Craps Odds Explained

Lee James Gwilliam

January 7th, 2020

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Craps is one of the most exciting games in the casino. It features on all of the top casino sites, and online craps is just as exciting as the one seen throughout TV shows and Hollywood movies.

But for someone new to the game, it can seem daunting. When you play online, it's a little less confusing than live, but the concept of the game still works the same.

We wanted to look a little deeper at the odds for each of the bets that you can place at the craps table. There is a craps odds strategy that you can implement, which means you need to know what you are doing.

Before we dive in, it's worth noting that craps is one of the most player-friendly games in the casino. By this, we mean that it’s one of the casino games with the lowest house edge.

Getting an understanding of the odds in craps and how each bet works is an essential part of the game. It allows you to move across the board at the right time, thus increasing your chances of winning.

Pass Line Bet

The pass is the most common bet in the game. Pretty much every player at the craps table will entertain this bet at some point, and it's here that where you see the most action.

The house edge for this bet is just 1.41% which we would consider low for a casino game.

You need to know if the pass bet is on a come-out roll or not. The board will include a marker that will usually say "on" or "off". On would represent a come out, off would not.

The first roll of the dice decides the point. However, if the first roll is a 7 or an 11, the table wins on pass bets paid out at even money. If the roll is a 2, 3 or a 12, then your bet will lose. Any other number sets the point for that game.

Once the point has been set, the market will flip to "on". The dice will continue to roll until they roll the number signified as the point for that game. If they hit that number, the table wins, again paying out at even money. If a 7 is rolled, then your bet loses, and the game resets.

It's widely advised not to make a pass bet after the come-out roll. You are within the rules to do so, but the value of your wager will reduce, negatively affecting the house edge for the pass. It's always best to wait until the game has reset.

House Edge: 1.41%

Odds: 251 to 244

Pays: 1 to 1

Any 7

The any seven bet is the first of our proposition bets. It's straightforward in that you bet on the outcome of the next hand being a combination of 7 from the dice. It's a simple win or lose bet.

It's one of the worst bets in terms of the house edge in the whole game at 16.67%. The bet includes 6 ways to win, against 30 ways to lose. Basic math's suggest this is not good, especially as it pays just 4 to 1.

There is a better way to bet on a 7 if you feel you absolutely must. You can access the hop bets, choosing the 1-6, 2-5 and 3-4, simply thirding your original stake for an equal amount on each. By doing so, you reduce the house edge to just 11.11%, for pretty much the same bet.

House Edge: 16.67%

Odds: 5 to 1

Pays: 4 to 1

Don’t Pass (Don’t Come)

The don't pass bet is the opposite of the pass bet, as the name would suggest. You are betting on opposite results here.

So, for this, you're going to win if you roll a 2 or a 3, with 7 and 11 losing. If a 12 is rolled, then the bet is regarded as a push. You will keep rolling for this bet until the point line is hit or a 7 lands.

The weird thing about this bet is that you are generally betting against the rest of the table. Most will be on the pass (come) bet, so when you win, the majority of players will lose. This doesn't have the same effect online, but it can be fun in live dealer casino games.

The odds and house edge are almost identical for the pass and don't pass bets.

House Edge: 1.36%

Odds: 976 to 949

Pays: 1 to 1

Craps

A craps bet is another of our proposition bets. This bet covers when a dealer rolls a 2, 3 or a 12 and is a simple win or lose bet before the come in.

It's often referred to as a hedge bet given that it covers some numbers that most people betting on the pass would lose to if it landed. However, there is still a combination of numbers that don’t work for this bet, which means it is far from perfect.

A house edge of 11.11% makes it one of the highest proposition bets that you can get, behind only that of any seven.

But some games payout at odds of 7.5 to 1, as opposed to the more traditional 7 to 1. If you can find these game's, then the house edge reduces dramatically, down to just 5.56%.

While this appears a fairly solid hedge bet, you would make more money not betting on it and merely continuing with the come outs alone.

House Edge: 11.11%

Odds: 8 to 1

Pays: 7 to 1

Taking the Odds

"The Odds" is a unique bet in any casino, let alone craps. This is because this bet has zero house edge. By this, we mean that the odds that they offer on this bet are fair and true.

The bet is a side bet and is related to the point. You are betting on the outcome of a number before a 7 is rolled. The player can be on a range of outcomes that are grouped, each with different odds. We've highlighted these odds below:

• 4 and 10 = 2 to 1
• 5 and 9 = 3 to 2
• 6 and 8 = 6 to 5

A key thing to note about the odds bet is that you will be limited on the amount that you can bet. The main reason that the house does this is because they don't make any money from the bet. It doesn't act as a deterrent as such, but it does try and limit the action.

Another point to note for this bet is that should you be clearing a casino bonus, these bets likely won't count towards any clearing requirements.

