Downtown Grand recently added a stadium table games area, and we figured it was about time we got all up in the business of what is arguably the future of casino dice. Specifically, Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps.

Here, we’ll dive into the features of the game, and list some negatives and positives. We were going to say “in our humble opinion,” but we couldn’t really type that with a straight face, so let’s move on.

Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps tables are at other casinos in Las Vegas (including Planet Hollywood), but providing an exhaustive list of locations would take “research” and possibly “effort,” and we all know that’s not happening. Try the Googles, they usually know what’s up.

Interblock’s hybrid craps game follows in the footsteps of a similar game that sort of tanked.

Roll to Win Craps from Aruze Gaming was heralded as the future of craps. Which is true, but Roll to Win Craps is better as an idea than in execution.

A bunch of Roll to Win Craps tables were rolled out across Las Vegas casinos, but most have now gone away. Rumors are the games could be cheated, and were, with a technique called dice “sliding.” (Interblock’s table features a simple deterrent to this form of cheating, which we’ll show you in a minute.)

Complicating matters further, Aruze Gaming, the maker of Roll to Win Craps filed bankruptcy, so nobody really knows what that means for the future of that game.

The good news is Interblock’s version of hybrid craps improves upon Roll to Win Craps in a number of ways. Let’s get into it, already, you’re thinking to yourself. Your insolence is duly noted.

Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps follows the trend of blending live craps with several human dealers (translation: expensive) with electronic table games (lower cost to the casino, but not as fun), with the goal of keeping labor costs low and providing gamblers a degree of human interaction and the elements they like about live games (like throwing dice).

With Interblock’s table, players get to shoot physical dice.

Players sit at terminals, then get up and shoot the dice if they’d like, or they can decline.

It’s worth noting that players stand when playing traditional craps, already a big benefit of the hybrid game.

While there are physical dice, there are no chips used in hybrid craps. All bets are made at terminals.

When the shooter moves from their terminal to the table, their screen goes into “mirror” mode, and they can make bets while shooting. It’s a pretty clever and seamless transition, and ensures your seat is waiting for you when your roll is done.

A big plus of the hybrid craps game is the table minimum: When we visited Downtown Grand, the minimum was $3. Every other downtown casino we visited along Fremont Street had $15 craps minimums that evening.

This makes hybrid craps very appealing to many players, as it’s a great value. Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps has just one “dealer.” We put that in quotation marks because the “dealers” at this game, we’re fairly sure, aren’t actual “dealers.” They’re “dealer-like spokesmodel stickpersons.”

To put it right out there: The dealers are attractive young women who never have to do math of any kind. Not that they can’t, they just don’t need to.

Dealers at this game have four jobs: 1) Get someone to shoot, 2) retrieve the dice with a stick, 3) enter the result of the roll into the computer, 4) move the dice to where the camera can confirm the result of the roll.

Dealers don’t take bets, pay bets, mark points or make snarky comments to each other under their breath.

In lieu of our hands-on tutoring, here’s a cheat sheet for those dice combination nicknames.

A key point: Dealers don’t accept tips.

That one took a minute. Nope. There’s no tip function on the game and dealers can’t accept cash tips. They are noticeably enthusiastic about this policy!

In the realm of tipping, it should also be mentioned because players don’t have chips, tipping cocktail waitresses is sort of a pain, so plan ahead. The lack of easy tipping might have been why drink service wasn’t brisk the night we played. If players aren’t tipping, cocktail servers tend not to visit that section of the casino as often. Just a fact.

The hybrid craps table is the only live game at Downtown Grand where the dealers don’t get tips. It’s weird, but an undeniable money-saver for players.

The lack of “real” dealers is probably the biggest downside of hybrid craps.

You’ll never see an incorrect payout (computers do everything), but dealers contribute to the craps experience a lot. They remind you about bets you need to make, they give advice, they are often craps players and help make the most of your bets (such as “pressing,” or when to “parlay” your winnings), they also say hilarious things and share gossip that later ends up on our Twitter feed.

We trust you have questions. What are they?

Here’s a list of things we found interesting about Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps at Downtown Grand.

The machine generates a running commentary, including phrases like “Warm beer, cold dice” when someone has a short roll, and “Field is alive after nine.” Which is strange, because the reason people say the “field is alive after five” is because it rhymes. Even Eminem can’t make “alive” and “nine” rhyme, sorry.

The voice has a bit of an echo because there are speakers on the main table, as well as on the terminals, and possibly comes through the casino’s sound system. We’re sure they’ll sort that out.

Because players get up from their terminals to shoot, when they have a bad rolls, there’s a physical “Walk of Shame,” which doesn’t happen on traditional craps tables. Oh, there’s shame, but there’s no walk, except to the ATM.

Beyond the cost savings due to the reduction in labor, this game is more profitable for casinos because of the sheer speed of the results, or the short time between rolls. On average, we clocked rolls/results at one every 30 seconds, a far cry from a traditional table.

This game has some of the same “sucker bets” (sorry, “bets for novices that we sometimes make because we’re drinking”) as traditional tables. There’s a giant 6 and 8, and the field pays double (rather than the traditional, but increasingly rare, triple).

A sign near the players club card slot says “No points.” We trust that means no players club points are earned on this game.

There’s an intriguing side bet you won’t find on other craps tables, the “Lucky Shooter” side bet. You can bet $1, and while we were watching the game, a player won $500 for a $1 bet.

Here are the rules for the Lucky Shooter side bet. When we said “nobody” reads the rules, we were kidding. They’re a laugh riot.

When we played Roll to Win Craps, we didn’t love the plastic table surface. It just felt off, like the dice would hit and stick. Interblock’s table has felt. Less show, but more akin to traditional craps tables.

