The only real way to win in craps is by making good bets and backing them with odds. You start this process by focusing on pass line, come, don’t pass line, and don’t come. Pass line (made on come-out roll) and come (made after) both have a 1.41% house edge. How to Play Casino Craps And Win: Best Strategy. The principle of the strategy can be considered at the rate of Win. That being said, if a gamer makes a salary on the number 8, then it should fall before 7. With a win, the payout is 7 to 6.
We all love craps and we would all love to win at craps every time we play.
While there is no sure-fire five-minute strategy that will teach you how to play craps and win every time, there are a bunch of strategy tips and smart bets that can improve your chances of winning.
In this article, I am going to run you through all the most common strategy tips to play craps. I will show you how to pick the right bets when you play and how to understand when the house edge is too high for you to stay in the game.
Throughout the article, you will find references to concepts like casino bankroll management, common casino mistakes, and the way odds in craps are calculated.
If any of these sounds foreign to you, remember to check out the articles I just linked before you sit at the craps table.
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Beating the C*ap Out of Craps
Despite what many beginners believe, craps is not the easiest game on the casino floor.
While it is true that your winnings are always one dice roll away, the game of craps comes with such a sophisticated set of bets that you won’t win unless you know how to play.
It's not so much down do using the right strategy to win at keno — it's about knowing how the game works.
Is There a Craps Strategy to Beat The Casino?
Rules are boring, I know. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can become a good craps player if you don’t know how the game works.
To help you get started, I set up a rules page for you to learn how to play craps.
Together with the game's rules, that article gives you some useful strategy tips on bankroll management and practical advice on how to limit your losses.
The key to getting more chances to win at craps is to learn what bets you can go for and what bets you need to avoid every time you play.
The only way you can do so is if you know the house edge connected to each one of the bets in the game.
How to Bet in Craps
If you want to be sure to get the best chances to win at craps, you need to pick the Pass/Don’t Pass or the Come/Don’t Come bets.
Picking any of the four bets indicated above reduces the house advantage to 1.40%. This is the best you can get in craps, especially if you combine it with laying or taking odds in order to reduce the percentage advantage even more.
Since choosing only the Pass / Don’t Pass and Come / Don’t Come bets would be awfully boring, I am going to give you some more craps strategy tips related to bets you can put your money on.
The other bets that give you the best odds of winning at craps are:
- the Place 6
- the Place 8
- the Field 2
- the Field 12
These four, combined with the ones I mentioned earlier, are the only bets worthy of your money. Anyone familiar with the basics of the craps optimal strategy know that all the other bets come with worse conditions and a higher house edge.
Keep in mind that when I say “higher house edge”, I mean that you stand little to no chance of winning when you pick one of the other bets.
Bets like the Hard-Way 4 and the Hard-Way 10 have an house edge of 11%. Why would you ever pick these ones instead of the much more favourable Pass / Don’t Pass line and Come / Don’t Come bets?
The next time you open a crap table at your favorite live casino online, have a look at what people bet on before you start playing.
Fu dao le bally. Check out how many players don’t stick to these craps strategy tips I just gave you and count how many of those who try the top-paying bets end up in the red.
Pass and Come Bets
As you should know by now, the Pass / Don’t Pass and Come / Don’t Come bets are by far the best ones in the game.
Zodiac casino test. The only way you will be respected by experienced players and dealers is if you show them you know this principle and you stick to these safe bets when you play craps.
The low house edge makes the Pass bet the most popular one in the game. With an house advantage of 1.41%, you always win unless the shooter hits a 2, 3, 2, or 7 after the point was hit.
The Come bet is equally popular and lets you win every time you or the shooter hit a 7 or 11 after the come bet is made. You lose the Come bet only when you or the shooter hit a 2,3,12.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come Bets
If you don’t like to sit with the majority of players, you can also play “against” the others and become what is usually referred to as a Wrong Way Bettor.
Don’t let the name mislead you. Wrong bettors win whenever the other lose (and lose when the other players win) - which, in a gambling game like craps, is going to happen often.
