With its origins going back over 500 years, craps is a popular dice game in North America. Based on a game called hazard that is referenced in books dating back to the 14th century, craps was brought to New Orleans in the early 1800s. The game found a foothold with fieldhands and deckhands of the time, allowing its popularity to spread up the Mississippi River.
The word “craps” is actually a mispronunciation of the word “crabs”, which were the numbers 2 and 3 in the game hazard (which were the numbers that were automatic losers).
The Best Craps Bets to Make By Rob V March 13, 2019 Although chance is the very essence of Craps, experienced players know that there’s always a way to improve your odds and gradually accumulate your profit – usually, with no more than a bit of discipline and restraint. The most popular craps bet, the Pass Line, has a house edge of just 1.41% and is the easiest wager to make. A pass line bet means players wager on the shooter landing a 7 or 11 before a 2, 3 or 12 on the. Two of the best bets to make at craps are the pass line and don't pass bets, the so-called line bets. Most players will make at least one line bet - usually on the pass line. Then they will make all kinds of crazy crapper bets - Come bets with outrageous amounts of odds, Prop bets, Hardways and then the even hedge these bets with Any Craps. Best Craps Bets. The casinos job is to take your money. Our job is to teach you how to take the casino's money by making the right bets and avoiding the bad ones. We've listed the best bets that you can make in Craps. These are not the only approved Craps bets.
The Basics of Craps
At its core, craps is a dice shooting game. The goal is to match or avoid certain numbers. Boiled down to the essentials, the rules of the game are:
- In the first roll of the dice, if you shoot a 7 or 11, you automatically win.
- In the first roll of the dice, if you shoot a 2, 3 or 12, you automatically lose.
- If you roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, you roll again, this number becomes the “point”.
- You will then keep rolling and each time the point is hit, you win. The game continues until the player retires or a 7 is rolled ending the game
The hard part of the game is understanding the table and the betting. But if you understand the essentials, the betting becomes easier to understand.
The 5 Smartest Craps Bets
The Pass Line
The most common and popular bet at the craps table is the pass line bet. This bet the bet that backs the shooter. A bet of this type means that you are betting on the shooter to roll a 7 or 11. If he does so, you win instantly.
If he rolls a 2, 3, or 12, you automatically lose.
If he rolls anything else, he must roll again and this number becomes the point. Each time he rolls the point, you win. If he rolls a 7, you lose.
Most of the bets on a craps table will be pass line bets. There are a few reasons for this. First, it is an easy bet to understand. Second, there are chances for multiple wins without having to bet over and over again. Third, it is an even bet. And fourth, the house edge is only 1.41% which is not only one of the lowest on the table, it is one of the lowest in the whole casino.
The Don’t Pass Line
Another smart bet in craps is the don’t pass line. In this bet, you are betting against the shooter. In this scenario, you are betting that the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 for an automatic win. If he rolls a 7 or 11, you lose.
Much like the pass line, if he rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, he rolls again to try and hit point. If he hits point, you lose, if he rolls a 7, you win.
The house edge on this bet differs slightly from the pass line and is 1.36%.
There is a pitfall to this bet. Because craps is a communal game, you are betting with other people on the results of the roll. This can cause issues with people around you if you are continually betting don’t pass line and they are betting pass line and you win. It might be a bit intimidating and can even cause friction with other bettors. So if you do choose this bet and are doing so regularly, you might want to limit your celebrations as it may draw the ire of your fellow gamblers.
Odds Bets
If you bet the pass line, don’t pass line, a come bet or a don’t come bet (which I will cover later) you can place an odds bet. Because of the way the bet is placed, it makes it a pretty integral part of the game.
A good way to think of an odds bet is like raising in a card game. An odds bet is simply adding a wager to the bet you made when the shooter started (assuming he didn’t crap out with a 2, 3, or 12.
Each casino has different rules about odds bets. Some will only let you match the original bet. Some will let you bet several times more than the original, so you’ll need to know the casino’s rules before entering into this type of bet.
On an odds bet, you’ll win the even-money payout on the original bet. For example, Lets’s say the point is 10. If you bet $100 on the pass line, you’ll win $100 each time he hits point before he rolls a 7. In this case, you win 2 to 1 odds on the odds bet. Therefore if you added $200 to the bet, you’ll win another $400.
