If you’re new to the game of craps, navigating the betting options on the table can be overwhelming.
But fear not. I’m here to help you understand the best craps bets to make and the ones you should avoid.
In this guide, we’ll go through the most popular bets, and outline the smartest and dumbest bets on the table.
Top 5 Best Craps Bets
- Pass Line Bet: Offers a low house edge of 1.41%. Win if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll; lose on 2, 3, or 12. A point established and rolled again wins.
- Don’t Pass Line Bet: Slightly better odds with a house edge of 1.36%. Win on come-out rolls of 2 or 3, push on 12, and lose on 7 or 11. Win if a point is established and then a 7 is rolled before the point.
- Come Bet: Similar to the Pass Line bet but can be made any time after the point is established. Same odds and house edge as the Pass Line bet.
- Don’t Come Bet: The counterpart to the Come Bet, with identical odds to the Don’t Pass Line. Can be placed after the point is established, betting against the shooter.
- Place Bets on 6 or 8: Betting that a 6 or 8 will be rolled before a 7. Offers a house edge of 1.52% and pays 7 to 6. Among the most favorable non-contract bets.
Top 5 Worst Craps Bets
- Any 7: Betting that the next roll will be a 7. This bet carries a high house edge of 16.67% and pays 4 to 1, making it one of the riskiest bets on the table.
- Any Craps: A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. It has a house edge of 11.11% and pays 7 to 1, tempting but statistically disadvantageous.
- Hardways (Hard 4 and Hard 10): Bets that a 4 or 10 will be rolled as a pair of identical numbers before any other combination of 4 or 10 or a 7. Each has a house edge around 11%.
- Proposition Bets (Single Roll Bets): High-risk bets such as on specific number combinations like 2 or 12. These bets can have house edges up to 13.89% or higher, with appealing payouts but low chances of winning.
- Field Bet: A one-roll bet that one of several numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12) will appear next. The house edge varies but averages around 5.5%, with double payouts on 2 and 12 not fully compensating for the risk
What is Craps? Discover the Basics
With its origins going back over 500 years, craps is a popular dice game in North America.
Based on a game called hazard, referenced in books dating back to the 14th century, craps was brought to New Orleans in the early 1800s.
The game found a foothold with fieldhands and deckhands of the time, allowing its popularity to spread up the Mississippi River.
At its core, craps is a dice-shooting game. The goal is to match or avoid certain numbers.
Boiled down to the essentials, the rules of the game are:
- In the first roll of the dice, you automatically win if you shoot a 7 or 11.
- In the first roll of the dice, if you shoot a 2, 3 or 12, you automatically lose.
- If you roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, you roll again; this number becomes the “point”.
- You will then keep rolling, and you win each time the point is hit. The game continues until the player retires or a 7 is rolled, ending the game.
Understanding the basics of craps is essential to understanding the betting options on the table. You can always use our free craps game to train with no risk involved.
The 5 Smartest Craps Bets Explained
When it comes to craps, some bets are better than others.
Here are the 5 best craps bets you can make:
1. The Pass Line
The pass line bet is the most common and popular bet at the craps table. This is the bet that backs the shooter. A bet of this type means that you are betting on the shooter to roll a 7 or 11. If he does so, you win instantly.
You automatically lose if he rolls a 2, 3, or 12.
If he rolls anything else, he must roll again; this number becomes the point. Each time he rolls the point, you win. If he rolls a 7, you lose.
Most of the bets on a craps table will be pass line bets.
There are a few reasons for this:
- It is an easy bet to understand;
- There are chances for multiple wins without having to bet repeatedly;
- It is an even bet.
- The house edge is only 1.41% which is not only one of the lowest on the table. It is one of the lowest in the whole casino.
2. The Don’t Pass Line
Another smart bet in craps is the Don’t Pass Line. In this bet, you are betting against the shooter. In this scenario, you are betting that the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 for an automatic win.
If he rolls a 7 or 11, you lose.
Much like the pass line, if he rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, he rolls again to try and hit point.
If he hits the point, you lose. If he rolls a 7, you win.
The house edge on this bet differs slightly from the pass line and is 1.36%.
3. Odds Bets
Odds bets are another smart bet to make in craps. You can make an odds bet when you place a Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line bet or a Come or Don’t Come bet.
An odds bet is like raising in a card game – it’s adding a wager to the original bet, assuming the shooter didn’t roll a 2, 3, or 12.
Each casino has different rules for odds bets, so it’s important to know the specific rules before you place your bet.
When you make an odds bet, you’ll win the even-money payout on the original bet. For example, let’s say the point is 10, and you bet $100 on the Pass Line.
