The game of craps offers some of the best bets in online casino games. Craps bets have either a very low house edge or no house edge at all. That is what makes craps a good gamble, and a favourite game of players.
Craps – pass line bet
When it is your turn to throw the craps dice, you must determine whether to bet the pass line or the don’t pass line. Most shooters, as well as most of the other craps players at the table, will bet the pass line, as it is the basic wager of craps.
The pass line wager is an even money bet that wins if you either roll a total of 7 or 11 on the come-out roll or if you throw a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on the come-out roll and repeat that number before you roll a 7. The pass line bet loses if the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12 (known as “craps”) or when a 7 is rolled before the established point number is repeated.
If you successfully complete a pass, – that is, if you repeat an established point number before throwing a 7-, you get to roll the dice again. Only when you seven-out will the stickman push the dice to the next player in succession.
Once you have established a point, if you roll a number other than your point or a 7, it is disregarded as far as pass line bets are concerned, although these additional rolls do affect other bets that can be made at the craps table. Casino craps rules and how to play craps tutorial.
As an example, suppose you have established a point of 8 on the come-out roll. If you next throw a 3, then a 5, a 9, and a 10, these numbers will be ignored for pass line bets. But if you then roll 7, you will lose your pass line wager, since the 7 came up before your point number.
Out of 990 decisions at the craps table, you can expect to lose 14 decisions more than you win. That makes the house advantage at craps 1.41%. In other words, out of every $100 that you wager at the craps table, you can expect to lose $1.41. Of course, this is in the long run. You can win because in the relatively short time you will be playing, there will be fluctuations in this house edge, so at times things will be going in your favour at the craps table.
A pass line bet can be made at any time during a shooter’s roll, even after he has established a point. However, a bet placed on the pass line after a point has been established is a very poor wager, since you have missed the opportunity to win on the come-out roll when the shooter throws a 7 or an 11. The only way you can now win is if the shooter repeats his point before he sevens out.
Taking the odds
When the shooter establishes a point on the come-out roll, any player who has made a pass line bet is allowed to “take the odds.” A single odds bet is an additional wager, up to the amount of your original wager, that the point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled.
The odds bet is the best wager you can make in the game of craps because the house has no built-in advantage. Some casinos permit players to make double odds and even greater odds wagers.
The odds bet not only has no house edge associated with it but also has no official designated space on the craps table. Therefore, to take the odds, you must place the appropriate amount of chips behind your pass line bet in the open area of the craps layout.
The correct payoff for odds bets varies from point number to point number, depending on the odds of a 7 being rolled before a particular point is repeated. The payoff formula is the same whether you take single odds, double odds, or more.
Correct odds payoffs are as follows:
- Points 4 and 10 pay 2-to-1
- Points 5 and 9 pay 3-to-2
- Points 6 and 8 pay 6-to-5
As an example, suppose you bet $1.00 on the pass line and establish a point of 4 in a casino that offers double odds. You now have the option of taking the adds for an additional $2.00. (You can also wager a lesser amount or choose not to take any odds at all.) If you repeat the point number (4) before rolling a 7, you will get your original $3.00 back, plus an additional $5.00. Of that $5.00, $1.00 will be the even-money payback on your pass line wager, and $4.00 will be the 2-to-1 payoff for a point of 4 on your odds bet of $2.00. If you roll a 7 before repeating your point of 4, you will lose your initial $1.00 wager on the pass line, plus your $2.00 odds bet, for a total loss of $3.00. You are allowed to remove your odds wager from the craps table at any time, as a casino does not object to your taking down a bet that has no house edge.
Craps – Come Bets
A come bet is identical to a pass line bet, with one exception: A come bet may be made on every throw of the dice once the shooter has established a point. A come bet is made by placing the number of chips you wish to wager in the designated come area of the craps layout.
After you have placed a come bet, the very next roll of the dice becomes the come-out roll for that wager. Thus if the shooter rolls a 7, you will win even though pass line betters will lose. If an 11 is rolled, you will win while the line bets will not be affected. Conversely, should one of the craps numbers come up you will lose, but the line bets will be unaffected.
Should the shooter throw one of the box numbers on the first roll of the dice after you’ve made a wager on the come, this number becomes an established point for your come bet. To win this bet, your come point must be repeated before a 7 is rolled.
Once a point has been established for your come bet, the dealer will move the chips you have wagered, to the corresponding numbered box on the craps layout to await a decision for that point. When you win a come bet, the dealer will pay you off by placing your original wager, along with your winnings, in the come section of the layout. If you do not immediately retrieve your chips, they will be in action on the next roll of the dice as a new come bet.
To make an odds wager on a come point, hand the dealer the appropriate amount of chips and tell him that you wish to take the odds on that point.
The don’t-pass line bet
As you’ve seen, a pass line bet is simply a wager that the shooter will win. But you also can bet that the shooter will fail to make a pass and thus lose.
