El Cortez offers 10X odds ($3 min, and has $.50 chips to full pay $3 odds bets) and MSS offers 20X odds on craps. For odds bets, $10 multiples work for everything - 6:5 on 6,8; 3:2 on 5,9, and 2:1 on 4,10. I do not recommend place bets on anything other than 6 & 8 (you are better off 'buying' 4 & 10). For example, by knowing that the casino has a 1.41 percent edge in craps, you can know that you'll be losing 14.1 cents for every $10 bet. For charts of odds for all types of bets, visit the Wizard of Odds.com. On the next page, we'll talk about types of craps bets, their odds and what the casino pays for each.
Understanding the Craps odds and bets that you can place is vital to ensuring you don't lose all your money or embarrass yourself in a live game.
You might hear people shouting all types of lingo and vernacular terms such as 'Horn Bets' or 'Lay 10' which often confuse or put off even the biggest casino degenerates.
Thankfully, the rules of Craps are actually quite simple even if it takes time to learn the jargon. Make sure to read all information on this page, before You play craps for money.
We can predict the odds of any particular number coming up on a roll and why the craps rules are made how you will see.
For example: the odds for you to roll a 4 on your next roll are 11 to 1.
You can figure this out by taking the number of ways a four can be made with two dice (with a one and a three, a pair of twos, or a three and a 1) compared to the number of combinations that two dice can make, which is 36.
So we have a 3 in 36 chance, or 1 in 12 chance that a 4 will come up on any given roll. To express these odds as ‘against', you would say the odds against rolling a four are 11 to 1 (think of it as 11 non 4's to one 4 for a total of 12 rolls). The calculation we've just done determines the ‘true odds' of rolling a 4.
As many of you may know, the casino doesn't like to pay back its players with ‘true odds', it prefers to alter them.
Craps rules, like so many other casino game rules, pay back odds which guarantee the house a profit in the long run. Say for instance you were to place a bet on ‘any sevens', meaning you're betting that the next roll will be a seven.
The odds against hitting a seven on the next roll are 5 to 1 (you can calculate that out the same way we did for 4), which means that if you bet one dollar and win, you deserve to win 5 bucks, but the casinos only pay you 4.
Most bets in most games at the casino have been altered in this way. In fact, this is exactly the phenomenon that gives the casino a house edge in many situations.
We've covered all the major types of bets and odds you receive here.
Understanding Craps Odds
For instance, odds can be related either as 2-1 or 2 to 1, where a 1 credit bet returns 2 credits. In other words, 2 to 1 odds returns the original 1 credit bet and a 1 credit profit.
The Best Craps Bets
The best bets in craps are the pass line bet, taking the odds, the don't pass bar, the come bet, and placing the 6 or the 8. Let's look at each:
Pass Line
This is the most basic and popular of bets when playing Craps. It has one of the lowest house edges (1.41%) and it is very simple to place. Betting on the pass line bet or betting 'with the dice' is the most common bet in craps and you will see many players or shooters choosing it.
A pass line bet requires you to place chips on the 'Pass Line' section of the table. If the shooter's come out roll is a 7 or 11, you win even money (1:1). However, if the come out roll is 2,3 or 12 (craps) you lose.
If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) it's called the point. The shooter continues to throw the dice until he/she roles a 7 or the Point. If the point is rolled first, you win even money. If the 7 is rolled first you lose your bet.
Interestingly, in a game of Crapless Craps, the ability to lose a Pass Line bet to craps on a come out roll is removed – hence the name 'crapless' craps. This improves your odds of winning by removing the house edge and increasing your expected value.
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Don't Pass Line
You can also bet on the 'Don't Pass' line, which is basically when you are betting or laying the shooter on his first roll. This is simply the opposite of the pass line bet and is also known as betting against the dice.
To make this bet place your chips in the narrower section just beyond the pass line labelled don't pass.
If the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 (Craps) than you win straight away (1:1 even money). If a 7 or 11 is rolled before the Point is scored you lose. A 12 is considered a Push (draw) and normally you can relinquish this bet.
If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10) this is established on the point number. After this happens you'll win your money back if a 7 is rolled before the Point number, and lose if a 7 comes first.
Taking the Odds
After the point has been established, you can make an additional bet known as Taking the Odds or Pass Odds. You are betting on the Point number being rolled before a 7. The pay out odds are normally displayed on the Casino craps table.
The odds vary for different numbers based on the likelihood of them being rolled.
Normally, the payouts are as follows:
- 4 pays 2:1
- 5 pays 3:2
- 6 pays 8 pays 6:5
- 9 pays 3:2
- 10 pays 2:1
The odds bet is the best bet you can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Free odds bets are paid back at true odds, so when you're making these bets the casino has no house edge whatsoever, it's an even game!
