What does 7 11 mean in casino?

My friend, as a fellow gaming and data enthusiast, I know you‘ll appreciate the special significance of 7 and 11 in the casino game of craps. Let‘s nerd out on the numbers that make this dice game legendary!

Craps is a fast-paced and hugely popular casino attraction, where players cheer and shout around the tables, riding emotional highs and lows with each roll of the dice. At its core is the iconic battle between the "natural" target rolls of 7 and 11, and the dreaded "seven out" that can dash hopes in an instant.

After studying craps for years and crunching the data, I can tell you these two numbers are the pillars holding up the temple of craps. Master them, and you‘ll be equipped to conquer the tables!

A Detailed Overview of How Craps is Played

Before diving into 7 and 11 specifically, let‘s overview the basic flow of craps:

Craps is played with two standard six-sided dice, shaken and rolled by the designated "shooter"
Players can bet on various outcomes, but the main bet is the pass line
The shooter‘s first roll starts a new round and is called the "come out roll"
If a 7 or an 11 is rolled on the come out, pass line bets win instantly
If a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, pass line bets lose instantly
Any other number becomes the "point" – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10
To win, the shooter must now roll the point number again before a 7
If they roll a 7 first, they "seven out" and all pass line bets lose
After a win or loss, play starts over with a new "come out roll"

Phew, even just summarizing the rules makes my head spin! Now that you‘ve got the gist of how play unfolds, let‘s dig into why 7 and 11 are so special in craps.

Why 7 and 11 Are Considered Lucky Numbers in Craps

There are a few key reasons why 7 and 11 have become synonymous with good fortune and favorable outcomes in the craps world:

7 is the Most Probable Dice Roll

With two six-sided dice in play, there are 36 possible number combinations. Out of those 36 combos, a roll totaling 7 has a probability of 16.67% – higher than any other result.

This makes 7 the most likely roll in craps, coming up on average once every 6 rolls. That frequent appearance has associated it with luck.

11 Has a Low Probability

While 7 is the most probable, an 11 is one of the least likely results, occurring just 2.78% of the time out of 36 combinations.

Because 11 comes up less frequently, landing one feels extraordinarily lucky, like beating the odds. This rarity has added to its aura of good fortune.

They Win Instantly on the Come Out Roll

When either a 7 or 11 is rolled on the all-important come out roll, it instantly wins for Pass Line bettors.

This quick payout right out the gate gives players an immediate win. Even a "probable" 7 brings a rush of excitement when it comes on the come out and stacks the chips in your favor early.

7 "Resets" the Game, Offering New Hope

In addition to winning on come outs, a roll of 7 at any point signifies the end of that round. While it means a loss for many bets, the 7 also wipes the slate clean to start over fresh.

This gives shooters and players a renewed sense of hope and anticipation for the next come out, rebooting the game.

The Odds and Payouts are in Your Favor

Not only are their probabilities favoring the player, but the payouts on 7 and 11 bets are also quite lucrative, especially on the come out.

Winning a Pass Line bet pays even money, but rolling your way to 11 earns a higher 15 to 1 payout in most casinos. Even the frequent 7 will net big money when catching it on specialty one-roll bets like Any Seven.

So in summary, the combination of high probabilities, instant wins, reset potential, and enticing payouts has cemented 7 and 11 as the "luckiest" results in craps over centuries of play. Let‘s explore exactly why they matter so much within the game.

The Significance of Rolling 7 or 11 in Craps

Beyond the come out, 7 and 11 hold differing levels of importance on subsequent rolls in a craps round:

7 on the Come Out

A 7 rolled on the come out is a direct win for Pass Line and Come bets
Shooters try to "hit a seven" right away to start out hot
Dealers often pay out this win saying "winner seven"

11 on the Come Out

"Yo eleven!" – Hitting an 11 on the come out also wins instantly
Because it‘s rarer than a 7, loud cheers and excitement follow
Wins Pass Line bets and any specialty 11 bets

7 After the Point is Set

If the shooter has already established a point number, a 7 ends the round in a "seven out"
Known as "losing seven" from pass line perspective
Seven outs are inevitable statistically, but still painful

11 After the Point is Set

Unlike the 7, if an 11 is rolled after the point, it has no impact
Only repeating the point number can win for pass line after it‘s set
An 11 won‘t lose you bets, but won‘t win either at this stage

So in craps, both 7 and 11 hold power on the initial come out roll, but veer in different directions after that. Now let‘s look at some of the specialty bets placing particular value on these two numbers.

Types of Bets Involving 7 and 11

While almost every wager relates in some way to 7 and 11, here are some that specifically bank on them:

Pass Line Bet

This is the most popular and basic craps bet, offered at every table. It wins if 7 or 11 rolls on come out, and loses if 2, 3, or 12 come out instead.

Don‘t Pass Bet

The opposite of Pass Line, you lose if 7 or 11 hits on come out, but win if 2 or 3 roll instead.

Any Seven Bet

This bets that the very next roll will be a 7 specifically, paying out 4:1 if it does. The house edge is 16.67%.

