What Happens If You Roll Snake Eyes in Craps?

Snake Eyes Craps

The term “snake eyes” isn’t something that gamblers usually want to hear. It often carries negative connotations and implies bad luck for gamblers. However, is rolling snake eyes in craps as bad as it sounds?

We are here to squash common misconceptions about snake eyes and what happens if you roll snake eyes in craps.

Craps takes time to learn how to play, whether it be in land-based casinos or at online gambling sites. However, once you get a handle on this game, there are several nuances and craps strategies that can take your craps game to another level.

This includes learning how rolling snake eyes dice in craps impacts your odds and win rate. While snake eyes are one of the unlikeliest rolls in craps, it is important to know what happens when rolled and how to bet it.

What Does Snake Eyes Mean?

There is no definitive proof as to where the term “snake eyes” originated. However, scholars believe that the term’s roots date back to Ancient Roman dice games. A throw of double ones was often described as “the dog throw”1.

It wasn’t until 1919 that the term “snake eyes” in craps shooting was formally recognized in the etymology dictionary. The term “snake-bitten” in sports is believed to have been derived from snake eyes to describe bad luck2.

What Happens if You Roll Snake Eyes in Craps?

Craps snake eyes refer to a roll of ones on a pair of six-sided dice that are used to play craps. In other words, a roll of double ones with the dice. Each side must consist of one dot face-up on the table for a total of 2.

There is a 1 in 36 chance of rolling snake eyes in craps. This equates to a percentage of 2.78%. Therefore, the odds of having a snake eyes roll are not favorable to the player.

The outcome of a snake eyes roll will be completely dependent on the bet. There will be wagers that win on snake eyes and others that will lose. With a 2.78 percent chance of snake eyes, you will have to get lucky or unlucky depending on your bet.

Most craps players prefer to bet on the Pass Line. Consequently, the majority of players do not want to see snakes eyes while playing craps online and at the casino. We will explain this in greater detail below.

Bets That Lose On Snake Eyes

Come and Pass Line bets win on 7 or 11 and lose on 2, 3, or 12. They’ll also be the most common bets you make at a craps table for the come out roll. Place, Buy, and Lay bets are all specific number bets. They’ll still lose if a shooter craps out on the first roll.

Crapped Out On Snake Eyes:

Crapping out means that you’ve lost your bet. For the Come and Pass Line bet, rolling snake eyes, also known as 2, will result in you losing your wager on the come out roll.

However, if the dice didn’t land on 2, 3, or 12 for the come out roll, snake eyes are no longer relevant after the point is established in the game.

Following the come out roll, the number 7 is the only roll that ends in a losing bet. The point number must be rolled before 7 to win

Craps Table
Source: AP

Bets That Win On Snake Eyes

A snake eyes roll isn’t always so bad. In fact, there are more bets on the craps table that are a winner for rolling snake eyes on the dice than not.

Don’t Pass is the opposite of the Pass Line bet, while Don’t Come is the opposite of the Come bet in craps. For the come out roll, 2 and 3 is a winning bet. A 12 will result in a push. The same rules apply to the Don’t Come bet in craps.

Don’t Come and Don’t Pass bets lose if the come out roll is a 7 or 11. They also lose if the point number is rolled again (the win conditions of a come or pass bet.)

Snake Eyes Bet Payouts

BetPayout
Don’t Come1:1
Don’t Pass1:1
Field Bet (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12)2:1 on 2 and 12

Don’t come and Don’t pass bets lose if the come out roll is a 7 or 11. They also lose if the point number is rolled again (the win conditions of a come or pass bet.)

Snake Eyes Prop Bet

Prop bets are known as single-roll bets. A snake eyes prop bet is a wager that the next roll will be snake eyes. This is also referred to as an Aces bet.

The payout is 30:1 against your wager. Since there is a 2.78 percent chance of the next roll being a two, it’s not a great bet from a probability perspective.

The house edge of craps prop bets is over 11 percent. While the 30:1 payout is tempting, they are a lousy wager mathematically and we recommend avoiding it. Field bets carry a house edge of 5.56 percent, which is better, but still not a good craps bet.

Snake Eyes Craps Strategy

Our best craps snake eyes strategy is to simply wager on the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets. While the rest of the table may not be thrilled with you fading the Pass Line, the odds are better on the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets.

The Pass Line and Come bet have the same house edge of 1.41 percent. Conversely, the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come have a slightly lower house edge of 1.36 percent.

Therefore, it is advantageous for craps players to bet Don’t Pass/Don’t Come and hope for snake eyes instead of fading the number.

The Best Online Casino For Playing Craps

Our top pick for playing craps online is at Las Atlantis. The highly-regarded online casino is a must-have betting site for any craps enthusiast. An easy-to-use interface while playing craps is of utmost importance for casino gamblers.

With so many bets available on a craps table, an online interface can make or break a craps session. We can confirm that Las Atlantis’ craps games are the best online.

Additionally, a gambling site isn’t worth your time if it isn’t a safe online casino. Las Atlantis is safe and offers a number of deposit and withdrawal methods for your convenience. Savvy cryptocurrency users can get a huge welcome bonus of up to $9,500 at Las Atlantis.

Also, more conventional deposit methods have access to a wide array of bonuses. This includes re-deposit bonuses that can be used more than once. There are thousands of dollars in free credits to play craps and much more at Las Atlantis today.

Las Atlantis
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Sources

  1. Snake eyes | HandWiki. Retrieved From “https://handwiki.org/wiki/Snake_eyes

  2. Snake eyes | Online Etymology Dictionary. Retrieved From “https://www.etymonline.com/search?q=snake+eyes+

About the Author
Jacob Clark profile picture
Jacob Clark
Sports/Casino Writer
TikTok
Jacob Clark had a 15-year career as a professional MMA fighter, coach, and Greg Jackson’s alum. Now, one of TikTok’s most important BJJ influencers, Jacob is bringing his fight sports and betting knowledge to you here at The Sports Geek. When not writing insightful fight sports content, Jacob can be found teaching jiu-jitsu seminars all over Indiana and surrounding states.

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