Craps in Michigan
Craps in Michigan
Craps is a dice game that is the loudest, most social, and often most fun game in land-based casinos across Michigan. Unfortunately, developers have yet to figure out a way to bring the social aspects of the game to online casinos.
Outside of the volume level and the raucous social scene, the big difference between craps at live and online casinos is the graphic interface you see on the screen when you play online only mimics the roll of the dice. Plus, you don’t bet with actual casino chips online.
In fact, online casinos don’t use real dice or casino chips at all. The outcome of each roll is determined by a computerized random number generator and betting is done by clicking on the wagers of your choice on a virtual felt.
Best casinos in Michigan to play online craps
Odds/payback on craps in Michigan
The craps played at Michigan land-based casinos is the same dice game played in casinos throughout the world.
Since there are so many different bets you can make at varying odds, it’s hard to define the game’s Return to Player (RTP). Craps is a different game for different people depending on how they bet.
What we do know is that basic bets like the Pass Line (98.59% RTP), Don’t Pass (98.64% RTP), Come (98.59% RTP), and Don’t Come (98.64% RTP) have a relatively low house edge.
Plus, the Pass/Don’t Pass odds have no house edge at all, making it one of the best bets in the entire casino.
This is why most people judge a craps game based on the maximum Pass/Don’t Pass odds bets available. The bigger the max, the better the game.
There are a variety of additional single and multi-roll bets, some offering decent payouts. However, they all come with a higher house edge than the basic bets offer, and playing them will only drive down the game’s overall RTP.
Michigan specific rules for craps
Michigan gaming laws dictate the kind of dice that can be used by a casino, when and how the dice should be removed from a craps table and how they should be stored and inspected.
Plus, the law prescribes how craps games should be observed by security staff and that electronic craps should have the same odds as the live game.
What Michigan gaming law does not dictate is minimum and maximum bets or the maximum Pass/Don’t Pass odds casinos are allowed to offer.
Instead, the MGCB leaves it up to casinos to set the minimum and maximum bets they want to take and maximum Pass/Don’t Pass odds.
In Detroit casinos, the games are generally $10/3x4x5x.
However, operators are free to change that by posting a sign at the table and advising all players.
Most Michigan tribal casinos offer the same game, with a $5-$10 minimum. However, you will find up to 10x Pass/Don’t Pass odds at some.
Craps basics
Craps starts with betting on the pass line or don’t pass line. A (revolving) shooter rolls the dice. This is known as the come-out roll.
Seven or 11 means all pass line bets get paid. Two, three, or 12 means the shooter craps out. In this case, pass line bets lose, don’t pass bets get paid, and a new shooter starts over.
If the shooter rolls any other number on the come-out roll, that number is established as the point. The shooter continues rolling until they hit that number again or roll a seven and crap out.
Once a point is set, players can make odds bets behind the pass line and don’t pass line bets up to the specific game’s maximum allowed. These bets have no house edge. Therefore, the maximum bet allowed has a big impact on how good that specific game is for you as a player.
If the shooter rolls the point before rolling a seven, all pass line bets and odds bets are paid and all don’t pass and odds bets lose.
You can also bet on a number of different propositions, numbers, and groups of numbers. The bets available and payouts for most are displayed on the table.
Online craps plays a little faster with no time taken to calculate payouts. However, you can play the game at your own pace, making it a great learning tool, even if the fun, social aspects of the game are missing.
Online craps games generally offer lower minimum bets as well.
Betting works a little differently online. Instead of using chips and communicating with pit staff to make bets, you click on virtual chips and a virtual craps felt to make wagers.
The game is pretty much the same though, as you can bet with the dice or against. Plus, the same huge-house-edge side bets are available.
The following is a list of the bets available in craps:
- Pass Line: This bet wins if the come-out roll is a seven or 11 and loses if it’s two, three, or 12. It also wins if the established point is hit before a seven is rolled.
- Don’t Pass: This bet is the opposite of the pass line. It wins if the come-out roll is two or three. It pushes on 12 and loses if it’s a seven or 11. It also wins if a seven is rolled before the established point.
- Come: Available after the point is established, this is the same as a pass line bet.
- Don’t Come: Available after the point is established, this is the same as a don’t pass bet.
- Hard four, six, eight, or 10: These three bets pay 7-1 (hard four, 10) and 9-1 (hard six, eight) if doubles are rolled.
- Place Bets: You can bet on any of the six numbers that can become points. These bets win if that number is rolled before a seven according to the following payout schedule: Four and 10: 9-5, Five and Nine: 7-5., Six and Eight: 7-6
- Lay Bets: You can also bet on a number to lose, meaning a seven is rolled before the number. These bets payout according to the following schedule: Four and 10: 5-11, Five and Nine: 8-5, Six and Eight: 7-5
- Field: This is a single roll bet that wins if any two, three, four, nine, 10, 11 or 12 is rolled. Twos pay double and 12s pay either double or triple.
