Craps is an exciting, fast-paced dice game where players can place several of the best bets in the casino; yet new players
are apt to shy away from the craps table because of the confusing number of different bets. The strategy to becoming a good
craps player is to:
1. Learn the different bets on the craps table. 2. Start with a basic beginner strategy.
A pass line bet is a bet placed before the come out roll (i.e. the first roll of the dice in a new craps round). A wager
on the pass line wins immediately if the come out roll is 7 or 11 (naturals), and loses if the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12
(craps numbers). If any other number (4,5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled, that number becomes "the point." If the shooter rolls
the point again before rolling a 7, your pass line bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your
pass line bet loses.
DON'T PASS LINE
A don't pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet, and is also placed before the come out roll. If
the shooter rolls 3 or 12 on the come out roll, a don't pass line bet wins immediately. If, however, the come out roll is
7 or 11, don't pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 2, a don't pass line bet is returned to the player in a push.
If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don't pass
line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling
a 7, don't pass line bets lose.
COME
A come bet is placed before any roll of the dice, once a point has been established by the come out roll. Come bets win
immediately if the shooter's next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9,
or 10, that number becomes "the come point." If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet wins.
DON'T COME
A don't come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. Don't come bets win immediately when the shooter's next roll
is 3 or 12, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 2, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. After
the come point is established, don't come bets win if 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled.
ODDS
An odds bet is a "back up" bet on an original pass line, don't pass line, come, or don't come bet. Gold Club allows odds
bets of three times your original bets.
Field A field bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be either 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
BIG SIX AND BIG EIGHT
A big six bet is a bet that 6 will be rolled before 7. Likewise, a big eight bet is a bet that 8 will be rolled before
7.
PLACE WIN
A place win bet is a bet that either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a seven.
Place Lose A place lose bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
BUY
A buy bet is a bet that either 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before 7. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when placing
the buy bet.
LAY
A lay bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. A 5% vig. is charged when placing the lay bet.
ANY 7
An "any 7" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 7.
ANY 11
An "any 11" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 11.
ANY CRAPS
An "any craps" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, or 12.
HORN
A horn bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be either 2, 3, 11, or 12.
HARDWAY
A hardway bet is a bet that the shooter will roll either a 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles (2+2, 3+3, 4+4, or 5+5) before rolling
a 7. Rolling a number by doubles is said to be rolling the number "the hard way."
START ON THE PASS LINE
A good beginner strategy is to start with a minimum pass line bet, backed by
single odds.
If the bets win, place a new pass line bet with double odds. Keep the amount of your original pass line bet (flat bet)
the same, but increase the odds bet.
If those bets win, go for triple odds.
Don't increase your minimum flat bet on the pass line until you are winning. Then only increase it by 50% of your previous
wager. If you lose, go back to the minimum flat bet.
ADD A COME BET
When you are comfortable playing the pass line, you can add a minimum come bet
with single odds. If you win, double and then triple your come odds.
Don't increase your minimum come bet (flat bet) until you are winning. Then only increase it by 50% of your previous
wager. If you lose, go back to the minimum bet.
When you have gained experience by placing pass line and come bets, you can try don't pass line and
don't come bets with odds.
Use the same betting strategy: wager the minimum bet with steadily increasing odds. After a win, you can increase your
next flat bet by 50%. After a loss, you can wager a minimum flat bet.
TAKING ODDS VS. LAYING ODDS
You "take" odds on a pass line or come bet, but "lay" odds on a don't pass line
or don't come bet. Laying odds on don't bets means that you have to wager more to win less since don't betters have an advantage
once the point has been established.
PLACE WIN ON 6 OR 8
Although the house advantage is relatively low on this bet, you should really
only consider it when you are winning your pass line (or don't pass line) and come (or don't come) bets with odds, and the
number 6 or 8 is not already covered by your bets.
Casinos almost always have their odds published on the table. An odds bet is a supplement to the original pass line
bet and it can range anywhere from 1 to 100 times your original bet, depending on the house odds. A pass line bet with odds
cannot be made on the "come out roll", as it can only be made after the point is set. For example, if you were betting $5
on a pass line bet and the point got set to 4, you could place an equivalent or larger bet just below your original wager.
