Craps Bets - Learn How To Make Craps Bets

Possible Craps Wagers

Basic Craps Bets

Pass Line Bet - The pass line bet is the basic craps bet. You place it before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11 you win even money on your pass line bet. When the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 you lose the pass line bet. When the shooter rolls a point you will win even money on the pass line bet if the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before the point you lose your pass line bet. The casino edge percentage on the pass line bet is 1.41%.

Odds Bet - An odds bet is placed slightly behind a pass line bet if the come out roll sets a point. The odds bet is paid out at true odds, meaning that the casino has a zero house edge on odds bets. There is not a place marked on the craps table for odds bets. I believe this is because the casinos don't want you to know about a true even bet. Many casinos allow you to place odds bets of two times or more, some up to 100 times, your bet on the pass line. For example, if you bet $5 on the pass line and a point is rolled, you can place $10 on the odds bet where they let you bet double. A casino that allows 100 times on the odds bet you would be allowed to bet $500. When the point is a 6 or an 8, the odds bet pays 6 to 5. When the point is a 5 or a 9, the odds bet pays out 3 to 2 and when the point is 4 or 10 the odds bet pays 2 to 1. You should always place an odds bet on a point because it is the only true odds bet available at the craps table.

Don't Pass Bet - The don't pass bet is a wager that is opposite a pass line bet. When the shooter rolls a 2 or a 3 you win the don't pass bet. When the shooter rolls a point, you win the don't pass bet if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. When the shooter rolls the point again first, you lose the don't pass bet. Depending on the source, a don't pass bet has a house edge of either 1.4% or 1.36%. The difference is the lower percentage accounts for the tie that happens when the come out roll is a 12. On a 12 come out roll the don't pass bet neither wins or loses. It stays in place for the next roll.

Laying Odds Bet - Just like the don't pass bet is the opposite of the pass line bet, the laying odds bet is the opposite of the odds bet. When the shooter rolls a point, a laying odds bet is betting that the shooter will roll a 7 before rolling the point again. The payout when the point is a 6 or 8 is 5 to 6, when the point is 5 or 9 the payout is 2 to 3 and if the point is a 4 or 10 the payout is 1 to 2. This bet also offers a zero house edge.

Those are the four basic craps bets you will be using and they offer the lowest possible house edge. Those are also the four craps bets that can not be removed from the craps table until they are resolved. As a beginning craps player, you should only use the four bets above. Once you become a seasoned craps pro, you can experiment with the other craps bets listed below. But understand that whenever you do, with the exception of the come and don't come bets and odds bets on those, you are giving the house a larger advantage. The reason I don't recommend new players use the come and don't come bets is it can quickly get confusing at the craps table and it can be hard for a new craps player to follow the action.

Other Craps Bets

Come Bet - A come bet is the same as as pass line bet except it is placed on point rolls, or in other words, rolls that are not come out rolls. You place a come bet in the box marked come on the craps layout. If the next roll is a 7 or 11 you win and you lose if the roll is a 2, 3 or 12. On any other roll a point is established. A come bet is identical to the pass line bet in every way except when you place your original bet. The come bet offers the same odds as the pass line bet, which are 1.41%.

Come Bet Odds Bet - The come bet odds bet works just like the odds bet discussed above except you use it on a come bet instead of a pass line bet. It is also offered at true even house odds.

Don't Come Bet - The don't come bet is exactly like the don't pass bet with the exception it is placed on a point, or non come out roll. The odds are the same as the don't pass bet, just like the come bet is the same odds as the pass line bet.

Don't Come Odds Bet - The don't come odds bet is the same as the laying odds bet above, except placed on a don't come bet. It also offers the same house edge as the laying odds bet.

Place Bets - A place bet is a bet on any of the point numbers listed on the table, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. By making a place bet, you are betting that the number you place your bet on will be rolled before a 7. The 4 and 10 pay 9 to 5 and offer a house edge of 6.67%. The 5 and 9 pay 7 to 5 and give the house an edge of 4% and the 6 and 8 pay 7 to 6 and have a house edge of 1.52%. Notice these are the same as odds bets but offer worse odds.

Buy Bets - Buy bets are the same as place bets but pay a different ratio which makes them have different house edges. You pay the casino a 5% commission on buy bets. The house edge percentage on all buy bets is 4.76%. Notice that this is worse than the place bets except for when you are betting on the 4 or 10.

Lay Bets - Lay bets are just the opposite of place bets. You are betting that a 7 will be rolled before the number you bet on (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10). You will pay a 5% commission to the casino for all lay bets and the house edge on lay bets are 2.44% on the 4 and 10, 3.23% on the 5 and 9 and 4% on the 6 and 8.

Big 6 Bet - A big 6 bet is placed on the felt area marked big 6 and is a bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7. The big 6 bet is paid 1 to 1 which gives the house an edge of 9.09%.

Big 8 Bet - The big 8 bet is just like the big 6 bet except you place your wager on the big 8 area and are betting on an eight instead of a 6. It offers the same house advantage as the big 6 bet.

Hard Way Bets - Hard way bets are bets that doubles are rolled before a 7 or the number bet on is rolled the easier way (not doubles) and the total is 4, 6, 8 or 10. For example, a hard way bet on 6 is betting that two 3's are rolled before a 7 or a 5 and a 1 or a 4 and a 2. The only possible hard way bets are 4 (two 2's) which pays 7 to 1, 6 (two 3's) which pays 9 to 1, 8 (two 4's) which pays 9 to 1 and 10 (two 5's) which pays 7 to 1. The house edge on the hard way bets is 9.09% on the 6 and 8 and 11.11% on the 4 and 10. Hard way bets stay in play until a 7 or the number bet on is rolled, whether a winner or a loser.

Proposition Bets - Proposition bets are always placed on just the next roll of the dice. Possible proposition bets are the next roll will be a 2, which has a house edge of 13.89%, a 12 with a house edge of 13.89%, a 3 with a house edge of 11.11%, an 11 with a house edge of 11.11%, any craps (2, 3 or 12) with a house edge of 11.11% or any 7 with a house edge of 16.67%. The payouts on the proposition bets look good ( 30 to 1 on the 2 and 12, 15 to 1 on the 3 and 11, 7 to 1 on the any craps and 4 to 1 on the any 7) but you can see from the percentages listed above that they are not good bets.

Field Bets - The field bet is placed on the section of the table marked field bet and is a bet that the next roll will be one of the following number. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. If it is, you win 1 to 1 on the 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 and 2 to 1 on the 2 and the 12. The house edge on the field bet is 5.56%.