Craps Bets

Just by looking at a craps table, one can tell there are a lot of different bets that can be made. So, just what are these bets, and how safe is each one? If you’re looking to keep your money, or at least most of it, there are certain bets that you should stay away from unless you are confident in your ability to predict the future. To learn about the odds of different craps bets, check out our Craps Odds page. For now, you might want to check out just what each of these bets are below.

The Pass Line: As you’ll remember from the How to Play Craps section, if you roll the point, your pass line bet wins. If you seven out, the pass line bet loses.

Don’t Pass Line: The don't pass bet wins when the pass line bet loses and when the come out roll is a 2 or 3. It ties, or “pushes”, when the come out roll is 12.

Free Odds: You can place these bets on the craps tables only after you have placed certain negative expectation bets. Free odds can be taken on the pass line, don't pass, come, don't come and place bets. Always take them; it's as simple as that. They can significantly lower the house edge, especially if the casino offers 10x odds, in which case it can bring the house edge down to something like 0.18%.

Place Bets: There are two types of place bets, the place win and the place lose. A place win bet is a bet that 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a 7. Place win bets are paid according to these odds: 7 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 7 to 5 on numbers 5 and 9, and 9 to 5 on numbers 4 and 10. A place lose bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Winning place lose bets are paid according to these odds: 4 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 5 to 8 on numbers 5 and 9, and 5 to 11 on numbers 4 and 10.

The Come Bet: This bet is confusing to many players. For now, we’ll just say that the come bet can be made after the shooter establishes the point, and on the roll after the bet is placed, if the shooter tosses either a 7 or 11, you’ll win even money. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 (craps numbers), you lose. It’s not as simple as that, however. After the initial roll, if it was none of these numbers, then whatever number it is you have bought in the six point box at the top of the table. At this point, you will win if this new “come point number” is rolled before 7, or you will lose if 7 is rolled first. There’s a little more you should know about this bet, so heck, we might as well just do a whole section on the Come Bet.

The Don’t Come Bet: A don't come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. Your don’t come bet will win if the shooter’s next roll is 2 or 3, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 12, this is known as a push, and the bet will be returned to the player. If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the come point. After the come point is established, don't come bets win even money if 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled. An unresolved don't come bet may be removed.

The Proposition Bets

Proposition bets count only for the next throw. Most do not give very good odds, and it is not advisable to play them unless for some reason you just plain feel like it. The following is a list of the different proposition bets:

Craps 2: A bet that a 2 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30 to 1.

Craps 3: A bet that a 3 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15 to 1.

Any Seven: A bet that a 7 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 4 to 1.

Any Eleven: A bet that an 11 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15 to 1.

Craps 12: A bet that a 12 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30 to 1.

Any Craps: A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7 to 1.

Horn: A bet that the next roll of the dice will be either 2, 3, 11, or 12. This bet must be made in increments of $4 with $1 each placed on the 2, 3, 11, and 12. Payoffs are the same as for each number individually. The house edge is 12.5%. Bets may also be made in increments of $5 with a double portion on any one number. This would be a "horn high" bet.

Hop: One of the worst bets at the table. At any time you may place a bet on exactly what the next roll will be. If you bet on two different numbers the payoff is 15 to 1. If you bet on two of the same number the payoff is 30 to 1.

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.

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, the 2 and 12 pays 2 to 1. In some casinos the 12 pays 3 to 1, some pay on 5 instead of the 9. If the 12 pays 2 to 1 the house edge is 5.56% (“tight” field) and if the 12 pays 3 to 1 the house edge is 2.78% (“loose” field). This is obviously not as risky as the other proposition bets. Most experienced gamblers stay away from the field bet, however.

Other Craps Bets

Buy: A buy bet is a bet that 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before 7. A vig of 5% is charged when placing the buy bet.

Lay: A lay bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. A 5% vig is charged when placing the lay bet.

Hardway: A hardway bet is a bet that the shooter will roll a 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles (2 and 2, 3 and 3, 4 and 4, or 5 and 5) before rolling a 7. Rolling a number by doubles is known as rolling the number "the hard way".

Continue on to The Craps Table...