The Any Seven Bet
| And the Title of Worst Bet in Craps Goes to… Any Seven
Any Seven is one of the multiple betting options available to craps players and is pretty straightforward. It is a one-roll wager resolved after a single toss of the dice, which renders it suitable for gamblers looking for some fast-paced action. As you can perhaps tell by the name, the shooter must roll any combination of 7 for this bet to pay out, and 7 has the highest number of possible permutations when two dice are in play.
This is where the advantages of the Any Seven wager end. No experienced player in their right mind would make this bet and we assure you there is a very good reason. Despite its high number of possible winning combinations, the Any Seven offers some of the poorest odds not only in craps but in table games in general.
The house edge this wager yields exceeds 16%, which is yet another reason to avoid placing it. This article provides a detailed explanation of how the Any Seven works, along with some strategies bettors commonly implement when making this wager. With that said, we should warn you that no strategy can help you overcome the monstrous house edge of the Any Seven bet.
Any Seven Bet Explained
The Any Seven Bet is quite easy to understand when you think about it. It is a bet on whether or not the next roll of the dice will result in a combination of seven. This means that any of the six possible dice combinations that form a total of seven will count toward this wager. This is convenient since seven is the most common number to be rolled in the game of craps.
Chips for this wager are posted in the corresponding box at the center of the layout, though the bet itself is not placed by the player, but rather by the stickman. Moreover, it is commonly announced as “The Big Red”, a nickname that it has acquired over the years. Pronouncing the word “seven” at a craps table will ruffle feathers and is considered a serious breach of etiquette, so this nickname is used instead.
This is one of the simplest bets in craps and as such, is accessible to just about anyone. It is also easy to understand by inexperienced craps players. However, there is more to this bet than meets the eye. For a more detailed explanation, proceed to the next section where we cover the statistical advantage of the casino and the discrepancies between true and house odds for the Any Seven bet.
Odds and House Edge
In terms of odds, you will find that the Any Seven is hardly an attractive wager when compared to other bets available at the craps table. There are several reasons for this but it mostly has to do with the discrepancy between the true odds of winning and the payouts awarded by the casino. For starters, there are 36 possible dice combinations in craps, while the winning outcomes for a 7 are only six – 1-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4 and 4-3. As a result, the odds of winning this bet are one in six rolls or in other words, 1 to 5. The real-world mathematical probability of winning a bet is referred to as true odds. However, they differ from the casino odds – the payout ratio for a given bet.
The payout for a winning Any Seven bet is 4 to 1, i.e. it is lower than the true odds. This discrepancy in the odds gives the house a long-term edge over players and is the main source of revenue for online and landbased casinos alike. The statistical advantage guarantees that while the house might lose some money in the short term, it will make up for that in the long run. Moreover, this is what makes it viable for a casino to pay out large amounts to lucky gamblers and still make a profit. The house is guaranteed to compensate for such windfalls by collecting a percentage of all money wagered. This is also where the sayings ‘The house always wins’ and ‘Quit while you’re ahead’ come from.
Said percentage represents the house edge and the lower it is, the better for the player. The significant gap between house odds and true odds for the Any Seven becomes problematic as it gives the casino an enormous advantage. On average, the house retains a few percent of all money wagered, usually between 2% and 3% but it all depends on the game. Blackjack usually has a house edge of around 0.5%, which makes it a nearly break-even game. At the other end of the spectrum, we have games like American Roulette where the house advantage is 5.26%. But the Any Seven bet in craps goes much further than any other betting option available in table games, sporting a horrifyinghouse advantage of 16.67%.
This number is calculated using the following formula:
(Odds Against Winning – Casino Odds) * Probability of Winning * 100 = House Edge %
This number represents the percentage of all money players will lose to the Any Seven bet in the long run. Basically, for every $100 wagered, $16.67 will be lost over time. Granted, the house edge only comes into effect after hundreds of thousands of rolls but this bet still gives you some of the worst odds in the casino and there are several other craps bets that share the same house edge.
Strategies with the Any Seven Bet
Many gamblers out there like to incorporate betting strategies when playing casino games and the same tactics can be applied in craps for the Any Seven bet. Many of these strategies are intended for even-money bets like those on the Pass Line, but you can still use them for this wager. Keep in mind these generally do not reduce the house edge grinding against you and have no impact on your winning odds. The only effective strategy that can prevent you from losing money with this bet is never making it in the first place.
