Craps Bets

Every Craps Bet, Broken Down

A craps table has over 40 possible wagers. Some carry a house edge under 1.5%. Others hand the casino more than 16% of every dollar you put down. The difference between a smart craps player and someone bleeding chips comes down to knowing which bets fall into which camp.

That's what this section covers. Every bet on the layout gets its own guide with the exact odds, true probability, payout structure, and house edge. No vague advice. Just the math and the context you need to decide if a bet belongs in your game.

The Bets You Should Know First

If you're still building your foundation, start with the core wagers. These are the bets most experienced players actually use:

Pass Line Bet is the backbone of craps. A 1.41% house edge, simple mechanics, and the ability to back it with odds. This is where every beginner should start and where most veterans stay.

Don't Pass Line flips the script. You're betting against the shooter, which gives you a slightly lower 1.36% house edge. It's mathematically superior to the pass line, though it won't make you popular at the table.

Free Odds Bet is the only wager in the casino with a 0% house edge. Zero. You place it behind your pass line or don't pass bet after a point is established. The more you bet in odds, the lower your overall edge drops.

Come Bet works exactly like the pass line, but you can place it after the come-out roll. It gives you another number working with the same low house edge. The Don't Come is its dark-side counterpart.

Place Bets and Buy Bets

Once you understand the fundamentals, most players branch into placed numbers:

Place Bets let you pick specific numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) without waiting for a come-out roll. The 6 and 8 carry a house edge of just 1.52%, making them the best place bets on the board. The 4 and 10, on the other hand, jump to 6.67%.

Buy Bets are place bets that pay true odds in exchange for a 5% commission. They only make mathematical sense on the 4 and 10, where the buy bet drops the house edge from 6.67% to 4.76%. On every other number, regular place bets are the better deal.

Lay Bets go the opposite direction. You're betting a number won't roll before a 7. They also pay true odds minus a 5% vig, and they're the dark-side version of buy bets.

The One-Roll Bets (Propositions)

The center of the craps table is where the flashy bets live. High payouts, terrible odds, and a house edge that makes your wallet wince. The Proposition Bets guide covers the full group, but here's how the individual wagers break down:

Horn Bet covers 2, 3, 11, and 12 in a single wager. Four chips, one roll. The house edge ranges from 11.11% to 16.67% depending on which number hits.

Yo Eleven pays 15:1 on a single roll of 11. House edge: 11.11%. It sounds exciting until you realize the casino keeps more than a dime of every dollar.

Any Seven is the worst bet on the table. A 16.67% house edge. The guide explains exactly why you should never touch it.

Snake Eyes and Boxcars both pay 30:1 (or 31:1 at some tables) on a specific roll. House edge: 13.89%. Fun to watch. Expensive to play.

C and E Bet, the Whirl/World Bet, and the Hi-Lo are all variations on the same theme: bundled proposition bets that look exciting but carry a steep price.

Hop Bets let you call any specific dice combination on the next roll. They're the most obscure bet on the table and carry some of the highest house edges.

Multi-Roll and Side Bets

Hardways are a middle ground between the core bets and propositions. You're betting that a specific pair (hard 4, 6, 8, or 10) rolls before a 7 or the easy way. House edges run from 9.09% to 11.11%. They stick around for multiple rolls, so they feel more involved than one-roll props.

Field Bet pays on the next roll if 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 hits. Seven numbers out of eleven possible outcomes. Looks great on paper. The house edge is 5.56% at most tables (2.78% if the casino pays triple on both 2 and 12).

Big 6 and Big 8 pay even money when 6 or 8 rolls. The problem? A place bet on the same numbers pays 7:6 instead of 1:1. The Big 6/8 carries a 9.09% house edge versus 1.52% for the place bet. Same numbers, vastly different value.

Fire Bet and All Tall Small are side bets with lottery-style payouts. The fire bet can pay up to 999:1 if the shooter hits all six point numbers before sevening out. The odds of that happening? About 1 in 6,156. Treat them as entertainment, not strategy.

Any Craps pays if 2, 3, or 12 rolls. House edge: 11.11%. Some players use it to "protect" their pass line on the come-out. The math says that protection costs more than it saves.

How to Use These Guides

Each bet guide gives you everything in the same structure: how the bet works, what it pays, the true odds, the house edge, and a clear take on when (if ever) the bet makes sense to place. No sugarcoating.

If you want the quick ranking, the Best Craps Bets guide sorts every wager from best to worst. For the full payout table, the Craps Odds and Payout Chart has every number in one place.

When you're ready to combine bets into systems, head to the Craps Strategies section. And the Free Craps Simulator is the best way to test any bet before putting real money on the felt.