Dice Sliding vs. Dice Control in Craps: One Is Illegal, One Is Debated

In 2011, two Argentine gamblers named Leo Fernandez and Veronica Dabul walked out of the Wynn in Las Vegas with over $700,000 in craps winnings. Their secret? One of them slid a die across the felt while the other created a distraction. The casino caught on. Both were arrested. The money was seized.

That’s the short version of the dice sliding story, and it illustrates a hard line in craps: there’s a clear difference between trying to influence the dice (legal, debated) and manipulating them through deception (illegal, prosecutable). Dice control, also called controlled shooting, involves holding the dice in a specific set and delivering them with a consistent throw. Casinos allow it because they’re not convinced it works.

Dice sliding bypasses the throw entirely, keeping one or both dice from tumbling. Casinos ban it because it demonstrably does work, when you can pull it off. This guide breaks down both techniques, the law, the evidence, and what actually gives you an edge at the craps table.

What Is Dice Sliding?

Dice sliding is exactly what the name suggests: instead of throwing the dice so they tumble randomly across the felt and bounce off the back wall, the player slides one or both dice along the table surface without rotation. If a die doesn’t tumble, the number facing up stays the same. The player pre-sets the top face before the slide and keeps it there.

The most common technique involves sliding one die while legitimately throwing the other. This halves the randomness. If you lock one die on a 5 (for example) and let the other roll freely, you’ve reduced 36 possible dice combinations down to just 6. Your ability to predict or control the outcome jumps dramatically.

How Dice Sliding Actually Works

The slider positions a die with the desired number face-up, then uses a wrist motion that propels the die forward across the felt without any rotation. The smooth surface of a craps table makes this physically possible, though far from easy. The back wall presents the biggest challenge: casino rules require both dice to hit the back wall. A slid die that stops short raises immediate red flags.

Successful sliders often work in pairs. One player distracts the crew (talking to the dealer, making animated bets, leaning across the table) while the other executes the slide. The Fernandez-Dabul team at the Wynn reportedly used this exact approach.

The Fernandez-Dabul Case

Leo Fernandez and Veronica Dabul targeted craps tables at the Wynn in 2011. Their method: Dabul would place bets and engage the crew in conversation while Fernandez handled the dice. He’d slide one die while tossing the other, keeping the slid die on a pre-set number. Over multiple sessions, they accumulated over $700,000.

The Wynn’s surveillance team eventually spotted the pattern. The dice weren’t bouncing naturally. One die consistently maintained the same face. The casino contacted authorities. Both were arrested and charged. The case became one of the most publicized craps cheating incidents of the decade.

What Is Dice Control (Controlled Shooting)?

Dice control, also called controlled shooting, precision shooting, or dice setting, takes a completely different approach. Instead of preventing the dice from tumbling, the player tries to influence how they tumble.

The theory works like this: if you hold the dice in a specific orientation (the “set”), grip them consistently, and deliver them with a smooth, repeatable motion that minimizes rotation and bouncing, you can reduce the frequency of certain outcomes. Specifically, you’re trying to roll fewer 7s. Since the 7 has 6 out of 36 dice combinations and shows up 16.67% of the time with random throws, even a small reduction gives the player an edge on bets like the pass line (1.41% house edge) and place bets.

How Dice Control Works in Practice

The process has three components: the set, the grip, and the delivery.

The set is how you orient the dice before throwing. The most popular for beginners is the “Hard Ways set,” where matching pairs (3-3, 4-4, etc.) face outward on all four visible sides. This set positions the 7-producing faces on the axes of rotation, meaning those faces are less likely to land face-up if the dice rotate cleanly along a single axis.

The grip holds the dice together so they travel as a unit. The standard grip is the “pinch grip,” with four fingers on the front face and the thumb on the back, pressing gently.

The delivery is the throwing motion itself. Controlled shooters aim for a gentle, arcing toss that lands the dice a few inches in front of the back wall. The goal is a soft landing where the dice barely touch the wall rather than slamming into it and bouncing chaotically.

Why Casinos Allow Dice Control

Here’s the part that surprises most people: casinos don’t ban controlled shooting. They allow it, and some even smile about it.

The reason is simple. Craps casinos aren’t convinced it works. The back wall of every craps table is lined with diamond-shaped rubber pyramids specifically designed to randomize the dice. Even if a shooter delivers the dice with perfect form, the moment they hit those pyramids, the rotation and trajectory become chaotic. The casino’s position: the back wall neutralizes any advantage from the set and delivery.

Casino rules require both dice to hit the back wall on every throw. As long as you comply with that rule, you can set the dice however you want, grip them however you want, and throw them however you want. That’s not cheating. That’s playing the game within its rules. For proper throwing etiquette, see our dedicated guide.

Dice Sliding vs. Dice Control: A Direct Comparison

These two techniques couldn’t be more different in execution, legality, and verifiability. Here’s how they stack up.

The irony is hard to miss. The technique that definitively works is illegal. The technique that’s legal hasn’t been definitively proven to work.

Does Dice Control Actually Work? The Evidence

This is the most debated question in craps, and honest answers require acknowledging both sides.

