Craps

Last update: Feb. 1, 2008

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Introduction

If this is how you view the game, I have good news. There is one fundamental bet, the "pass line" bet, that almost all players make. You can easily get by knowing just this bet your first time. As you get more experienced, you can add more bets to your repertoire. After just your first five minutes, you should feel comfortable with the flow of the game and can start acting natural, like you've been a craps player for years.

The Pass Line

The pass line is the most fundamental bet in craps; almost every player at the table bets on it. If you only understand one bet in craps, it should be this one.

The pass line bet is put on the the pass line itself on a come out roll. You can tell it is a come out roll if there is a black laminated marker on the table that says "off." If the come out roll is a 7 or 11, then you win even money. If the come out roll is a 2, 3, or 12, then you lose. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that total is called "the point." The dealer will turn over the marker that says "off" to the white "on" side, and place it on an area of the table with that number, to help the players remember what the point is. Then, the shooter will roll the dice until he either rolls that same point again, or a seven. If a seven comes before the point, then you lose. If the point is rolled first, then you win even money.

Do not make a pass line bet after the come out roll. This is allowed but is highly illadvised because the value of a pass line bet is diminished after the come out roll.

The house edge on the pass line is only 1.41%, which is not bad compared to most other bets on the table and other games in the casino.

Taking the Odds

Have you ever wanted a bet with no house edge? In most U.S. casinos there are only two, the double-up feature on some video poker games, and the "odds" in craps. However, you have to make a pass line bet first. After a point has been thrown you may bet up to some multiple of your pass line bet, usually 3 to 5 times, on the "odds." To make an odds bet after a pass line bet just put the odds bet behind the pass line bet, outside of the pass line area on the side closer to you.

The table below shows the combined house edge on the pass line and taking the odds.

"Full double odds" means the player can take 2.5 times odds on a point of 6 or 8, and 2 times on all other points. "3-4-5 times odds" means the player can take 3X odds on the 4 and 10, 4X on the 5 and 9, and 5X on the 6 and 8. Assuming the player takes the maximum allowable odds the payoff on any odds bet will conveniently always be 6X the pass or come bet. If the maximum odds would result in an uneven win, the dealers will usually let you bet even more to get to an even payoff.

Las Vegas crap survey: I'm proud to feature a comprehensive and current listing of how much each Las Vegas casino allows players to bet on the odds.

Don't Pass

The don't pass is almost the opposite of the pass line bet. If the come out roll is a 2 or 3 then you win, a 7 or 11 you lose. A 12 is a push, except in Reno and Lake Tahoe, where a 2 is a push instead of the 12. Otherwise, the dice are rolled over and over until either the point or a 7 is rolled. If the 7 comes first you win, if the point come first you lose. All wins pay even money.

A person betting on the don't pass is called a "wrong" bettor and is usually winning when everone else is losing, and vise versa. If you make this bet, keep a low profile. The other players are not want to see you yelling "yippy" as they are losing.

There is some disagreement about the house edge on the don't pass. The following return table shows all the possible outcomes. The lower right cell shows a house edge of 1.36%. Some gambling books state the house edge is 1.40%. This is the expected loss per bet resolved. In other words it ignores ties. Today, most gambling writers, including myself, count ties, and thus would go with 1.36% as the house edge.

Laying the Odds

This is the opposite of taking odds, in other words betting that a 7 will be rolled before the point.

To make an odds bet, after a don't pass line bet, you have to give the bet to a dealer and tell him you want to lay odds on whatever the point is. Never hand the dealer a bet, but instead put it in front of him and say something like "layings odds on the 4." The dealer will put it in the right place.

If the point is a 4 or 10 laying the odds pays 1 to 2.
If the point is a 5 or 9 laying the odds pays 2 to 3.
if the point is a 6 or 8 laying the odds pays 5 to 6.

The amount you may win by laying odds is the product of your don't pass bet and the multiple of odds allowed per the table rules. If the table allows five times odds then you can win five times your don't pass bet by laying odds. Note that the multiple applies to how much you can win, not how much you can bet. For example, if you bet $2 on the don't pass and the table allows full double odds then you can bet $8 to win $4 on a point of 4 or 10, $6 to win $4 on a point of 5 or 9, and $6 to win $5 on a point of 6 or 8.

The following table shows the combined house edge on both the don't pass bet and laying the odds.

Come

Have you ever become bored waiting for a point to be thrown, and didn't want to waste your money on the sucker bets, to add excitement? If so, then consider the come bet. It is like the pass line bet, but may be made at any time. Like the pass line bet, you may also put money on the odds if a point is thrown on the first roll after the come bet is placed and has a house edge of 1.41%.

There is a nuance to the come bet the player should know about. If a point is thrown and there are still active come bets on the table, waiting for a different point, then special rules apply for the following come out roll. The come out roll will still apply to active come bets, but it will not apply to their respective odds bets. If a 7 is rolled on a come out roll, odds bets on top of come bets will be returned. The player may ask to keep the odds turned on, but few do.