As we mentioned earlier, there’s a security measure built into the table that prevents dice “sliding.” It’s an elegant solution to this problem that is rumored to have plagued Roll to Win Craps. It’s just a small cord that runs from the dealer position across the table to the dice camera. If a die were slid, it would hop and the roll would be random. We have dubbed this the “anti-sliding rod” because not only does it sound dirty, it gives us another excuse to use quotation marks.

The table is relatively short, which should make things interesting for so-called “dice control” “experts.” It’s a made up thing, but some swear they can influence the dice. Go for it, delusional “experts”! Don’t get us started.

The benefit of a shorter table? Typically, dealers have to warn shooters about hitting the back wall. We watched for hours and never once saw a short roll.

There’s a Plexiglass guard on one end of the table, so we also never saw the dice fly off the table. It’s wonderful to play craps at a table where you never hear the phrase “Same dice!”

Other big benefits of this craps game: No hitting of chips or hands (craps players have myriad superstitions), no last second bets, no drunk players throwing chips at dealers creating chaos and no arguments between players and dealers (or players and other players).

Big benefit: You don’t have to bet on every roll. Craps is streaky, and at a traditional table, players rarely skip shooters or specific rolls (unless they get spooked). Here, you can sit one out or skip a shooter or just pull your bets down with one button and wait for your mojo to kick in again.

Those who play the “don’t” (or “dark side”) can do so without shame, as long as they keep their yappers shut when they win.

Hybrid games are great for learning craps, as is the case with the beloved electronic craps game dubbed “Bubble Craps.” You can take your time, watch what others are doing and move at your own pace.

Perhaps the biggest question related to hybrid games is: Can these machines simulate the traditional casino experience?

Definitely sort of.

One of the best parts of playing craps in Las Vegas is the camaraderie, the team spirit. Most people are betting on the same number(s), so everyone’s emotionally invested in the same outcome(s) and rooting for the shooter. That’s sort of still true at hybrid craps, but any excitement is muted.

One issue is the dealer will call a result, but that call can actually be wrong, and it’s not official until the computer confirms the roll. That means players can’t get too excited at the first call, and the moment has passed by the time the official call is made.

The distance between the terminals, and between the players and the model dealer, is bigger than in traditional craps. In traditional games, players are shoulder-to-shoulder on a full table. You get to know your fellow players, and the banter between players and dealers, and the ensuing hilarity, can be next level.

Craps is a party, and when a shooter is hot, the exhilaration at a live craps table is unmatched. It’s the ultimate Las Vegas thrill, and it’s what made us personally fall in love with casinos and gambling during our first visit to Las Vegas. We stayed at the Stardust. You never forget your first time.

During our session at Downtown Grand, a player had a half-hour roll, and we’re not sure the other players knew how excited they should be, or how to express that excitement. It might’ve been the players themselves, or it might be a gap between why traditional craps has been a thing for 100 years and what craps is becoming.

So, is Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps fun? It can be. Despite a losing session, we had a blast, and if you like action, a roll every 30 seconds keeps you on your toes. (On a traditional craps tables, when there are lots of bets on the table, pay-outs can take 5-10 minutes.)

Hybrid craps solves lots of challenges for Downtown Grand. The casino offers traditional craps ($15 minimum, sometimes $10), but this new game appeals to those who might be intimidated by old-school craps, with its multitude of bets, colorful jargon and sometimes chaotic vibe.

Even if you’re not into trying a hybrid game, it’s worth taking a look at the rest of the stadium games, including two $1 blackjack tables and a roulette area where one dealer works two wheels (again, maximum results, minimum labor costs).

It’s clear casinos are looking for ways to work those margins, including finding games that give customers a casino jolt while keeping labor costs as low as possible.

If you try Interblock’s Stadium Live Craps, at Downtown Grand or elsewhere, let us know what you think. If you have questions we haven’t answered, leave them in the comments and we’ll do our best to B.S. our way through an answer.

The post Deep Dive: Hybrid Stadium Craps Rolls Into Downtown Grand appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Dice are a cornerstone of casino culture. The earliest dice were made of animal bone (which is why we say “roll the bones”) and were used by fortune tellers to predict the future.

The venerable history of dice might lead one to think they’d be treated with the respect they deserve, but nay, that is not always the case. Oh, that’s right, we said “nay.” This is serious business. You don’t say “nay” unless you’re serious.

You see, Las Vegas has a dice pip problem, and it’s time for some idiot to bring this travesty to light. We are that idiot.

What’s a “pip”? Well, a pip is a spot on a die.

Casino dice have six sides. The pips on opposite sides of casino dice always add up to seven.

That means you should never see four pips and three pips next to each other, for example.

Now, check out the dice on that poster for “Casino” again.

It’s an outrage! And not just because everything is an outrage now. Some things really are outrages. Dice pips, paper straws, people who drive in the passing lane, people who bring children to Las Vegas. So many outrages, but let’s stay focused.

Casinos (or more accurately, their graphic designers) get dice pips wrong, a lot.

As mentioned, the dice pip issue isn’t limited to casinos, but casinos should know better. Dice are their stock and trade.

There’s an epidemic of pip confusion, with designers whimsically whipping up random pip configurations with no real concern for the sanctity of this most hallowed of gambling devices.

Inaccurate depictions of dice pips undermines the integrity of gambling as a pursuit.

If a casino can’t get pips right, who says they aren’t using decks with 56 cards, or using roulette balls fashioned from curd?

To the untrained eye, inaccurate pip placement may seem trivial. But that’s because many people aren’t aware one of the first mentions of dice in an ancient text was the epic poem, “Mahabharata.” A dice game resulted in war. Like we said, serious.

The Old Testament has a number of mentions of “casting lots,” and it’s entirely possible the improper placement of dice pips could be one of the signs of the Apocalypse. Just play along.

