Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Craps

Dice Talk

Craps is played with two identical six sided dice. The chart below shows the different totals you can achieve with two six sided dice, and the number of ways to make each total. Notice how seven is the most likely number to be rolled, with each other number symmetrical about it. Craps rules, odds, and outcomes are all determined by these basic relationships.




Odds Talk

Now, that we understood how the dice is used in craps, 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.

To read about free odds, read my section on the best bets, it will also cure you of any fears you have of the craps table layout. Once you are familiar with the best bets, the table layout, and the cycle of play, craps rules will seem to fit into place naturally. To read about the best bets on the table, read more craps rules.


The Best Bets

The best bets in craps are the pass line bet, free odds, the don't pass, the come bet, and placing the 6 or the 8. Let's look at each:


The Pass Line Bet

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. The pass line bet has a house edge of 1.42% and that is one of the lowest house edges and this bet pays even money.

To bet with the dice all you need to do is to place your chips in the middle of the big band labeled the pass line. Now, after you placed your bet on the pass line bet, if the shooter rolls on the come out roll a 7 or a 11, it is called a "natural" and you win, if a 2,3 or 12 is rolled, it is "craps" and you lose.

Any other number like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 becomes your "point." You win if the "point" repeats before a 7 rolls, and you lose if 7 shows before you make your "point." The process begins again when either a seven is hit, or the point is hit.


The Don't Pass Bet

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 labeled don't pass. You lose on a "natural" 7 or 11, and win if a 2 or 3 rolls. 12 is a "standoff," no one wins.

The house edge on these bets is 1.40%. The odds of a 7 coming out before a 10 are quite good so the casino has to change the rules of craps in effect and hedge its bet by altering the odds.


The Come Bet

The simplest explanation of "Come" bets is that you're betting with the dice, exactly as on the "Pass Line," except that "Come" bets can be made after the point is set. A come bet made in the come out roll it would be actually a pass line bet. So, remember that a come bet can be made only after the come out roll, after a point is set.


Assuming you wanted to make a come bet, and the point had been set to 8. You would put your bet down in the area marked "Come" on the layout. You win if a 7 or 11 is rolled, and you lose on "craps" 2, 3 or 12. Any other number becomes the "come-point" and you win if your "come-point" is made before a 7 rolls.

So say a 4 is rolled after you place your bet, at that time the stickman moves the come bet to the 4 on the board, positioning it just right so that he knows it's a come bet, not a place bet or a buy. If the shooter rolls a 4 you win and if he rolls a 7 before a 4 you lose.

Also remember that on come bets craps rules allow for the ability to place "free odds" bets just like pass line bets after your 'come-point' is established. To back up your come bet with free odds, throw your chips down on the table and let the dealer know your intention.


The don't come bet

The reverse of betting the "Come." 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.


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. 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.


Free Odds

Free odds can be taken on the pass, don't pass, come and don't come bets. When the shooter establishes a point on the come-out roll, any player who has made a pass line bet is allowed to "take the odds." A single odds bet is an additional wager, up to the amount of your original wager, that the point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled.


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!


Besides the fact that the odds bet has no house edge associated with it, also it has no official designated space on the dice table. Therefore, to place a pass line bet with odds you need first to make your pass line bet and then, after a point is set you take more chips and place them behind your pass line bet. The odds bet wins if your flat bet (original bet) wins and loses if your flat bet loses.


Some casinos permit players to make double odds, and even greater odds wagers. Usually you will see a printed sign on the table to let you know how much you can bet on free odds and if there are no signs, the dealer will tell you. How much you can bet is expressed as a multiple of your original bet.

For instance, if 2x odds are shown it means you can put two times as much down on your odds as you're putting on your original bet. For example, let's say you bet $1.00 on the pass line and establish a point of 4 in a casino that offers double odds. You now have the option of taking the adds for an additional $2.00.

If you repeat the point number (4) before rolling a 7, you will get your original $3.00 back, plus an additional $5.00. Of that $5.00, $1.00 will be the even-money payback on your pass line wager, and $4.00 will be the 2-to-1 payoff for a point of 4 on your odds bet of $2.00.

If you roll a 7 before repeating your point of 4, you will lose your initial $1.00 wager on the pass line, plus your $2.00 odds bet, for a total loss of $3.00. You are allowed to remove your odds wager from the craps table at any time, as a casino does not object to your taking down a bet that has no house edge.


As we said before, free odds can be taken on come bets also. So, to make a come bet with odds you simply need to tell the dealer you want to back up your come bet with odds and put your odds bet down, but only after your come point has been set.


The correct payoff for odds bets varies from point number to point number, depending on the odds of a 7 being rolled before a particular point is repeated. The payoff formula is the same whether you take single odds, double odds, or more. Correct odds payoffs are as follows: points 4 and 10 pay 2-to-1; points 5 and 9 pay 3-to-2; points 6 and 8 pay 6-to-5.