Today’s Fun Sucker Bet: Craps High Dice/Low Dice

Pretty much all craps players understand the perils of the Big 6 and 8. Those giant red numbers, within easy reach, are such a temptation for inexperienced players.

Big 6 and 8 craps
Caveat bettor! Which we should totally put on a T-shirt.

What those tricky craps layouts don’t point out, however, is there’s another bet on the 6 and 8 that pays more for the very same dice roll. The Big 6 and 8 pay even money ($5 in winnings for a $5 bet), but if you ask the dealer to “place” a 6 or 8, that bet pays $7 for a $6 bet.

The Big 6 and 8 bet has a house edge of 9.09%, and the place 6 and 8 bet has a relatively teensy 1.52% house advantage. Now you know why they’re called “sucker bets.”

A couple of casinos in town have added a new wrinkle to this craps table real estate by swapping out the Big 6 and 8 sucker bet for a less suckery one, the High Dice/Low Dice bet.

We saw this bet at the Cannery casino, but understand it’s also available at the Hard Rock casino.

Low dice high dice craps
We’re hoping this bet will bump the Big 6 and 8 off craps tables everywhere.

Here’s how it works. It’s a one-roll, self-serve bet (the player can bet it directly, as opposed to asking the dealer to do it).

On the Low Dice side, if a 3, 4, 5 or 6 is rolled, the bet wins and is paid even money (you get $5 for your $5 bet). If a 2 is rolled, the bet is paid 5-to-1 (so, $25 for a $5 bet). If a 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12 is rolled, the bet is lost.

The High Dice bet is the flip side. If an 8, 9, 10 or 11 is rolled, you’re paid even money. If a 12 is rolled, the bet pays 5-to-1. If a 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 or 7 is rolled, the bet is lost.

It’s a fun little side bet and here’s why. The house edge is 5.55%. To be clear, that makes it a sucker bet, but it’s half the sucker bet a Big 6 and 8 is!

By comparison, the house edge in roulette is 5.26%, so it’s on par with one of the most popular table games in Las Vegas casinos.

Let us know how it goes!