I have to admit, I've been playing 'card craps' at Harrah's Rincon in San Diego and the game is fun to play. And sometimes the table gets 'hot' and we win some money.
The casino features the Firebet and once all six points were established and made by one 'shooter' and the $5 Firebet paid $5,000. I've been at the table three times when 5 of 6 points were made by the shooter (I was one of the shooters) which paid $1,250. And last night I was there and in my turn I made four different points which paid $125.
The Rincon 'card craps' game is a bit different from other casinos in that a 'shooter' throws a blue die and a red die and the number on each die indicates which of six playing cards is chosen to determine the actual 'number.' The six cards are numbered 1 through 6.
In other casinos shooters might not throw dice and a dealer would turn over two cards which simulate a roll of the dice. Different casinos seem have different ways to play the game. But what makes all of the 'card craps' games different from a Vegas-style dice game is that the shooter does not control the outcome. In all cases the casino has some or all of the control on the outcome.
In a casino such as Pechanga where a dealer chooses randomly shuffled cards that simulate the roll, the casino has all of the control.
At Rincon while a player throws the dice, the dice only indicate which cards are turned over and those cards are shuffled by an automatic shuffling machine.
So why play it?
In the Vegas-style craps game, a shooter has the possibility of influencing the dice and the results. While it is questionable if any 'shooter' really can influence the dice the possibility at least is there. Some shooters imagine that they can influence the dice based on their grips and throws.
In the California card craps games -- no matter what version and at what casino -- it is impossible for the shooter to have any real or even imagined influence at all.
So if you think that no one can ever influence dice in the traditional game of craps, then playing a California card craps game is the same thing -- provided the pays are the same on the various bets. (Note: some of the California pays on certain bets are not the same as in some Vegas casinos.) But if you think there is a glimmer of hope that a player might be able to have some or any influence on dice, then the California card craps games are nothing more than using an automatic shuffler to choose two cards (even if you do get to throw dice to choose the cards).
I am still hoping that the Constitution in California will be amended so that Vegas style craps can be played here. If you can throw two dice to choose two cards, what's the difference if you just eliminate the cards?