Craps may seem like a very complicated game to a beginner, almost overwhelming. But if you focus on the smart bets, and use good craps strategies, you can skip
learning all of the nuances and potentially have a great chance of winning. That is because craps does the unthinkable and offers a bet where the house
has no edge! Howver, if you do want to learn everything to know about craps, you will want to read this information several times, and practice it with small bets.
The Pass Line
The
pass line is the most fundamental bet in craps, almost every
player at the table bets on it. The house edge on the pass line
is only 1.41%, which is not bad compared to most other bets on
the table and other games in the casino.
The pass line is an even
money bet. You start by placing your bet on the pass line area
on the table on a 'come out roll.' If the come out roll is a 7
or 11 you win. If the come out roll is a 2, 3, or 12 you lose.
If the come out roll is anything else then what was rolled that
number is called the point. A white disk will be placed on the
table to show what the point is. Then the dice will be rolled over and over until either
a 7 or the point is rolled. If the point is rolled first you
win, if a 7 is rolled first you lose.
Never place a pass line bet
after the come out roll. This is allowed but only a fool would
do so because the odds of winning on the come out roll are much
greater than those of losing. When you first step up to the
table you may wonder if the next bet is a come out roll. If you
see the white disk on the table you will know that there is an
active point. Wait until either the point is thrown or a 7,
after which time wait for the dealer to either collect bets or
pay people off and then you can place your bet.
Buying the Odds
Have
you ever wanted a bet a game where with no house edge? Craps offers just such
a bet, as long as you bet on the pass line first. Once a point
has been thrown you may bet up to some multiple, usually 2
times, your pass line bet on the 'odds.' The odds are simply an
additional wager that the point will be rolled before a 7.
Because the probability of the point being rolled first is less
than 50%, you win more than you bet if it happens. Specifically
if the point is a 6 or 8 the odds pay 6:5, if the point is a 5
or 9 the odds pay 3:2, and if the point is a 4 or 10 the odds
pay 2:1.
The multiple you may bet on
the odds is usually twice the pass line bet for points of 4,5,9,
and 10, and two and a half times the pass line bet on the 6 and
8. The reason you may bet more on a point of 6 or 8 is so that
you can place a $5 odds bet on top of a $2 pass line bet. A $4
odds bet on a 6 or 8 would win $4.80 and nobody likes to deal
with small change at the craps table. A $5 odds bet on the 6 or
8 wins an even $6.
The table below shows the
house edge when you combine the pass line and odds:
Combined
house edge on the
pass line and buying odds
1X odds
0.848%
2X odds
0.606%
Full
double odds
0.572%
3X odds
0.471%
5X odds
0.326%
10X
odds
0.184%
20X
odds
0.099%
100X
odds
0.021%
Don't Pass
The
don't pass is almost the opposite of the pass line bet. If the
come out roll is a 2 or 3 then you win, a 7 or 11 you lose. A 12
is a push. Otherwise the dice are rolled over and over until
either the point or a 7 is rolled. If the 7 comes before the
point you win.
A person betting on the
don't pass is called a "wrong" bettor and is usually
winning when everyone else is losing, and vise versa. You
definitely want to keep a low profile if you take this bet,
as nobody is going to want to see you boasting about winning if
everyone else just lost.
Laying the Odds
Laying the Odds is betting that a 7
will be rolled before the point.
If the point is a 4 or 10 the don't odds pay
1:2.
If the point is a 5 or 9 the don't odds pay 2:3.
if the point is a 6 or 8 the don't odds pay 5:6.
The amount you may win by laying
odds is the product of your don't pass bet and the multiple of
odds allowed per the table rules. If the table allows five times
odds then you can win five times your don't pass bet by laying
odds. Note that the multiple applies to how much you can win,
not how much you can bet. For example if you bet $2 on the don't
pass and the table allows full double odds then you can bet $8
to win $4 on a point of 4 or 10, $6 to win $4 on a point of 5 or
9, and $6 to win $5 on a point of 6 or 8.
The following table shows the combined
house edge on both the don't pass bet and laying odds:
Combined
house edge on
don't pass and laying odds
1X
odds
0.682%
2X
odds
0.455%
Full
double odds
0.431%
3X
odds
0.341%
5X
odds
0.227%
10X
odds
0.124%
20X
odds
0.065%
100X
odds
0.014%
Come
If you have ever become
bored waiting for a point to be thrown and didn't want to waste
your money on the sucker bets to guarantee a money flow on every
throw, then you should try the come bet. It is like the pass line bet
but may be made at any time. Like the pass line bet you may also
put money on the odds if a point is thrown on the first roll
after the come bet is placed and has a house edge of 1.41%.