If the shooter hits the point before they roll a 7, you’ll win $100 on the original bet, plus $200 on the odds bet (2 to 1 odds).
The house edge on an odds bet is 0%, making it one of the best bets in the casino.
4. Come Bet
The Come bet is similar to the Pass Line bet but can be placed at any time after the come-out roll.
When you place a Come bet, you are essentially creating a new Pass Line bet, and if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, you win even money.
If they roll a 2, 3, or 12, you lose.
If the shooter rolls any other number, it becomes the point for your Come bet, and the shooter will continue to roll until they hit the point again, in which case you win, or they roll a 7, in which case you lose.
The house edge for this bet is 1.41%, the same as the Pass Line bet.
5. Betting on 6 or 8
Betting on the 6 or 8 is another smart bet in craps. While 7 is the most common roll in craps, 6 and 8 are the second most common.
You can make a decent amount of money betting on the shooter rolling a 6 or 8, with a house edge of only 1.5% and odds of 13.89% (second only to the probability of rolling a 7).
After the shooter makes the point, you can tell the dealer how much you want to bet on either 6 or 8. Betting on both doubles the probability of winning. A bet on 6 and/or 8 pays 7 to 6.
While you can bet on other point numbers, the probability of landing on them is lower, and the house edge increases. For example, the probability of rolling a 4 or 10 is only 8.33%, and the house edge is 6.7%.
5 Dumbest Craps Bets – Avoid Them at All Costs
To me, dumb bets are long shots where the odds are not in your favor.
Is it possible to win? Yes.
Is it likely that you’ll win? Not very.
Craps has a few bets that are long shots, just like they have bets that are good to make. Here are five bets that you should avoid:
1. Betting on 4 or 10
One of the worst bets to make is on the 4 or 10 (especially individually).
I discussed earlier that the odds of rolling a 4 or 10 are the least likely point rolls in the game, with a probability of 8.33% on either.
But placing a bet on these also has a house edge of 6.7%, making it one of the tougher bets, not only in craps but of most bets you can place in table games in the casino.
A win on this bet pays 9 to 5, but you can make better bets that will yield a better return with less risk.
2. Betting on 5 or 9
Another dumb bet in craps would be betting on the 5 or 9. The probability of a roll of a 5 or 9 is 11.11%, higher than the 4 or 10, but not enough to make it a good bet.
Also, the house edge is 4%, which is still more than twice that of a 6 or 8 bet.
The payout on this bet is 7 to 5.
3. Field Bet
A field bet is when you place a bet on the shooter rolling a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. I like to think of this bet similar to endcaps at a grocery or department store.
The items they display on the endcap may be on sale, but if you look in the right section, there are much better deals elsewhere.
Much like an endcap, this bet looks attractive because it has a wide field of possible results, but they have some of the lowest probabilities of being rolled.
In the chart below, you can see the probability of each dice roll total:
| Dice Roll | Probability |
| 2 | 2.78% |
| 3 | 5.56% |
| 4 | 8.33% |
| 5 | 11.11% |
| 6 | 13.89% |
| 7 | 16.67% |
| 8 | 13.89% |
| 9 | 11.11% |
| 10 | 8.33% |
| 11 | 5.56% |
| 12 | 2.78% |
The house edge on this bet is 2.78%.
The payout on this bet is 3 to 1 on a roll of 12, 2 to 1 on a roll of 2, and even money on all others.
4. Betting on 2 or 12
We can see from the chart that a 2 or 12 (also known as “snake eyes” or a “boxcar”, respectively) has only a 2.78% probability.
So, this is a sucker bet. It will pay 30 to 1 if you win. The house edge on this is 13.89%.
Remember, the higher the payout, the lower the chances of it happening.
5. Betting on 3 or 11
While the odds of hitting these numbers versus a 2 or 12 is double, it is still highly unlikely, making it a dumb bet.
This bet has a house edge of 11.11% and pays 15 to 1.
Final Thoughts
Craps can be a fun game, but it’s important to understand the best bets to make to increase your chances of winning.
As a craps pro, I recommend the Pass Line bet for beginners, with the option to add Odds bets to further reduce the house edge.
Don’t be swayed by others’ bets or feel pressured to make risky moves.
Stick to the smart bets, such as the Don’t Pass Line, betting on 6 or 8, and Come bets, and avoid the dumb bets, including the Field bet and betting on 2, 3, 11, or 12.
Ultimately, craps is a game that should be enjoyed at your own pace, with some luck on your side.
So next time you find yourself at a craps table, remember these tips, and most importantly, have fun!