So, what’s to be done about this rampant disregard for pip accuracy?

Should a new set of laws governing the depiction of dice be instituted?

Nay, we say again. We would’ve said “nyet,” but that’s sort of fallen out of favor recently.

Nay, new laws seem like overkill.

Our suggestion: Good, old-fashioned ridicule. That’s right, taunting! It’s free and fun.

Whenever you see dice pip gaffes in the wild, share a pic on social media, tagging the responsible party.

Don’t be mean, but don’t let the blunder slide, either.

Once you start to notice pip irregularities, you’ll see them everywhere.

Even famed artist LeRoy Neiman fell victim to the pip problem in his iconic painting, Stardust Reflections.

It’s understandable those not involved with the gambling industry could get pips wrong, but it’s inexcusable for casinos to do so.

Inaccurate depictions of pips have evoked more cringes than Criss Angel without a shirt, and that’s saying something.

If you’re a dice purist, also feel free to point out when you see “casino dice” with rounded corners. Casinos only use dice with sharp corners. Rounded corner dice are used for board games at home.

Together, we can collectively shame graphic designers into getting dice right.

If you’re into dice, you may want to check out our 11 Casino Dice Security Measures to Keep Players From Cheating. The other kind of cheating! Casinos aren’t your mom.

There’s no easy way to say this: We want this vexing trend to die. It’s just not working, and we hope you see our point. Please hop on this pressing problem and pass along any pip improprieties you might spot. We have to push for change and we’ll all avoid going over to the dark side.

Congratulations on surviving the paragraph with the most craps references, ever. You should add this accomplishment to your LinkedIn profile.

Update (5/25/22): Thanks to the eagle-eyed reader who passed this along.

Update (9/29/22): We love us some Donny Osmond, so we were disappointed to see this pip gaff on “Masked Singer,” whatever that might actually be.

Last night’s episode won the night in ratings! How cool is this? Honored to have been the first Masked Singer back in 2019 as a Peacock & return again as that same bird last night. Thank you to everyone who watched. @themaskedsinger @RealityClubFOX  https://t.co/HHJzcl0OnQ pic.twitter.com/hAWt0Yrf0h

— Donny Osmond (@donnyosmond) September 29, 2022

Thanks to Plaza CEO Jonathan Jossel for letting us share a photo (taken Nov. 30, 2022 at an Oscar Goodman dinner series event) of his sweet lapel pin, despite the pip issue. (The five and two aren’t supposed to be side-by-side.)

The post Las Vegas Has a Dice Pip Problem and Nobody’s Talking About It appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Like it or not, the future of craps has arrived in Las Vegas. Harrah’s is the first Las Vegas casino to have Roll to Win Craps, a multi-sensory new take on a quintessential casino game.

We fully expected to hate Roll to Win Craps, but after our first test drive of the game, we’re thinking it’s a fun alternative to the traditional dice game and you should fully expect Roll to Win Craps to be in every Vegas casino within a year or so. No, really.

Trust us, we never expected to type those words.

Here’s a look at the game we’ve decided to call “Pew Pew Craps.” Because everything’s better with “pew pew.”

Roll to Win Craps is aimed directly at a younger generation of casino customers.

From what we’ve seen so far, reactions to the game have fallen into two camps: 1) Abomination. 2) Bomb. (Alternatively, fleek.)

Thankfully, you don’t have to choose sides. Traditional craps tables aren’t going away anytime soon. Pew Pew Craps just gives customers another option.

While the visual stimulation may appear to be the biggest draw of Roll to Win Craps, it’s actually the lower table minimum.

At Harrah’s, the table minimum was $10, but $25 at all the other craps tables. Roll to Win was full, the others had a player or two each at most. All those players were looking over at Roll to Win Craps. There’s some serious FOMO (fear of missing out) happening.

Lower table minimums are very appealing to players, but don’t always pencil out for casinos, especially when you factor in labor costs. That’s one of the reasons it’s rare to find a $5 craps table on The Strip these days. It’s a money-loser.

Players often go for a low minimum game, even if the house advantage is greater. (All eyes on triple zero roulette.)

Casinos will be able to offer low minimums on Roll to Win Craps because it eliminates three staff positions. The game requires one stick person, so two dealers and the box man are out.

But let’s get into the game itself, shan’t we? Here’s some video we snagged at Harrah’s, and surprisingly, nobody tackled us. Good luck watching this without hearing “Pew, pew!” in your head!

Harrah’s has always been great about customers capturing photos, and we were happy to see they’re pretty lax about video, too. Just don’t disrupt play or capture images of other players, it’s a privacy thing. Here’s more about how to take images in just about any Las Vegas casino.

So, what’s the lowdown with Pew Pew Craps? Let’s go!

The game has a lot in common with old-school craps, but bets are made via screens at each position on the table. Our table could accommodate 10 players.

No verbal bets, no late bets, no confusion about bets. It’s all on the screen.

One dealer, a stick person, runs the table.

They decide when it’s time for “no more bets,” they then enter the roll into their display and the results are shown and everyone gets paid.

There’s a lot of flair, but those are the basics.

Let’s address some frequent questions right up front.

Q. Does Roll to Win Craps use actual dice? A. Yes. Players shoot the dice just as they would at traditional craps.

Q. Does Roll to Win Craps use chips? A. No. For us, it’s one of the biggest downsides to the game. There’s a lot of upside to this as well, however.

One of the biggest benefits of Pew Pew Craps is bets are paid out perfectly, every time. No chips, no math. No dealer error. Ever.

Longtime players will, of course, be disappointed to hear there’s also no chance of losing bets remaining on the table. Las Vegas lore includes stories of players tipping dealers, then those dealers “forgetting” to take losing wagers.

Not having chips also has unintended consequences. Typically, craps players tip their waitress with chips. That means players have to tip in cash, and waitresses often don’t have change (or time or patience to deal with making change).

