- Craps odds explained
- Top craps strategy: Don’t go for single-roll bets
- Increase your chances by using free odds to your advantage
- Hedging your bets
- Craps strategy alternatives
- Can You Play Craps for Real Money?
- Can You Play Free Craps?
- What Is the Shooter?
- What Is the Pass Line Bet?
- What Is the Don’t Pass Bet?
- What Are Place Bets?
- What Are Field Bets?
- What Are Hard Bets?
- What Is a Sevens Out?
- What Is Pressing Your Bet?
- What Are Roll Bets?
- What Is a Come Bet?
- What Is a Don’t Come Bet?
As far as games go, craps is a pretty straightforward one. It is certainly not as complicated as poker, but it is also not as simple as slots, which can get pretty dull after a while. Even so, craps can look intimidating to novices who are encountering it for the first time, given how many bets there are on the craps table.
When you see the table for the first time, you can be forgiven for asking yourself how do people manage to memorize all the rules and make smart bets. It certainly does look overwhelming. But, we are here to share the good news, and the good news is that craps is simpler than it looks like and that making only a handful of bets is actually sensible. The rest are there to provide a greater number of options and try to get players to bet on the option that has minimum chances of allowing them to score a win.
We discovered this after deciding to create a guide for the best craps strategies, which is what we are going to talk about today. We will cover the most sensible strategies and explain the odds behind the game, which is something that every player should know.
Just keep in mind that the odds are real and your victory in any casino game depends on a combination of skill and luck. No game can be won with skill alone; that’s what makes these games betting games and what makes playing them actual gambling.
So, while no one can guarantee victory for you, there are still ways to improve your chances as much as possible. In craps, that means knowing which bets have the best odds, where the house edge is the lowest, and alike. If you target those specific bets, your chances of winning will be significantly higher than if you just bet randomly. Just remember – no matter how high they get, they will never be 100%.
Craps odds explained
Like with any other game, your goal in craps is to win. But, before you can do that, you need to understand how different bets work, and what makes them different in the first place. Someone who doesn’t know the rules and the odds simply sees craps betting as choosing random bets all over the table, but for those familiar with the odds and the house edge, it is easy to spot “the method to the madness.”
Technically, craps is among the best games that you can play in a casino, but this is only the case if you are choosing the right bets. There are several main bets that players tend to choose, including pass bet, come bet, don’t pass, and don’t come. These four are the players’ favorite because their house edge is the lowest, meaning that the players’ odds are the best.
For example, the pass bet’s house edge is 1.41%, and the don’t come bet has an even lower house edge of only 1.36%. Their house edge is so low that they come close to a break-even point, so making them will not break your bankroll that easily. And, you can improve the bets even more by taking free odds, which we will explain shortly.
Apart from these four, the only other bets worth making include betting on 6 or 8. These two let you bet on the numbers rather than the current point. Their house edge is 1.52%, which is not too bad, and the payout is 7/6, so this is also more than acceptable. Apart from these six, betting on anything else is just counter-productive. You will find that other bets offer less favorable odds and payouts, and so choosing them is far more likely to lead to losses than winnings unless you are really, really lucky.
Top craps strategy: Don’t go for single-roll bets
One of the first unofficial rules that you need to learn in craps betting is to stay away from single-roll bets. This includes the field bet (the roller needs to roll 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 for you to win, and the house edge is anywhere from 2.78% to 5.56%), any 7 bet (the total amount of points on both dice needs to be exactly 7, which comes with a house edge of 16.67%), and any craps bet (you are paid 7 to 1 if the roller rolls 2, 3, or 12, which puts the house edge at 11.11%).
As you can immediately see, most of these have a house edge of over 10%, which is extremely unfavorable for the players. In fact, it is less favorable than pretty much any other game, including roulette, video slots, table poker, and most other games.
These bets can be fun to chase after, sure. So, if you are after the thrill and don’t mind losing money, then by all means — go right ahead. But, if you wish to increase your chances of winning as much as possible — we recommend staying away from any of these. They are not included in what you might call a reasonable craps strategy.
