And then there were three!
After an incredible response from readers and casino fans across the country, Round 2 of the 2026 Casino Chef Showdown is officially underway. Voting is now open and continues through Friday, July 17, giving you one more opportunity to help crown this year’s Culinary King of the Casino, and another chance to win a Casino Getaway!
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In blackjack, few decisions create more anxiety — or opportunity — than the split. The concept appears simple: when dealt two cards of identical rank, a player may separate them into two independent hands by placing an additional wager equal to the original bet. Yet mathematically, splitting is one of the most nuanced and strategically valuable tools in the game. Proper splitting decisions can significantly reduce the house edge, while poor ones can quickly compound losses.
Craps is one of the most psychologically fascinating games in the casino because the energy of the table often overrides the mathematics of the wagers. Players cheer for hot rolls, celebrate long streaks, and emotionally align themselves with the shooter. Yet from a purely statistical perspective, one of the strongest bets in the casino is rooted in betting against that excitement: the Don’t Pass line.
The Don’t Pass bet is effectively the inverse of the Pass Line. Instead of wagering that the shooter will establish and successfully make a point, the bettor is wagering that the shooter will fail. Emotionally, many players dislike the wager because it positions them against the table’s momentum. Mathematically, however, it is one of the lowest-house-edge bets available in craps.
On the come-out roll, the Don’t Pass loses immediately if the shooter rolls 7 or 11, but wins if the shooter rolls 2 or 3. A roll of 12 typically results in a push. Once a point is established — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 — the Don’t Pass bettor wins if a 7 appears before the point repeats.
Craps delivers raw excitement on Southern and Midwest casino floors. The clatter of dice and cheers from the rail draw crowds from Biloxi to Michigan, where the game echoes its medieval and frontier roots.
Craps evolved from the English game Hazard, which dates to at least the 12th–14th centuries, possibly during the Crusades. Legend credits English knights, perhaps led by Sir William of Tyre, with creating Hazard while besieging the Syrian castle “Hazarth.” They gambled to pass the time, and the name may derive from that siege or the Arabic “al-zahr” (dice).
Hazard was complex, with players choosing a “main” number and betting on rolls. French players called losing rolls of 2 or 3 “crabs,” leading to the term “craps.” Another theory ties “craps” to “crapaud” (French for toad), describing players crouched like frogs on sidewalks for street versions.
