% edge on all wining bets. However, it is still a fun game to play though the house edge is also slightly higher than usual and the table layout is different from other craps games.