Crapless craps rules on the come-out roll
The whole game changes on one roll. On a crapless craps table the come-out has only two outcomes for the pass line: a 7 wins, and anything else becomes the point. There is no craps number that loses, and the 11 no longer wins at once. It is a point like any other, and the puck goes on its box.
So 30 of the 36 dice combinations set a point, 83.33% of come-outs against 66.67% normally. Only six combinations, the sevens, settle the bet at once. You will spend far more time in the point stage, which is where the house holds its advantage, because a 7 can be rolled six ways and no point more than five.
After that, the rules match our guide to the come-out roll and the point. The point wins, a 7 loses, and every other number does nothing to your line bet. Come bets follow the same logic. Many crapless layouts drop the don’t pass side, so check the felt before you plan to bet against the shooter.
Crapless craps odds against regular craps
Our math module puts the pass line house edge in crapless craps at 5.382%, with the shooter winning 47.309% of decisions. The pass line in regular craps wins 49.293% and costs 1.414%. On a $10 bet that is roughly 54 cents per decision against 14 cents, a gap of almost four to one.
| Rule set | Pass line win chance | Pass line house edge | Come-out rolls that set a point |
|---|---|---|---|
| Regular craps | 49.293% | 1.414% | 66.67% |
| Crapless craps | 47.309% | 5.382% | 83.33% |
Where the extra edge comes from
Losing the 11 as a winner is the big cost. It used to win 5.56% of come-outs outright; as a point it is made only one time in four, so it now wins just 1.39%. That single change removes 4.17 percentage points from your chance of winning, more than everything the new points give back.
The new points return some of it. The 2 and 12 are made one time in seven, adding 0.79 points, and the 3, made one time in four, adds 1.39 points. Together that is 2.18 points recovered against 4.17 lost, a net drop of almost two points in your winning chance. That is exactly the gap between 49.29% and 47.31%.
Crapless craps payouts on every point
The pass line pays even money whatever the point, which is precisely the problem on a 2 or 12. The odds bet fixes that. Behind a 2 or 12 it pays true odds of 6 to 1, because the 7 has six ways to one. Behind a 3 or 11 it pays 3 to 1, six ways against two.
| Point | Chance to make it | True odds paid on odds bet | $10 odds bet wins |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 or 12 | 14.29% | 6 to 1 | $60 |
| 3 or 11 | 25.00% | 3 to 1 | $30 |
| 4 or 10 | 33.33% | 2 to 1 | $20 |
| 5 or 9 | 40.00% | 3 to 2 | $15 |
| 6 or 8 | 45.45% | 6 to 5 | $12 |
Place bets are another story. The usual payout is 11 to 2 on the 2 and 12 and 11 to 4 on the 3 and 11. That costs 7.14% on the 2 or 12 and 6.25% on the 3 or 11 Our guide to place bets explains why the 6 and 8 remain the only bargains.
| Bet | Pays | House edge | Per roll |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | 1 to 1 | 1.41% | 0.42% |
| Place 6 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% | 0.46% |
| Place 5 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% | 1.11% |
| Place 4 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% | 1.67% |
| Field | 1 to 1; 2 pays 2 to 1; 12 pays 2 to 1 | 5.56% | 5.56% |
| Any Seven | 4 to 1 | 16.67% | 16.67% |
A crapless craps strategy that limits the damage
If you play crapless craps, and plenty of people do because it is fun, treat the flat pass line bet as an entry fee. Keep it at the table minimum. Then put the money you actually want working into odds, where the house has no edge on any point, including the 2, 3, 11 and 12.
At Palace Station the crapless table advertises a $5 minimum with 10x odds, and the STRAT offers 10x odds on both its regular and crapless games. With that much room behind the line, a $5 bettor can have $50 of zero-edge money working, which dilutes the 5.38% on the flat bet a great deal. Nothing removes it completely, though.
The one bet worth refusing is the place bet on the new numbers. It looks natural on a layout with ten point boxes. At more than 6% per bet, it is the most expensive way to hold a number. If you want a 2 or 12 working, get it through a come bet with odds.
How to play crapless craps: a hand from start to finish
Say you bet $10 on the pass line and the come-out is 11. In regular craps you would be paid; here the puck goes on the 11. You take $30 in odds. The shooter rolls a 6, a 9, then a 4. Nothing happens to your bet. Then a 7 arrives and all $40 goes.
Next hand, the come-out is 2. You add $20 in odds and the 2 returns three rolls later. You collect $10 on the line and $120 on the odds, since 6 to 1 on $20 is $120. That kind of hand is why people love crapless craps. It happens one time in seven.
Crapless craps vs craps: where you will find each
Official casino pages list live crapless craps at Palace Station, the STRAT, SAHARA and Virgin Hotels in Las Vegas, at Gold Strike in Tunica, Ameristar Black Hawk in Colorado, River Spirit in Tulsa, Southland in Arkansas, and the Seminole Hard Rock casinos in Hollywood and Tampa. Our casino directory lists more rooms with craps.
Several Strip resorts, including the LINQ, Paris and Planet Hollywood, name crapless craps only among their electronic table games. The rules match the live version, but the game runs on touchscreens, often next to a machine called EZ Craps whose rules vary by manufacturer. Our page on bubble craps covers how those machines roll the dice.
In Atlantic City, Borgata and Hard Rock both include crapless craps in the game guides on their table games pages. Before you drive anywhere for a crapless table, call ahead. Hours and minimums on special-rule tables can differ from the main pit: Palace Station lists its crapless game at $5, while the same page quotes $10 minimums on regular dice.