- Know the basic craps rules and the types of bets used; know the most commonly used strategies in craps and have the proper tools to know how to play craps and win with your own betting tactics; be able to recognize the best online craps opportunities and promotions and choose the best online casino tables.
- The game of craps is essentially quite simple, a shooter throws the dice and, based on the results, a number of things occur, someone wins, someone loses and the game continues on. Craps can be a very fast game and just based on a single throw of the dice the shooter can win or lose immediately.
- How To Win At Craps
- How To Play Craps And Win Free
- How To Play Craps And Win Part 1
- How To Play Craps And Win From Professionals
- Can You Win At Craps
Did you know that Craps has been around since the 12th century? Back then, it was a game you played on the streets. Because it involves only a pair of dice or pig knuckles, it’s easy to play anywhere.
Craps is a game where many bettors get to stake their chips on a roll of the dice. The table layout makes the game seem a little confusing at first, but the rules are easy to pick up with experience. Before stepping up to a table, read about the kinds of bets available and how a round of craps play out. Craps is a great game, and I love it. And you can win a fortune playing craps in almost no time at all. Casino online spielen. But the idea that you win at craps consistently or “almost every time you play” is ludicrous. If the casinos thought you had a way to beat craps, they’d back you off the game – just like they do with card counters.
Then, people called it Hazard. It later became Craps, from the French word “crapaud” for “toad.” This refers to how people sat when they played the game on the streets.
The modern Craps we know of today though was a version developed by John H. Winn in the 1900s. In this article, we’ll teach you how to play Craps that evolved from Winn’s version.
If you want to know how to play Craps for dummies, keep reading. We’ll dissect this game to show you how Craps for beginners works.
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Craps: The Basics
Some people think the rules of Craps are complex, but it’s only about the results of a pair of dice the players roll. If you think about it that way, the game becomes less complicated. It’s simple enough for people to keep playing, and the fact that it’s one of the highest paying games in casinos helps too.
Before we go into the basics of how to play Craps though, let’s talk about the table first. Make sure to remember the terms we introduce for later.
The table has several sections, including the pass line, don’t pass bar, come, and don’t come. There are also sections numbered 4 to 10 for the place bets and the field for field bets. You may also notice the numbers 6 and 8 on a different section.
Then, let’s talk about the people on the table. There’s the boxman, who’s responsible for overseeing the game and handling the money. In many casinos, there’s one boxman for one pair of tables.
There’s also a stickman, who uses a stick to move around the dice on the table. The dealers beside the stickman announce the results of the throw and manage the bets, collect chips, or pay out players based on the results.
The game can look complicated and intimidating because of this set-up. But we’ll explain in detail what all these terms mean.
How to Play Craps and Place Bets
The thing that complicates Craps is the numerous ways to place bets and the different payouts. All of them, though, rely on the results of the throw to determine whether you’ve won or not.
If you know all the ways to place bets, then you’re an expert on Craps. However, even if you only know one or two, you can still play, which is why it’s one of the most popular games in Australian casinos.
1. Pass Line and Don’t Pass Bets
The most common bet is the pass line, in which you place the bets before the initial come-out roll, which we’ll explain later. The general rule is that if you see the sign “OFF” on the table, that means you can place your bet.
The pass line bets are pretty straightforward; the payout is 1:1, and winning requires you to roll either a 7 or 11. You lose, however, if the sum of the pair of dice is equal to 2, 3, or 12.
If the results are anything else, that’s a point and your bets stay on the Pass Line.
When there’s a point, you win if the throw results in that number again. If it rolls a 7, though, the wager loses.
Note that if the roll establishes a point, your pass line or don’t pass bets stay on the table.
You can come out with winnings, no matter how small they may be, by only knowing this one rule. Nonetheless, you have to know other ways to place bets. You’ll have to know them all if you plan on going pro.
The don’t pass bets are the exact opposite; you’re betting on a 2 or 3 to pop up. You then lose if the results are 7 or 11. A 12 is a push, which means you neither win nor lose.
In the event of a point, you lose if the shooter manages to roll the point again and you win if it’s a 7.
