Table of Contents

  1. What Is Crapless Craps?
  2. Crapless Craps: Pros and Cons
  3. What Are the Rules of Crapless Craps?
  4. Why the House Edge Is Higher
  5. Crapless Craps vs Standard Craps
  6. Is Crapless Craps Worth Playing?
  7. Crapless Craps Odds and Payouts
  8. How Odds Multipliers Change the House Edge
  9. House Edge Comparison: Crapless vs Standard
  10. Place Bets and Buy Bets Explained
  11. Best Crapless Craps Strategy
  12. Example: Pass Line with Odds
  13. Example: Placing the 6
  14. Crapless Craps FAQs
  15. Final Analysis: Is Crapless Craps Worth It?

Crapless Craps: Rules, Odds, House Edge, and Strategy

Crapless Craps is a craps variant where you can’t lose a Pass Line bet on the come-out roll. The tradeoff is that 2, 3, 11, and 12 can become point numbers, which raises the house edge unless you use odds and focus on the best bets.

In this guide, you’ll learn how Crapless Craps works, how it compares to standard craps, and which bets offer the most value.

Key Takeaways for Crapless Craps

  • In Crapless Craps, 2, 3, 11, and 12 become point numbers instead of automatic losses.
  • Pass Line and Come bets carry a house edge of about 5.38%, compared with about 1.41% in standard craps.
  • Place bets on 6 and 8 offer the lowest house edge at around 1.52% (with 7-to-6 payouts).
  • Many casinos cap Crapless Craps odds at 5x; taking odds can reduce the combined edge to roughly 1.04% at 5x.

Crapless Craps (Never Ever Craps) looks safer because you avoid come-out losses. The catch: the “no early losses” rule shifts the cost into harder points, so Pass Line and Come bets are worse value than in standard craps.

What is Crapless Craps?

In Crapless Craps, every total except 7 can become a point. On the come-out roll, 2, 3, 11, and 12 become points you must repeat before a 7. It’s associated with Bob Stupak and was first dealt at his Vegas World casino in Las Vegas.

If this article interests you, keep reading. Alternatively, explore other topics like craps lay bet, roulette odds, and blackjack side bets.

Crapless Craps: Pros and Cons

  • Pros
  • No losing numbers on the come‑out roll
  • Simple, beginner‑friendly flow
  • Every number except 7 can become a point

Cons

  • Higher house edge on Pass Line and Come bets
  • Harder point numbers (2, 3, 11, 12) reduce long‑term value
  • More volatility compared with standard craps

What are the rules of Crapless Craps?

  • Come-out roll: A 7 wins the Pass Line. Any other number becomes the point.
  • Point phase: Roll until the point repeats (win) or a 7 appears (loss).
  • Come bets: Placed after a point is set; they follow the same structure.
Craps dice

Why is the house edge higher in Crapless Craps?

A 2 or 12 has one combination, while a 7 has six, and the Pass Line still pays even money. Those hard points push the long-term house edge for Pass Line and Come bets to about 5.38%.

Crapless Craps vs standard craps: what changes?

Standard craps has more come-out wins (7/11) and fewer difficult points. Crapless Craps removes come-out losses but turns 11 into a point and adds several hard points, increasing volatility.

Is Crapless Craps worth playing?

Standard craps is better value whether playing online or in a live casino. Crapless Craps works best when you take odds and focus on Place 6 and Place 8.

Crapless Craps odds and payouts: what are the true odds?

The table shows how often each point hits before a 7 and the true-odds payout.

PointChance of hitting before 7True odds payout
2 or 1214.29%6 to 1
3 or 1125%3 to 1
4 or 1033.33%2 to 1
5 or 940%3 to 2

How do odds multipliers change the house edge?

Odds bets pay true odds and carry no house edge. Most casinos limit Crapless Craps odds to 5x, which limits how low the combined edge can go (standard craps with 1x odds is usually lower).

Odds TakenCombined House Edge
No odds5.38%
1x odds2.94%
2x odds2.02%
5x odds1.04%

House Edge Comparison: Crapless vs Standard

The table below compares the house edge for key bets in standard craps versus Crapless Craps.

Bet typeStandard crapsCrapless Craps
Pass Line / Come~1.41%~5.38%
Odds behind Pass/Come0%0%

What are place bets and buy bets in Crapless Craps?

Place bets win if your number appears before a 7. Crapless Craps often allows place-style bets on 2, 3, 11, and 12, but those numbers have higher house edges and swingier results. The table summarizes common payouts and house edges (payouts can vary by casino).

NumberTypical PayoutHouse Edge
6 or 87 to 61.52%
5 or 97 to 54%
4 or 109 to 56.67%
3 or 1111 to 46.25%
2 or 1211 to 27.14%

Buy bets pay true odds in exchange for a commission (vigorish). A 5% commission is standard, and many modern tables treat 2, 3, 11, and 12 as buy-style bets with the commission collected only on wins. Under “vig on win” rules, buying the 2 or 12 can have a house edge under 1% (around 0.7%).

Crapless Craps strategy: best bets and what to avoid

  • Best value comes from:
  • Place 6 and Place 8.
  • Pass Line or Come with odds.
  • Avoiding 2, 3, 11, and 12 as points or place bets unless you are buying them under favorable commission rules.

Example: Pass Line with odds on an 11 point

A $10 Pass Line bet is placed. The come-out roll is 11, so 11 becomes the point. You add $20 in odds. If 7 appears first, the total loss is $30. If 11 repeats before 7, the win is $10 on the line plus $60 from the odds.

Craps roll

Example: Placing the 6

A $12 Place bet on 6 wins $14 if 6 rolls before 7. The bet remains active unless removed. If 7 appears first, the $12 stake is lost.

Crapless Craps FAQs

What’s the difference between Crapless Craps and standard craps?

Crapless Craps turns 2, 3, 11, and 12 into point numbers and makes 7 the only come-out winner on the Pass Line.

Is Crapless Craps better for beginners?

It may feel easier because there are no early come-out losses, but the higher house edge can make it more expensive over time.

Why do casinos offer Crapless Craps?

Pass Line and Come bets usually have a higher house edge than standard craps, making the game more profitable for casinos.

What are the best bets in Crapless Craps?

Place 6 and Place 8 usually offer the strongest value. Pass Line and Come bets improve only when paired with odds.

Crapless Craps: Final Analysis for Players

Crapless Craps removes come-out losses, but the tradeoff is a higher house edge driven by hard point numbers.

For a more efficient approach, focus on Place 6 and Place 8 and use odds carefully on Pass Line or Come bets. Understanding these odds helps players make informed decisions at the table.

For nearly 25 years, John Grochowski has been one of the most prolific gaming writers in the United States. He’s been ranked ninth by GamblingSites among the top 11 gambling experts at Gambling Sites and his Video Poker Answer Book was ranked eighth among the best gambling books of all time.

He started a weekly casinos column in the Chicago Sun-Times at the beginning of 1994 and He soon found himself in demand by a wide range of publications. He has written for casino industry professionals in Casino Executive and Casino Journal magazines, and for players in Casino Player, Strictly Slots and many other magazines.

John’s twice-weekly columns appear in Casino City Times, Atlantic City Weekly and several websites. He has written six books on casino games, including the “Casino Answer Book” series. And, of course, John is a regular at 888casino Blog.

Today John’s work includes a weekly column on baseball metrics for the Sun-Times. He lives in the Chicago area with Marcy, his wife of 30 years.