Turning the come odds off on a come out roll increases the combined house edge from 0.326% to 0.377% in a 5-times odds game, not counting returned odds bets as bets made. So if you want to maximize your return on resolved bets then keep those come odds turned on.

A good strategy for the player who likes constant action is to have a new bet on either the pass line or come on every throw, and to always take the maximum allowable odds.

Don't Come

The don't come bet is like the don't pass bet, but is made on a non-come out roll.

Place Bets

In craps the 4,5,6,8,9, and 10 are known as the "place numbers." The player may bet on any of these numbers, and if it is rolled before a seven, the bet wins. Place bets are just like odds bets, except no pass line bet is required, and they pay worse odds.

A place bet on 4 or 10 pays 9-5 with a house edge of 6.67%.
A place bet on 5 or 9 pays 7-5 with a house edge of 4.00%.
A place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7-6 with a house edge of 1.52%.

When a place bets wins, the dealer will return your winnings but leave the original bet on the table, essentially establishing a new place bet. You may request that the original bet be returned, of course. In fact, you may take back an active place bet at any time or you may "turn them off" temporarily.

Buy Bets

Buy bets are essentially the same as the place bet, only with a different payoff. The player may "buy" any of the points (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), which means to bet that the number will be rolled before a 7. When making a buy bet you must pay a 5% commission and your bet will pay fair odds if it wins. Fair odds are 2-1 on the 4 and 10, 3-2 on the 5 and 9, and 6-5 on the 6 and 8.

A buy bet should be an increment of $20 so that the 5% commission can be an even dollar amount. If the bet is not divisible by $20 the commission will usually be rounded up to the nearest dollar.

A few casinos only charge the commission on a buy bet if it wins. If this is the case the house edge is lowered to 1.67% on the 4 and 10, 2.00% on the 5 and 9, and 2.27% on the 6 and 8.

The following table compares the house edge of place and buy bets.

What this table shows is that the player who wants to bet on the points, should buy the 4 and 10, and place the other numbers. However, if commission is only charged on wins, then he should also buy the 5 and 9. If the exact same bet has two different odds, always choose the one that pays more.

Note:If the commission is rounded down, the player can cut down the house edge by betting just under $40 for a commission of $1. A buy bet of $39 on the 4 or 10 has a house edge of 2.5%. A buy bet of $38 on the 5 or 9 has a house edge of 2.56%. A buy bet of $35 on the 6 or 8 has a house edge of 2.78% (which is still not as good as the place bet).

It should be noted that on a per roll basis, the house edge on place bets is much lower. In other words, if the player makes a one roll only place bet, taking it down if it hasn't resolved then the house edge on the 4 and 10 is 1.67%, on the 5 and 9 is 1.11%, and on the 6 and 8 is 0.46%. However, the house edge per bet resolved are the larger numbers above.

Often after a point is made a player will make a place bet on every number except the point. This is called an "across the board" bet. If the point is 4 or 10 the player will bet in increments of $27, putting $5 on the 4 or 10 (whichever isn't the point), $5 on the 5 and 9, and $6 on the 6 and 8. The increment is also $27 on a point of 5 or 9, and $26 on a point of 6 or 8. Assuming the player leaves the bets up until resolved, the house edge on a point of 4 or 10 is 3.39%, on 5 or 9 is 3.88%, and 6 or 8 is 4.45%.

The table below is a summary of the various place number bets for quick comparison.

Put Bets

A put bet is a combination of making a pass line or come bet after a point is established and betting on the odds. It is in general a bad idea to make a line bet after a point is established, however, by taking the odds the combined house edge can be lower than a corresponding place or buy bet. The following table displays the combined house edge according to the point and the multiple of odds taken.

If the point is a 4 or 10, the house edge on the put bet with six times odds is the same as a corresponding buy bet. If the point is a 5 or 9, the house edge on the put bet with four times odds is the same as a corresponding place bet. If the point is a 6 or 8, the house edge on the put bet with five times odds is the same as a corresponding place bet. In other words, you have to back up the put with with 4 to 6 times odds for the house edge to be equal to the best option between a corresponding place or buy bet.

It should be noted that put bets are not allowed in some casinos.

The Proposition Bets

Proposition bets either win or lose on the next throw. In general these have the highest house edge of all the crap bets and players with any sense at all will avoid them completely. Specific descriptions of the various bets are below.