They can be tempting since the payout for bets like 12 craps or 2 craps is 30/1, which means that you would win massive amounts of money if you win. However, the odds for these bets are 35/1, so the house edge is huge, sitting at 13.89%.
If there is a message to be learned here is that single-roll bets are simply not a good idea for anyone who is out to make money instead of wasting it away. You would need insane luck to make them work for you, and that is not something that you can rely on. Instead, here is what we recommend for those who are playing craps to win.
Increase your chances by using free odds to your advantage
We mentioned earlier that the pass and come bets are among your best options if you wish to create a winning strategy for craps. However, it is worth noting that this does not end with your initial bet.
Basically, when the shooter rolls their comeout roll, a point is set unless he rolls an instant loss or instant win. If this happens, those who bet on the pass or come have a new betting option. If this seems confusing, make sure to refresh your knowledge of craps rules, and then return to this guide, which will make a lot more sense then.
Basically, what we are trying to say is that using the free craps odds option is something that will grant you a chance to reduce the house edge to such a low percentage that it will be basically non-existent. This is possible because casinos pay the bets at true odds, so there is no edge for the casino itself.
Now, you might expect the casino to cap these bets fairly low in comparison to the original pass bet. However, surprisingly, that is not the case. In fact, most casinos allow you to make bets that are up to 100x bigger than your pass bet on free odds. This also helps reduce the house edge quite a lot — all the way down to 0.02%. As a result, this is the closest that you can get to a break-even game.
There is a catch thorough, and it is the fact that you need a fairly substantial bankroll for it to work as intended. In any case, craps with free odds bet active whenever possible is the best strategy you can choose if you wish to approach as close as possible to victory. Furthermore, free odds can be used in a different way; for example, if you start out by betting on the don’t come and don’t pass, you can lay odds.
This allows you to effectively reduce the house edge even further than before, which leaves you with a 100x bet and a house edge of 0.01%. But, for this strategy to work well, you need to bet a minimum amount on the initial pass bet, and then increase your free odds bet to the largest one you can afford. By doing this, you will be risking the minimum on your initial bet, and increase it only after a point is set. That way, you get to play at reasonable odds and still achieve great payouts.
Hedging your bets
The betting system we mentioned previously is the best one you can get for craps, by far. But, it is not the only one, and there are alternatives for players who enjoy taking greater risks.
For example, in a situation where you have a limited bankroll for gambling, it is perfectly fine to hedge even the best craps bets with some reasonable single or multi-roll bets. The best way to do this — meaning ot hedge your pass and free odds bets — is by using place 6 and place 8 bets.
You would also place bets on these options only after the point is set. So, if the point is 6, you should place 8, and vice versa. However, if any other point is rolled, you should place both 6 and 8. That way, the house edge will never be too high, so you don’t stand to lose too much on these bets. Furthermore, you will use free odds to back your pass bet, so you don’t have to worry about the house edge in this situation.
Now, do note that hedging the bet will reduce your overall odds and payouts alike. However, it will also make payouts more frequent. This strategy can easily work in your favor with just a bit of luck, so it is worth considering it.
Craps strategy alternatives
Craps is one of the more exciting games, and once you are at the table, it is easy to allow this excitement to take over. With a boost of adrenaline, a lot of people choose to take risks, diversify their betting, and step over the boundaries of what can be generally considered as “playing it safe,” or at least as safe as you can get when gambling.
After all, it is not always just about winning, as sometimes, it is more important to make it entertaining, no matter what comes as a result of that decision. A lot of players seek this thrill, and in doing so, they will turn to many single-roll bets with massive payouts, such as 15/1 or even 30/1.
This is popularly known as playing for the glory, and if you choose to take this route, it is generally suggested to do it with a limited amount of money. Basically, you should plan for this scenario before you ever come to the craps table and not bring more money than what you are willing to lose in a craps session.
One final piece of advice for those who are planning to make some long-shot bets when the excitement picks up is to know when to quit. If you happen to make a few wins while wagering on bets that are long-shots, consider yourself lucky, and quit while you’re ahead. And, if you are losing, it is also best to quit before you spend all of your money. Maybe try out a different game for the rest of the evening, such as low-stakes video slots, where you will be able to make a few wins and maybe even recover some of the money that you lost.