Come Bet
This is similar to a Pass Line bet, but it is made after the point has been established (dealer button is ON). The next roll then becomes the Come Out roll for your bet and establishes your Point. The payout depends on the Point:
- 7 or 11 pays 1:1 (also known as a Natural)
- 2, 3, or 12 you lose your money (also known as Craps)
- If neither of the above is rolled then (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) becomes the point for your bet. If a 7 comes before your point is rolled again you lose. If your point is won however your payout depends on the Point.
Come Bet Payouts:
Number | Payout |
4 | 2:1 |
5 | 3:2 |
6 | 6:5 |
8 | 6:5 |
9 | 3:2 |
10 | 2:1 |
Taking the Odds
This is similar to the Come Bet and has the same odds above (Come Odds). You can place this bet only after the point has been established. If the 7 is rolled before the point, you lose.
Laying the Odds
Opposite of Taking the Odds. This is a Don't Pass Line bet which can be made only after the point has been established. If a 7 is rolled before the point, you win.
Laying the Odds Payout:
Number | Payout |
4 | 1:2 |
5 | 2:3 |
6 | 5:6 |
8 | 5:6 |
9 | 2:3 |
10 | 1:2 |
Don't Come Bet
Oppose of Come Bet. This is similar to a Don't Pass Line bet, but it is made after the Come Out roll. To make this bet all you need to do is to put your chips in the area labeled 'Don't Come' on the layout. You lose on a 7 or 11, and win on a 2 or 3. 12 is a 'stand-off.'
Here you win if 7 rolls before your 'come-point' is repeated, and lose if the 'come-point' is made before a 7 is rolled.
Place Bets
You can bet on specific point numbers. If your number is rolled before a 7, you win. If a 7 comes before your point number, you lose. You're paid out according to the table below.
Place Bets Payout:
Number | Payout |
4 | 9:5 |
5 | 7:5 |
6 | 7:6 |
8 | 7:6 |
9 | 7:5 |
10 | 9:5 |
Placing the 6 or 8
When you make a place bet you bet that one of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be hit before a 7 is hit. You can make a place bet any time by throwing your chips on the table while telling the dealer ‘I want to place the 6' or whatever number you want to place your bet for.
So, if the number you bet on is rolled before a 7 you win and you are paid as follows: 4 or 10 placed – 9:5 odds, 5 or 9 placed – 7:5 odds, 6 or 8 placed – 7:6 odds.
As you can see the best for you is to place a bet on 6 or 8, because these bets have the best odds and also they have a good chance of hitting.
Game apps to win real prizes. If you get the feeling like you want to place the 4 or 10, you should buy them instead, because although there is a Vig (a fee for winning bets) on these numbers, the edge comes out in your favor, however slightly.
However, the pass line bet is still the best one with the best odds and in the long run you should stick with it.
Although you can technically place a place bet at any time, it is impossible for it to come into effect until the shooters point is set, therefore it is more acceptable to ask for this bet after the come out roll is over.
Craps table
Bets with Poor Craps Odds
Big 6/Big 8 Bet
This is a Bet on a Big 6 or Big 8, put down after the point has been established. If a 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7, you win (1:1). This is a bet that you should not play because you can Place a bet on 6 or 8 and receive better odds.
Field Bets
Kind of what the name suggests, field bets are open to everyone who bets on the next number rolled. To place one you simple throw your chips into the table (as little chips as possible) and tell the stick man what you want. The payout for field bets:
- 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 all payout 1:1
- 2 pays 2:1
- 12 pays out either 2:1 or 3:1 (depending on the casino)
Proposition Bets
Placed before any throw. The house edge on all of these bets are over 11%. Therefore, you should not bet these very often or you should hedge your bets when you do so.
You can bet on any number as follows:
- Betting on the next throwbeing a 2, 3 or 12 (Craps)
- Any Seven: Betting on the next throw being a 7
- Eleven: Betting on the next throw being an 11
- Horn Bet: Betting on the next number being a 2, 3, 11, or 12. The payout is determined by the number rolled
Proposition bets are those placed in the middle of the table layout, and those bets never have a good house edge. You should make these bets only for fun and to make your game more exciting.
So, here they are:
- With the 'any seven' bet you're betting the shooter will hit a 7 on the next roll. It has a horrible house edge of 16.67%. Never make this bet.
- With the 'snake eyes' bet you're betting the shooter will throw a two on the next roll.
- With the 'yo eleven' bet you're betting the shooter will hit an 11 on the next roll.