The Case For Dice Control

Authors like Frank Scoblete and Dominator have spent decades advocating for controlled shooting. They’ve written craps books on the topic, run training seminars (the “Golden Touch” program), and appeared on television demonstrating their techniques. Stanford Wong, a respected advantage gambling author known primarily for blackjack analysis, also wrote “Wong on Dice,” which approaches dice control from an analytical perspective.

The proponents argue that even a small reduction in seven frequency creates a player edge. An average (random) shooter produces a Sevens-to-Rolls Ratio (SRR) of 6:1, meaning a 7 appears once every 6 rolls. If a controlled shooter can push that to 6.5:1 or 7:1, the math shifts. The pass line house edge of 1.41% can theoretically flip to a player advantage with an SRR improvement of less than 1 full roll.

The Case Against Dice Control

Mathematician Michael Shackleford (the “Wizard of Odds”) remains skeptical, as do most academic gambling researchers. Their objections focus on three points:

The back wall’s diamond-shaped bumpers are designed to randomize the dice. Any influence from the set and delivery should be largely neutralized on impact.

No controlled laboratory study has demonstrated that a skilled shooter can consistently alter outcomes in casino conditions. Private demonstrations and anecdotal results don’t meet the standard of scientific proof.

The primary proponents of dice control earn significant income from teaching seminars and selling books. This creates an incentive to promote the technique regardless of its actual effectiveness.

The Honest Middle Ground

The truth likely sits between the two camps. Some degree of influence over the dice is probably possible for a small number of highly practiced shooters in specific conditions (close to the wall, soft landing zone, consistent delivery). Whether that influence is large enough to overcome the randomizing effect of the back wall and translate into a real-money edge over thousands of throws is another question entirely.

If you want to experiment with dice control, our dice setting guide covers the popular sets and practice techniques. Just don’t bet your bankroll on it working.

Other Dice Cheating Methods at the Craps Table

Dice sliding isn’t the only form of craps cheating that’s been attempted over the game’s long history. Two other methods have surfaced repeatedly.

Dice Switching

Some cheaters swap the casino’s standard dice with their own altered set during play. The replacement dice might be “topped” (with two faces showing the same number), “shapes” (slightly shaved on one edge to favor certain landings), or otherwise modified. The switch happens through sleight of hand, usually when the shooter picks up the dice.

Casinos combat this with serialized dice (each pair has a unique serial number) and transparent dice that make internal modifications visible. Dealers also inspect dice regularly, and the boxman watches the shooter’s hands closely.

Loaded Dice

Loaded dice have internal weights that bias one face over others. A weight placed near the 6 face, for example, makes the 1 (opposite side) land face-up more often. These are nearly impossible to introduce at a modern casino table because dealers inspect dice before each session and swap them out frequently. Loaded dice are more commonly found in street craps or private games.

How Casinos Detect and Prevent Dice Manipulation

Modern casinos have invested heavily in anti-cheating technology and training. Understanding their defenses explains why dice sliding is so difficult to pull off in 2026 and why dice control, even if it worked, would be tolerated.

Surveillance Systems

Every craps table sits under multiple high-definition cameras that capture the table from different angles. The “eye in the sky” can zoom in on the shooter’s hands, track the dice trajectory, and replay throws in slow motion. Suspicious patterns, like a die that consistently doesn’t tumble or a shooter who repeatedly produces statistically improbable results, trigger review.

Table Design

The diamond-shaped rubber pyramids on the back wall exist specifically to randomize dice. Some newer tables have textured felt near the back wall to further disrupt controlled throws. The table’s length (typically 12 to 14 feet) makes controlling a throw across the full distance extremely difficult.

Staff Training

Dealers, stickmen, and boxmen are trained to watch for short throws, unusual hand positions, excessive dice handling, and inconsistent tumble patterns. If a dealer suspects a slide, they’ll instruct the shooter to throw harder. Persistent issues get escalated to the boxman, who can remove the shooter or call the pit boss.

What Actually Gives You an Edge at Craps

Whether dice control works or not, the proven path to reducing your expected losses at craps has nothing to do with how you throw the dice. It’s about where you put your money.

A pass line bet with maximum free odds gives you a combined house edge of roughly 0.37% with 3x-4x-5x odds. That’s less than 40 cents lost per $100 wagered. No dice control claim has been proven to produce a better result than simply choosing the right bets.

The Three Point Molly strategy keeps three numbers working with max odds on each. The Iron Cross covers every number but 7 for players who want constant action. Solid bankroll management protects your session bank from cold streaks. These are the tools that actually work, provably and legally.

Dice Sliding vs. Dice Control: Play Smart, Not Slick

The craps table offers two ways to try to beat the house with your throw. One lands you in handcuffs. The other might not work at all. Neither is a substitute for the strategy that’s been proven since the first pair of dice hit a craps table: put your money on the lowest-edge bets, back them with free odds, and manage your bankroll with discipline.

If dice control interests you, explore it. Practice at home. Track your SRR over thousands of throws. Read the best craps books on the subject. But build your core game around bet selection, not throwing technique. And leave dice sliding where it belongs: in the “things that will get you arrested” category. Practice everything on our free craps simulator and bring legitimate, math-backed confidence to your next live session.

Best Online Craps Casinos (Last Updated April 2026)

Show More (11)

Dice Sliding vs. Dice Control FAQs