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I play craps maybe once a year, usually because whoever I'm going with wants to play craps. When I play I play pass line with some odds and lots of come bets with odds, and occasionally bet on 6 and 8. So I will tend to lose but have a decent chance of getting lucky and win. But I do not expect to win when I play craps. Remember, the main reason we play craps, whether live or online, is because of the incredible fun and excitement the game provides, not because it’s going to make us ga-zillionaires. The casino (or “house”) is going to win over time for one basic reason: the house advantage.
Understanding the Craps odds and bets that you can place is vital to ensuring you don’t lose all your money or embarrass yourself in a live game.
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You might hear people shouting all types of lingo and vernacular terms such as “Horn Bets” or “Lay 10” which often confuse or put off even the biggest casino degenerates.
Thankfully, the rules of Craps are actually quite simple even if it takes time to learn the jargon. Make sure to read all information on this page, before You play craps for money.
We can predict the odds of any particular number coming up on a roll and why the craps rules are made how you will see.
For example: the odds for you to roll a 4 on your next roll are 11 to 1.
You can figure this out by taking the number of ways a four can be made with two dice (with a one and a three, a pair of twos, or a three and a 1) compared to the number of combinations that two dice can make, which is 36.
So we have a 3 in 36 chance, or 1 in 12 chance that a 4 will come up on any given roll. To express these odds as ‘against’, you would say the odds against rolling a four are 11 to 1 (think of it as 11 non 4’s to one 4 for a total of 12 rolls). The calculation we’ve just done determines the ‘true odds’ of rolling a 4.
As many of you may know, the casino doesn’t like to pay back its players with ‘true odds’, it prefers to alter them.
Craps rules, like so many other casino game rules, pay back odds which guarantee the house a profit in the long run. Say for instance you were to place a bet on ‘any sevens’, meaning you’re betting that the next roll will be a seven.
The odds against hitting a seven on the next roll are 5 to 1 (you can calculate that out the same way we did for 4), which means that if you bet one dollar and win, you deserve to win 5 bucks, but the casinos only pay you 4.
Most bets in most games at the casino have been altered in this way. In fact, this is exactly the phenomenon that gives the casino a house edge in many situations.
How to play casino machines. We’ve covered all the major types of bets and odds you receive here.
Understanding Craps Odds
For instance, odds can be related either as 2-1 or 2 to 1, where a 1 credit bet returns 2 credits. In other words, 2 to 1 odds returns the original 1 credit bet and a 1 credit profit.
The Best Craps Bets
The best bets in craps are the pass line bet, taking the odds, the don’t pass bar, the come bet, and placing the 6 or the 8. Let’s look at each:
Pass Line
This is the most basic and popular of bets when playing Craps. It has one of the lowest house edges (1.41%) and it is very simple to place. Betting on the pass line bet or betting “with the dice” is the most common bet in craps and you will see many players or shooters choosing it.
A pass line bet requires you to place chips on the “Pass Line” section of the table. If the shooter’s come out roll is a 7 or 11, you win even money (1:1). However, if the come out roll is 2,3 or 12 (craps) you lose.
If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) it’s called the point. The shooter continues to throw the dice until he/she roles a 7 or the Point. If the point is rolled first, you win even money. If the 7 is rolled first you lose your bet.
Interestingly, in a game of Crapless Craps, the ability to lose a Pass Line bet to craps on a come out roll is removed – hence the name “crapless” craps. This improves your odds of winning by removing the house edge and increasing your expected value.
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Don’t Pass Line
You can also bet on the “Don’t Pass” line, which is basically when you are betting or laying the shooter on his first roll. This is simply the opposite of the pass line bet and is also known as betting against the dice.
To make this bet place your chips in the narrower section just beyond the pass line labelled don’t pass.
If the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 (Craps) than you win straight away (1:1 even money). If a 7 or 11 is rolled before the Point is scored you lose. A 12 is considered a Push (draw) and normally you can relinquish this bet.
If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10) this is established on the point number. After this happens you’ll win your money back if a 7 is rolled before the Point number, and lose if a 7 comes first.
Taking the Odds
After the point has been established, you can make an additional bet known as Taking the Odds or Pass Odds. You are betting on the Point number being rolled before a 7. The pay out odds are normally displayed on the Casino craps table.
The odds vary for different numbers based on the likelihood of them being rolled.
