- Bellagio Craps Lessons
- Bellagio Craps
- Bellagio Craps Excitement
- Bellagio Craps Odds
- Bellagio Craps Table
- Bellagio Craps Cheating
Up until a few years ago, the frumpy little Casino Royale – its attached hotel is a Best Western – offered craps players a deal they couldn’t resist. The brightly lit marquee seen above the Casino Royale on the Las Vegas Strip flashed the words “100x Odds on Craps” – yep, you read that correctly.
- Answer 1 of 18: Hey guys, coming out on a weekend and staying at Bellagio. We all enjoy playing craps and was wondering what to expect. Will we be able to find 10 or 15 minimum tables at Bellagio during prime time Friday night?
- Craps is a popular dice game typically played in a casino as well as informal settings. It is played with a pair of dice in which players bet on dice rolls. When one is playing Craps, money is then wagered against either the casino or the other players in the game.
The independently owned casino right in the heart of Las Vegas Boulevard has always resisted the creeping corporatization, and it doesn’t even charge guests that ghastly “Resort Fee” to pinch pennies. Eventually though, even the Casino Royale did away with its 100x craps tables, opting instead for the watered down 3x-4x-5x structure on the Odds bet that has swept through The Strip like a plague.
A third craps dealer at the Bellagio reported suspicious activity to the casino’s management. Casino authorities themselves noticed a winning streak of wagers they said defied 452-billion-to-1 odds. According to a statistician employed by MGM Resorts International, Bellagio’s parent company: norskcasino. Granito’s average bet was $4,400. I will say this about Bellagio craps. Even if they do get to $15 a table (i normally play $10) but those dealers are the best. They are rock solid in payouts and by just a couple rolls they know what your bets are going to be. An ex-Bellagio craps dealer and two friends were each sentenced Tuesday to at least four years in Nevada state prison for using phantom 'hop' bets to cheat the Las Vegas Strip resort out of.
But before I get ahead of myself, let me bring the readers who are wondering why this Odds bet is so important up to speed.
How House Edge Applies to Craps
Whether you visit Las Vegas to roll the bones regularly, or find yourself learning craps online through an casino online, knowing how to navigate the maze of available wagers is crucial.
I mean, just get a load of this lengthy list of common craps bets below to get a glimpse into the classic dice game’s complexity:
Payouts and House Edge Rates for Common Craps Bets
| BET/RULES | PAYOUT | HOUSE EDGE |
| Odds – 4, 10 | 2 to 1 | 0.00 percent |
| Odds – 5, 9 | 3 to 2 | 0.00 percent |
| Odds – 6, 8 | 6 to 5 | 0.00 percent |
| Don’t Pass / Don’t Come | 1 to 1 | 1.36 percent |
| Pass / Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41 percent |
| Place 6, 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52 percent |
| Field (3:1 on 12) | 1 to 1 | 2.78 percent |
| Place 5, 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00 percent |
| Field (2:1 on 12) | 1 to 1 | 5.56 percent |
| Place 4, 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67 percent |
| Big 6, 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09 percent |
| Hard 6, 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09 percent |
| Any Craps | 7 to 1 | 11.11 percent |
| Hi-Lo (2 or 12) | 15 to 1 | 11.11 percent |
| 3; Yo-leven (11); Easy hops | 15 to 1 | 11.11 percent |
| 2; 12; Hard hops | 30 to 1 | 13.89 percent |
| Any Seven | 4 to 1 | 16.67 percent |
As you can see, craps bets can largely be divided into two groups – reasonable plays and longshots designed for suckers.
Don’t get me wrong now, I’m prone to splash around on exotic bets like the Any Craps or Hard Way when inspiration strikes – but only occasion.
No, the best craps players out there typically stick to the first half of the list by default, especially that Odds bet which carries no house edge whatsoever.
That’s kind of a misnomer, as you can’t place an Odds bet without first putting up an “ante” of sorts on either the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line. And with those base bets carrying house edge rates of 1.41 percent and 1.36 percent, respectively, you’ll always have a hill to climb even on the 0.00 percent Odds wager.
Here’s how it works… after placing your Pass Line (or Don’t Pass for “dark side” specialists), the shooter will establish a point number more often than not. With a point number now set, the Odds bet allows you to back your base bet up with a second wager that pays out according to true odds (hence the name).
Those true odd payouts – 2 to 1 on points of 4 and 10; 3 to 2 on 5 or 9; and 6 to 5 on 6 or 8 – really do hold a null house edge of 0.00 percent.