- With the 'any craps' bet you're betting the shooter will throw a 2, 3, or 12 on the next roll. It holds a house edge of over 11%
- With the 'any three' bet you're betting the shooter will throw a 3 on the next roll.
- With the 'midnight' bet you're betting the shooter will throw a 12 on the next roll.
- With the 'horn' bet you're combining the snake eyes, 3, yo 11, and midnight bets.
Hardway Bets
A Hardway Bet is also made regarding the outcome of the next die throw. A Hardway roll occurs when doubles are thrown with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10.
For example: rolling a pair of threes would produce a 'hard 6'. An Easy roll is produced when the same outcome is achieved, but without rolling doubles.
For the previous example, rolling a 4 and a 2 would produce an 'easy 6'. For a Hardway Bet to win, the shooter must roll a double with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10. The wager loses if either a 7 or any Easy number is rolled.
The Lay Bet
The lay bet is almost similar with the don't pass and don't come bets, because with this bet your are playing against the dice. You can make this bet at any time in the game and it can be placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. A lay bet wins when 7 rolls before the number.
7 is more likely to come up than any other number so the casino requires you to wager more than you could win. This bet also requires a commission of 5% on average. If the bet is on 4 or 10 you get 1:2 odds, on 5 or 9 2:3 odds, on six or 8 5:6 odds.
The Buy Bet
When you choose this bet it means that you will buy numbers instead of placing them.
The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 can all be bought but there are only two numbers that really make buy bets worthwhile and those numbers are 4 and 10 because they pay off better than the other numbers. You win if the buy number comes up before a 7 is rolled.
The odds are higher for a buy bet. 2:1 on a 4 or 10 buy, 3:2 for a 5 or 9, or 6:5 for a 6 or 8. Player pays 5% 'vigorish' to get true odds on all numbers.
Depending on how much you bet, buying a bet can make you more money in the end even after accounting for the ‘vig'. The odds are only in your favor on a buy bet for a 4 or 10, so stick with the place bet on any others.
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Table Of Contents
- Craps rolls are one of the most interesting events that happen on the Casino floor.
- This Craps strategy guide for beginners helps you understand the ins and outs of the pass or come bet.
- Read it before your round begins to understand your chances to win playing online Craps.
Craps is one of the most exciting gambling games since the Middle Age. If you don't know how to play Craps and you haven't played online yet, now it's your chance.
What you see here is the only craps for dummies guide you'll ever need to learn the game.
This is an all-in-one Craps for beginners resources where you find the best Craps strategies, the best Craps Casinos to play online, and all the proposition bets you should avoid.
Also, I added the basics of Craps etiquette because placing one or two winning bets doesn't authorise you to do everything you want or behave like Will Ferrel, Amy Poehler, and Jason Mantzoukas in The House.
Although it's one of the most popular and played games at land-based casinos, the game of craps not one of the top favourites of online players.
Some believe craps is a complicated game with rules and bets that do not fit the speed of online gambling. They get confused by concepts like odds bets, betting on the pass line, comeout roll, snake eyes, and lay odds- and that's why they often skip this table game.
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Play NowHow to Play Craps for Dummies
How to Play Craps for Beginners?
Beginners are often so intimidated by the numbers, the terms, and all the different bets available in a game of craps. Also, complicated tables like the ones you find on Wizard of Odds might push you away from the craps tables and not play the game.
Playing craps is easy. You don't need anything more than a guide for Dummies like this one to move from beginner to expert.
If you don't know how to play craps, make sure you read the part that follows carefully enough to pay attention to all the different elements that compose a game of craps.
When you are done with my Craps for Dummies guide, you are ready to play the game.
Once you pass the learning part, the game is simple. So, let's not beat around the bush and get to the good part – craps rules for dummies, that is.
Learning Craps Rules for Dummies in 3 Minutes or Less
Why three minutes? Because there are three main rules to learn to know how to play craps. This is a guide for dummies - meaning we like to keep things short and simple.
That's why three minutes is more than enough to learn how to play craps.
Craps betting round starts with a come-out roll.
That's the first term beginners need to learn and add to their vocabulary.
The come-out roll is the first roll of the dice or the first one after the previous betting round has finished.
The player who throws the dice is called the 'shooter'.
A game of craps plays as follows: you, 'shooter', take two dice and throw them on the craps table - or press 'roll' button if we are talking about online craps.
Once the number rolled is on your screen, there are three possible outcomes:
1. Natural
Here's when things get really good. A 'Natural' means that the result of your roll is a 7 or an 11. When this happens, you win and get to roll the dice again.
2. Craps
You roll a 2 (also known as the Snake Eyes), 3, or 12. Here's when you lose.
BUT the round is not over, and you get to roll again.
