Craps Betting Guide
The bets in Craps can essentially be divided among three categories: those that revolve around the Pass Line bet; those that do not involve the Pass Line bet, but can take multiple rolls to resolve; and the proposition bets on the result of the next roll. Most players will make Pass Line related bets, some will make bets on multiple roll outcomes, and very few will make proposition bets.
Pass Line Bets
The following are bets in Craps that depend largely on the Pass Line:
Pass Line
This is initially a bet on rolling a 7 or 11 on the come out roll. If the shooter succeeds, Pass Line bets win even money. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, then Pass Line bets lose. Otherwise, the result that has been rolled is established as the point, and the bet changes to a bet on the point being rolled before a 7 is rolled. If the point comes first, the Pass Line bet wins even money. If a 7 is rolled first, the Pass Line bet loses and bets on it are forfeited.
The Pass Line bet has a reasonably low house edge of 1.41%, and with the length of time it can take to resolve, it is good value when you want to kill time gambling.
Don’t Pass
This is a bet against the shooter, and as such, it is frowned upon by other players. It is initially a bet that the come out roll will result in a 2 or 3, in which case the Don’t Pass bet pays even money. In the event of an 11 being rolled on the come out roll, the Don’t Pass bet is pushed. In the case of a 7 on the come out roll, the Don’t Pass bet loses. Any other result is the point, and the Don’t Pass bet changes.
Once the point is established, the Don’t Pass bet is a wager on the shooter rolling a 7 before the point is rolled. If the 7 comes first, it pays even money. If the point comes first, the bet loses.
While other players will think it is bad karma for you to bet on Don’t Pass, as they will usually be losing while you are winning, there are no such concerns in an online casino. It should be noted that the house edge of the Don’t Pass bet is lower than that of the Pass Line bet, at 1.36%. This is not a massive difference, but it is one to keep in mind if you intend to play at an online casino.
Pass Odds
This bet essentially works as an addition to the Pass Line bet if a point is established on the come out roll. This is normally a multiple of the Pass Line bet that has been placed and the payout depends on the point that must be hit. The bet is on the point being rolled again before a 7 is rolled, and it has no house edge other than that associated with the initial Pass Line bet.
Don’t Pass Odds
This bet is an addition to the Don’t Pass bet, and it is also placed once a point is established. The bet is on a 7 being rolled before the point, and the payout depends on the point. As with Pass Odds, the Don’t Pass Odds bet has no house edge, only affected by the house edge of placing a Don’t Pass bet.
Come
This is essentially like playing a Pass Line bet on a roll after the come out roll. You place your bet, and if a 7 or 11 is rolled on the next roll, you win even money. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, you lose. Otherwise, the number rolled is established as the point, and the bet becomes one on that point being rolled before a 7. This has the same house edge as the Pass Line bet, at 1.41%.
Don’t Come
This is like playing a Don’t Pass bet in a roll after the come out roll. You place your bet, and if the next roll is a 2 or 3, you win even money. If it is an 11, your bet is pushed. If it is a 7, you lose. Otherwise, the number rolled becomes the point for your Don’t Come bet, and you are now betting on a 7 being rolled before your point is rolled. This has the same house edge as the Don’t Pass bet, at 1.36%.
Come Odds
Essentially the same as for a Pass Odds bet, except this is placed on top of a Come bet. It has no house edge, just like a Pass Odds bet, but a Come bet must be placed first. On a come out roll, a Come Odds bet is not active. If the Come bet it is supporting is resolved on that roll, the Come Odds bet is simply pushed. Otherwise, the Come Odds bet becomes active again on the next normal roll.
Don’t Come Odds
Much like a Don’t Pass Odds bet, but this bet is placed on top of a Don’t Come bet. Again, no house edge, but you must have placed a Don’t Come bet first. On a come out roll, a Don’t Come Odds bet is not active. If the Don’t Come bet it is based on is resolved on the come out roll, the Don’t Come Odds bet is pushed. If the Don’t Come bet is not resolved, then the Don’t Come Odds bet continues on the next normal roll.
Multiple Roll Bets
The following bets are decided over multiple rolls, but they do not depend on the Pass Line:
Big 6 and Big 8 bets
These are two different bets, but they have the same probabilities and payouts. They are a bet either on a 6 being rolled before a 7, or on an 8 being rolled before a 7. They pay out at even money, though placing a wager on 6 or 8 directly is a superior bet, which should pay out at 7 to 6. Big 6 and Big 8 bets have a house edge of 9.09%.