An odds bet is one of the only neutral house advantage bets in the casino with a house edge of exactly 0%.
The odds vary based on the point and whether you are betting pass line or don’t pass line. The odds for pass line bets are:
- Point of 4 or 10 – 2 to 1 odds
- Point of 5 or 9 – 3 to 2 odds
- Point of 6 or 8 – 6 to 5 odds
For don’t pass lines, they are the opposite:
- Point of 4 or 10 – 1 to 2 odds
- Point of 5 or 9 – 2 to 3 odds
- Point of 6 or 8 – 5 to 6 odds
One of the wonderful things about odds bets is that you can decide on each roll whether you want to continue. So you can do it for one roll, skip a roll and start again while the same shooter is playing the same point.
Odds bets are a real money maker for players when played correctly especially considering that there is zero house edge.
Betting on 6 or 8
While 7 is theoretically the most common roll in craps, the second most common roll is a 6 or an 8. And the great thing about craps is you can bet on the shooter rolling it.
With a house edge of only 1.5% and the odds of rolling a 6 or 8 being 13.89% (second only to the probability of a 7 which is 16.67%), you can make a decent amount of money betting the 6 or 8
After the shooter makes the point, you can simply tell the dealer how much you want to bet on either 6 or 8 or both. (If you bet on both, you’ve just doubled the probability of winning.)
A bet on a 6 and/or 8 pays 7 to 6.
You can bet on other point numbers but the probability of landing on these are lower and the house edge increases. On 4 0r 10, the probability is only 8.33% and the house edge is 6.7%. On a 5 or 9, the probability is 11.11% and the house edge is 4%, so the 6 and/or 8 is the best bet.
Come Bet
The come bet is playing an on-demand pass line bet, the same way a place bet work. At any point after the come out roll, you can place a come bet which essentially creates your own personal pass line bet.
In a come bet, after the shooter has rolled the come out roll and established a point number – any point number – you can then place a come bet. Then, on the next roll, you’re playing out your own pass line bet separate from everyone else at the table.
So, if the next roll is a 7 or 11, you win even money on your come bet. But, if the next roll is a 2, 3, or 12, your bet is lost to the house. And any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will establish the new point number going forward, but one that only you care about.
With this bet, you are really playing 2 games at once. Which can make it a bit harder to keep track of, but the house edge is the same as a pass line bet at 1.41%
The 5 Dumbest Craps Bets
To me, dumb bets are long shots where the odds are not in your favor. Is it possible to win? Yes. Is it likely that you’ll win? Not very. Craps have a few bets that are long shots just like they have bets that are really good to make.
Betting on 4 or 10
One of the worst bets to make is on the 4 or 10 (especially individually). I discussed earlier that the odds of rolling a 4 or 10 are the least like point rolls in the game with a probability of 8.33% on either. But placing a bet on these also have a house edge of 6.7% making it one of the tougher bets, not only in craps but of most bets you can place in table games in the casino. A win on this bet does pay 9 to 5, but you can make better bets that will yield you a better return with less risk.
Betting on 5 or 9
Another dumb bet in craps would be betting on the 5 or 9. The probability of a roll of a 5 or 9 is 11.11%, which is higher than the 4 or 10, but not enough to make it a good bet. Also, the house edge is 4%, which is still more than twice that of a 6 or 8 bet. The payout on this bet is 7 to 5.
Field Bet
A field bet is when you place a bet on the shooter rolling a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
I like to think of this bet similar to endcaps at a grocery or department store. The items they display on the endcap may be on sale, but if you look in the right section, there are much better deals elsewhere. Much like an endcap, this bet looks attractive because it has a wide field of possible results, but they have some of the lowest probabilities of actually being rolled. In the chart below, you can see the probability of each total:
- 2 – 2.78%
- 3 – 5.56%
- 4 – 8.33%
- 5 – 11.11%
- 6 – 13.89%
- 7 – 16.67%
- 8 – 13.89%
- 9 – 11.11%
- 10 – 8.33%
- 11 – 5.56%
- 12 – 2.78%
The house edge on this bet is 2.78%. The payout on this bet is 3 to 1 on a roll of 12, 2 to 1 on a roll of 2 and even money on all others.
