Craps Changes

The basics of craps are pretty simple: roll a seven or 11 on the come out roll and you win; roll a two, three or 12 and you lose; and any other number becomes the point you must roll again before rolling another seven.

That second seven, or point-seven, is killer. And, because of the number of ways there are to make a seven (six out of 36 possibilities, more than any other number), it comes out far too often after a point is established.

To help take the sting out of that, Frank Mugnolo, CEO of Casino Gaming LLC, has added a new bet to the table. The bet is called 7 Point 7, and it offers players two ways to collect on a rolled seven.

The wager can only be played on a come out roll. If that roll is a seven, the player is paid 2-1. If a point is established and the subsequent roll is a seven, the player is paid 3-1. If the subsequent roll is not a seven, or if the come out roll is a two, three, 11 or 12, the player loses.

“This is the first bet that’s a new bet that is better than all the prop bets on the table,” Mugnolo said. “We don’t change the game; we just gave it a new option.”

The bet carries a 5.55 percent house edge, which is considerably smaller than the prop bets on the table. Additionally, some players have found that along with betting the top line, the 7 Point 7 bet is a good way to protect a pass line bet.

“People are smart,” Mugnolo said. “Once they realize it’s a good option, they will take it.”

The wager is currently on three tables at the Orleans, although Mugnolo is talking to other casino operators throughout the country.