There is a nuance to the come bet the
player should know about. If a point is thrown and there are
still active come bets on the table waiting for a different
point, then special rules apply for the following come out roll.
The come out roll will still apply to active come bets but it
will not apply to their respective odds bets, unless it is
requested to leave the odds "on." In the event a come
bet is resolved on a come out roll then the odds bet will be
returned.
Good Craps strategies for the player who
likes constant action is to have a new bet on either the pass
line or come on every throw, and to always take the maximum
allowable odds.
Don't Come
The relationship of the "don't pass" to the "pass", is the same relationship as the "don't come" to the "come". See above
to review the relationship.
The Place Number Bets
In
craps the 4,5,6,8,9, and 10 are known as the "place
numbers." For the player who must have money on some or all
of them immediately, they may make certain bets to cover any
place number(s) they desire. These bets work just like the odds
but pay worse odds, with the exception of the "hard
way" bets which are described below. Like odds bets on top
of come or don't come bets, place number bets are turned off on
a come out roll.
There is a high price for
impatience in craps in the form of a higher house edge. To
further exploit the impatient or ignorant player, there can be
two or three different bets on the exact same thing, and they
will all pay different odds. You might think players would only
bet on the option with the best odds but you would be quite
surprised, as it is common to see players throwing their money away on
the higher house edge versions of the same bet. For example, the
place bet on 6, the buy bet on 6, and the big 6 all are betting
that a 6 will be rolled before a 7 but pay 7:6, 24:21, and 1:1
respectively, for house edges of 1.52%, 4.76%, and 9.09%.
Specific descriptions of the various bets are below.
Big 6: A bet that a 6 will
be rolled before a 7. Pays even money. house edge of 9.09%.
Note that this is exactly the same as a place
bet on 6, only the place bet pays 7:6 and has a house
edge of only 1.52%. Only a fool or someone ignorant of the
game would bet on the Big 6.
Big 8: The same as the Big
6 only that an 8 will be rolled before a 7.
Buy bets This is essentially the
same as the place bet, only with a different payoff. The
player may "buy" any of the points (4, 5, 6, 8, 9,
and 10), which means to bet that the number will be rolled
before a 7. When making a buy bet you must pay a 5%
commission and your bet will pay fair odds if it wins. Fair
odds are 2:1 on the 4 and 10, 3:2 on the 5 and 9, and 6:5 on
the 6 and 8. A buy bet should be an increment of $20 so that
the 5% commission can be an even dollar amount. Another way
to look at it is that the buy bet pays 39:21 on the 4 and
10, 29:21 on the 5 and 9, and 23:21 on the 6 and 8. If the
bet is not divisible by $20 the commission will be rounded
up or down to the nearest dollar. The house edge on all buy
bets is 4.76%. The house edge on the 5, 6, 8, and 9 place
bets are all lower than the buy bet, thus the buy bet on
these numbers should be avoided.
Note: If the commission is rounded
down the player can cut down the house edge by betting just
under $40 for a commission of $1. A buy bet of $39 on the 4
or 10 has a house edge of 2.5%. A buy bet of $38 on the 5 or
9 has a house edge of 2.56%. A buy bet of $35 on the 6 or 8
has a house edge of 2.78% which is still not as good as the
place bet.
Hard ways: There are four
different hard way bets. For example a hard 4 bet is betting
that a pair of twos will be rolled before a 7 or any other
way to roll a total of 4. This is called "the hard
way" because it is harder to roll two twos than a one
and a three. Likewise you can bet on a hard 6,8, or 10, each
of which is a bet that the hard way of rolling the given
number will occur before a 7 or any "easy" way.
The casino pays 7:1 on a hard 4 or 10 with
a house edge of 11.11%.
The casino pays 9:1 on a hard 6 or 8 with a house edge of
9.09%.