- Any Craps: Any Craps bets pay 8-1 if a two, three or 12 is rolled.
- Aces: Aces bets pay up to 33-1 if two ones are rolled.
- Ace-Deuce: Ace-Deuce bets pay up to 16-1 if a three is rolled.
- Yo/11: Yo/11 bets pay up to 16-1 if a five and a six are rolled.
- Midnight/Boxcars: Midnight/Boxcars bets pay up to 33-1 if two sixes are rolled.
- Big Red: Big Red bets pay 4-1 if any seven is rolled.
Craps strategy and tips
Before you play craps, online or live, you should try to learn everything you can about the game. Read about the basics above and seek out other online resources to help you dive a little deeper into the game.
Start with the rules and move on to some basic strategies to arm yourself with a complete understanding of craps before you put your money on the table. The following includes some basic craps strategies you can employ:
1. The basics
The Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line bets have a small house edge.
A basic strategy of betting on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line can be a winning strategy. That’s because these are hard bets to lose on the come out roll. Your bet will only be taken away when a couple of numbers appear. Plus, they are almost as hard to lose after the point is set.
Betting either religiously is a simple way to win consistently. You will be taking advantage of a low house edge and opening yourself up to the opportunity of a zero-house-edge bet as well.
2. The odds
Once a point is established, you should always take the odds bet up to the maximum allowed. This is the best bet you’ll find in a casino. There is no house edge.
Doing something simple like betting the Pass Line and taking the odds up to the maximum available once the point is set is a proven craps strategy.
3. The hard ways
Hard ways bets pay 7-1 or 9-1, but the house edge hovers around 10%. You can get lucky and win hard ways bets, but over the long haul you’re going to lose.
Be smart and avoid these bets, particularly the hard four and hard 10 where the house edge is almost 11%. The big payouts aren’t even close to the real odds of rolling pairs.
4. The props
Props seem like fun because of the potential for a big payout. But the house edge is too big. Even at 33:1 for some props you aren’t getting the right price based on real-world odds.
It may seem boring to dice-rolling regulars, but the best craps strategies are about sticking to the basics, taking advantage of the odds, and staying away from long-shot props.
Casinos in Michigan that have craps
Every one of Detroit’s three commercial casinos and many of the state’s 23 tribal casinos host craps games.
This includes the following list of casinos planning to launch online casinos, available statewide as soon as possible:
MGM Grand Detroit Craps
- Address: 1777 Third Ave., Detroit, Michigan
- Craps games: $10/3x4x5x
- Owner: MGM
- Online casino partner: GVC Holdings (BetMGM)
Greektown Casino-Hotel Craps
- Address: 555 E. Lafayette St., Detroit, Michigan
- Craps games: $10/3x4x5x
- Owner: VICI Properties/Penn National Gaming
- Online casino partner: DraftKings
MotorCity Casino Hotel Craps
- Address: 2901 Grand River Ave., Detroit, Michigan
- Craps games: $10/3x4x5x
- Owner: Marian Ilitch
- Online casino partner: FanDuel
Turtle Creek Casino and Hotel Craps
- Address: 7741 M-72, Williamsburg, Michigan
- Craps games: $5-$500/10x
- Owner: Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians
- Online casino partner: William Hill
Four Winds Casino New Buffalo Craps
- Address: 11111 Wilson Rd., New Buffalo, Michigan
- Craps games: $10/3x4x5x
- Owner: Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians
- Online casino partner: Scientific Games
Firekeepers Casino and Hotel Craps
- Address: 11177 E. Michigan Ave., Battle Creek, Michigan
- Craps games: $5/3x4x5x
- Owner: Nottawaseppi Huron Band of Potawatomi
- Online casino partner: Scientific Games
Northern Waters Casino Resort Craps
- Address: N5384 US-45, Watersmeet, Michigan
- Craps games: Virtual craps/3x4x5x
- Owner: Lac Vieux Desert Band of Lake Superior Chippewa Indians
- Online casino partner: PointsBet
Soaring Eagle Casino and Resort Craps
- Address: 6800 Soaring Eagle Blvd., Isabella Indian Reservation, Mount Pleasant, Michigan
- Craps games: $5/10x
- Owner: Saginaw Chippewa Tribal Nation
- Online casino partner: Aristocrat
Odawa Casino Resort Craps
- Address: 1760 Lears Rd, Petoskey, Michigan
- Craps games: $5/3x4x5x
- Owner: Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians
- Online casino partner: The Stars Group (PokerStars Casino)