Casinos, of course, will tout the fact having no chips adds a layer of health and safety to the experience, current climatewise.

Q. Can you tip the dealer? A. Yes, via a button on your screen.

It’s a bummer you can’t make a bet for dealers on Roll to Win Craps. We suspect this will make it one of the less desirable tables for dealers, although on The Strip, at least, dealers pool their tips, but still.

We predict these games will not inspire a lot of tipping, as the button is easy to miss, and the dealer isn’t really giving individualized service as traditional dealers do.

Q. What’s it like without felt? A. Yeah, that’s a good question. It’s weird.

So, the surface of the Roll to Win Craps table is a sort of clear plastic. Dice players are likely to find this unnerving, as the dice just react differently when they land. Sometimes, the sharp corners of the dice dig in and the dice pretty much stop in place. There are a lot of “short rolls.”

The sound when the dice hit is a mix. It’s either like they’re landing on glass, or they make no sound at all. Just a funky element of the game, but you get used to it.

Q. How do you buy in and cash out? A. It’s just like a slot machine. Cash goes into a bill validator slot. When you cash out, you get a TITO (ticket in/ticket out) slip.

Q. What are the table odds? A. 3x, 4x, 5x.

Q. What’s the table maximum? A. Like you’re ever going to need to know that! It’s $10,000.

Q. Is a win of $1,200 or more treated like a slot machine win? Does it trigger tax reporting and a W2-G form? A. No, Roll to Win Craps is treated like a live table game, so the slot tax rules don’t apply.

Q. What’s the best part of Roll to Win Craps? A. Our vote is how the game tracks your rolls. There’s a section on your video screen that shows the roll history, but even better is when the table itself shows how many rolls you’ve done.

Not only that, the table actually changes visually the longer you roll. The table goes from a tranquil astronomy vibe to fire. It’s awesome, and there are even levels of fire. Here’s what we saw when we hit 24 rolls.

Absolutely love this feature!

In fact, there’s a lot to love about Roll to Win Craps, we are pleased to report.

To our surprise, we loved the visuals. When players make a bet on their screen, little laser beams shoot out to the part of the table where the bet is going.

Also, the “point” throbs. Or maybe “pulses” is a better word.

We love that there’s the option to instantly take all your bets “off.” (If there’s a bet that can’t be removed, like a pass line bet after a point’s been established, it has a little lock symbol.)

We never did figure out how to reduce a bet, other than to “cancel” the bet and place it again. That was probably buried in the instructions somewhere. There are about 10 screens of “Game Rules” if you really want to dive into them.

It’s probably best to learn craps at home or on an app, although Roll to Win Craps is a great way for beginners to get their feet wet. You set your own pace, and there’s no pressure from the dealer or other players to bet on every roll.

Our advice is keep it simple: Pass line bet, odds (clearly marked, but on one side of the “Pass,” rather than behind the line as is standard), then place the 6 and 8 (not the Big 6 and 8, although there’s a space for those sucker bets).

As mentioned, a huge perk of Roll to Win is you’re playing your own game on your own timetable. You can skip entire rolls, you can place bets and remove them, you can even play the “don’t” (sometimes called the dark side) if you must. Don’t, but you can.

Experienced players will love the fact newbies won’t dangle their hands over the table! It’s considered bad luck for dice to hit someone’s hands.

Casinos will love the fact that, because of the way the table is designed, the chances of a player spilling a drink on the table is nearly zilch.

We love the fancy cup holders, too! (Although, the lip of a plastic cup touches the side of the holder. Too granular a review at this point?)

The list of things to love about Roll to Win Craps is too long to include here. We even love the fact you can type in your name and have it appear on the table in front of you. This increases the social aspect of the game, despite the temporary Plexiglas dividers.

Oh, and it should go without saying the Plexiglas dividers on the table are related to safety protocols, they’ll be removed as soon as the casino is able to do so.

It’s hard to give this game a full assessment given masks and dividers change the mood of the game. It’s muted, when the intention is for it to be a party, including music and sound effects being piped in through speakers built into the table.

One of the sound effects is people clapping just before every roll. We have no idea how the table knows when someone’s about to shoot, but it happens every time.

Oh, and we loved the fact there are chairs at the table. In traditional craps games, players always stand. Some players still prefer to stand, but most sit. When you sit, though, it’s actually difficult to see the table or the outcome of rolls.

What are some other downsides to Pew Pew Craps?

Well, everyone at the table waits for the slowest player to bet. The dealer watches players to get a feel for when everyone’s done, then “No more bets” is called. It feels like it slows the game down.

This procedure will be off-putting to some players, as they can’t make last-second, spur of the moment bets. Dealers will love this, however. Late bets are the bane of their existence.

Another procedure that slows the game down is the fact the dealer has to retrieve the dice and enter the results manually, as previously mentioned. This really makes the game feel like a slog. Our hope would be this has to do with the fact the dealers at Harrah’s are still being trained on this new game. Otherwise, it mucks with the momentum.

One of the weird rules at Harrah’s is if you want to step away from the table, you have to cash out. They will save your spot, but you have to cash out every time, even if you’re just going 10 feet away to find a bill breaker to tip your waitress.

One other item we don’t love: Each position at the table has a number. We were well into our roll before we realized we’d sat at Terminal 7. What the hell? The game maker should’ve known to skip Terminal 7 like hotels skip the 13th floor.

Got more questions about Roll to Win Craps? Drop them in the comments and we’ll add them to our story once we sober up.

Overall, we were surprised by how much fun we had at Roll to Win Craps from Aruze Gaming. (Aruze also brought us bubble craps, which has a strong following in casinos now.)

