Bets
This is the complicated and weighty stuff Craps is really about. So, get ready for the betting world of Craps:
Pass Bets
This bet is placed on the Pass Line before the Come Out Roll. This bet assumes that you'll get past the Come Out Roll, and that you'll roll the Point again
before you roll an Out 7. This is called the "right" bet, because you're betting that the shooter wins. These bets win at even odds 1:1.
You win if you roll 7 or 11 on the Come Out Roll, or if you later roll the Point.
You lose if you roll 2, 3 or 12 on the Come Out Roll, or an Out 7 on later rolls.
Don't Pass Bets
This is the opposite of a Pass Bet. Assuming that the round goes past the Come Out Roll, you're betting that the shooter will roll an Out 7, before hitting
the Point. You're betting against the shooter, which is why this is called a "wrong" bet. But, there's nothing wrong with the odds!
You win if the Come Out Roll shows Craps (2,3 or 12), or if a later roll is an Out 7.
You lose if the Come Out Roll shows 7 or 11, or if a later roll is the Point.
Come/Don't Come Bets
These are comparable to the Pass/Don't Pass bets. The difference is that they are placed, while a round is in progress, for players who join the game late.
The same rules apply. You win if the next roll is 7 or 11 and you lose if it's Craps.
Other Bets
These are Place Number bets and Proposition bets. The odds on these bets are not very good and are basically for people with money to waste or itching
to gamble on every toss of the dice.
In a place bet, you bet that a particular number will roll before a 7 does, or vice versa. These include Place, Buy, Lay and Lose bets, the Big 6 and Big 8,
and also the Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8 and Hard 10.
In a proposition bet, you bet that the next roll will be a specific number. These include 2,3,7, 11 and 12 bets, the Any Craps bets, the Field, Hop and
Horn bets.
Strategy
The best strategy is to get the best odds. The best odds in Craps are on the Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come bets, as the house has the smallest edge
here (of about 1.40%). Other bets give the house odds that are too high, such as:
- The Field - 5.6%
- Big 6/Big 8 - 9.1%
- Horn - 12.5%
- Craps 2/Craps 12 - 13.9%
- Any 7: 16.7%
The way to improve these bets is by either "buying odds" or "laying odds". These bets are placed in addition to your first bet, after the Come Out Roll. They
improve your first bet, because the house doesn't take any edge on Odds. You're just betting on the dice.
Odds Bets
This is a backup bet to a Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come bet already on the table. They are usually limited to two or three times the original bet and
pay off at true odds. Unresolved Odds bets can be taken out of the game during the play.
Pass Odds and Come Odds pay 2:1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5's and 9's, and 6:5 on 6's and 8's.
Don't Pass Odds and Don't Come Odds pay 1:2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5's and 9's, 5:6 on 6's and 8's.
Placing an Odds Bet
You add an additional amount beside your initial bet on the Pass/Don't Pass line. Online casinos let you bet double your initial line bet. This is Double Odds
and shears the house edge, to 40% of their initial edge. So the 1.4% odds go down to about 0.6%. In general, you should buy the biggest Odds, and that
way will reduce the house edge on your first bet.
Buying Odds
If we assume a Pass Bet of $5
| Buy Double Odds ($10) |
| Points |
Payout |
Pays(Win) |
| 4 or 10 |
2-1 |
$30($20) |
| 5 or 9 |
3-2 |
$25($15) |
| 6 or 8 |
6-5 |
$22($12) |
Remember, this is not your total. Add your original bet and the winnings to the figures in this table. So, on a right bet of $5, if the Come Out Roll sets a
Point of 10, your total will be $40: your original $5 bet back plus your winning of $5, plus the Odds bet back ($10) plus the winnings of $20.
Laying Odds
When you lay Odds you're supporting a Don't Pass Bet and win as follows, if we assume an initial $5 Don't Pass bet:
| Laying Double Odds ($10) |
| Points |
Payout |
Pays(Win) |
| 4 or 10 |
2-1 |
$15($5) |
| 5 or 9 |
3-2 |
$16($6) |
| 6 or 8 |
6-5 |
$18($8) |
One more thing to know is that most casinos only pay in $1 dollar denominations. That means you will lose anything less than a dollar. The problem is that if lay double odds at $10 and get a 3-2 payout, or 6 - 5 in particular, you will lose the portions of the bet under $1, as multiples of 10 are not divisible by 3 or 6. On the 5/9 point you could lose $.67. This may not be a lot, but why give the house anything.
So, try a $6 bet instead of a $5 bet, making the Double Odds bet $12. Look at the numbers for this bet:
| Laying Double Odds ($12) |
| Points |
Payout |
Pays(Win) |
| 4 or 10 |
2-1 |
$18($6) |
| 5 or 9 |
3-2 |
$20($8) |
| 6 or 8 |
6-5 |
$22($10) |
Common consensus is that playing right and Buying Odds is more popular, but riskier. You may want to consider playing wrong and Laying Odds. It may be
less popular, but it reduces the house edge considerably and can increase your winnings (making you quite popular and a lot less wrong!)
|