Similarly, the Don’t Come bet is the one that you should go for after a point has been established in case you want to bet against the other players.
Whenever you opt for this bet, you win if the 3 or 2 is hit after the point has been made, and you tie if a 12 is rolled.
The Don’t Come bet pays even money and, like all the best bets in craps, has a house advantage of 1.41%.
Payout and House Edge of All the Bets in Craps
While the best explained above are the ones the optimal strategy to win at craps suggests, the game features a lot of other bets with different house edges.
To help you understand the bets you should avoid and the ones you should go for, here’s a table with all the information you need to pick the right one.
Craps Bets
Bets | Payout | House Edge |
---|---|---|
Pass | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 0% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 0% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 0% |
Don’t Pass | 1 to 1 | 1.36% |
Don’t Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 6 and 8 | 5 to 6 | 0% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 5 and 9 | 2 to 3 | 0% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 4 and 10 | 1 to 2 | 0% |
Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
Big 6 and 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
Field 3,4,9,10 or 11 | 1 to 1 | 5.56% |
Field 2, 12 | 2 to 1 | 5.56% |
Lay 6 and 8 | 19 to 25 | 4.00% |
Lay 5 and 9 | 19 to 31 | 3.23% |
Lay 4 and 10 | 19 to 41 | 2.45% |
Buy 6 and 8 | 23 to 21 | 4.76% |
Buy 5 and 9 | 29 to 21 | 4.76% |
Buy 4 and 10 | 39 to 21 | 4.76% |
Hardways 6 and 8 | 10 to 1 | 9.09% |
Hardways 4 and 10 | 8 to 1 | 11.11% |
Craps Proposition Bets
Bets | Payout | House Edge |
---|---|---|
Any Craps (2,3 or 12) | 8 to 1 | 11.11% |
Any Seven | 5 to 1 | 16.8% |
Any Eleven | 16 to 1 | 11.11% |
Ace Deuce (3) | 16 to 1 | 11.11% |
Aces (2) | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
Boxcars (12) | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
Horn 3 or 11 | 15 to 1 | 12.5% |
Horn 2 or 12 | 15 to 1 | 12.5% |
Essential Strategy Tips for your Craps Games
When considering how much to bet to beat a casino at craps, you should also consider how much money is in your expendable bankroll.
If your bankroll is limited (and I am pretty sure it is), you should limits the amount you press on the lay or place odds unless you want to be pushed out of the game after a single bad roll.
If you come to the table with a big bankroll, you should take advantage of the best bet in the game and not be afraid of pressing the maximum amount allowed by the table’s rule.
Each table comes with a different sets of rules and limits. Make sure you ask the dealer if all the info you need are not available at the table.
If you are looking to have more action at the table, you should at all costs stay away from most prop bets and stick to the Place and Lay bets.
Like in all gambling games, the key to beating a casino at craps is to walk away while you are ahead.
You need to know when to stop and take a break, Cash your winnings and leave the table. If you keep on playing, you put your winnings at risk - and you don’t want that.
Free Video Craps Strategy Lessons
Here’s a list of quick videos you should watch if you are serious about craps strategy and you want to take your game to the next level.
The 4-Minute Guide to Craps Strategy
Besides being an hilarious video (and I tend to agree with Roman Praha on the redhead being high), this is video is pure gold.
It drives you through everything you need to know before you start and it explains the essentials of the game in less than four minutes.
Plus, if you liked Leisure Suit Larry you will love this one.
The Mathematics of Craps
In this video, former craps dealer at the Hilton Las Vegas, Jim Luciano drives you through the numbers of craps to explain how to calculate odds, payouts, and winning chances.
This video complements the section of this article dedicated to the bets and the odds.
The 10-Minute Full Craps Strategy Course
This video features everything you need to become a pro. Watch it once you are familiar with the numbers in the game and the use these craps strategy tips from the Players Network!