![Playing craps to win Playing craps to win](https://www.onlinecraps.us/wp-content/uploads/2014/07/how_to_play_craps_614x294.jpg)
Normally, the payouts are as follows:
- 4 pays 2:1
- 5 pays 3:2
- 6 pays 8 pays 6:5
- 9 pays 3:2
- 10 pays 2:1
The odds bet is the best bet you can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Free odds bets are paid back at true odds, so when you’re making these bets the casino has no house edge whatsoever, it’s an even game!
Come Bet
This is similar to a Pass Line bet, but it is made after the point has been established (dealer button is ON). The next roll then becomes the Come Out roll for your bet and establishes your Point. The payout depends on the Point:
- 7 or 11 pays 1:1 (also known as a Natural)
- 2, 3, or 12 you lose your money (also known as Craps)
- If neither of the above is rolled then (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) becomes the point for your bet. If a 7 comes before your point is rolled again you lose. If your point is won however your payout depends on the Point.
Come Bet Payouts:
Number | Payout |
4 | 2:1 |
5 | 3:2 |
6 | 6:5 |
8 | 6:5 |
9 | 3:2 |
10 | 2:1 |
Taking the Odds
This is similar to the Come Bet and has the same odds above (Come Odds). You can place this bet only after the point has been established. If the 7 is rolled before the point, you lose.
Laying the Odds
Opposite of Taking the Odds. This is a Don’t Pass Line bet which can be made only after the point has been established. If a 7 is rolled before the point, you win.
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Laying the Odds Payout:
Number | Payout |
4 | 1:2 |
5 | 2:3 |
6 | 5:6 |
8 | 5:6 |
9 | 2:3 |
10 | 1:2 |
Don’t Come Bet
Oppose of Come Bet. This is similar to a Don’t Pass Line bet, but it is made after the Come Out roll. To make this bet all you need to do is to put your chips in the area labeled “Don’t Come” on the layout. You lose on a 7 or 11, and win on a 2 or 3. 12 is a “stand-off.”
Here you win if 7 rolls before your “come-point” is repeated, and lose if the “come-point” is made before a 7 is rolled.
![Playing Craps To Win Playing Craps To Win](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/cs0Zpy2pdpA/maxresdefault.jpg)
Place Bets
You can bet on specific point numbers. If your number is rolled before a 7, you win. If a 7 comes before your point number, you lose. You’re paid out according to the table below.
Place Bets Payout:
Number | Payout |
4 | 9:5 |
5 | 7:5 |
6 | 7:6 |
8 | 7:6 |
9 | 7:5 |
10 | 9:5 |
Placing the 6 or 8
When you make a place bet you bet that one of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be hit before a 7 is hit. You can make a place bet any time by throwing your chips on the table while telling the dealer ‘I want to place the 6’ or whatever number you want to place your bet for.
So, if the number you bet on is rolled before a 7 you win and you are paid as follows: 4 or 10 placed – 9:5 odds, 5 or 9 placed – 7:5 odds, 6 or 8 placed – 7:6 odds.
As you can see the best for you is to place a bet on 6 or 8, because these bets have the best odds and also they have a good chance of hitting.
If you get the feeling like you want to place the 4 or 10, you should buy them instead, because although there is a Vig (a fee for winning bets) on these numbers, the edge comes out in your favor, however slightly.
However, the pass line bet is still the best one with the best odds and in the long run you should stick with it.
Although you can technically place a place bet at any time, it is impossible for it to come into effect until the shooters point is set, therefore it is more acceptable to ask for this bet after the come out roll is over.
Craps table
Bets with Poor Craps Odds
Big 6/Big 8 Bet
This is a Bet on a Big 6 or Big 8, put down after the point has been established. If a 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7, you win (1:1). This is a bet that you should not play because you can Place a bet on 6 or 8 and receive better odds.
Field Bets
Kind of what the name suggests, field bets are open to everyone who bets on the next number rolled. To place one you simple throw your chips into the table (as little chips as possible) and tell the stick man what you want. The payout for field bets:
- 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 all payout 1:1
- 2 pays 2:1
- 12 pays out either 2:1 or 3:1 (depending on the casino)
Proposition Bets
Placed before any throw. The house edge on all of these bets are over 11%. Therefore, you should not bet these very often or you should hedge your bets when you do so.