House Edge: Zero

Odds: 4 and 10, 2 to 1; 5 and 9, 3 to 2; 6 and 8, 6 to 5

Pays: Same as Odds

Laying the Odds

Laying the odds is the exact opposite of taking the odds. This also has the best odds in craps, and the bet means that you are betting a 7 will be rolled before the point.

The groups of numbers and the odds for each outcome remain the same. Again, this is another zero house edge bet in the game of craps.

House Edge: Zero

Odds: 4 and 10, 2 to 1; 5 and 9, 3 to 2; 6 and 8, 6 to 5

Pays: Same as Odds

Place Bets

Place bets are made up of a series of numbers across the board. These include 4,5,6,8,9 and 10. The player can bet on these numbers as a single bet, and if they appear before a 7 is rolled, then the player wins.

These are pretty simple bets, so they are very popular. Each number has its own odds attached. The odds are based on the likelihood that the number will be drawn and the most likely has the lowest odds.

The house edge on all of these bets range, but the best value comes from the 6 and 8 bet, where the edge is just 1.52%.

House Edge: 6 and 8, 1.52%; 5 and 9, 4.00%; 4 and 10, 6.67%

Odds: 7 to 6 on 6 and 8; 7 to 5 on 5 and 9; 9 to 5 on 4 and 10

Pays: 6 to 5 on 6 and 8; 3 to 2 on 5 and 9; 2 to 1 on 4 and 10

Lay Bets

The lay bet works oppositely to the place bet. The easiest way to look at it is that you are betting on the place bet to lose.

Essentially you are betting on the 7 appear to before a range of numbers. The groups and the odds offered are the same as the place bet but in reverse.

The main difference between the pricing for these is that they come with a commission. The amount of commission charged will differ from casino to casino. Generally, it's around 5%, and this is based on a win only. Some casinos apply the win-only commission to the 4 and 10 bet.

The commission then alters the house edge on these bets ever so slightly. The safe craps strategy of the two would be to take on the place bet over the lay bet.

House Edge: 6 and 8, 2.27%; 5 and 9, 2.00%; 4 and 10, 1.67%

Odds: 7 to 6 on 6 and 8; 7 to 5 on 5 and 9; 9 to 5 on 4 and 10

Pays: 6 to 5 on 6 and 8; 3 to 2 on 5 and 9; 2 to 1 on 4 and 10

Big 6 and 8

The Big 6 and 8 bet is the same as the 6 and 8 bet from the place bets above. For this, you are choosing either number to be rolled before a 7.

The craps odds strategy to use this bet is one of the worst that you can get. The reason is that this bet on its own pays even money. The same bet in the place bet pays 7 to 6.

Where the other bet of this in the place bets is one of the best craps odds payouts because of its house edge, this is undoubtedly one of the worst.

House Edge: 9.09%

Odds: 6 to 5

Pays: 1 to 1

Field Bets

Field bets are where you bet on a number that the next roll will be. This includes 2,3,4,9,10,11 or 12. Any 5,6,7 or 8 will mean that you lose the bet.

The bet pays even money on all numbers except 2 and 12. The 2 pays 2 to 1 and the 3 pays at 3 to 1. It's worth noting that the odds for these can change. Some casinos only pay 2 to 1 on both results, which doubles the house edge from 2.78% to 5.56%.

House Edge: 2.27%

Odds: 5 to 4

Pays: 1 to 1, except a 2 (2 to 1) and 12 (3 to 1)

3 or 11

The 3 or 11 bet works in much the same way as the field bet. But it is limited to just the 3 or 11, which are rare numbers. The house takes a big edge with these bets at 11.11 %, making it one of the casinos best earners.

The best odds in craps, this bet is not, but you still get a payout of 15 to 1.

House Edge: 11.11%

Odds: 17 to 1

Pays: 15 to 1

Hard Bets

Hard bets are where you bet on the two numbers rolled on the dice to be the same. This means that you have 2,4,6,8 and 10 as the possible winning outcomes for this bet.

You will lose if a 7 is rolled or a 5-3 or 6-2 is rolled. Your hand stays live with any other non-winning combination.

House Edge: 6 and 8, 9.09%; 4 and 10, 11.11%, 2, 13.89%

Odds: 6 and 8, 10 to 1; 4 and 10, 8 to 1; 2, 35 to 1

Pays: 6 and 8, 9 to 1; 4 and 10, 7 to 1; 2, 30 to 1

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Summary

As you can see, the range of bets that you can place in craps is extensive. The odds on offer for each bet can also seem quite overwhelming, especially if you are new.

The thing to take away here is that you don't need to know all of the odds assigned to each bet. You can drip them into a safe craps strategy and then start to include more bets when you become more comfortable.

You can use this article as a good starting block to then take your strategy to the next level. We've got a wide range of craps articles on site that go more in-depth in betting strategies associated with this brilliant casino game.