• Crap 2: A bet that a 2 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30-1. House edge 13.89%.
• Crap 3: A bet that a 3 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15-1. House edge 11.11%.
• 7: A bet that a 7 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 4-1. House edge 16.67%. You can accomplish the same bet, but get paid more, by dividing the any seven bet into 3 hop bets on 1-6, 2-5, and 3-4, for a house edge of 11.11%.
• 11: A bet that an 11 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15-1. House edge 11.11%.
• Crap 12: A bet that a 12 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30-1. House edge 13.89%.
• Any craps: A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7-1. House edge 11.11%.
• Field bet: This is a one time bet that the next roll will be a 2,3,4,9,10,11, or 12. The 3,4,9,10, and 11 pay even money and the 2 and 12 pay 2-1. In some casinos, largely confined to downtown Las Vegas, the 12 will pay 3-1. Some casinos pay on 5 instead of the 9. If the 12 pays 2-1 the house edge is 5.56%, if the 12 pays 3-1 the house edge is 2.78%. On the surface this seems like a great bet because 7 numbers win and only 4 lose. However, the 4 that lose are much more likely to be rolled.
• Hop Bets: These are among the worst bets on the crap table. There is no specific place on the table for these but the dealers will broker your bet if you ask. At any time you may bet on what the next roll will be, exactly. For example you can bet that the next roll will be a 5 and 3. If you take two different numbers as in the 5 and 3 example the payoff is 15-1 with a house edge of 11.11%. If you take two of the same number, for example 5 and 5, the payoff is 30-1 with a house edge of 13.89%. Note that there are already proposition bets for 1 and 1, 1 and 2, 5 and 6, and 6 and 6.

• Horn Bet: This is four bets in one. The bet must be made in increments of $4 with $1 each placed on the 2, 3, 11, and 12. Payoffs are the same as betting each number individually. The house edge is 12.5%. The player may also bet in increments of $5 with a double portion on any one number. For example, a "Horn 12 high" bet would put $2 on the 12 and $1 each on the 2, 3, and 11. The Horn 2 and 12 high bets have a house edge of 12.78%, and the 3 and 11 high Horn bets have a house edge of 12.22%.

  Although horn bigs are highly ill-advised, because of the high house edge, if one still wishes to bet the horn 3 high, there is a better way to do it. Rather than bet $5 on the horn 3 high, instead bet $4 on any craps and $1 on 11. The net win on the 2 and 12 will be $1 more, with all other outcomes equal.

• World Bet: Similar to the Horn bet but the player bets in increments of $5, with $1 each on the 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12. The house edge is 13.33%.

The table below is a summary of the proposition bets for quick comparison.

I have an unconfirmed report that the Rendezvous casino in Brighton, England has liberal rules on some bets in craps. Here is what I understand to be the different pays, compared to the U.S. rules, along with the house edge of both.

Net Gain/Loss per Session

The chart below shows the net gain or loss you can expect over 100 trials, or come out rolls. For purposes of creating the chart the player would bet $1 on the pass line and take full double odds.

Here are some actual numbers that show the probability of falling into various intervals.

The graph and table were created by simulating 1,000,000 sessions of 100 trials, or come out rolls, and tabulating the results of each session.

Miscellaneous Advice

• Most bets can be removed, added to, or deducted from at any time. Exceptions would be the pass and come bets, and you can not exceed the maximum bet on the odds. With the place number and proposition bets the dealers will often pay winnings only and let the original bet ride, unless otherwise requested.
• The players take turns throwing the dice. In general the same person will throw until they seven out. The player may pass the dice if they want to.
• Know the rules and what to do before you arrive at the table, especially a busy one. Try not to rely on the dealers for answering questions.
• Craps has a language all its own. It is beyond the scope of this page to define all the terminology but you can pick it up as you go. For example, "Two way yo" is crap slang for a bet on 11 in which half is for the player and half is a bet for the dealers.
• When you throw the dice they are supposed to rebound off the other side of the table. A throw that doesn't make it that far looks wimpy and the dealer may make you roll over. However, overthrowing the dice off the table will make you look klutzy and slow down the game while there is a search for the missing dice and the dealer examines them to make sure nobody switched them with loaded dice. Dealers prefer a high lob as opposed to a low roll down the table. They don't like it when the dice knock down stacks of chips.
• Don't put drinks on the table. There is a little shelf under the chips for glasses and bottles.
• Don't sit or lean on anything. Except for some sit down tables I have seen in Laughlin, players must stand.
• Don't listen to the advice of the other players, especially those betting anything in the middle of the table.
• As in all games you should tip the dealers, especially if they are being especially helpful. When you tip don't make a bet for the dealers on a sucker bet as most players do. I like to make a field bet for the dealers. To place a bet for the dealers say "for the dealers" when you make the bet. The reason I don't make line bets for the dealers is I have been goaded into making an odds bet for the dealers as well, which was more than I intended to give.
• Blend in with, but do not interact with, the other players. The players at the crap table tend to be a tough and superstitious crowd who prefer to be left alone. Do not rebuke anybody for making sucker bets. Do not do anything that can be interpreted as being unlucky, like saying a number that would cause the table to lose. I know this sounds irrational but don't forget that gambling should be for fun so don't take from anyone else's experience.
• If you are playing for the first time don't announce this if you are male. Male virgins to the game are said to be unlucky, and the opposite for females. This is evidently because virginity is despised in men and valued in women.