You can bet on any number as follows:
- Betting on the next throwbeing a 2, 3 or 12 (Craps)
- Any Seven: Betting on the next throw being a 7
- Eleven: Betting on the next throw being an 11
- Horn Bet: Betting on the next number being a 2, 3, 11, or 12. The payout is determined by the number rolled
Proposition bets are those placed in the middle of the table layout, and those bets never have a good house edge. You should make these bets only for fun and to make your game more exciting.
So, here they are:
- With the “any seven” bet you’re betting the shooter will hit a 7 on the next roll. It has a horrible house edge of 16.67%. Never make this bet.
- With the “snake eyes” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a two on the next roll.
- With the “yo eleven” bet you’re betting the shooter will hit an 11 on the next roll.
- With the “any craps” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 2, 3, or 12 on the next roll. It holds a house edge of over 11%
- With the “any three” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 3 on the next roll.
- With the “midnight” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 12 on the next roll.
- With the “horn” bet you’re combining the snake eyes, 3, yo 11, and midnight bets.
Hardway Bets
A Hardway Bet is also made regarding the outcome of the next die throw. A Hardway roll occurs when doubles are thrown with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10.
For example: Norsk casino online. rolling a pair of threes would produce a “hard 6”. An Easy roll is produced when the same outcome is achieved, but without rolling doubles.
For the previous example, rolling a 4 and a 2 would produce an “easy 6”. For a Hardway Bet to win, the shooter must roll a double with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10. The wager loses if either a 7 or any Easy number is rolled.
The Lay Bet
The lay bet is almost similar with the don’t pass and don’t come bets, because with this bet your are playing against the dice. You can make this bet at any time in the game and it can be placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. A lay bet wins when 7 rolls before the number.
7 is more likely to come up than any other number so the casino requires you to wager more than you could win. This bet also requires a commission of 5% on average. If the bet is on 4 or 10 you get 1:2 odds, on 5 or 9 2:3 odds, on six or 8 5:6 odds.
The Buy Bet
When you choose this bet it means that you will buy numbers instead of placing them.
The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 can all be bought but there are only two numbers that really make buy bets worthwhile and those numbers are 4 and 10 because they pay off better than the other numbers. You win if the buy number comes up before a 7 is rolled.
The odds are higher for a buy bet. 2:1 on a 4 or 10 buy, 3:2 for a 5 or 9, or 6:5 for a 6 or 8. Player pays 5% “vigorish” to get true odds on all numbers.
Depending on how much you bet, buying a bet can make you more money in the end even after accounting for the ‘vig’. The odds are only in your favor on a buy bet for a 4 or 10, so stick with the place bet on any others.
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Craps is the most iconic casino gambling game. I can easily remember a plethora of TV shows and movies where craps was the game of choice for certain characters. Tony Stark played craps in Iron Man.
Craps is also one of the more intimidating games. There are so many possible bets laid out on the table, new players are easily confused.
In some ways, craps isn’t any more complicated than roulette. But roulette is the easier game to learn.
I think it’s because roulette has a better table layout than craps.
Unlike roulette, craps is played through multiple rounds. You can let it ride in roulette if you keep winning, but in craps, you can place craps bets that remain on the table until certain conditions are met.
Maybe that’s why craps is so popular. A player who wants his money to last while having fun can make wagers that may last much longer than wagers in blackjack, baccarat, roulette, and slots.
The Basic Rules of Craps
Craps is a well-known game but every casino can alter the rules slightly. The table limits may differ. Some casinos may allow a shooter to not make a bet.
At least three casino employees are required to run each craps table:
- Boxman – This person handles the chips and supervises the dealers.
- Stickman – The stickman uses a stick to move the dice around the table when the shooter changes. He also calls out the result of every roll.
- Base dealers – In most games, there is a dealer on each side of the table. They collect losing bets and pay winners. Players may ask dealers to place bets for them.
The game round begins when a shooter is chosen. Players place their bets. The shooter then rolls the dice.
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This first roll, the come-out roll, may end the round if the dice total to 2, 3, or 12 (a losing result for “pass bets”) or if they total 7 or 11 (a winning result for pass bets).
If the dice form any other total, the shooter keeps rolling. The initial die roll total becomes “the point.” If the shooter rolls a 7 or the point after the come-out roll, the round ends. Shooters are expected to pass on the dice if they finish the round on 7.
Players can make 22+ types of wagers in craps. Some are much safer than others, and some are much riskier.
Players can make more than one bet.
Some players leverage this ability into their strategies and it becomes a great way to win in craps.