Place the chips half-on and half-off the bottom of the pass line. If on the next roll a 4 is hit you win your pass
line bet back, and an additional sum of money derived from the odds bet. In this case, the payoff is 2 to1 on the odds bet.
The actual number the point is set to determines the payout on odds bets. If the point is set to 4 or 10, odds bets are paid
back at 2 to 1 odds. If the point is set to 5 or 9, odds bets are paid back at 3 to 2 odds. If the point is set to 6 or 8,
odds bets are paid back at 6 to 5 odds.
The odds bet is usually explained as being an intelligent bet in the game of craps. This is because the more you
wager (double, triple, quadruple odds bet) the lower the house edge drops. A standard pass line bet holds a house edge of
1.41% - respectable, and compared to many other casino games you have to choose from its downright excellent, but take into
account the potential for odds betting and it's a whole different story. The house edge on a pass line bet with ten times
odds is an incredible 0.18%.
Below are some Bet strategies:
The Don't Pass Bet The Come Bet The Don't Come Bet The Hardway Bet The Buy Bet The Proposition
Bet The Field Bet The Place Bet The Lay Bet The Don't Pass Bet
If you're in a land based casino and having a good time at the craps table, maybe making a few new friends, then you
probably shouldn't bet on the don't pass bet. Essentially its like betting against the shooter or against the dice, which
means you win when everybody else loses. Not that there is anything wrong with that, but you want to keep those new friends
don't you? You want to be invited to the next party no? Craps is a party game in a casino, filled with good vibes, my well
learned advice, don't disrupt the vibes. They may have nothing at all to do with mathematics, but they are no less important.
On the don't pass bet (to make this bet place your chips in the narrower section just beyond the pass line labeled
don't pass) made on the come out roll, you lose on a 7 or 11, and win on a 2 or a 3. A 12 on the come out roll is like a push
in blackjack, it's a standoff where nobody wins or loses. If anything else is rolled it becomes the point, and you win if
a 7 is rolled before the point is repeated. Notice how this is the opposite of the pass line bet, and notice how you win when
the shooter loses. Seems awfully nice of the casino to offer an opposite bet of the normal one, wouldn't the house lose their
statistical edge? Only if they kept the numbers straight. Sadly on a don't pass bet with odds, the casino pays out pretty
crappy amounts. The odds of a 7 coming out before a 10 are quite good so the casino has to hedge its bet in effect.
THE COME BET
You'll quickly notice the large area of the craps board labeled with 'COME' smack dab in the middle of the playing
area. Make sure you have read the section on the Pass bet in our craps rules section and earlier in this section, if you know
all there is to know about the Pass line bet, then you wont have any trouble getting your head around the simple 'COME' bet.
The easiest way to think about the COME bet is to think, it's exactly the same as the Pass line bet, but can be made after
the point is set. There is no such thing as a come bet on the come out roll, because it would be exactly the same as a Pass
line bet.
Say I wanted to make a come bet, and the point had been set to 5. I would put my come bet down in the come section
and wait for the next roll. If a 7 or 11 is hit you win (while the shooter looses), and you lose on a craps shot (2, 3 or
12). If it's any one of the other numbers, this becomes your 'come point'. If your 'come point' is rolled before a 7, you
win. So say a 9 is rolled, at that time the stickman moves your come bet to the 9 on the board. Now if the shooter rolls a
9 before a 7 you win, if they roll a 7 before a 9 you lose. Also remember that on come bets you also have the ability to place
"odds" bets just like pass line bets after your 'come-point' is established.
THE DON'T COME BET
The don't come bet is the opposite of the come bet, much in the same way the don't pass bet is the opposite of
the pass bet. The don't come bet must be made after a point is set by the shooter. If a 7 or 11 is rolled you lose, if a 2
or 3 is rolled you win, and a 12 is a standoff. Otherwise a come point is set and you win if a 7 is rolled before the come
point is repeated, and lose if the come point is repeated before a 7 is rolled. The don't come bar is highlighted in our graphic.
Once again the odds are in your favor that a seven would be rolled before a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 so the odds bets
pay the opposite of a pass line odds bet.