Betting on 2 or 12
We can see from the chart that a 2 or 12 (also known as “snake eyes” or a “boxcar”, respectively has only a 2.78% probability. So this is a sucker bet. It will pay 30 to 1 if you win. The house edge on this is 13.89%. Just remember, the higher the payout, the lower the chances of it happening.
Betting on 3 or 11
While the odds of hitting these numbers versus a 2 or 12 is double, it is still highly unlikely and that makes if also a dumb bet. This bet has a house edge of 11.11% and pays out 15 to 1.
Conclusion
For the new or casual gambler, safe is always the way to go. Betting online bets are going to be the best chance of winning.
The great part about this game is that you don’t have to shoot, you can bet on the abilities of others, so if you find someone that is “hot”, you can keep betting on him and keep winning.
But if you do shoot, remember the pitfalls of the 7 on the point. And don’t be afraid to invest in yourself by betting odds or come bets.
I recommend that you try to learn a bit before going to the casino by checking out some videos on YouTube or another video site. This way you’ll be prepped when you get there and you can focus on having fun and winning.
Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.Castle builder game. I’m writing a series of blog posts about casino games and the good and bad strategies for playing those games.
Craps is one of my favorite casino games, so I’ve been looking forward to writing this one.
And the beautiful thing about craps is that it’s a game of pure chance. The best strategy is just to choose the bets with the lowest edge for the house and have fun.
But I’ll have some things to say about some of the strategies and systems that other writers promote, too.
They’re mostly bad craps strategies.
Here’s the Only Craps Strategy You Need
When you’re dealing with an entirely random game – like craps – the only strategy that matters is choosing the bets with the lowest house edge and having fun.
The only decision you make in craps is what bet to place.
I’ll have something to say about shooters and whether they have control over the outcomes later in this post, but for now, let’s just agree that games like craps are purely chance.
In other games that are entirely random, like slot machines, you don’t even really need to decide which bet to place. It’s chosen for you before you sit down.
When playing craps for real money, you have a handful of good bets you can make, but most of the bets on the table are bad. Just skip the bad bets, and you’re all set.
The Bests Bets at the Craps Table
The best bets at the craps table are the pass line bet and the don’t pass bet.
The come and don’t come bets are also great wagers.
![Bets Bets](https://i.ytimg.com/vi/BRK4R99kpDQ/maxresdefault.jpg)
I always advise casino gamblers to try to limit their gambling to games where the house edge is lower than 2% — preferably 1.5% or lower.
The house edge for the pass and come bets is the same, 1.41%, which means they qualify.
The house edge for the don’t pass and don’t come bets is even lower, 1.36%, but the 0.05% isn’t worth worrying about. Most people prefer to root for the shooter to succeed.
The other bet to think about at the craps table is the odds bet. This is a bet you can only place after making one of the 4 bets I already mentioned and when the shooter has set a point.
This is one of the only bets in the casino that has no house edge. It’s a break-even bet, but it can be expensive.
It can also drive the effective house edge on the money you have in action down to almost nothing.
Best Bets To Make In Craps Players
Here’s how that works.
How the Odds Bet Changes the House Edge for the Better
If you’re betting on the pass line and the shooter sets a point, you can expect to lose $1.41 for every $100 you bet. That’s on average and in the long run.
If you’re playing at a casino that only allows you to place an odds bet at 1X the size of your pass line bet, you can put another $100 into action.
Your expected loss remains $1.41, though, which effectively cuts the house edge in half, from 1.41% to 0.71%.
If you’re able to bet 2X your original bet on the odds bet, you can lower that even further to 0.36%. (You have $300 in action, but your expected loss is still only $1.41.)
The more you’re able to bet on the odds bet, the lower the house edge for all the money you have in action becomes.
It’s clear why betting on the pass line and taking the most odds that you can is an effective strategy. With the odds bet, you can get the house edge in craps lower than 0.5% at least some of the time at the table, making it an even better game than blackjack.
And what’s more, you don’t have to memorize basic strategy to get the low house edge at craps.
You just need a big enough casino bankroll to make the right bets, and you need enough sense to avoid the bad bets at the table – of which there are many.
Any Strategy that Involves Placing ANY Other Bets at the Craps Table Is a BAD Craps Strategy
There’s a reason gambling experts measure bets according to their house edge. That’s because it’s the single best indicator of how good or bad a bet is.