We saw video of the machine when it was unveiled at a gambling industry trade show and vowed to never play. We also swore we’d fight to keep this demon’s spawn from ever making its way into a Las Vegas casino.

Let’s just say we were a tad premature. Trust us, it’s not the first time.

It took one session to make us a true believer.

Make no mistake, Roll to Win Craps isn’t for everyone. But it’s a lively, eye-popping twist on a game that’s seen a decline in popularity in recent years.

Some will steadfastly cling to their chips and felt, but we expect lots of new players will be drawn to this high-tech take on a beloved casino fixture.

As we said, we predict every Las Vegas casino will have one or more Pew Pew Craps tables in the near future. Not just because of the cost savings for casinos, but due to popular demand.

Want to explore more stories? Read about US gambling here:

• US Online Casinos
• Sweepstake Casinos in the US

You can also learn about online gambling in Canada here:

• Best Online Casino Canada
• Ontario Casino CA

The post Behold the Future of Dice, Roll to Win Craps Arrives at Harrah’s Las Vegas appeared first on Vital Vegas.

For a small, boutique hotel, The Cromwell has made some big moves recently.

To start, The Cromwell unveiled a new snack bar, Eatwell.

Eatwell is open 24 hours a day, and has a variety of grab-and-go goodies like sandwiches, pastries, salads and pizzas.

We went for a sandwich, mainly because sandwiches are a metaphor for love. Or something.

We’re pleased to report the food quality is solid at Eatwell, and the prices are reasonable.

Here’s a peek at the Eatwell menu.

We have no idea what these things on the ceiling are, but we are a blog, not a snack bar design firm.

Caffeine fans will rejoice in the knowledge Eatwell offers a full selection of Starbucks coffees.

Here’s a gratuitous photo of some cookies.

The Cromwell has also opened a new race and sports book.

We have never personally understood why they’re called race and sports books. A race is a sport. If you’re going to call it a race and sports book, you could just as easily call it a game and sports book, or possibly a match and sports book.

The new sports book at Cromwell has a tiny footprint, but sports books aren’t huge moneymakers for casinos, so the size is proportionate given the limited footprint of the resort.

The Cromwell used to be Bill’s Gamblin’ Hall & Saloon, and before that it was Barbary Coast and Empey’s Desert Villa. Prior to that, it was a small collection of tumbleweeds.

The new sports book can accommodate about 50 people or 75 if they all inhale at the same time.

The Cromwell sports book boasts a 32-foot-long, nine-foot-tall LED video wall.

Beyond these sweet new amenities, The Cromwell has made a serious play to attract gamblers.

Among the new offerings is a single zero roulette table. Single zero roulette, also known as “European roulette,” is often reserved for high limit rooms, but Cromwell has a table on its main casino floor.

Because photos aren’t allowed at live games, we won’t be able to share the photo below.

Unlike double zero roulette games, the minimum bet on the single zero game is $25. Better odds, higher minimums. In Vegas, that’s a thing.

On the other end of the spectrum, Venetian has a $5 roulette table with three zeros. We are not making this up. Remember, the more zeros, the more suck for players.

In addition to single zero roulette, Cromwell also offers 100x odds on craps.

Nobody ever actually takes advantage of 100x odds, but it’s great to know you could if you inherited money from a rich uncle. Possibly, one named Sheldon.

But wait, there’s more.

The Cromwell is also touting its EZ Baccarat. We’re pretty sure we played EZ Baccarat at Lucky Dragon, and it was, as promised, easy. One benefit of this version of baccarat is it “eliminates the taking of the 5% commission after every winning Bank hand.” Whatever that might actually mean.

Also being talked up are The Cromwell’s 3-to-2 and double deck blackjack games.

During our visit, we saw three open 3-to-2 double deck blackjack tables, two with $25 minimums and one at $15. Shoe games had minimums ranging from $10 to $25.

The Cromwell also lists among its new “enhancements” a “re-imagined” Interlude bar (if you’re not a fan of live music, this is a great place to not be a fan of it), a new high limit slot area called The Abbey, and keyless access to hotel rooms.

There’s also Ivy, a “personalized virtual concierge service” provided via text, developed by a company called Go Moment. It’s sort of a bot that can field questions and requests related to housekeeping and room service. Such services are mainly a way for hotels to save money and cut down on call volume, but Ivy has gotten generally good reviews since the most common guest requests can be resolved more efficiently through automation. Fewer and fewer Las Vegas hotels have real concierges, anyway.

With its recent changes, The Cromwell has certainly gotten the attention of players, and despite ongoing challenges with unsavory elements at Drai’s Nightclub on the roof, the boutique hotel is drawing new interest from visitors seeking a welcoming environment with friendly service and odds you won’t find in many casinos on the Las Vegas Strip.

Enjoy more poorly-framed and inadequately-focused photos from The Cromwell.

Cromwell Enhancements

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About 20 minutes after dice were invented, fashioned from the ankle bones of hooved animals, somebody cheated using dice.

The tradition of trying to swindle casinos continues to this day, so casinos take extraordinary measures to prevent players from cheating, especially at the craps table.

Because players handle and shoot the dice, craps is the only casino game where patrons have complete control over the outcome of a wager. In other cases, it’s a machine or wheel or dealer. Dice, then, are an easy target for cheaters.

Here are 11 hastily slapped-together dice security measures casinos take to ensure players don’t cheat and every roll is random.

1. Serial Numbers

Swapping out legitimate dice with weighted or “loaded” dice is a time-honored tradition in Las Vegas casinos. To avoid “crooked” dice entering a game, casino dice have serial numbers. Typically, casino dice come in packs of five, wrapped in gold foil, each with matching serial numbers. If a casino staffer sees two dice in play with two different serial numbers, the cheater’s jig is up.

