Crazy Crapper Bets
Wild, wacky-sounding craps wagers that you should be familiar with—but never attempt
The game of craps offers a variety of bets with high house edges, which offer the hope of scoring big right now. But when players make these bets over and over again, they’re almost guaranteed to suffer monster losses instead.
These “Crazy Crapper” bets come in two varieties: one-roll bets decided on each roll, and multi-roll bets that are not necessarily decided on each roll. All of these bets gain their house edge from being paid at less than true odds. The casino acts as your partner in your wins on Crazy Crapper bets, sharing the profits with you, but when you lose the bet you suffer alone.
Take, for example, the dreaded Any Seven one-roll bet. The true odds are 5 to 1 (which should pay $5 for $1), but the casino pays 4 to 1, keeping that extra $1.
Multi-Roll Crazy Crapper Bets
The Hard 4 or Hard 10: A hardway bet is one where the dice show doubles. A hard 4 is 2:2; a hard 10 is 5:5; and so on. This bet is made for the hardway to come out before the 7 and before the number is made the soft way (that is, 3:1 or 1:3 for the 4; 6:4 or 4:6 for the 10). On average, the hard 4 or hard 10 are only made once in 36 rolls, while the 7 and the soft ways can be made eight times. So, the true odds are 8 to 1—but the casino plays 7 to 1, and the house edge is 11.11 percent. This means an expected loss of $11.11 for every $100 wagered.
The Hard 6 or Hard 8: Here, the player is looking to hit a 3:3 or a 4:4 before the 7 or a soft way appears. The odds are 10 to 1; the casino pays off at 9 to 1. House edge is 9.09 percent, which translates into an expected loss of $9.09 for every $100 wagered.
The Big 6 and the Big 8: This bet is the same as the place bet of the 6 or 8, but is paid at even money as opposed to $7 for $6. The house edge is 9.09 percent. You won’t find this bet on all craps tables.
The One-Roll Crazy Crapper Bets
The 2 or 12: These numbers typically hit once every 36 rolls, so the odds of hitting a 2 or 12 are 35 to 1. The casino does not pay you 35 to 1; instead it pays 30 to 1. The house edge is a whopping 13.89 percent.
The 3 or 11: This bet comes with an edge of 11.11 percent. The payout is 15 to 1, but true odds are 17 to 1. The expectation is to lose $11.11 for every $100 you bet.
Any Craps: This means the bettor wants any one of these numbers to hit: 2, 3 or 12. The true odds are 8 to 1; the payoff is 7 to 1, and the house edge is 11.11 percent.
Any Seven or Big Red: With this bet, the player is hoping the next roll will be a 7. The house edge is a brutal 16.67 percent. The expectation is to lose $16.67 for every $100 wagered on this money-sucking vampire. Bet this, and you’d better bring some garlic and silver bullets with you.
Craps/11 or C&E: You’re looking for one of the following numbers to appear on the next roll: 2, 3, 11 or 12. Half the bet goes on the craps numbers; the other half on the 11. If a craps number appears, the payout is 7 to 1 but the 11 loses. If the 11 appears, the payoff is 15 to 1 and the craps numbers lose. The house edge is a high 11.11 percent.
Field Bet: The player wants any one of these numbers to appear on the next roll: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. There are 16 ways to make these numbers, and 20 ways to make all the other numbers. In most casinos, the 2 and 12 will pay 2 to 1. The house edge on this bet is 5.56 percent, meaning an expected loss of $5.56 per $100 wagered. Some casinos will pay 3 to 1 on either the 2 or 12, which reduces the house edge to 2.78 percent.
Fire Bet: Oh, this is a tempting bet. Very seductive—like the devil inviting you to sell your soul for the promise of all the riches in the world. In order for you to win this dangerous side bet, the shooter must hit every point number during his roll. Thus, he must hit the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 before sevening out. If he hits four or five of the numbers, you win smaller jackpots as well. The maximum bet is usually five dollars. There are various payouts for winning the fire bet, depending on the casino, but here’s the bad news: the house edge ranges from 20–25 percent.
Hardway Hop Bets: The hardway hops are 1:1, 2:2, 3:3, 4:4, 5:5 and 6:6. The odds of hitting these are 35 to 1, yet the payoff is 30 to 1. This creates an ugly house edge of 13.89 percent.
Hop Bets: All numbers can be done as hop bets. You can call out that you want a 3, which can be made as 2:1 or 1:2. The payouts for all hop bets of this type are 15 to 1, but the true odds are 17 to 1. The house edge is 11.11 percent.
Horn: This means you’re betting one of the following numbers: 2, 3, 11 or 12. The bet must be made in multiples of four dollars. You win on the number that shows (30 to 1 on the 2 and 12; 15 to 1 on the 3 and 11), but you lose the three other bets. The house edge on this bet is 12.5 percent—a theoretical loss of $12.50 per $100 wagered. There is an offshoot of this horn bet, called the “horn high.” The bet for this is five dollars and has the extra dollar put on any one of the four numbers. The house edge on horn highs is 12.22 percent on the 3 or 11, and 12.78 percent on the 2 or 12.
Whirl (or “World”): With this bet, you’re aiming to hit the following numbers: 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12. The house edge is 13.89 percent. Each number is paid off at house odds, with the other numbers wagers being subtracted from it.
Now you understand what I mean when I call these “Crazy Crapper” bets, and the bottom line is that they’re a waste of money. They might spice things up a bit, but savvy players know to steer clear of them.
Frank Scoblete is the #1 best-selling gaming author in America. Come to Frank’s World Casino Championships August 14, 15 and 16 in Las Vegas, and participate in tournaments, classes, prizes and parties. You can also join Frank’s Dominator’s Golden Touch Sports Betting Service. For a free brochure or to order Frank’s products, call 1-800-944-0406.
Crazy Crapper Bets.