Lay bets The lay bet is the opposite
of the buy bet and the same as the place bet to lose but
with different paybacks. The lay bets may be placed on the
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The bet itself is that a 7 will be
rolled before the number you choose. Because the 7 is the
most likely number to be rolled you will wager more than you
can win. The player must pay a 5% commission on the possible
winnings and the fair odds are paid on the bet itself. Fair
odds are 1:2 on the 4 and 10, 2:3 on the 5 and 9, and 5:6 on
the 4 and 8. Another way to look at it is that lay bet pays
19:41 on the 4 and 10, 19:31 on the 5 and 9, and 19:25 on
the 6 and 8. Bets on the 4 and 10 should be in increments of
$40, bets on the 5 and 9 should be in crements of $30, and
bets on the 6 and 8 in crements of $24, so that the 5%
commission will be divisible by $1. If the commission is not
divisible by $1 it will be rounded up, thus increasing the
dealer's edge. For example if you want to bet on the 10 the
least bet should be $40 (not including the $1 commission)
and if a 7 is rolled before a 10 you will win $20. The house
edge on the 4 and 10 is 2.44%, on the 5 and 9 it is 3.23%,
and on the 6 and 8 it is 4.00%. Note that the house edge on
the lay bet is lower than the place bet to lose on the 4 and
10 only, if you want to make a lay bet on the 5, 6, 8, or 9
you would be advised to make a place to lose instead.
Note: If the commission is rounded
down the player can cut down the house edge by betting so
that the winnings will be just under $40. A lay bet of $78
on the 4 or 10 has a house edge of 1.27%. A lay bet of $57
on the 5 or 9 has a house edge of 1.72%. A lay bet of $42 on
the 6 or 8 has a house edge of 2.33%. All of these are
better than the place bets to lose.
Place bet (to win): This
is very similar to laying
odds. You may bet on a 4,5,6,8,9, or 10. If the number
you bet on is rolled before a 7 then you win according to
payoff schedule below. Unlike laying odds you don't need to
have a pass line bet, you don't have to bet on the point,
but there is a house edge. A place
bet on the 6 and 8, has the lowest house edge.
A place bet on 4 or 10 pays 9:5 with a
house edge of 6.67%.
A place bet on 5 or 9 pays 7:5 with a house edge of 4.00%.
A place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7:6 with a house edge of only
1.52%.
When a place bets wins the dealer will
return your winnings but leave the original bet on the
table, essentially establishing a new place bet. You may
request that the original bet be returned of course. In fact
you may take back an active place bet at any time or you may
"turn them off" temporarily.
Place bet (to lose): The
opposite of the place bet. You are betting that a 7 will be
rolled before a number of your choice among 4,5,6,8,9, and
10.
A place bet (to lose) against 4 or 10 pays
5:11 with a house advantage of 3.03%.
A place bet (to lose) against 5 or 9 pays 5:8 with a house
advantage of 2.5%.
A place bet (to lose) against 6 or 8 pays 4:5 with a house
advantage of 1.82%.
The table below is a summary of
the various place number bets for quick comparison. Cells that
are in red indicate that there is an identical bet that pays
better odds.
Bet
Description
Pays
House
Edge
Big
6
6
before 7
1:1
9.09%
Big
8
8
before 7
1:1
9.09%
Buy
(4)
4
before 7
39:21
4.76%
Buy
(5)
5
before 7
29:21
4.76%
Buy
(6)
6
before 7
23:21
4.76%
Buy
(8)
8
before 7
23:21
4.76%
Buy
(9)
9
before 7
29:21
4.76%
Buy
(10)
10
before 7
39:21
4.76%
Hard
4
Hard
4 before 7 or easy 4
7:1
11.11%
Hard
6
Hard
6 before 7 or easy 6
9:1
9.09%
Hard
8
Hard
8 before 7 or easy 8
9:1
9.09%
Hard
10
Hard
10 before 7 or easy 10
7:1
11.11%
Lay
(4)
7
before 4
19:41
2.44%
Lay
(5)
7
before 5
19:31
3.23%
Lay
(6)
7
before 6
19:25
4.00%
Lay
(8)
7
before 8
19:25
4.00%
Lay
(9)
7
before 9
19:31
3.23%
Lay
(10)
7
before 10
19:41
2.44%
Place
to win (4)
4
before 7
9:5
6.67%
Place
to win (5)
5
before 7
7:5
4.00%
Place
to win (6)
6
before 7
7:6
1.52%
Place
to win (8)
8
before 7
7:6
1.52%
Place
to win (9)
9
before 7
7:5
4.00%
Place
to win (10)
10
before 7
9:5
6.67%
Place
to lose (4)
7
before 4
5:11
3.03%
Place
to lose (5)
7
before 5
5:8
2.50%
Place
to lose (6)
7
before 6
4:5
1.82%
Place
to lose (8)
7
before 8
4:5
1.82%
Place
to lose (9)
7
before 9
5:8
2.50%
Place
to lose (10)
7
before 10
5:11
3.03%
The Proposition Bets
Proposition bets either win or lose on the next throw. In
general these have the highest house edge of all the craps bets
and for the player they should be avoided completely.