They don’t pass line bet wins when the shooter throws a crap of 2 or 3, but not 12, on the come-out roll, or when he rolls a 7 before repeating his established point number. This wager loses when the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, or when the shooter repeats his point number before rolling a 7.
They don’t pass line bet is the exact opposite of a pass line with one exception: Although a roll of 12 on the come out loses for pass line betters, it is not a winning number for don’t pass bettors. It is a stand-off and neither wins nor loses. The reason for this is simple: If don’t betters were permitted to win in this situation, they would have an advantage over the house. So by barring (disallowing) the number 12 on the come-out roll, the casinos retain a small edge. Some casinos bar the number 2, but the effect is exactly the same.
Unlike a pass line wager, a don’t pass bet can be removed after a point number has been established on the come-out roll. This is because once a point is established you have an advantage over the house, thus the casino has no objections to your taking down the bet. Of course, you should never do this. After going up against an 8 to 3 house edge on the come-out roll, you will have an overall average advantage of 18.8 after a point has been established.
Laying the Odds
When the shooter establishes a point number on the come-out roll, players who have made don’t pass line wagers are permitted to lay the odds, which is exactly the opposite of taking the odds.
For example, let’s suppose the shooter has established a point of 4. Lay the odds and win your bet, you will receive $1.00 for every $2.00 you have bet, since making the 7 is twice as likely as making the 4.
Correct payoffs for lay odds bets are as follows:
- Points 4 and 10 pay 1-to-2
- Points 5 and 9 pay 2-to-3
- Points 6 and 8 pay 5-to 6
When you wish to make the laying of the odds bet, hand your chips to the dealer and inform him that you are laying the odds.
Craps – Don’t come bets
Don’t come bets can be placed on every throw of the dice after a point has been established. After you have placed a don’t come bet, the very next throw of the dice becomes the come-out roll for that wager. Thus if the shooter rolls a craps number of 2 or 3, you will win while don’t pass line betters will not be affected. If a 7 is rolled, you will lose and wagers on the don’t pass will win. You also will lose if an 11 is thrown, although this number will not have a bearing on don’t pass wagers. A roll of 12 is a stand-off. Casino craps rules and how to play craps tutorial.
Place bets on 6 and 8
I’ve covered the four best bets that you can make in the game of craps. There are, however, two other reasonably good wagers in terms of house advantage. These wagers are place bets on the 6 and 8.
A place bet can be made on any of the point numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) at any time during a hand and is simply a wager that one of these numbers will be rolled before the shooter throws a 7. You cannot take the odds on place bets. To make a place bet on the 6 or 8, hand your chips to the dealer and ask him to “place the six” or “place the 8.”
Place bets on the 6 and 8 are paid off at 7-to-6 on correct odds of 6-to-5, which gives the casino an advantage of 1.51% on these wagers. To ensure that you receive the full 7-to-6 payoff on the 6 and 8, you must make your bet in multiples of six, such as $6, $12, $18, and so forth.
As a reminder, any bet where the casino has an advantage is a bet that theoretically will cost you money. Even so, if you make only those wagers that carry a small house edge, your chances of leaving the craps table a winner after a short playing session are reasonably good.
I recommend that you make only the following bets, which are the six best wagers in the game of craps:
- Pass line bets with full odds
- Come bets with full odds
- Don’t pass bets with full odds
- Place bets on 6Place bets on 8
- Don’t come bets with full odds
Other multiple-roll bets
Besides the six bets discussed, there are numerous other wagers available in the game of craps. However, all the other bets are not recommended, as I feel the house percentages are too high for these wagers to be a reasonable gamble.
Of course, if you play a lot of craps and always make some of these bets, you can expect to occasionally get lucky and do well in casino games. More often, however, you will rapidly deplete your gambling bankroll.
Place bets on the 5 and 9 carry a house advantage of 4%, and place bets on 4 and 10 carry a house advantage of 6.6%.
Big 6 and Big 8 bets are the same as placing the 6 and 8, except that these bets pay even money, thus giving the house an edge of 9.1%.
Then we have the hard way bets, lay bets, horn bets, etc. I do not wish to get into these bets, other than to say they all carry a hefty house edge and are not recommended by me.
Dice Combinations:
| Number | Combination | Ways To Roll |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1-1 | One |
| 3 | 1-2, 2-1 | Two |
| 4 | 1-3, 3-1, 2-2 | Three |
| 5 | 1-4, 4-1, 2-3, 3-2 | Four |
| 6 | 1-5, 5-1, 2-4, 4-2, 3-3 | Five |
| 7 | 1-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4, 4-3 | Six |
| 8 | 2-6, 6-2, 3-5, 5-3, 4-4 | Five |
| 9 | 3-6, 6-3, 4-5, 5-4 | Four |
| 10 | 4-6, 6-4, 5-5 | Three |
| 11 | 5-6, 6-5 | Two |
| 12 | 6-6 | One |