The Martingale System
The Martingale is one of the world’s most popular betting systems and is applicable across a wide range of casino games. While it is most commonly used with even money wagers, you can also implement it when betting on Any Seven in craps. The idea behind the Martingale is simple enough – all you have to do is double the size of your bet after you lose. This will allow you to recoup all previous losses as soon as you make a winning wager. However, there is something else you need to take into account, namely that this system can only make back what you lost rather than bring in any additional winnings.
Moreover, the Martingale can have you racking up larger and larger losses quickly during particularly bad losing streaks. It is possible to hit the table limit or simply run out of money to double your bets with. These are all realistic possibilities when using the Martingale, especially when your bet has a 6/36 chance of winning. If you do decide to utilize the Martingale system then be sure to practice self-control and proper money management.
d’Alembert
The d’Alembert is another betting system that uses a negative progression but this one is much flatter and will not have you running to the ATM if things go bad quickly. The basic principle of the d’Alembert is that you start with a bet of one unit, the value of which you must pick yourself. After every losing bet you make, you must simply increase the size of your wager by one unit. After you win, you should reduce your stake, either by a single unit or by as much as you feel necessary.
The beauty of this betting system is that it is much more conservative than the Martingale and will also help you recoup some of your losses from bad streaks, which all gamblers experience at some point. While the benefit-to-risk ratio is somewhat lower with the d’Alembert, the likelihood of hitting the table limits before scoring a win is also significantly reduced. This makes this system a favorite in the gambling world and players from all over the globe implement it during their betting sessions. Nevertheless, you should still be mindful of the table limits and end your sessions before you lose your shirt.
Oscar’s Grind
A system primarily intended for roulette, the Oscar’s Grind has only recently entered the casino mainstream. Despite that, it has already acquired a significant fan base and you will find many gamblers applying it at the tables. It is also applicable to non-even-money wagers like the Any Seven bet in craps.
The premise of the system relies on cycles where you bet a single unit until you score a win. Afterward, you must increase the size of your stake again by a single unit and continue betting until you achieve a profit of one unit. Whenever you make this small profit, simply end the cycle and start again.
While this is not realistically feasible, it does mean that this system can be profitable given the right conditions. The main negative of the Oscar’s Grind is that you continue placing the same bet until you win and will only see nominal profits after a little while. One could argue this betting system offers too small of a profit for the risk of ruin it involves but risk is an inherent part of gambling, after all. We are certain that with a little disciple and good bankroll management you could see some decent results with this system when you apply it to craps bets with lower house edges.
Is the Any Seven Bet Worth It?
Now comes the question of whether or not the Any Seven bet is worth placing. Based on the calculations above, it is easy to conclude this bet is not worth your money. The house edge is simply outrageous regardless of what standard you hold. Even the highest house edge in double-zero roulette (7.89%) does not come close to that of the Any Seven wager.
The payout for this bet does not correspond to the risk you take when placing it. Everyone with a common sense would agree 16.67% is an enormous disadvantage, so you should seriously consider placing other bets. Of course, if you do end up betting on Any Seven, doing it once or twice will hardly bankrupt you. However, if you have not won after the third consecutive bet, it is recommended that you drop this wager in favor of another. There are plenty of betting options in craps that have much better payout rates and lower house advantages. Taking and laying free odds are two great examples as they have no house edge at all. Pass Line wagers also offer good odds of winning as their house edges do not exceed 1.5%.
Conclusion
Having covered all of the points above, the conclusion regarding the Any Seven wager is clear. Placing this bet is obviously a bad idea, considering its incredibly high house edge of 16.67% and the overall risk it involves. While the Any Seven does offer a higher payout than even-odds wagers, you will end up losing more money in the long run. If you do insist on betting on the Any Seven for entertainment purposes, make sure you do so only occasionally and with small amounts. The house edge starts to manifests itself after hundreds of thousands of rounds, so you can win even with the Any Seven in the short term.
Our recommendation is to stick to other types of bets that offer you better odds and have smaller house edges. Be sure to check the rest of the articles from the craps guide featured on our website.
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