Specific descriptions of the various bets are below.
Craps 2: A bet that a 2 will be
thrown on the next roll. Pays 30:1. house edge 13.89%.
Craps 3: A bet that a 3 will be
thrown on the next roll. Pays 15:1. house edge 11.11%.
7: A bet that a 7 will be thrown on
the next roll. Pays 4:1. house edge 16.67%.
11: A bet that an 11 will be thrown
on the next roll. Pays 15:1. house edge 11.11%.
Craps 12: A bet that a 12 will be
thrown on the next roll. Pays 30:1. house edge 13.89%
Any craps: A bet that the
next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7:1. house edge
11.11%.
Field bet: This is a one
time bet that the next roll will be a 2,3,4,9,10,11, or 12.
The 3,4,9,10, and 11 pay even money. The 2 pays 2:1. The 12
usually pays 3:1 but some casinos only pay 2:1.
If the 12 pays 2:1 the
house edge is 5.56%, if the 12 pays 3:1 the house edge is
2.78%. On the surface this seems like a great bet because 7
numbers win and only 4 lose. However the 4 that lose are
much more likely to be rolled.
Hop Bets: These are among
the worst bets on the craps table. There is no specific
place on the table for these but the dealers will broker
your bet if you ask. At any time you may bet on what the
next roll will be, exactly. For example you can bet that the
next roll will be a 5 and 3. If you take two different
numbers as in the 5 and 3 example the payoff is 15:1 with a
house edge of 11.11%. If you take two of the same number,
for example 5 and 5, the payoff is 30:1 with a house edge of
13.89%. Note that there are already proposition bets for 1
and 1, 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 6 and 6.
Horn Bet: This is a combination of
the proposition bets on the 2, 3, 11, and 12. The player is
betting that the next roll will be any one of these numbers.
The bet pays 27:4 on the 2 and 12 and 3:1 on the 3 and 11.
Bets must be made in increments of $4. The house edge is
12.5%.
The table below is a summary of the
proposition bets for quick comparison.
Bet
Description
Pays
House
Edge
2
2
on next roll
30:1
13.89%
3
3
on next roll
15:1
11.11%
7
7
on next roll
4:1
16.67%
11
11
on next roll
15:1
11.11%
12
12
on next roll
30:1
13.89%
Any
craps
2,
3, or 12 on next roll
7:1
11.11%
Field
(loose)
2,
3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on next roll.
see
above
2.78%
Field
(tight)
2,
3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on next roll.
see
above
5.56%
Hop
(two numbers)
Any
specific two numbers on next roll
15:1
11.11%
Hop
(one number)
Any
specific pair of numbers on next roll
30:1
13.89%
Horn
2,
3, 11, or 12 on next roll
see
above
12.50%
Miscellaneous Tips
Most bets can be removed, added to, or
deducted from at any time. Exceptions would be the pass and
come bets, and you can not exceed the maximum bet on the
odds. With the place number and proposition bets the dealers
will often give you your winnings only if you win and let
the original bet ride, unless otherwise requested.
The players take turns throwing the dice.
In general the same person will throw until they lose on the
pass line bet. The player may pass the dice if they want to.
Know the rules and what to do before you
arrive at the table, especially a busy one. Try not to rely
on the dealers for answering questions.
When you throw the dice they are supposed
to rebound off the other side of the table. A throw that
doesn't make it that far looks very wimpy and the dealer may
make you roll over. However overthrowing the dice off the
table will slow down the game while
there is a search for the missing dice and the dealer
examines it to make sure nobody switched them with loaded
dice. There are two main styles of throwing the dice, a high
lob in the air or a low throw that bounces along the felt
across the table.
Don't listen to the advice of the other
players. Most craps players have no idea of the odds and bet
on the sucker bets. Dealers usually also
give bad advice.
Blend in with, but do not interact with,
the other players. The players at the craps table tend to be
a tough and superstitious crowd who prefer to be left alone.
If you are playing for the first time don't
announce this if you are male. Male virgins to the game are
said to be unlucky, and the opposite for females.
*The following online casinos are highly reputable, and we recommend them for trying out our craps strategies, whether you want to play for free/fun, or if you
want to play for real money. Good luck!