2. Sharp Corners

The next time you use dice on a board game at home, take note of the corners. Most dice outside casinos have rounded corners, but in casinos, they’re sharp. Rounded corners cause rolls that aren’t truly random, and exaggerate any bias in the dice. Sharp corners “grab” the felt and assure rolls are random and keep the odds the way casinos like them, in their favor.

3. Glow Spots

Some casinos use dice that have spots, also called “pips,” filled with special epoxy that changes color under U.V. light. Floor managers can quickly tell if dice are legit using a simple black light.

4. Translucency

Before the advent of plastics, it was difficult to tell if dice were weighted, or “gaffed.” Since the 1950s, dice have been made of cellulose acetate, making them translucent. Being able to see inside a die makes it much easier to see if anyone’s mucked with it.

5. Key Letter Spot

This is one of our favorite casino dice “secrets,” because while we’ve held hundreds of dice at craps tables in Las Vegas and around the world, we never noticed this security measure despite the fact it’s in plain sight. Each casino die has a letter or number “monogrammed” on a designated spot before the spot is painted. While scammers may be able to replicate the exterior of a die, it’s difficult to convincingly fake a letter under pip paint. Check it out the next time you’re shooting for “boxcars” or “puppy paws.” Yes, there are a lot of nicknames for dice combinations.

6. Casino Logos

Yes, imprinting a casino’s logo on dice is actually a security measure. On its own, putting a logo on dice is fairly easy to do, but this “unique identifier” is another element a cheater has to take into account, and another way they can get tripped up trying to use counterfeit dice.

7. Diamond Rubber Bumpers

This security measure is more about the table than the dice, but we’re including it, anyway. They have lots of names, but along the sides of a craps table are textured bumps, sometimes called “diamond rubber bumpers” or “pyramid bumpers” or even “alligator bumpers.” These textured bumpers make it much more difficult to manipulate how the dice will land.

8. Change-Outs

Casinos foil cheaters through a variety of means, including frequently changing out dice, just as they do with cards at the blackjack table. As mentioned, the randomness of rolls can be impacted by things like edges and corners becoming less sharp through use. Fresh dice are brought into a craps game every four to eight hours, often during a shift change. Casinos have the right to change out dice at any time, however. This sometimes happens during hot rolls, as casinos want to ensure a player’s good luck isn’t the result of dice tampering.

9. Perfect Cubes

There’s a reason casino dice are also called “precision dice.” That’s because casino dice are made to exacting specifications. Most casinos use 3/4-inch dice, and each of the die’s dimensions must be true to within 0.0005 of an inch, or approximately the length of this blog’s sexual organ. Just making sure you’re still paying attention.

10. Pip Drilling and Backfilling

Even tiny variations in a die can cause it to roll in a less random way. Pips aren’t just painted in casino dice, they’re drilled. To make sure the side of the die with six pips doesn’t weigh more than the side with just one, the drilled holes are filled with a special paint that’s the same density as the rest of the die. Oh, all right, maybe there’s a little rocket science involved.

11. Cancellation

When dice are removed from a table, casinos use a hand-operated press (or “punch”) to “cancel” the dice before they’re destroyed or sold in the casino’s gift shop. Cancellation markings, commonly in the shape of circle, make it easy for casino security, dealers and managers to see if a “retired” die has been put into play by an unscrupulous player.

Craps is one of the most exciting games in a Las Vegas casino. Now, the next time you play, you’ll know all the dice security measures casinos take to keep players from cheating.

By the way, cheating in a Las Vegas casino is a felony. You have better things to do during your Las Vegas visit than going to the big house and being passed around like a social security number at a hacker convention.

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Craps is an absolute blast, and one of the most exciting games in a casino, but it can be intimidating to new players.

We’ve slapped together 10 common craps mistakes made by newbies.

1. Trying to hand cash to a dealer.

Dealers aren’t allowed to take cash from your hand, so simply lay your money on the table. The dealer will give you chips, and you’re ready to stick it to the house.

2. Not holding the dice over the table.

There are lots of rules in casinos, typically intended to either keep people from cheating or employees from stealing. Always keep the dice in sight of the dealers and boxman. We’d explain what a “boxman” is, but it’s not that kind of list.

3. Touching the dice with two hands.

It’s exciting shooting the dice, and if you’re a craps virgin, experienced players are going to love having you shoot the dice, too. Just make sure to only use one hand to shake or throw the dice. Using two hands makes the house nervous (as some cheaters try to switch the dice for loaded ones).

4. Not hitting the back wall.

Throw the dice all the way down, or the dealers will let you hear about it. This ensures each roll is truly random, and there’s no funny business (sometimes called “dice control” or “precision shooting”) going on.

5. Not knowing the chip denomination colors.

We saw this one at a downtown casino recently, and it was adorable. Before you begin play, make sure you know the colors associated with each denomination of chip. Red chips, for example, are typically worth $5. Green are worth $25, and so on. This helps a lot when a helpful dealer says, “If you’d like to bet on 6 and 8, I’ll need $12.” Otherwise, chaos.

6. Holding a drink over the table.

Yes, people sometimes drink when they gamble. That leads to spills, and the felt on table games is especially vulnerable. So, take a sip and place your drink on the special “rail” down below (and don’t forget to tip your waitress). The chip rail is on top, by the way, with ample room for your winnings.

7. Dangling hands over the table.

Seasoned gamblers are very superstitious, especially craps players. Avoid their hard stares by keeping your hands out of the way of the dice. Hands are better put to use clapping in support of hot shooters.

8. Shouting out late bets.

“Get your bets in early!” is a common saying among dealers. Waiting until the last minute to make a bet can cause confusion and delays at the table. Make your bets when the dice are in the middle of the table, before they’re pushed to the shooter.