Can You Play Craps for Real Money?
Absolutely, all of the casinos that we recommend enable players to enjoy craps for a wide range of stakes. Simply choose the craps game that best matches your needs.
Can You Play Free Craps?
Yes, all of the casinos that we recommend offer the option to play craps for free. You can then practice playing until you are ready to play for real money.
What Is the Shooter?
Players take turns rolling two dices, the person who is responsible for throwing the dice is called the “shooter”.
What Is the Pass Line Bet?
This is the most common type of bet, when a player places a Pass Line bet, the player is betting with the dice. The goal is that either a 7 or an 11 will be the “come out” roll (first number rolled). If this happens the player automatically doubles their money.
If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, this establishes a “point.” This gives the player a second chance at winning. The player needs to then shoot the dice and land the identical number in order to win and double their bet. If a 7 is rolled then the player loses in what is called a “sevens out”.
If the number rolled is a 2, 3, or 12 (called Craps), the player instantly loses the bet.
The house edge is 1.41%.
What Is the Don’t Pass Bet?
The Don’t Pass bet is essentially betting against the dice and this is the complete opposite of Pass Line bets.
The player is hoping for a for a 2, 3, or 12 to be rolled on the initial come out roll, if this happens the player automatically doubles their money.
If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, this establishes a “point.” This gives the player a second chance at winning. Unlike the “Pass Line Bet”, the player is hoping that the identical number will not be rolled again, if the identical number rolls the player loses. If the 7 comes up first the player automatically wins the bet.
The house edge is 1.41%.
What Are Place Bets?
Place bets is a player is betting that a specific number will be rolled before the 7 is rolled. The player can choose to roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.
Number 4 or 10
Payouts: 9 to 5
House edge: 6.67%
Number 5 or 9
Payouts: 7 to 5
House edge: 4%
Number 6 or 8
Payouts: 7 to 6
House edge: 1.52%
What Are Field Bets?
These are bets when the player is hoping for the roll of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
Number 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11
Payout: 1 to 1 (No money is won or lost).
Number 2
Payout: 2 to 1.
Number 12
Payout: 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 (depending on the casino).
Number 5, 6, 7, or 8
Player automatically loses bet.
Field bets offer the casino a 5.56% house edge.
What Are Hard Bets?
This is when the player bets that the two numbers that roll on the dices will be identical. For example: 3s on both dices, or 4s on both dices.
The only winning combinations can be: 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10.
Number 2:
Payout: 35 to 1
House Edge: 13.89%
Numbers 4 or 10
Payout: 8 to 1
House Edge: 11.11%,
Numbers 6 or 8
Payout 10 to 1
House Edge: 9.09%
What Is a Sevens Out?
This is simply rolling a seven after a point has previously been established. In some cases this may lose a bet “pass line bet” or may may win a bet “don’t pass bet”.
What Is Pressing Your Bet?
When a player wins they have the option of collecting their winnings, or they can keep the winnings on the table to further double the bet in what is called “pressing your bet”.
What Are Roll Bets?
Roll bets is when players bets on a single roll for a specific number.
Number 2 or 12:
Payouts: 30 to 1
House Edge: 13.89%
Number 3 or 11:
Payouts: 15 to 1
House Edge: 11.11%
Number 7:
Payout is: 4 to 1
House Edge is: 11.11%.
What Is a Come Bet?
Players have the option of placing this bet after a point on the Pass Line has been rolled. The rules are then identical to a Pass Line Bet.
Numbers 4 or 10
Payout: 1:2
House Edge: 2.44%
Numbers 5 or 9
Payout: 2 to 3
House Edge: 3.23%
Numbers 6 or 8
Payout: 5 to 6
House Edge: 4%
House Edge: 1.41%
What Is a Don’t Come Bet?
Players have the option of placing this bet after a point on the Pass Line has been rolled. This is the reverse of a “Come Bet”, and is very similar to the “Don’t Pass Bet”.
Numbers 4 or 10
Payout: 1:2
House Edge: 2.44%
Numbers 5 or 9
Payout: 2 to 3
House Edge: 3.23%
Numbers 6 or 8
Payout: 5 to 6
House Edge: 4%