Any Eleven Bet

You‘re betting only on 11 for the next roll, earning a big 15:1 payout if it lands. House edge is 11.11%.

Yo Eleven Bet

A one-roll prop bet on 11 with 15:1 odds. Typically placed on come outs hoping to capitalize on an 11 before a decision point.

Hardway Bets

These wagers focus on rolling 7 or 11 "the hard way" before a 7 the easy way. Hard 7 pays 9:1, Hard 11 pays 15:1.

Next let‘s check out the payouts on these 7 and 11 focused bets.

Payout Odds and Probabilities for 7 and 11 Bets

Here are the key payouts along with probability percentages for these signature craps wagers:

Bet	Payout Odds	Probability	House Edge
Pass Line 7 or 11	1:1	16.67% (7) / 2.78% (11)	1.41%
Any Seven	4:1	16.67%	16.67%
Any Eleven	15:1	2.78%	11.11%
Hard 7	9:1	0.46%	11.11%
Hard 11	15:1	0.07%	11.11%

With Pass Line you sacrifice some payout for better probability. The Any 7 and Any 11 allow you to leverage those likelihoods for bigger wins. Hardways lengthen the odds but offer juicy 15 to 1 payouts.

And for easy reference, here are the probabilities of rolling each number combination with two dice:

Dice Total	Probability
7	16.67%
6 or 8	13.89%
5 or 9	11.11%
4 or 10	8.33%
3 or 11	2.78%
2 or 12	2.78%

Use these probabilities to guide your bets based on the likelihood of different results. Now let‘s liven up the lingo around 7 and 11 in craps!

Common Craps Calls and Lingo for Rolling 7 and 11

The rowdy craps atmosphere lends itself to some distinctive lingo and calls you‘ll hear shouted when the dice hit 7 or 11:

"Seven out" – Means a 7 rolled, so the round ends. Often elicits groans.
"Winner seven" – You‘ll hear this when a 7 wins for the Pass Line on come out.
"Yo eleven!" – Dealers or players shout this when an 11 lands on a come out roll.
"Give that man a yo!" – Said when someone hits and wins with an 11 bet.
"Easy way" – A 7 rolled as a 6 and 1, or 5 and 2, instead of a pair.
"Hard way seven" – When a 7 comes as 3+4 or 2+5. Big payout for Hardway bettors.
"Jimmy Hicks" – Slang for a Hard 8, sounding like "Hard 6". Can apply to Hard 7 too.
"Snake eyes!" – The cry when landing a 2, since they look like a pair of snake eyes.

Part of the fun is soaking up the ecstatic vibe when the table gets hot with 7s and yos bouncing around!

Now, any craps scholar knows a bit of history and mythos has also built up around these lucky digits over centuries…

History and Folklore Related to Lucky 7s and 11s

Beyond the table stats, the prominence of 7 and 11 in craps has created some fascinating lore:

Ancient Roman legend says Roman soldiers played a dice gambling game, praying to the gods for an "eleven" win in battle. This may be an early precursor to modern craps.
Interestingly, 7 is seen as an unlucky number in many cultures, contrasting sharply with its craps meaning. Some believe this negative symbolism even dates back to the Bible.
Slot machines boosted 777 to prominence as THE luckiest triple digit combo, helped by the frequency advantage of 7s. This carried over to craps superstitions.
Players today have countless rituals believed to "make" 7 or 11 roll, from blowing on dice, to table etiquette, to charms and trinkets.
Dealers and seasoned players still track "hot" craps tables where 7s and 11s seem to be hitting frequently, believing they‘re caught in a wave of runs. This fuels craps‘ atmosphere.

So in the casino world, 7 and 11 represent reversing the curse of 7 as an unlucky number – a truly fascinating dichotomy!

Tips and Strategies for Capitalizing on 7 and 11

As a craps expert, you‘re equipped to strategize and benefit from 7/11 probabilities better than the average player. Here are my recommended tips:

Make Pass Line bets to maximize wins on 7/11 on come outs, while limiting losses on other rolls.
Consider laying odds on Pass Line after point is set – lowers house edge and gets true odds payouts.
Place Any Seven or Eleven bets selectively when table seems hot, capitalizing on shooter trends.
Throw some chips on Hard 7 and 11 bets when shooters consistently roll pairs and points.
Avoid getting overconfident increasing bets. Stick to loss limits, and watch bankroll.
Follow shooter patterns, but rely more on statistical odds than emotions or superstitions.
Use Odds bet to hedge Pass Line bet after point is set.
Practice tossing dice to intentionally avoid 7 if you become the shooter.

Mastering craps is an art form – part statistics analysis, part psychology, and part letting the randomness of the dice fly! Keep these 7 and 11 insights handy, stay cool under pressure, and you‘ll rise above average players.

I live for that moment of collective elation when a yo eleven rings out across the tables. It instantly makes winners of us all in that shared game experience. And for me, the lure of chasing those fleeting bursts of fortune will keep me rolling the bones for years to come.

Let me know if you want to hit the craps tables soon. We‘ll put our 7 and 11 expertise to work and have some fun!