![Bet Bet](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/7/76/Bet-on-Craps-Step-7.jpg/aid1188920-v4-728px-Bet-on-Craps-Step-7.jpg)
The house edge is a statistical estimate of how much money you’ll lose as a percentage of your original bet over the long run.
If the house edge is 1.41%, the casino expects to win an average of $1.41 every time you bet $100.
If the house edge is 16.66%, the casino expects to win an average of $16.66 every time you bet $100.
Which bet looks like the better bet for the casino?
And which one looks like the better bet for the gambler?
It shouldn’t be hard to make the distinction.
Most of the bets at the craps table have a house edge of over 9%, making these bets worse than roulette, which is a notoriously bad game for the player.
Even the best of the bad bets on the craps table are inferior to the 1.41% or 1.36% you can get from the pass, don’t pass, come, and don’t come bets.
And trust me on this:
You can have PLENTY of fun sticking with the basic bets at the craps table.
Betting Systems Where You Raise and Lower the Size of Your Bets Are Bad Strategies
The classic example of this kind of betting system is the Martingale System, where you double the size of your bets after each loss. When you do this repeatedly, you eventually win back the money you’ve lost along with a profit of one unit.
The problem with a system like the Martingale is that you’ll eventually run into a big enough losing streak that it will wipe out all those small profits and then some.
Most people underestimate how quickly a bet’s size gets when doubling after every loss.
They also overestimate how likely they are to avoid long losing streaks.
If you double a $5 bet once, that’s $10.
But if you run into a losing streak of 8 bets in a row, you’re looking at having to bet $640 to make up for your losses.
Also, every roll of the dice is an independent event. The odds don’t change based on how many times you’ve won or lost in a row.
You might think the probability of losing that 8th bet is lower than the likelihood of losing the first one, but the truth is that the dice have no memory. They have the same 6 sides, no matter how many times you’ve lost in a row.
Each bet in craps is an independent event, and any betting system will assume that the odds are changing based on how many times in a row you’ve won or lost.
Money Management Strategies Don’t Hurt Anything, but They Won’t Improve Your Odds of Winning, Either
Money management strategies involve having strict gambling discipline about how much of your bankroll you’re willing to risk before quitting the game. They also require you to stop when you’ve won an arbitrary amount of money.
Money management techniques are often used in conjunction with betting systems.
Here’s an example of a money management strategy in craps:
Why are casinos on indian reservations. You decide your bankroll for the session is $250, and you’re playing for $5 per roll of the dice.
Your stop-loss limit is $100, so, if your bankroll drops to $150, you must quit the craps session and go do something else.
Your win goal is $250, so once your bankroll gets up to $500, you must quit the game and go do something else.
This kind of strategy might increase your chances of walking away from the game a winner.
But that’s only because a lot of gamblers will just keep playing until they’ve lost their entire stake. They just don’t generally have a lot of sense about that sort of thing.
The Jury’s Out on Dice Setting or Dice Control
I’ve seen multiple reputable gambling writers express interest and some belief that some craps shooters can influence the probability of specific outcomes. I’m skeptical – in the extreme – but I’ll give it an appropriate amount of credence.
Best Bets In Craps And Why
The idea is that you hold the dice a specific way – “setting” the dice – then throw with a minimum amount of force – just enough to hit the back wall and eliminate most of the rolling action.
A controlled shooting expert doesn’t have to be perfect. Instead, they’re trying to be like someone who’s playing darts. They improve the probability enough to change the negative expectation on a bet to a positive expectation.
For the most part, this means throwing the dice in such a way as to minimize the probability of getting a total of seven.
You can buy books and videos explaining how to get an edge at craps this way, but I can’t imagine the amount of practice and record-keeping required to have any confidence in your ability to change the odds.
Imagine if you spent 1000 hours trying to learn how to control the dice and coming up short. Maybe you just don’t have the knack for it.
That doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.
I’d rather learn to count cards in blackjack.
Conclusion
Those are the best and the worst of the strategies I know of for playing craps in the casino. I know plenty of people who would disagree with every recommendation I’ve made, but the math behind the game doesn’t lie.
The best strategy is to stick with the bets with the lowest house edge and have as much fun as you can.