All Craps Bets
You might be able to play with only one or two types of craps bets, but if you want to really master the game, you should know how to use them all. Some of these are very risky with high payouts, and others are safe but slow, but each one has its place in the game.
Beyond having more options by using all of the craps bets, you'll also likely see many of these bets if you choose to use any of the different craps systems. To learn about any specific bet, click on its name in the list below, or if you would like to read about all of them, simply scroll down this page.
| - Pass Line Bet | - Buy Bet | - Field Bet |
| - Don't Pass Line Bet | - Lay Bet | - Proposition Bets |
| - Come Bet | - Place Bet | - Hardway Bet |
| - Don't Come Bet | - Place Bet To Lose | - One Roll Bet |
Pass Line Bet
In craps, the pass line bet is seen more than any of the others. This is the bet preferred by players at all levels because it pulls the whole table together in an effort against the house. All players at any given table who are using the pass line bet win and lose together.
Beyond the social aspects of this bet, it is also one of the smartest wagers, mathematically, offered by any casino game as it only has a 1.41% house edge. Between this low house edge and a relatively long time between each win or loss, you can get a lot of action for your money on the pass line.
To make the pass line bet, you'll need to act before the a new round begins. Once your bet is in, the new shooter rolls the dice, and one of three things happens.
- He rolls "craps" (2, 3, or 12) and you lose your bet.
- He rolls "a natural" (7 or 11) and you win your bet (1:1 odds).
- A 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled and that number is now the "point".
Now, if a point is established, then the round continues until he either rolls the point again, or rolls a seven. If the point is rolled again, then you win on the pass line, but if the shooter "sevens out" (rolls a 7), then you lose your bet. This process of rolling either the point or a seven may require many rolls.
Don't Pass Line Bet
The don't pass line bet, is the exact opposite of the pass line bet. Because of this, betting the don't pass line is going against the majority of the table, and is often known as "betting wrong". There is nothing to stop you from playing this bet, but it's generally considered rude to celebrate when you win at the table's expense.
You have to put your chips on the don't pass line before a new round starts, and the come out roll. The result of this come out roll are crucial for all line bettors. If the come out roll results in a...
- ... 2 or a 3, then your line bet wins.
- ... 7 or 11, then your line bet looses.
- ... 12 and you just get your money back.
- ... any other number becomes "the point".
If a point is decided, then the dice are returned to the shooter, and the round continues. The shooter will continue to roll the dice until either a seven is shown, or the point is rolled.
If a seven is rolled, then you win your bet, but if the point is rolled then you lose it. The one thing that gives this wager an (imperceivable) advantage over the pass line bet is its 1.40% house edge (as opposed to 1.41%).
Note: Both the pass line, and don't pass line wagers, can be made even better by using the odds bet. The odds bet is simply an additional wager worth several times your initial line bet. It has no house edge, but must be accompanied by a line bet.
Come Bet
The come bet is like the pass line bet without all of the comradery. Instead of waiting for a new round to begin, come bettors can make this bet at any time. The roll that immediately follows your wager acts as the come out roll for your wager. The shooters roll can have three types of outcomes:
- He rolls "craps" (2, 3, or 12) and you lose your bet.
- He rolls "a natural" (7 or 11) and you win your bet (1:1 odds).
- A 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled and that number is now the "point".
If a point is designated, then your bet remains on the table as the shooter continues to roll. If a seven appears, then you lose your bet, but if the point is rolled, then you win it.
Because the table's rhythm follows the point set by the pass line bettors, you may will be winning and losing all by yourself. Also, the dice may go through the hands of several shooters before your wager can be resolved. This wager has a 1.41% house edge.
Don't Come Bet
The don't come bet is the opposite of the come bet. These can be played at any point in the game, and the shooter's very next roll is used as the come out roll for your don't come bet. Here are the four results that can occur:
- ... 2 or a 3, then your line bet wins.
- ... 7 or 11, then your line bet looses.
- ... 12 and you just get your money back.
- ... any other number becomes "the point".
If you find yourself in a position where a point has been rolled, then nothing happens immediately. The shooter(s) will continue to roll until they can either roll a seven, or re-roll the point: whichever comes first. If the point is rolled again, then your bet is lost, but if the shooter "sevens out" then you win the wager. This kind of bet has a 1.40% house edge.
Buy Bet
A buy bet is a bet on any point number with perfectly fair odds. This means the payouts and the probability of winning are aligned so that the house edge should be zero. As you might guess though, the casinos aren't going to waste table space with a truly fair wager so there is a catch.
To make a buy bet, you literally have to purchase it. A buy bet costs 5% of the wagers value, so a $100 buy bet would require a $5 commission. If your best are not easily divisible by 20 then you may have a problem.