9. Mistaking dealer placed bets for self-serve.

Some craps bets are made directly by players, and others are made by the dealers. For the most part, anything within arm’s reach is your responsibility. Otherwise, set your chips in the middle of the table (the area marked “Come” is a good spot), and tell the dealer your bet. If you’re confused about which bets are which, just watch and ask questions. You’ll find other players and dealers are very helpful. Note: It’s best not to ask lots of questions during a hot roll. You’ll mess with the mojo.

10. Saying “seven” at the table.

Speaking of mojo, this is one of the worst transgressions a new craps player can make. Don’t say the word “seven” out loud at the craps table. Our hands are actually shaking just typing that word. Part of the fun of craps is learning the rituals of the game, the jargon, the ridiculous rules and superstitions. This isn’t one of the ridiculous ones, by the way. Don’t say “seven”! Just trust us, we are a Las Vegas blog.

Now that you know some of the gaffs new craps players make, you can avoid them and take part in one of the most thrilling casino games, ever.

Remember to have fun stick to the basics of the game when you’re first starting out.

Catch a hot roll and you could reach legend status in a mere three to four hours. Actual results may vary.

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Craps is one of the most lively games in a Las Vegas casino, and it’s also one of the games with the most colorful jargon.

Over the decades, craps dealers (many of them bored out of their skulls) have come up with clever ways of calling out dice numbers, often based upon rhymes.

Here’s a collection of our favorite names for dice combinations in craps.

Many of the slang terms for craps numbers have fascinating stories behind them. We obviously won’t be talking about those here, because we have a reputation to preserve.

An “Australian yo” is called that because on the opposite sides (“down under”) of a 1 and 2 are a 6 and 5. Those total 11, and “yo” is another name for 11. It’s called “yo” because it’s bad luck to say “seven” at a craps table. Please keep up.

It’s the “lumber number” (2-4) because of 2-by-4s, woodwise.

A “ballerina” is called that because, wait for it, two 2s sound like “tutu.” Hey, we didn’t say this was rocket science.

A 4-5 combination is called a “Jesse James” because the notorious outlaw was shot with a .45 caliber pistol.

A pair of threes is called “Brooklyn Forest” because, wait for it, “two trees.” The reference may date back to the 1943 novel, “A Tree Grows in Brooklyn.”

An easy six (a five and one) is sometimes called “alien handshake.”

A pair of fives can also be called as a “pair of sunflowers.”

At one time, the 3-2 combo was called “O.J.” (his uniform number was 32), before, you know, he murdered people. Now, the script has been flipped, and that combo reversed is 2-3, or Michael Jordan’s uniform number, 23.

Craps, of course, is a male-dominated game, so we hear the roll of 2-3 is also known as the “waitress roll,” because it’s a “pair and a tray.”

Naturally, our list isn’t complete. Names like “boxcars” for 12 have sometimes been replaced with colorful counterparts. A 12 can also be referred to as “all the spots we got.”

Thanks to our reader James H. for this gem: A roll of three is sometimes called a “shocker,” because its a two and a one. Saucy!

Reader Jonathan T. says he’s heard dealer refer to the hard six as “Colombian breakfast” because, well, two lines.

The post Colorful Nicknames for Dice Combinations in Craps appeared first on Vital Vegas.

At a crowded Las Vegas craps table, things can get crazy. Dealers have developed a shorthand to communicate with each other, including ways of describing where players are positioned at the table.

Sometimes you’ll hear dealers use the term “on the hook.”

This refers to the corners of the craps table, usually the corners on the same side as the “stickman” (the dealer who retrieves the dice, calls out the numbers and places proposition bets).

Since a player at any of the table’s four corners is said to be “on the hook,” dealers sometimes qualify the term as “inside hook” (corners across the table from the stickman) and “outside hook” (on the same side as the stickman). Learning craps jargon is half the fun of playing. Now you know!

The post Today’s Casino Jargon: “On the Hook” in Craps appeared first on Vital Vegas.

We have no idea why, but the opening of a White Castle on the Las Vegas Strip is one of the most-anticipated events in the history of ever.

White Castle at Casino Royale is scheduled to open by the end of 2014. Or is it? We asked ominously.

First, a look at the fancy new Walgreen’s and expanded Denny’s (the nation’s most profitable) at Casino Royale. No security breach here, as the work can be seen from the sidewalk outside. Which is where most sidewalks are kept, come to think of it.

You can’t miss the newly-expanded Denny’s as it sports a massive, color-shifting fork.

Next to the over-sized fork, you can see the exterior of the future White Castle at Casino Royale, replete with scaffolding, a sight as exciting to this Las Vegas blog as lap dances and construction walls, and not necessarily in that order.

Now, here’s where it gets tricky.

The White Castle space is as locked down as it gets in Las Vegas. There are 12-foot tall construction walls that run the entire length of the casino, plus strategically installed plastic sheeting above that, attached firmly to the ceilings. Zero access, even with a drone. Mission impossible.

Then again, doing the impossible is this blog’s middle name. Which, as you can imagine, is very confusing on our tax forms.

In the casino’s food court area, there was a tiny hole in the plastic, about 14 feet up, we couldn’t resist breaching, hard.

No major revelation here, other than the fact there’s a lot of work to be done before White Castle can open for its surprisingly rabid fans.

After exploring the restaurant perimeter for, oh, an hour, we discovered another tiny opening in the plastic, again 14 feet up. It was just off the casino. What we’re saying is for you, our hapless blog reader, we risked being blacklisted by White Castle. Here’s an exclusive look. At not very much.

It’s never easy to gauge how long a Vegas restaurant will take to launch. Many are bare bones one week and open the next. It remains to be seen if White Castle will open on schedule.

Since we’d already risked Tasing and a body cavity search, we thought we’d point our camera in the direction of Casino Royale’s table game area. To our dismay, there is but a lone remaining craps table in the casino with what we believe are the best craps odds (20x odds) on the Las Vegas Strip.