And as you might’ve suspected by now, betting as much as you can on the Odds is a great way to lower craps’ overall house edge:
Bellagio Craps Lessons
House Edge on Craps Odds Bet (by Odds Limit)
| ODDS (TAKEN) | PASS LINE | DON’T PASS |
| 0x | 1.41 percent | 1.36 percent |
| 1x | 0.848 percent | 0.682 percent |
| 2x | 0.606 percent | 0.455 percent |
| Full Double Odds | 0.572 percent | 0.431 percent |
| 3x | 0.471 percent | 0.341 percent |
| 3x-4x-5x | 0.374 percent | 0.273 percent |
| 5x | 0.326 percent | 0.227 percent |
| 10x | 0.184 percent | 0.124 percent |
| 20x | 0.099 percent | 0.065 percent |
| 100x | 0.021 percent | 0.014 percent |
See that last entry for 100x on the Odds? With a house edge of just two-tenths of a percent, players who score 100x – you’d be able to bet $1,000 on Odds with a $10 base bet – enjoy some of the best odds in all of casino gambling.
On that note, the following list highlights six casinos on The Strip where sharp craps players can still enjoy high limits on the Odds and other perks.
1 – The Cromwell Hotel & Casino
If you visited The Strip at any point between 1979 and 2007, you know The Cromwell as its previous incarnation Barbary Coast.
The building eventually became Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall, a rough and tumble joint straight out Las Vegas’ glory days.
Bill’s gave way to The Cromwell in 2014, and while the casino resort has blossomed into a full-scale boutique establishment offering the height of luxury, it did retain one element of that gamblin’ spirit – 100x Odds.
Yep, four tables found at the Cromwell offer the only 100x craps still alive and kicking in Las Vegas.
The minimum bet here is a bit higher than the standard at $25 per rolling session, but that’s a small price to pay for the ability to go “all-in” on the best bet in craps.
The Cromwell also caters to sharp gamblers by offering 3 to 2 payouts and double-deck games in blackjack, single-zero European roulette wheels, and commission free EZ baccarat.
2 – Stratosphere Casino, Hotel & Tower
Bellagio Craps
Famous for its “Space Needle” like tower stretching high into The Strip’s skyline, the Stratosphere also has the lowest-stakes craps game around.
You can enjoy 10x Odds – the highest offered on The Strip outside of from The Cromwell – for just a $5 minimum base bet. Folks who like to play a bit bigger will also find a pair of tables with a $10 minimum and 10x Odds.
You’ll also come across a gimmick game known as “Crapsless Craps,” which purports to give players a helping a hand by removing losing outcomes from the come out roll. Instead of “crapping” out on a 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll, Pass Line bettors in Crapsless Craps simply set those numbers as the point.
But knowledgeable craps players avoid this sucker game at all costs, as it balloons the house edge on Pass Line wagers from 1.41 percent to 5.38 percent.
3 – Bellagio Hotel & Casino
Bellagio Craps Excitement
One of the glitziest and most glamorous casinos in the world, let alone The Strip, the Bellagio is a true Las Vegas icon.
The tables here only offer 3x-4x-5x Odds, which lets you bet 3x on points of 4 and 10, 4x on points of 5 or 9, and 5x on points of 6 or 8.
Bellagio Craps Odds
That’s basically the standard on The Strip, aside from The Cromwell and Stratosphere of course, so the Bellagio makes the cut for its sheer beauty and grandeur. Simply put, every gambler should spend at least one day strolling through the Bellagio’s rarified air.
And while you’re there, hit the eight $25 minimum tables or the lone $10 table and let the dice fly.
4 – Bally’s Las Vegas Hotel & Casino
I always advise my craps playing buddies who are stubborn about The Strip to stay at Bally’s.
Four tables here have a low limit of just $5 and 3x-4x-5x Odds, while higher-rollers can up the ante to $15 on a single table.
5 – Wynn Las Vegas
Bellagio Craps Table
Combined with its sister casino Encore, the Wynn offers a level of luxury to rival even the Bellagio.
This place is gorgeous inside and out, and the nine craps tables with 3x-4x-5x Odds with limits ranging from $10 to $100 paint a pretty picture too.
6 – Westgate Las Vegas Resort & Casino
Bellagio Craps Cheating
The $5 limit craps tables with 3x-4x-5x Odds at the Westgate aren’t anything special, but whenever you can dabble in dice before hitting the world’s largest sportsbook (the aptly named SuperBook), no gambler worth their salt would pass up that opportunity.
Conclusion
Craps, like any casino game, comes down to the player’s contributions. If you stick with longshot exotics and let casinos offer bad limits on the Odds bet, the mess you make of your bankroll is your own fault. On the other hand, by searching for the best Odds limits and playing a snug, sensible game, craps on The Strip can still be a profitable proposition when the dice cooperate.