The Five-Count Strategy System
In the video below Gaming author, Frank Scoblete, describes the so-called Five-Count System, an alternative craps strategy you can read on hit book Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos
The five-count system begins when a shooter rolls a point number of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Once any of these numbers is rolled, the next roll is the two-count. Assuming there is a third roll, here is where you would start betting with a come bet.
If the roll continues, it is considered to be the four-count where you would place another come bet. Once it reaches a five-count, here is where you would start to place odds on your come bets and also make your third come bet. Spin palace casino online.
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Disclaimer: Gambling is a game of chance and there's no sure-fire formula that guarantee winnings. You can improve your winning chances by using the right in-game strategies but there is no way to predict when a machine or a Casino game is going to pay. Also, this page contains affiliate links. If you click through and play, we might earn a commission. That’s what allow us to keep CasinoSmash free and bring you the best online Casino bonuses!
Craps is one of the most popular games in the casino. Therefore, it feels like craps is an open book for many players.
But there are also things that the majority of craps players don’t know about the game. Knowing these secrets can make the game more entertaining and help you win extra money.
I’m going to discuss 7 craps secrets that every player should learn in order to improve both their knowledge of the game and their odds of winning.
Perhaps you already know some of these secrets. Keep reading to see if there are ones that you don’t know.
1. Craps Features a Bet with No House Edge
Craps offers two of the best wagers in casino gambling including pass line and don’t pass line. Here’s how both of these bets work:
Pass Line
![Win at craps guaranteed Win at craps guaranteed](https://www.slotsofvegas.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/craps-1-150x150.jpg)
- Pays 1:1
- True odds are 251:244
- 1.41% house edge
- Wins on come out roll (first roll of new round) when 7 or 11 are rolled
- Loses on come out roll when 2, 3 or 12 are rolled
- Point is established if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 are rolled
- Point number must be rolled before 7 to win
Don’t Pass Line
- Pays 1:1
- True odds are 976:949
- 1.36% house edge
- Wins on come out roll (first roll of new round) when 2 or 3 are rolled
- Pushes on come out when 12 is rolled
- Loses on come out roll when 7 or 11 are rolled
- Point is established if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 are rolled
- 7 must be rolled before the point number to win
Considering that the pass line and don’t pass line have such low house edges, they give you a great opportunity to win.
But the number one secret craps players should know is that there’s also a wager called “odds,” and it doesn’t have any house edge.
An odds bet is placed behind your pass line or don’t pass line wager. These bets pay at true odds, which is why they don’t have a house advantage.
The higher the odds you take, the lower the overall house edge you’ll be facing. Here’s how much the house edge drops based on the size of your odds:
Odds | Pass Line Bet | Don’t Pass Line Bet |
0x | 1.41% house edge | 1.36% house edge |
1x | 0.848% | 0.682% |
2x | 0.606% | 0.455% |
Full Double Odds | 0.572% | 0.431% |
3x | 0.471% | 0.341% |
3x-4x-5x | 0.374% | 0.273% |
5x | 0.326% | 0.227% |
10x | 0.184% | 0.124% |
20x | 0.099% | 0.065% |
100x | 0.021% | 0.014% |
Some players are unaware of odds wagers because casinos don’t list them on the table. Instead, you need to notify the dealer that you’re going to back a bet with odds.
Here’s what you must know when putting odds behind either the pass line or don’t pass line:
Odds with Pass Line
- Called “taking odds”
- Placed after point number is established
- Point number must be rolled before a 7 for you to win
- Pays 2:1 on point numbers of 4 and 10
- Pays 3:2 on points of 5 and 9
- Pays 6:5 on points of 6 and 8
![How To Win At Craps Everytime How To Win At Craps Everytime](https://www.wikihow.com/images/thumb/8/8c/Win-at-Craps-Step-7-Version-2.jpg/aid806443-v4-728px-Win-at-Craps-Step-7-Version-2.jpg)
Odds with Don’t Pass Line
- Called “taking odds”
- Placed after point number is established
- 7 must be rolled before a point number for you to win
- Pays 1:2 for points of 4 and 10
- Pays 2:3 for points of 5 and 9
- Pays 5:6 for points of 6 and 8
2. The Cromwell Offers the Highest Odds Bets
Odds is the only wager in the casino where you’re not facing a house advantage. This is why some gamblers take the highest odds they possibly can.