Hard Way bets
These bets are on a specific number being thrown with doubles before it is thrown in a mixed combination. The numbers available for this bet are 4, 6, 8 or 10. For example, throwing an 8 the hard way is throwing an 8 with both dice coming up 4, rather than 5 and 3 or some other combination adding up to 8. The house edge depends on the Hard Way bet chosen. 4 or 10 the hard way should pay 7 to 1 for a house edge of 11.11%. 6 or 8 the hard way should pay 9 to 1 for a house edge of 9.09%.
Place bets
This is a bet on a specific point value. You simply choose the point you wish to bet on being rolled before a 7. The payouts depend on the number chosen, but they are slightly worse than the true odds. A Place bet on 4 or 10 has a payout of 9 to 5, for a house edge of 6.67%. A Place bet on 5 or 9 has a payout of 7 to 5 for a house edge of 4%. A Place bet on 6 or 8 has a payout of 7 to 6, for a house edge of 1.52%. The house edge on putting down a Place bet on a specific number is thus worse than simply playing that number as part of a Pass Line or Come bet.
Buy bet
This is like the Place bet, where a point value is chosen instead of being rolled, but it charges a commission of 5% instead of paying worse odds. As such, a Buy bet pays true odds, with no house edge, but charges 5% commission. This ends in a 4.76% house edge for any buy bet, regardless of the number chosen. Some casinos will occasionally offer lower commissions for Buy bets, but such arrangements are never likely to last for long.
Lay bet
This is a bet against a particular point value being rolled before a 7 is rolled. It works as an opposite to the Buy bet, paying favourable odds and charging a 5% commission. Nevertheless, the house edge is not the same for every point value chosen. For 4 or 10, it is 2.44%. For 5 or 9, it is 3.23%. For 6 or 8, the house edge is 4%.
Proposition Bets
The following are proposition bets, based on the outcome of the next roll of the dice:
2, Snake Eyes, Aces
This is a bet on the shooter rolling a 2 as the total of the dice. It pays 30 to 1 and has a house edge of 13.89%.
3, Ace-Deuce
This is a bet on the shooter rolling 3 as the total of the dice. It pays 15 to 1 and has a house edge of 11.11%.
12, Box Cars
This is a bet on the shooter rolling a 12 as the total of the dice. It pays 30 to 1 and has a house edge of 13.89%.
11, Yo
This is a bet on the shooter rolling a total of 11 on the dice. It pays 15 to 1 and has an appropriate house edge of 11.11%.
Hi-Lo, 2 or 12
This is a bet on a 2 or a 12 being rolled. It pays 15 to 1 for a house edge of 11.11%.
Craps
This is a bet on a 2, 3 or 12 being rolled. It pays 7 to 1 for a house edge of 11.11%.
Craps and Eleven, C&E
This is actually two equal bets, one on Craps and one on Yo. It pays 3 to 1 on Craps and 7 to 1 on Yo, once the total amount bet is taken into account. This creates an overall house edge of 11.11%.
Any 7, Big Red
This is a bet on a 7 being rolled as the sum of the dice. It pays at 4 to 1, and has a house edge of 16.67%. Big Red is possibly the worst bet in Craps. Also, if playing at a live venue, be sure to call it Big Red after the come out roll, as many people think it is bad luck to say ‘seven’ after the come out roll.
Field
This is a bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Most of these pay even money, but if a 2 or 12 is rolled, this bet pays 2 to 1 at most casinos, but 3 to 1 on a 12 at a few select casinos. With the normal 2 to 1 payout on 2 or 12, the house edge is 5.56%. If the 12 pays at 3 to 1, the house edge is 2.78%.
The Horn
This is a bet on 2, 3, 11 or 12. It is actually a single equal bet on each outcome. It pays 27:4 on a 2 or 12 rolled, or 3 to 1 on a 3 or 11 rolled. This means an overall house edge of 12.5%.
Whirl/World
This is made up of a Horn and a Big Red bet. You win if a 2, 3, 11 or 12 is rolled, and effectively get pushed if a 7 is rolled. The money won on a 7 will simply cover the lost bets on the Horn positions. The 2 or 12 effectively payout at 26 to 5 and the 3 or 11 effectively payout at 11 to 5. The overall result of the odds and payouts creates a house edge of 13.33%.
