Craps Hero

Bob Stupak, the former owner of the Stratosphere Casino, is credited with the invention of "crapless craps", which is a variation of the game that's still popular in Mississippi casinos. The game is also still available in the Stratosphere, but as far as I know, this is the only casino in Vegas which offers this version of craps.

In this game, it's impossible to lose a pass bet by crapping out on the come out roll, which would at first glance make crapless craps a seemingly more attractive wager for a craps player. Closer examination of the math and the other rules variations makes it clar that this is not necessarily the case.

On the come out roll in crapless craps, any number besides a 7 becomes the point. What the craps player loses is the automatic win on a roll of 11. In effect, you're giving up one winning possibility in exchange for the house giving up three losing possibilities. What's interesting though is that the odds of the pass bet working out on those three losing possibilities is really small anyway, since those are all tough numbers to hit. (The chances of hitting a 2 or 12 is 1 in 7, and the chances of hitting a 3 or an 11 are 1 in 4.) The house edge on the pass bet in crapless craps is about 5.4%.

The free odds bets which are available in crapless craps does improve the player's chances a bit. This bet pays 6 to 1 on 2 and 12, and 3 to 1 on 3 and 11. (Those are the true odds, by the way.) Depending on how much you're allowed to bet on the free odds bet, you can reduce the house edge to between 1% and 3%. (Casinos offering 1X odds only reduce the house edge to 3%, but if the casino offers 5X odds, then this reduces the edge to 1%.) Compared to other bets in the casino, this isn't bad, but compared to standard craps, well...you're better off with standard craps odds than you are with crapless craps.

One other change from regular craps is found in crapless craps. There is no "don't pass" bet allowed at all. Maybe this isn't a major difference, but it's certainly notable enough to mention.

Crapless craps is also sometimes called "never ever craps" or "ruse craps".