The downside is that you actually need to front the money for your odds bets. Here’s an example:
- The minimum bet is $10
- You want to take 10x odds
- You’ll need to bet another $100
- Your total wager is now $110
Despite this larger investment, craps players are willing to bet more money to improve their chances of winning.
If you want the highest odds possible, then you need to visit The Cromwell in Las Vegas.
The Cromwell currently offers the world’s largest craps odds at 100x. This casino also lets you make a $5 minimum wager, which is incredible considering the size of odds you can bet.
Main Street Station is another Vegas casino that offers generous odds. Their maximum odds are 20x, combined with a $5 minimum bet.
If you don’t plan on taking a trip to Sin City any time soon, then you’re out of luck as far as getting really high odds. You can take advantage of Betsoft and Playtech craps games though, which both feature 3x odds combined with a $1 bet.
3. Casinos don’t Offer Big Comps to Craps Players
Many beginner craps players come into the game with visions of racking up big comps. But the truth is that craps is one of the worst games in terms of rewards.
The reason why is because craps gives you such a strong chance to win that casinos can’t afford to generously comp you.
Therefore, you’ll often receive a 0.1% comp rate on your total bets. Some casinos offer a 0.2% rate, but this is becoming more rare these days.
The only craps players who earn big rewards are those who place several wagers on each turn. Of course, this also exposes you more to the house edge, especially when you’re making risky prop bets.
Here’s an example of what you’ll typically receive in terms of craps comps with minimal betting:
- Casino comp rate is 0.1%
- You make $25 pass line wagers (1.41% house edge)
- The average number of rolls per hour is 119
- Your pass line bet requires an average of 7 rolls to be decided
- This puts you at 17 bets per hour, or $425 in total wagers
- Your theoretical comp value is $0.43 each hour (425 x 0.001)
- Your theoretical losses are $5.99 per hour
Obviously, no craps player would continue rolling just for comps that are worth just 1/10 of theoretical losses. Nevertheless, you should definitely put yourself in line to earn craps rewards.
The nice thing about playing online craps is that the software will automatically keep track of your rewards points. At most online casinos, all you need to do is sign up and make a deposit to be part of the rewards program.
Land-based casinos are different, though, because you actually have to sign up for the program yourself. You can either do this by going to the casino’s website or visiting the player’s desk in person.
Once you’re part of the rewards program, you can give your player’s club card to the craps dealer and tell them that you wish to be rated. The dealer will then give your card to the pit boss who will keep track of your bets and assign comps fairly.
4. You’ve been Lied to about Dice Control
Some casino games have an advantage play method that allows skilled players to win long-term profits. Dice control is allegedly the advantage play method in craps.
Dice control begins by holding the dice in a specific manner (a.k.a. setting). The V-shape – where you hold the dice with 3s forming a “V” – is one of the most-popular sets.
The second aspect to dice control is that you need to practice tossing the dice in the same manner every time (a.k.a. controlled shooting).
Controlled shooting enthusiasts often rig a craps table in their basement so that they can practice. The idea is that with enough practice, you’ll eventually be able to control some of your throws. This is similar to how a pro basketball player will practice their shot over and over until they’ve developed great technique.
What’s great about dice control is that you only need to produce a desired throw (usually avoiding 7’s) once in a while to win. Here’s an example:
- You’re trying to avoid tossing a 7 on point throws
- 7 comes up an average of seven times per 42 tosses
- You’ll gain a long-term edge if you only toss a 7 on six out of 42 rolls
All of this sounds great in theory, but can you really control a craps toss with any certainty when you have to bounce dice off the rubberized back wall?
Dominic LoRiggio and Frank Scoblete claim that you can, and they’ve made a fortune selling books and training courses on the subject.
Scoblete often references “The Captain,” a late craps player who was supposedly banned from many casinos, as proof of controlled shooting.