Basic Craps Strategy – Always Make Safe Bets
The safest bets are sometimes called “smart craps bets.” They are smart because the house edge is so low and they usually pay off more than other types of bets. There are four types of safe bets: pass, don’t pass, come, and don’t come.
In addition to these safe bets, you can complement your early wagers with odds bets. What follows amounts to the simplest betting system in craps. It’s also the system that is most likely to lead to the most wins.
Some craps players move beyond these strategies because “most wins” doesn’t necessarily translate into “most money won.” You can win more money at craps by making more aggressive bets.
1 – Make Pass and Don’t Pass Bets
The pass bet is the second safest bet with a house edge of only 1.41%.
The don’t pass bet is considered the safest bet in craps because the house edge is only 1.36%. That means for every $10,000 wagered on don’t pass, the house expects to retain $136. Don’t pass is the opposite of pass, when one loses the other wins.
Both pass and don’t pass bets pay even money. It only makes sense to bet one way or the other.
Pass bets that survive the come-out roll pay if the shooter ends the round on the point. Don’t pass bets that survive the come-out roll pay if the shooter ends the round on a 7.
How does don’t pass have a slight advantage over a pass bet? If the shooter rolls a 12 on the come-out roll, pass bets lose, but don’t pass bets are returned to the players (a push).
All things considered, the don’t pass bet has an even chance of winning compared to the pass bet but a slightly better chance of surviving the come-out roll.
2 – Make Come and Don’t Come Bets
The only real difference between these bets and pass/don’t pass is that you make them after the point is established. For all intents and purposes, the next roll is treated as the come-out roll for these bets. come/don’t come bets pay even money and are settled exactly like pass and don’t pass.
In other words, a come bet pays if the shooter ends the round on a 7, and don’t come bets pay if the shooter ends the round on point.
The house edge on come bets is 1.41%, and on don’t come bets, its 1.36%.
There is no point in leveraging a pass bet against a don’t come bet or vice versa. If one pays, the other loses. You break even.
Think of using come/don’t come bets as a way of safely doubling your wagers on pass/don’t pass bets. Instead of betting $50 before the shooter comes out, you bet $25 before and $25 after.
3 – Make Odds Bets
After the point is established, you can take or lay odds on the number. The payout differs based on which number is point.
Taking odds (a.k.a. buying odds) means you are complementing your pass or come bet. If the round ends on point, your odds bet pays.
Laying odds means you are complementing your don’t pass or don’t come bet. If the round ends on a 7, your odds bet pays.
The great thing about these odds bets is there is no house edge. The casino is taking the same risk as you are.
The payouts on odds bets are as follows:
- 4 or 10 – 2:1 for pass odds and 1:2 for don’t pass odds
- 5 or 9 – 3:2 for pass odds and 2:3 for don’t pass odds
- 6 or 8 – 6:5 for pass odds and 5:6 for don’t pass odds
Clearly the don’t pass/don’t come bets pay less. If you’re playing basic strategy and want to play the odds, the pass + come strategy offers the better overall payout (for a slightly less chance of winning).
4 – Make Place Bets
If you’re willing to take on more risk, you can make place win or place lose bets. These bets use the same part of the table as the basic odds bets described above, but you can pick any number from the group (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10).
Place win bets win if the chosen number is rolled before the shooter rolls a 7. Place lose bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before the chosen number is rolled.
To illustrate, if a player wagers $10 for place win on 4, that bet pays off if the shooter rolls a 4 before rolling a 7. If the player wagers $10 for place lose on 4, that bet pays off if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling a 4.
The payouts on win and lose bets are:
- 4 or 10 – 9:5 for win and 5:11 for lose
- 5 or 9 – 7:5 for win and 5:8 for lose
- 6 or 8 – 7:6 for win and 4:5 for lose
As with the basic odds bets above, the payouts are better for win than for lose. The chances of a lose happening are better.
Conclusion
There are even more options in craps. They become progressively harder to win and pay better. The riskiest bets are proposition bets, offering much higher payouts and much higher house edges.
A beginning craps player has enough options to keep the game interesting for a while. It’s a good idea to vary your betting between the pass and don’t pass basic strategies. The probabilities are so similar they are almost meaningless.
Think of your craps strategy as a set of layered bets. You build a foundation with pass or don’t pass and move up through different ways to win in craps from there.
By watching how the game plays out, you’ll find a favorite way of betting through experimentation while playing it safe at the same time.