3. Point
You roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
In a live casino, a dealer would mark your Point (the rolled number) on the table.
In online craps games, there is a small button that appears once the Point is established. It's white and says 'On'.
What you need to do now is to roll the dice once more and hope you'll hit the same number again. It doesn't have to be the same combination of dice as you had before. As long as it's the same sum – you win.
Do you know why the sequence above misses a seven?
The number 7 is not a very lucky one in this case since if you roll a 7, you 'seven out' – you lose and end the betting round.
Once you learn this part by heart, you can move on to the betting options.
That's the fun part. Because that's the one that can make you win a lot.
Playing Craps for Dummies: Betting Rules
If you take a look at the craps table, both online and offline, you can see that it's not only dice and numbers.
Now that you know how to shoot craps and how to evaluate the result of your roll let's have a look at how to bet in a game of craps.
Remember: this is a craps guide for dummies, so I am going to analyze everything looking at a game of craps as a beginner would do.
The layout has a handful of areas for different betting options.
Pass or Don't Pass Bets
First, you can bet either on the 'Pass Line' or the 'Don't Pass Line'.
How To Play The Horn Bet In Craps
The Pass Line bet means you bet that the shooter will pass (win) by rolling out a natural or by winning the point before seven-ing out.
The Don't Pass Line corresponds to the opposite bet. In this case, you bet that the shooter will not pass (lose). It can happen if the player shoots to get a 2 or 3, or fails to roll the point again before a 7 shows up its ugly head.
And then there is a 12. If it's rolled now, your bet is a Push – meaning nothing happens. You don't win, but you don't lose either.
You can make these bets only before the point has been established on the table. Once the point has been rolled out and the shooter needs to roll the sum again, you can make a come or don't come bet.
Come or Don't Come Bets
Craps Come Bet Strategy
These bets can only be made after the point has been determined.
The Come Bet wins if a natural is rolled out and loses if the craps are.
If the point is rolled out, it becomes the Come-Bet point.
It works just like the Pass line one: if the come-bet point rolls out again before 7 does, you win. If not, it's not your lucky round, pal.
Don't come bet is just like the Don't pass one. You're in luck if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3, not so much if it's a 7 or 11. A 12 here is a push again.
Once the point is made, you should hope for 7 before the shooter rolls out the point again.
Neither Pass nor Come bets can be turned off. You bet and wait until it plays itself out. But you can make additional bets on the come-bet point, too. And those you can withhold or increase at any time.
Proposition Bets in Craps
These are one-roll bets (with one exception, as you can see in the table below) that you can place on any roll.
Bet | Wins if |
---|---|
Any Seven | The shooter rolls a 7 |
Any Craps | The shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 |
Ace Deuce | The shooter rolls a 3 |
Aces | The shooter rolls a 2 |
Boxcars | The shooter rolls a 12 |
Horn | The shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11, or 12 |
The exception I mentioned earlier is called Hard ways. In this case, you win if you roll a 4, 6, 8, or 10 (depends on which one you bet) with the pair of same numbers (2 and 2, 3 and 3, and so on) before any other combination that makes that sum or a 7
Other Possible Bets in a Game of Craps
Place Bets:Once you know the point, you can bet on any number on the table. You win if it's rolled out before a 7, you lose if it isn't.
Field Bets: This type of bet is only active for one dice roll. You win if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled. A 5, 6, 7, or 8 makes you lose.
Big 6 and Big 8 bets: If you want to bet that 6 or 8 will be rolled before 7, These are the two bets for you.
These bets only pay 1:1.
Practice Craps Online: Where Beginners Should Play Craps
The best way to learn craps online is to practice craps online.
Now that you know about the different bets and outcomes of a roll, you should be ready to move from asking how to shoot craps to playing craps online.
And if you don't want to risk your cash on real money games until you are 100 per cent sure that you know how to win at craps - that's not a problem.
The best online craps sites for beginners five you the chance to play and practice craps online for free for as long as you need.
You can also use the Casino bonuses you receive on most sites when you sign up but, given the house edge of this game, you should start for free.
The best site to play craps online for free and get a hang of the game is this one.
I suggest you open a free account on this page to find the best Craps tables online and play the game. That's the best way to learn craps if you don't have a brick-and-mortar casino next door to go to.
That's what I did when I first played Craps.
It all will look a lot easier once you practice craps online.
And once you feel that online, free practice has made it perfect, you can move to real money craps games.
The game of craps has really good odds with the house edge of only 1,41%.
That beats roulette and even blackjack when it's played with the basic strategy. There're many betting rules to remember at first but they come naturally later on. And they actually make the game even more exciting. Fruit farm games.
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