But there’s no proof that The Captain ever existed, nor that dice control works.
Gambling legend Stanford Wong was skeptical of controlled shooting and challenged Scoblete on the matter. Wong eventually came to the conclusion that dice control may or may not be possible. This is the closest I’ve ever seen regarding an established expert outside of LoRiggio or Scoblete claiming that dice control might work.
This isn’t like card counting where we have verifiable proof that it works, including successful players being banned. Instead, dice control is a theory that has never been proven as a whole.
5. The Longest Craps Roll Belongs to a Complete Amateur
One account that shatters the controlled shooting theory is the story of Patricia Demauro.
This New Jersey grandmother once produced 154 consecutive rolls before sevening out. The odds of this happening are just one in 1.56 trillion.
One especially interesting thing here is that Demauro was only playing craps for the second time ever when she embarked on her legendary turn.
She was visiting Atlantic City’s Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa with a friend. Demauro planned to play slot machines while her friend was playing table games, but she got bored and found her friend who suggested that they should play craps together. Little did they know that Demauro would end up rolling for 4 hours and 18 minutes.
A crowd gathered around to witness craps history as she kept rolling again and again. Demauro was surprised at the spectacle and even admitted to the table that she wasn’t an experienced player.
Nevertheless, she produced 154 consecutive tosses and made a fortune in the process. This story shows that any craps player, regardless of their experience, can get hot.
6. World War 2 Soldiers Popularized Craps in America
Historians have traced craps back as far as 900 BC, when Etruscans held a priestess ceremony that involved a hybrid version of baccarat and craps.
How To Win At Craps Table
The Etruscans would have a potential priestess throw 9-sided dice to determine her fate. If she rolled an 8 or 9, she was destined to be a priestess.
Rolling a 6 or 7 meant that she wasn’t fit for the duty, but still got to live. Rolling anywhere from 1-5 had dire consequences in that the woman was drowned in the sea.
English soldiers played a craps variation called Hazard during the Crusades. This is the first known point in history when craps began to take its current form.
Crap Strategies To Win
The French quickly adopted Hazard and began playing it in their gambling houses. The French also brought Hazard to America where Cajuns coined the term “craps.”
While craps retained some popularity in the American gambling community, it wasn’t until after World War II that the game truly took off.
WWII soldiers frequently played street craps during their downtime. The reason why they played craps so often is because it’s easy to carry around a pair of dice and money.
Soon, soldiers were playing the game on ship decks, air force bases and in the cargo beds of trucks. These same WW II veterans made craps more popular in casinos when the war ended.
Craps’ popularity has continue to remain strong ever since. Many players have come to realize that this game features camaraderie unlike any other in the casino.
7. Craps Features Hidden Superstitions that you should Avoid
Some of the biggest craps secrets include the numerous superstitions that you should avoid. Otherwise, you can upset veteran craps players who are also highly superstitious.
The casino doesn’t require you to know any of these beliefs, but other players count on luck to win, and they don’t want anybody bringing bad karma to the table.
Here are the biggest craps superstitions that you should abide by in order to get along with fellow players:
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- Don’t roll the dice off the table. Many players believe that dice hitting the floor is a bad sign.
- Male virgin shooters, or those taking their first turn shooting, are bad luck. In contrast, female virgin shooters are considered good luck.
- Don’t touch a hot shooter in any way (e.g. high-fives, pats on the back), or you could theoretically disrupt their rhythm.
- Avoid saying the word “seven” at the table.
- Keep your hands off the table. Dice hitting a player’s hand is another bad sign.
- Some players won’t bet on a new shooter since they think the dice will be “cold.” The new shooter needs to “warm up” the dice.
Can You Win At Craps
Conclusion
The main craps secrets that will help your bottom line include knowing about odds bets and where you can find the highest odds.
6 To 1 Craps Strategy
Also note that there’s no way to beat craps beyond backing the top wagers (pass line, don’t pass line) with odds. Controlled shooting might sound interesting, but I strongly believe it’s a hoax.