At one time, there were four craps tables at Casino Royale, and even then it was tough to get a spot most nights.

Oh, the times they are a changing at Casino Royale. Bigger Denny’s. New Walgreen’s. New White Castle. And a serious reduction in craps tables.

By the way, Casino Royale isn’t even the Casino Royale anymore! Since last year, it’s been the Best Western Plus Casino Royale, because that rolls off the tongue, doesn’t it?

Craps sadness aside, it’s great to see some new life at Casino Royale. The casino is the last of a dying breed on The Strip. The hooch is cheap, the dealers are surly and soon, there will be tiny, square burgers. Which we plan to breach a dozen of the first day White Castle opens. The things we do for you.

The post We Security Breached the Crap Out of White Castle at Casino Royale appeared first on Vital Vegas.

Downtown Grand, formerly Lady Luck, opened on October 27, 2013. Even before the hotel’s grand re-opening, there was buzz about a new game to be offered at Downtown Grand: Street Dice.

The much-talked-about game will finally debut to the public on Friday, May 16 at 6:00 p.m., and we’ve got a first look at the game Downtown Grand touted as “unprecedented,” “crazy fun” and “unlike anything Vegas has ever seen,” which is technically the same thing as “unprecedented,” but let’s not get bogged down in details. Behold, Street Dice!

We should get something out of the way right up front: The name “Street Dice” is a misnomer. The game is played on the sidewalk outside Downtown Grand, not on the street.

Street Dice is, as advertised, unprecedented. And it can only be found at Downtown Grand at the moment.

It’s played on a special table, with a unique layout, and the dice are thrown against a large, enclosed, simulated wall.

Yeah, rumors of the dice being thrown against an actual wall appear to have been thwarted by the Nevada Gaming Commission. At one time, the game was going to face the wall of Downtown Grand, but regulators nixed that, so the game was turned parallel to the wall.

The dice used in the game are not, as was predicted by many (including this Las Vegas blog), larger-than-life dice. No fuzzy dice. No inflatable dice. No epic dice. Just, you know dice, although they’re about twice the size of regular craps dice. They’re the largest legal casino dice, apparently.

The dice are retrieved by a “stick” of sorts, but it’s really one of those grabber thingys you use to get objects off the high-up shelves in your kitchen.

Now, for the layout and game play.

Players make their basic bet, then throw the dice. Go ahead and set them if you like. The “wall” you’re shooting against is 10 feet away, so controlling the dice would be beyond impossible.

If you roll a 2, 3 or 12 on the first roll, you lose your bet. A seven is a “push.” Only an 11 wins on the first roll (it pays even money).

If you roll something other than those numbers, the dealer marks the point, and you have three rolls to hit the number again. There’s a digital counter on the wall that counts down from three.

Payouts on the numbers, if hit, vary based upon which roll it is, first, second or third. For the numbers 4 and 10, hitting the number on the first roll pays 5-to-1, second roll pays 4-to-1 and third roll pays 3-to-1. For 5 and 9, hitting the number on the first roll pays 4-to-1, second roll pays 3-to-1 and third roll pays 2-to-1. For 6 and 8 (the most commonly-rolled numbers, after seven), hitting the number on the first roll pays 3-to-1, second roll pays 2-to-1 and third roll pays even money.

If you roll a seven (the most commonly-rolled number) after the point has been established, you lose your bet.

So, hit your point (win), “seven out” (lose) or fail to hit the point in three rolls (lose), and you start all over again.

The casino has wisely put the rules and payouts right on the layout, so even the drunkest of us can keep track of our wins and losses. Especially that last thing.

That’s pretty much it. Easy game, easy payout table. To illustrate the simplicity of the game, we grabbed these photos as dealers (presumably dice dealers in the main casino) were being trained to run Street Dice, and their entire training took less than five minutes.

The straightforward nature of Street Dice at Downtown Grand should make it accessible to people intimidated by traditional craps, as well as those with far too much disposable income.

There’s one side bet in the game, just to keep things interesting.

The side bet in Street Craps is called a “Brick Bet” (again, no actual bricks, and this bet must be made before the start of a roll). It pays if an established point of 4, 6 , 8 or 10 hits as a pair, or “hard way,” within three rolls. On the “come out,” or set-the-point roll, 2, 3, 5, 9 and 12 lose, as those aren’t among the four numbers (4, 6, 8, 10) that can be made the hard way. A roll of 7 loses, too. An 11 on the set-point roll is a push. A winning “Brick Bet” pays 25-to-1.

So, will we play Street Dice when it makes its grand entrance at Downtown Grand? Yes! Do we expect to win? Hell, no!

Street Dice isn’t about winning. It’s about having fun, and it’s about playing a casino game outside. It’s a novelty, and it will definitely garner some interest as a one-of-a-kind table game.

Unfortunately, Street Dice’s hype doesn’t appear to match the final product (imagine that in Las Vegas), so we’re going out on a limb to say there won’t be much of a wait to play.

Downtown Grand can’t seem to overcome its challenging location, despite a number of excellent offerings nearby (including Pizza Rock and Triple George, both outstanding restaurants), and it’s unlikely Street Dice will have much impact there. Downtown Grand’s restaurants, like Stewart + Ogden, have improved a lot since the hotel opened, but even vastly improved food can’t seem to help the hotel’s struggling casino.

When it comes to Downtown Grand, we tend to follow the philosophy below.

Still, we love us some Vegas newness, and we’re looking forward to trying Street Dice during the last few moderate days of spring before Las Vegas slips into its predictable 100-degrees-plus summer. (When an outdoor table gets hot in Vegas, it really gets hot!)

Will you try your hand at Street Dice? If you do, we’d love to hear about your experience.

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