What's the Deal with the Lakeside's Longest Crap Table?

I just read an article advising of the auction of assets at the Lakeside Inn at Tahoe South Shore. One item is described as “The longest craps table in Nevada.” I had assumed that because of regulation by Gaming Control that tables would have to be a standard size to assure uniformity from casino to casino. What’s the deal?

The Nevada Gaming Control Board’s Michael Lawton informs us that there is no uniform requirement for the dimensions of a crap table.

The casino in question, the Lakeside Inn, was a terminal casualty of the pandemic. Also, the owners, some of whom are in their eighties and nineties, decided it was time to pack it in. As a result, the Lakeside (formerly known as the Caesars Inn, Fabulous Eddie’s Stardust Club, Tahoe Sky Harbor, and Harvey's Inn) is being auctioned off lock, stock and crap table. That includes an 18-foot-long crap table, the Silver State’s longest.

"The original owners had it custom made," casino co-president Stacy Noyes told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "They had a small pit and couldn't have two tables, so instead they made one big table, so it could fit more people, but take up less room.”

It could certainly fit more people and take up less room, but it probably wasn't particularly comfortable, at least from the staff’s standpoint.

Talking about crap tables in general, gaming expert Bill Zender says, “If memory serves me correctly, the two common sizes of crap tables were 12 feet and 14 feet. They both fit up to eight players on an end, but the 12-foot tables were easier for the shorter guys and women to deal on. The 14-footers were considered large, and at six feet tall, I had some problems reaching the line odds next to the stick.

“I can see how an 18-foot-table could be used to accommodate a large number of customers," Zender adds. "But it would be extremely tough to deal, for taller dice dealers. That would include working the stick position, which would require extra long dice sticks.”

We sympathize with anyone working as a dealer on this once — and future? — behemoth.

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albatross Mar-22-2021

Craps Table

If I recall the one at Colorado Belle in Laughlin was pretty big(I went last year before they closed) and the Dice were bigger than normal and white so they can be seen from far away.

Pappy T Mar-22-2021

PappyT

Going to other way, I was always intrigued by the "Half Crap Table" found at the Paragon Casino Resort in Marksville, LA. It took a little time to get used to, and the dice always seemed to get stuck in the corners. But I thought it should be fairly easy for controlled throwers because of the short length, which, unfortunately, I am not!

jay Mar-22-2021

Uniformity Matters

As a dice player you try and control your throw so it hits the end and bounces back in a predictable manner. If your throwing 12 vs 14 there is going to be a lot of variance, but the same could be said of the size of the dice. 18’ is insane. Carnivals have long known this and manipulate their throwing games such as basketball by using non regulation sized balls, smaller hoop sizes and weird heights.

Terrance Mar-22-2021

How much?

I looked at the auction which has ended, curious how much it sold for. prices were not included in the auction info.

Adam Cohen Mar-22-2021

Half table

If memory serves me right Ellis Island had a half table

gaattc2001 Mar-22-2021

I remember Harvey's Wagon Wheel from the late 1960's.

It was the site of the famous 1980 bombing, and is now a Caesars property--but it's not the same. 
Apparently the same family once owned the much smaller Harvey's Inn but sold it and it later became the Lakeside [2].

The one time since then that I was back in the Tahoe area, I purposely avoided South Shore because I'd rather remember it as it was--and the same more recently with downtown Las Vegas.

And to Adam Cohen: I also remember the half-crap table at Ellis Island, but haven't been there in a while either. Don't remember how many they had running it; probably at least the stickman and one dealer. And of course the modern trend is toward the automated version with the big bouncing dice and no dealers at all.

1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harveys_Lake_Tahoe
2. https://www.tahoedailytribune.com/news/lakeside-inn-and-casino-to-stay-permanently-closed/

Pat Higgins Mar-22-2021

Big tex

Have played craps on a 12 foot table early morning during the week where one side was closed and a board was placed about 6 /1/2 feet from the open end.  The board was as tall as the inside of the craps table.  The board had pyramids like the end of a craps table.   Only one employee was running the game.  Only the players at the end of the table could roll—several players were standing next to the board that was put across the table.  I am 6 ft 3 inches & when I reached out my throwing distance was only about 3 feet.  We all made good money and they removed the board and brought in more dealers.  We colored up and left.  

This was in Reno and I believe that casino has closed or rebranded.

Next mornings only half table open.  When we showed up they opened up the whole table.  We left.

Th

The next morning we returned & they immediately

Donzack Mar-22-2021

Single ended table

I remember Harrah’s Laughlin having single ended craps tables and sit down craps tables. Maybe thirty years ago?

Jxs Mar-22-2021

Craps tubs

Responding to some of the comments above- as far as I know there aren’t anymore single-dealer craps “tubs” left in Vegas. Ellis Island’s is long gone. So is Casino Royale’s (they last had a full size table, now they don’t have any table games). The Boardwalk had a great one that we used to crush and always get heat about setting the dice. RIP.

rokgpsman Mar-22-2021

Longer craps table

The last time I was there the craps tables at the California in downtown Las Vegas on Fremont St look longer than standard size. A lot of players, esp women, had trouble getting the dice all the way down to the end. But that place is pretty friendly with Hawaiian vibe so there wasn't much stickman chatter about it.

Question of the Day - 22 March 2021

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