Craps by the Numbers: 5, 6, 7

by Frank Scoblete

In this article, we take a look at the 5, 6 and the pivotal 7.

The 5, sometimes referred to as the “fever” by dealers, can be made four different ways with two six-sided dice: 1:4, 4:1, 2:3 and 3:2. When you are betting on the 5, you are a three-to-two underdog since there are six ways to make the 7 and only four ways to make the 5. Six to four is three to two. The 5 is also considered one of the “inside” numbers, along with 6, 8, and 9. Many “action” players like to bet it as part of a four-way inside bet. You’ll hear them call out, “Give me $44 inside.” That means $10 on the 5 and 9, $12 on the 6 and 8.

When you place the 5 in increments of $5, a winning wager will pay $7.

At first, this might sound great, but the true odds of the bet would be $6 for $4.

You’re betting an extra dollar but that extra dollar is only being paid off at even money. The house edge on a placement of the 5 is four percent.

We have 5 senses and some ancient Greeks believed that there were 5 basic elements in nature.

One of the two most powerful numbers (after the 7) at craps is the 6.

There are five ways to make a 6 (1:5, 5:1; 2:4, 4:2 and 3:3) and thus the 7 is merely a six-to-five favorite over this number. Placing the 6 is not a bad bet as craps bets go since the house has only a 1.5 percent edge. You bet $6 to win $7. However, if you are going for that longshot of a hard six (3:3) be aware that the casino has a nine percent edge over you. Ouch! Many craps players like to place the 6 and the 8 together as these are the two most-frequently appearing numbers (again, after the 7).

The 6 is a settled, relaxed, passive, and normal number but it has a powerful love component as well – it represents a mother’s love. As such, it’s clean and unselfish. Although it is considered a female number and somewhat passive, it is not a bad luck number; in fact it is a “perfect number” as its divisors, other than itself, add up to it: 1 + 2 + 3 = 6. Of the first 10 numbers, it is the only such number.

Now we come to the central number in all of craps, the 7; sometimes called “the devil,” sometimes called “big red,” sometimes called “that number” so as not to say it aloud and bring down bad luck on the table. The 7 is the most powerful number at craps and the most pivotal. It can be made six ways (1:6, 6:1, 3:4, 4:3, 2:5 and 5:2). If you take a look at a single die, you will notice that all the opposite sides add up to 7. Take a look at the side that has the six-spots, flip it over and you’ll see the one spot; the four-spots, opposite the three-spots; the two-spots opposite the five-spots. Every time a single die lands, we’re halfway to seeing a 7 appear.

The 7 is a boon on the come-out roll. If it hits, you win your Pass Line bet immediately. It’s a bane on the “point” side of the game, however, since a shooter must make his “point number” before a 7 to win. During the point cycle of the game, the 7 is a two-to-one favorite to beat the 4 and 10, a three-to-two favorite to beat the 5 and 9, and a six-to-five favorite to beat the 6 and 8. And don’t think that betting a 7 straight-up is going to help you loot the casino coffers. The Any Seven bet is the single worst bet at craps. It’s a one-roll bet that the next number will be a 7. You get paid four-to-one if it is.

This might sound like a decent payoff but when you realize that the true odds of the bet are five to one, you soon discover that the casino has a 16.67 percent edge.

If the 7 is the devil, then the Any Seven is a legion of fallen angels.

Seven is considered the number of completeness, as there are 7 days in a week, and then we start all over again. In craps, a 7 wins in the beginning and loses in the end for Pass Line bettors; it’s just the opposite for Don’t Pass bettors.

For craps players, the 7 is a god--it is feared, it is loved, it is supreme and we sacrifice a lot of money to gain its favor.

Craps by the Numbers: 2, 3, 4
Craps by the Numbers: 8, 9, 10
Craps by the Numbers: 11, 12

Frank Scoblete’s website is: www.goldentouchcraps.com