Most people will have heard the term ‘snake eyes’ in some form or other, usually in the context of bad luck. But what is the exact meaning of the phrase, when did it start being used, and why has it become such a well-used phrase in the culture? We have the answers!
In gambling and dice games, the term ‘snake eyes’ refers to a roll of two dice where each die lands on one. The two pips look like a pair of eyes, and ‘snake’ is used because this outcome is generally seen as being unfortunate or unlucky.
The reason snake eyes is regarded as being a particularly unlucky roll is that 2 is one of the less likely combos to roll with a pair of dice. In fact as you can see from the equation below you have a less than 3% of hitting a pair of ones when you roll the dice:
P(Snake Eyes) = 1/6 ×1/6 =1/36 ≈ 2.78%
Origin of the Term ‘Snake Eyes’
In the game of craps in particular, a roll of two ones is one of the ‘craps numbers’ (2, 3 and 12) which will result in a loss for the popular Pass Line bet on the Come Out roll. For that reason, snake eyes is generally bad news for players around the craps table and its appearance will result in groans of dismay.
According to the Oxford English Dictionary, the first recorded use of the term ‘snake eyes’ was in a book called ‘The Navy Explained’ by Logan E. Ruggles back in 1918. Mr Ruggles uses the phrase ‘tapioca is snake eyes’ in this book, which isn’t exactly the meaning we have in mind today. A more relevant usage came in M.A. Gill’s book ‘Underworld Slang’ from 1929 when he refers to ‘Snake eyes, aces up on the dice’.
Snake Eyes in Popular Culture
Even if you are not a regular craps player, you have most probably heard the expression snake eyes used somewhere or other, either in movies, tv shows or songs. The phrase has become a common short-hand for ‘bad luck’, which is why it tends to crop up so regularly in popular culture.
One obvious example of its usage is the Nicolas Cage movie ‘Snake Eyes’, with its themes of misfortune and betrayal against a backdrop of sports gambling and casinos in Atlantic City. Then you’ve got the Snake Eyes character in the G.I. Joe movie, an unpredictable and conflicted protagonist. The snake eyes theme crops up again and again, from shows like the X-Files to Friends and Breaking Bad, signifying bad luck, risk, and deception.
It’s a useful phrase to turn to in the world of music as well, one which artists like Mumford & Sons, Ryan Bingham and Alan Parsons Project have used to good effect. Video games like Fallout: New Vegas and Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas also feature dice rolling games where snake eyes can appear to ruin a streak of good luck.
Snake Eyes: Not All Bad!
Let’s finish on a positive, because rolling a double one is not always bad news! We began this piece by referring to the popular ‘Pass Line’ wager during a game of craps, where a score of 2 means you lose. Those of you familiar with the game will be aware that players have the option to go for a ‘Don’t Pass’ bet instead, in which case they would be more than happy to see those snake eyes appear as that would mean a win. There’s also the option to bet specifically on a 2 being rolled, which pays out at odds of around 30:1. And if you are playing a game of Monopoly, you won’t complain about snake eyes turning up since it means you get another throw of the dice.
So although it’s not always bad news, more often than not snake eyes are something that casino players will look to avoid – and now you know why!