You won't be able to make an exact 5% commission from a bet that isn't mad up of multiples of 20 ($20, $40, $60, $80, etc...) so the house will round this value up at your expense. Assuming you are betting in multiples of $20 though, here is the data:
| Point | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 4 | 39:21 | 4.76% |
| 5 | 29:21 | 4.76% |
| 6 | 23:21 | 4.76% |
| 8 | 23:21 | 4.76% |
| 9 | 29:21 | 4.76% |
| 10 | 39:21 | 4.76% |
Lay Bet
Lay bets are the opposite of buy bets. You can make a lay bet on any point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10) and these wagers can only win if the shooter sevens out before rolling your point number.
These bets have fair payouts, so to keep a house edge over the action, the casinos charge a 5% commission (just as with the buy bets) so it is important that all of your wagers have even 5% chip amounts.
The value "5%" is equivalent to the fraction "1/20", so make sure your lay bet is in even $20 multiples. For every $20 you wager, you owe $1 commission and any irregular bets will result in a rounded-up commission. Here are the numbers to back up the lay bet:
| Point | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 4 | 19:41 | 2.44% |
| 5 | 19:31 | 3.23% |
| 6 | 19:35 | 4.00% |
| 8 | 19:25 | 4.00% |
| 9 | 19:31 | 3.23% |
| 10 | 19:41 | 2.44% |
Place Bet
Place bets can be wagered on any of the point numbers including 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, an 10. Because you don't have to make a line or come bet to make a place bet, and it offers fair odds, the casino has reduced the payouts to make sure there is still a house edge.
After you've made this bet, you win if the shooter rolls your chosen number without sevening out. If a seven is rolled before your "point" number, then your wager is lost. Because each number has a different payout and a different house edge, you should refer to the table below to get a feel for this wager.
| Point | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 4 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
| 5 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 6 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
Place Bet To Lose
The place bet to lose is the opposite of the place bet. You can pick any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) and bet against it as if it were a point. If the shooter rolls this number before a seven, then you lose your money. If, however, the shooter sevens out before your number is rolled, then you win.
The place bet to lose is a much smarter alternative to the place bet because the casino's payouts are much closer to being fair. The table below contains all of the information about the place bet to lose.
| Point | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 4 | 5:11 | 3.03% |
| 5 | 5:8 | 2.50% |
| 6 | 4:5 | 1.82% |
| 8 | 4:5 | 1.82% |
| 9 | 5:8 | 2.50% |
| 10 | 5:11 | 3.03% |
Field Bet
A field bet is a bet which includes all of the field numbers, and will either win or lose based on the very next roll. There are 16 dice combinations that can result in a win, and twenty combinations that can result in a loss. Because of this imbalance, the field bet has a 5.56% house edge.
- Winning Field Numbers: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12.
- Losing Field Numbers: 5, 6, 7, and 8.
If there is one universal appeal to the field bet, it is that there is no waiting involved. Each roll results in either a win or a loss; there is always action. Field bets are also used in the iron cross craps system.
Proposition Bets
Proposition bets covers a small category of wagers; in fact there are two kinds of proposition bets: Hardway Bets, and One Roll Bets. Before we discuss each of these in detail, it would be helpful for you to know that these are very risky bets. Even the most knowledgable players cannot escape these high house edges, and the massive payouts draw in players like moths to a candle. Use these proposition craps bets with caution.
Hardway Bets
Getting a number "the hardway" refers to rolling doubles. In terms of the bet, you can roll any even number, excluding 2 and 12, by doing it the hard way. There are three different outcomes on each roll for hard way bettors.
- If your chosen number is rolled via a pair, then you win the bet.
- If a different pair is rolled, then your bet remains on the table.
- If a seven or a non-pair number is rolled, you lose the bet.
Since it is so unlikely to win a hard way bet, you're rewarded with a high payout if you do. Unfortunately the payout is only high enough to mask the even higher house edge. See the table below for details.
| Number | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 4 The Hard Way | 7:1 | 11.10% |
| 6 The Hard Way | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| 8 The Hard Way | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| 10 The Hard Way | 7:1 | 11.10% |
One Roll Bets
The one roll bets are arguably the most exciting, and stupid, bets that any casino table game has to offer. With house edges in excess of 16.67%, and payouts as high as 30:1, these bets can have a huge impact on a player's bankroll.
When you make a one roll craps bet, you are placing a wager on the absolute next roll, and what you think it will be. That's right, you are asked to put money on what number will appear next and, not surprisingly, you aren't compensated well enough to make it worthwhile.
These bets are probably not wise unless you are 100% comfortable with losing your entire bankroll while chasing the win. Before playing these bets, make sure you have a carefully-set budget.
| Number | Payout Odds | House Edge |
| 2 | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| 3 | 15:1 | 11.10% |
| 7 | 4:1 | 16.67% |
| Any Craps | 7:1 | 11.10% |
| 11 | 15:1 | 11.10% |
| 12 | 30:1 | 13.89% |
If you have studied this entire article, then you can safely say that you know all of the major craps betting options. To move forward, and put these bets to good use, check out some of these related topics.