Craps Bets
A part of the reason why craps is so popular (and also a part of the reason why it looks so confusing at first) is because the players may place many different types of bets.
The most basic bets are the “pass line” bets and the “don’t pass line” bets. After that, there are many bets players can place on various outcomes of the dice rolls.
Pass Line Bet
House Advantage: 1.41%
The pass line bet is the most basic bet in craps and is the first one you should learn as a new player. This bet is placed before the shooter throws the dice during the come-out roll. There are three possible outcomes for the pass line bet when the shooter throws:
The shooter throws a 7 or 11. The pass line bet automatically wins and all players who placed this bet win even money on their bets.
The shooter throws a 2, 3 or 12. The pass line bet automatically loses.
The shooter throws any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10). This establishes the point. Once the point is established, the pass line bet will win if that point is rolled again before the shooter throws another 7. If the shooter throws a 7 before the point is rolled again, the pass line bet loses.
Don’t Pass Line
House Advantage: 1.36%
This bet is almost the exact opposite of the pass line bet. There are four possible outcomes with the don’t pass bet:
The shooter throws a 7 or 11. The don’t pass bet automatically loses.
The shooter throws a 2 or 3. The don’t pass bet automatically wins. All players who placed this bet win even money.
The shooter throws a 12. The bet is a push.
The shooter throws any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10). This establishes the point. If the shooter throws a 7 before the point is rolled again, the bet wins. If the shooter throws the point again before a 7, the don’t pass bet loses.
The house advantage is a little better on this bet but you won’t be the most popular player at the table if you make this bet. Most people root for the shooter so when you place a don’t pass bet, you’re basically rooting for the rest of the table to lose.
Taking the Odds
House Advantage: 0%
This is one of the few bets in the entire casino in which there is no house advantage whatsoever. The catch is that you may only place this bet after placing a pass line bet. Once a point has been established, the “taking the odds” bet may be placed. This is nothing more than an additional wager that the point will be rolled again before a 7 is rolled.
The casino pays out more than even money on this bet because the 7 is the most likely number to be rolled. The casino pays out winning odds bets according to the following table:
Point Payout
6 or 8 6 to 5
5 or 9 3 to 2
4 or 10 2 to 1
If you want to place an odds bet, the house will let you make the size of the bet equal to either 3 times or 5 times the size of your initial pass line bet. Some casinos temporarily allow players to place up to 100 times the initial bet but this doesn’t happen very often because there is no house advantage on the bet.
Laying the Odds
House Advantage: 0%
This is the opposite of the “taking the odds” bet and can only be placed after placing a don’t pass line bet. In this bet, you’re wagering that a 7 will be rolled before the point is rolled again. Because the 7 is the most likely number to be rolled, you will be paid less than even money on these bets:
Point Payout
6 or 8 5 to 6
5 or 9 2 to 3
4 or 10 1 to 2
Come Bet
House Advantage: 1.41%
The come bet is almost the same as a pass line bet except it can be placed at any time. Once a come bet has been placed, the next roll of the dice determines the point. Just like the pass line bet, you’re hoping to see that point rolled again before the shooter rolls a 7.
Don’t Come Bet
House Advantage: 1.36%
This bet is almost exactly the same as the don’t pass line bet except it can be placed at any time. It’s just like the come bet except it wins if the 7 is rolled before the point is rolled.
Field Bet
House Advantage: 5.56%
This is a one time bet on the next roll of the dice. The bet wins if the dice lands on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. If the dice land on 5, 6, 7 or 8, the bet is lost. The casino pays out even money on every outcome except 2 and 12. If the dice land on 2 or 12, the field bet is paid out at 2 to 1.
Place Bet
House Advantage: Varies
The player may choose a number and then bet that that number will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. The house advantage and the payout depend on which number the player selects.
Number Payout House Advantage
6 or 8 7 to 6 1.52%
5 or 9 7 to 5 4.00%
4 or 10 9 to 5 6.67%
Buy Bet
House Advantage: Varies
The buy bet is the same as a place bet except the casino pays true odds on your bet. That means there is no house advantage. Instead, the casino takes a 5% commission out of your bet. You’ll want to bet in $20 increments so that the commission comes out at an even dollar amount. Otherwise the commission will be rounded up.
Number Payout House Advantage
6 or 8 23 to 21 4.76%
5 or 9 29 to 21 4.76%
4 or 10 39 to 21 4.76%
Place Bet to Lose
House Advantage: Varies
This is the opposite of a place bet. In this bet, you pick a number and then hope the 7 is rolled before that number is rolled. The payout and house advantage varies depending on which number was selected.
Number Payout House Advantage
6 or 8 4 to 5 1.82%
5 or 9 5 to 8 2.50%
4 or 10 5 to 11 3.03%
Lay Bet
House Advantage: Varies
This is the opposite of a buy bet. You are betting that a 7 will be rolled before the number you pick. The casino pays out true odds on your money but charges a 5% commission on each bet.
Number Payout House Advantage
6 or 8 19 to 25 4.00%
5 or 9 19 to 31 3.23%
4 or 10 19 to 41 2.44%
Proposition Bets
House Advantage: Varies
Proposition bets are bets made on the outcome of any single roll of the dice. These have the worst odds in the game but they offer the highest potential payouts. Some people consider them sucker bets; other people call them thrill bets. Whatever you call them, you may bet on any of the following outcomes:
Outcome Payout House Advantage
Any Craps (2, 3 or 12) 7 to 1 11.11%
Any Seven 4 to 1 16.67%
2 30 to 1 13.89%
3 15 to 1 11.10%
11 15 to 1 11.10%
12 30 to 1 13.89%
Hard Ways
House Advantage: Varies
These are bets that certain numbers will be rolled “the hard way” before a 7 is rolled or the number is rolled “the easy way.” For example, a bet on 8 the hard way would require that an 8 be rolled by the dice landing with two 4s. If a 7 is rolled first or the 8 is rolled in any of the easy ways (like with the dice landing with a 6 and a 2), the bet is lost.
Number Payout House Advantage
6 or 8 9 to 1 9.09%
4 or 10 7 to 1 11.11%
