Part II: Table Game Cheating · Dice & Craps Cheating Methods

Tops and Bottoms / Mis-Spotted Dice

How it works

Dice that have duplicate numbers on opposing faces instead of the standard arrangement where all opposing sides add up to seven. On a legitimate die, the opposing faces are 1-6, 2-5, and 3-4. On a “tops” die, these pairings are altered - for example, a die may only have 4s, 5s, and 6s on its faces (with duplicates on opposite sides). When two tops dice are paired together, they can be designed to never produce certain totals (such as 2, 3, 7, or 12 - the numbers that lose for a pass-line bettor (2, 3 or 12 on the come-out roll, 7 after a point is set)). A pair with duplicate sides of 1, 5, 6 on one die and 3, 4, 5 on the other will never produce 2, 3, 7, or 12. Other variations include “door pops” that only roll 7 or 11 (one die spotted with 6s and 2s, the other all 5s). Double-number dice have two sides of the same number (e.g., double deuces have two 2-spots and no 5). A pair spotted 1-2-3 on one die and 4-5-6 on the other throws a 7 one time in three, twice as often as fair dice.

Where it appears

Street Craps, Private Games, Casino Craps (with switch)

On the record

A 1974 episode of the TV drama “Police Story” (“The Gamble”) described tops that have no 7s.

Published as a detection reference for surveillance, compliance and gaming-operations professionals. Thresholds and tuning are set by the property. Nothing here is instruction: the method is described so it can be recognised.