These bets are the most recommended bets for your strategy that’ll let you walk away with profits.
2. Come and Don’t Come Bets
After the come-out roll and after the table establishes a point, that’s the time you can place come and don’t come bets. This means people can join the game even after the round has started, but they place these bets instead of the pass and don’t pass bets.
These are similar to pass and don’t pass bets in that winning or losing depends on whether the roll is a 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12. The table may also establish a point if the result is otherwise.
Note that the point after the come-out roll doesn’t affect your bets because they only apply to those who have pass line and don’t pass bets. If the shooter rolls the point again, you don’t win; rather, those who placed the pass bets win.
Likewise, if there’s a point and the first roll after you join is a 7, you win and the pass or don’t pass wagers lose.
If the first roll after you join the game is anything but a 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12, that’s your point. It only applies to come bets, so you win if it’s rolled again and lose if a 7 comes out.
In the same vein, don’t come bets are like don’t pass bets. You win if the result of the first throw is 2 or 3, but you lose if the result is a 7 or 11. If there’s a point, you win if the shooter rolls a 7 and lose if he/she rolls the point again.
3. Odds Bets
Odds bets are for the advanced players; you place them after the shooter establishes a point.
They complement your bets on the pass line, don’t pass, come, and don’t come, which means there are four types of odds bets. It’s called “taking the odds” if you place a bet on the point and “laying the odds” if you place a bet against it.
The way to win on an odd bet is to win your original bet, whether it’s a pass line, don’t pass, come, or don’t come.
The payouts vary depending on the point established. For pass line odds bets, the payout is 2:1 if the point is a 4 or 10. If it’s a 5 or 9, the payout is 3:2, and if the point is a 6 or 8, you get 6:5.
For don’t pass odds bets, the payouts are in reverse; they’re paid out 1:2 for 4 or 10, 2:3 for 5 or 9, and 5:6 for 6 or 8.
The come and don’t come odds bets operate in the same principles as the pass and don’t pass odds bets.
The advantage of odds bets is that there’s no house edge, so you get paid at true odds. This also means there’s a limit to the amount you can stake on your wager. In some casinos, you can only stake up to three times, but others may allow more.
4. Place to Win or Lose Bets
Place bets allow you to bet on a number between 4 and 10, which we call the place numbers. In essence, it’s like betting on a point, but you establish your own point. You’re betting that the shooter will roll the number you chose first before a 7.
The payouts also vary depending on the number you bet on. If you win with a 6 or 8, it has a payout of 7:6; these bets pay 7:5 on the number 5 or 9 and 9:5 on the number 4 or 10.
Another type of place bets, called place to lose bets, is the exact opposite. Like the don’t pass or don’t come bets, you win if the shooter rolls a 7 before your chosen number.
Again, the payouts vary; a 6 or 8 pays 4:5, a 5 or 9 pays 5:8, and 4 or 10 pays 5:11.
5. Buy and Lay Bets
Buy bets are like place bets; you bet on a specific number to roll before a 7. The only difference, however, is that you have to pay a 5% commission, which you pay when you place the stake or when you win.
They’re also like odds bets in terms of payouts, which means the payout is 6:5 if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8, 3:2 for 5 or 9, and 2:1 for 4 or 10.
Lay bets are like the place to lose bets with payouts like the payouts on the don’t pass odds bets. A 6 or 8 pays 5:6, 5 or 9 pays 2:3, and 4 or 10 pays 1:2.
6. Field Bets
Field bets are also popular because they’re always settled on the next roll; you place the bet before that.
If you look at the table, the field contains the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12; if the result of the next throw is any of these numbers, you win. But you lose if the roll is 5, 6, 7, and 8.
The payout is 1:1 on all of these numbers except 2 and 12, which have higher payouts. Some casinos pay 2:1 on both, while others pay 3:1 on one and then 2:1 on the other.
Don’t forget to collect any winnings because if you don’t, it means you’re letting it ride, which means putting your initial wager plus your winnings on the line.