THE HARDWAY BET
Named that way because it's a hard way to win, just kidding, but the hardway bet has some pretty horrible odds,
so I recommend you stick with pass line bets with odds for the most part. Actually the 'hard' bit derives from the doubles
involved. To roll a 'hard eight' means to roll it with double 4's, to roll a 'hard 6' means to roll it with double 3's. So
in craps the only hardway bets that exist are a hard 4, 6, 8, and 10. When you make a hardway bet your betting that the hard
version of what your betting on will come up before the soft version, or a seven. The soft version is the opposite of the
hard version. Two threes is a hard six, but a 4 and a 2 is a soft six.
Odds are not completely consistent from casino to casino on the hardway bets but generally they go like so: a hard
4 pays 7 or 8 to 1, a hard 6 pays 9 or 10 to 1, a hard 8 pays 9 or 10 to 1, and a hard 10 pays 7 or 8 to 1.
Hardway bets are usually placed to add a little spice to the game, not in any effort to win more money. This is emphasized
by the fact that the house edge is something atrocious on these bets. For a 4 or 10 the hard way, there is an 11.1% house
edge, for a 6 or 8, it's around 9%.
THE BUY BET
You may find some people who look like they know what they're talking about around the craps table 'buying' instead
of 'placing' numbers. What's the difference, why do we care? A buy bet decreases the house edge and enables you to win more.
The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 can all be bought, but usually the 4 or 10 is picked because its pays off better. The buy bet
is similar to the place bet in that the number you buy must come up before a 7 does. 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. The catch is, you have to pay a 5% commission on any bets you buy
(often called a 'vig'). 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.
THE PROPOSITION BET
Proposition bets are the ones you can make in the middle of the table, and exist only on the 'next roll'. As
one roll bets they can be heart racing and exciting, an integral part of the craps experience.
These bets include:
ANY SEVEN BET
With the "any seven" bet you're betting the shooter will hit a 7 on the next roll. Horrible house edge, never make
this bet.
SNAKE EYES BET
With the "snake eyes" bet you're betting the shooter will throw a two on the next roll.
YO ELEVEN BET
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.
ANY THREE BET
With the "any three" bet you're betting the shooter will throw a 3 on the next roll. "midnight" 12 bet With the "midnight"
bet you're betting the shooter will throw a 12 on the next roll.
HORN BET
With the "horn" bet you're combining the snake eyes, 3, yo 11, and midnight bets.
THE FIELD BET
The field bet is also among the smarter bets in craps, but not the great odds you get with odds on the pass line.
The field holds approx a 5.5% house edge. As you'll notice in our graphic, the field is an area on the craps table just beyond
the don't pass bar. The other handy bit about a field bet is that it can be played on any roll, so it's a very non-threatening
move.
The great aspect to the field bet is the simplicity. It's a one-time bet which states simply: if the shooter throws
a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 (any of the numbers in the field area) then you win. If a 5, 6, 7, or 8 are thrown then you lose.
There is no trick to placing your chips on one of the numbers in the field, its just anywhere you want and any of those number
can be hit. If your betting on the field, most casinos also give you a bonus if a 2 or a 12 is thrown (notice the circles
on those numbers). Many casinos pay 2x your bet when a 2 or "snake eyes" is thrown and some even pay 3x your bet if a 12 (commonly
called a 'midnight') is thrown.
So look at that, even if you're just a beginner you already know exactly how to make a pass bet, a pass bet with
odds, and a field bet. Most of the wagering at a craps table revolves around just these betting techniques.
THE PLACE BET
The place bet is a variation of betting with a number. You can make a place bet anytime by handing the dealer
your bet and saying 'I want to place the 8' or whatever number you want to place bet for. You can make a place bet at any
time on any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If the number you have 'placed' is hit before a 7, you win and you're paid as follows:
4 or 10 placed - 9:5 odds, 5 or 9 placed - 7:5 odds, 6 or 8 placed - 7:6 odds.
Notice the pass line bet offers better odds, so basically you should stick with it over the long run. 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.
An unusual and uncommon fellow, the lay bet resembles the don't pass and don't come bets in that you are playing
against the dice. The lay bet can be made at any time. In essence it's the opposite of the buy bet, and the same as the don't
come bet, but with different odds. The lay bets may be placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The bet is on the fact that a seven
will be rolled before your 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. Lay bets are usually only made by people who think they understand more about what's
going on that is probably possible. I would be surprised if anyone were ever in a position where a lay bet is the best option,
I recommend sticking to the basic bets if your not an expert already.