7. Other Bets
The big 6 or 8 bets are pretty straightforward; you’re betting that a 6 or 8 comes out before a 7. Payout is 1:1; it’s simple enough to attract a lot of people but it has a house edge of 9.09%, so you may not want to play this all the time and for an extended period.
You may also bet on double numbers, which amounts to a hard number like 4, 6, 8, or 10. If your throw gives you either of the 2 + 2, 3 + 3, 4 + 4, and 5 + 5 dice combinations, this means you rolled it the “hard way.”
The payout depends on which hard number you bet on; a hard 6 or 8 pays 9:1 and a hard 4 and 10 pays 7:1.
Try Craps the Next Time You’re in the Casino
Our Craps for dummies guide should get you ready for the game next time you visit the casino. It’s pretty simple once you get the hang of it.
You should be aware of the superstitions of Craps players, though. Be respectful, don’t yell the word “seven,” don’t mind the lady throwing a penny under the table, and so on.
After learning how to play Craps, be sure to check out our casino etiquette guide next.
We all love craps and we would all love to win at craps every time we play.
While there is no sure-fire five-minute strategy that will teach you how to play craps and win every time, there are a bunch of strategy tips and smart bets that can improve your chances of winning.
In this article, I am going to run you through all the most common strategy tips to play craps. I will show you how to pick the right bets when you play and how to understand when the house edge is too high for you to stay in the game.
Throughout the article, you will find references to concepts like casino bankroll management, common casino mistakes, and the way odds in craps are calculated.
If any of these sounds foreign to you, remember to check out the articles I just linked before you sit at the craps table.
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Beating the C*ap Out of Craps
Despite what many beginners believe, craps is not the easiest game on the casino floor.
While it is true that your winnings are always one dice roll away, the game of craps comes with such a sophisticated set of bets that you won’t win unless you know how to play.
It's not so much down do using the right strategy to win at keno — it's about knowing how the game works.
Is There a Craps Strategy to Beat The Casino?
Rules are boring, I know. Unfortunately, there’s no way you can become a good craps player if you don’t know how the game works.
To help you get started, I set up a rules page for you to learn how to play craps.
Together with the game's rules, that article gives you some useful strategy tips on bankroll management and practical advice on how to limit your losses.
The key to getting more chances to win at craps is to learn what bets you can go for and what bets you need to avoid every time you play.
The only way you can do so is if you know the house edge connected to each one of the bets in the game.
How to Bet in Craps
If you want to be sure to get the best chances to win at craps, you need to pick the Pass/Don’t Pass or the Come/Don’t Come bets.
Picking any of the four bets indicated above reduces the house advantage to 1.40%. This is the best you can get in craps, especially if you combine it with laying or taking odds in order to reduce the percentage advantage even more.
Since choosing only the Pass / Don’t Pass and Come / Don’t Come bets would be awfully boring, I am going to give you some more craps strategy tips related to bets you can put your money on.
The other bets that give you the best odds of winning at craps are:
- the Place 6
- the Place 8
- the Field 2
- the Field 12
These four, combined with the ones I mentioned earlier, are the only bets worthy of your money. Anyone familiar with the basics of the craps optimal strategy know that all the other bets come with worse conditions and a higher house edge.
Keep in mind that when I say “higher house edge”, I mean that you stand little to no chance of winning when you pick one of the other bets.
Bets like the Hard-Way 4 and the Hard-Way 10 have an house edge of 11%. Why would you ever pick these ones instead of the much more favourable Pass / Don’t Pass line and Come / Don’t Come bets?
The next time you open a crap table at your favorite live casino online, have a look at what people bet on before you start playing.
Check out how many players don’t stick to these craps strategy tips I just gave you and count how many of those who try the top-paying bets end up in the red.
Pass and Come Bets
As you should know by now, the Pass / Don’t Pass and Come / Don’t Come bets are by far the best ones in the game.
The only way you will be respected by experienced players and dealers is if you show them you know this principle and you stick to these safe bets when you play craps.
The low house edge makes the Pass bet the most popular one in the game. With an house advantage of 1.41%, you always win unless the shooter hits a 2, 3, 2, or 7 after the point was hit.
The Come bet is equally popular and lets you win every time you or the shooter hit a 7 or 11 after the come bet is made. You lose the Come bet only when you or the shooter hit a 2,3,12.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come Bets
If you don’t like to sit with the majority of players, you can also play “against” the others and become what is usually referred to as a Wrong Way Bettor.
Don’t let the name mislead you. Wrong bettors win whenever the other lose (and lose when the other players win) - which, in a gambling game like craps, is going to happen often.
Similarly, the Don’t Come bet is the one that you should go for after a point has been established in case you want to bet against the other players.
Whenever you opt for this bet, you win if the 3 or 2 is hit after the point has been made, and you tie if a 12 is rolled.
The Don’t Come bet pays even money and, like all the best bets in craps, has a house advantage of 1.41%.
Payout and House Edge of All the Bets in Craps
While the best explained above are the ones the optimal strategy to win at craps suggests, the game features a lot of other bets with different house edges.
To help you understand the bets you should avoid and the ones you should go for, here’s a table with all the information you need to pick the right one.
Craps Bets
Bets | Payout | House Edge |
---|---|---|
Pass | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 0% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 0% |
Taking Odds on Pass/Come 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 0% |
Don’t Pass | 1 to 1 | 1.36% |
Don’t Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 6 and 8 | 5 to 6 | 0% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 5 and 9 | 2 to 3 | 0% |
Laying Odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come 4 and 10 | 1 to 2 | 0% |
Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
Big 6 and 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
Field 3,4,9,10 or 11 | 1 to 1 | 5.56% |
Field 2, 12 | 2 to 1 | 5.56% |
Lay 6 and 8 | 19 to 25 | 4.00% |
Lay 5 and 9 | 19 to 31 | 3.23% |
Lay 4 and 10 | 19 to 41 | 2.45% |
Buy 6 and 8 | 23 to 21 | 4.76% |
Buy 5 and 9 | 29 to 21 | 4.76% |
Buy 4 and 10 | 39 to 21 | 4.76% |
Hardways 6 and 8 | 10 to 1 | 9.09% |
Hardways 4 and 10 | 8 to 1 | 11.11% |
Craps Proposition Bets
Bets | Payout | House Edge |
---|---|---|
Any Craps (2,3 or 12) | 8 to 1 | 11.11% |
Any Seven | 5 to 1 | 16.8% |
Any Eleven | 16 to 1 | 11.11% |
Ace Deuce (3) | 16 to 1 | 11.11% |
Aces (2) | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
Boxcars (12) | 30 to 1 | 13.9% |
Horn 3 or 11 | 15 to 1 | 12.5% |
Horn 2 or 12 | 15 to 1 | 12.5% |
Essential Strategy Tips for your Craps Games
When considering how much to bet to beat a casino at craps, you should also consider how much money is in your expendable bankroll.
If your bankroll is limited (and I am pretty sure it is), you should limits the amount you press on the lay or place odds unless you want to be pushed out of the game after a single bad roll.
If you come to the table with a big bankroll, you should take advantage of the best bet in the game and not be afraid of pressing the maximum amount allowed by the table’s rule.
Each table comes with a different sets of rules and limits. Make sure you ask the dealer if all the info you need are not available at the table.
If you are looking to have more action at the table, you should at all costs stay away from most prop bets and stick to the Place and Lay bets.
Like in all gambling games, the key to beating a casino at craps is to walk away while you are ahead.
You need to know when to stop and take a break, Cash your winnings and leave the table. If you keep on playing, you put your winnings at risk - and you don’t want that.
Free Video Craps Strategy Lessons
Here’s a list of quick videos you should watch if you are serious about craps strategy and you want to take your game to the next level.
How To Win At Craps
The 4-Minute Guide to Craps Strategy
Besides being an hilarious video (and I tend to agree with Roman Praha on the redhead being high), this is video is pure gold.
It drives you through everything you need to know before you start and it explains the essentials of the game in less than four minutes.
Plus, if you liked Leisure Suit Larry you will love this one.
The Mathematics of Craps
In this video, former craps dealer at the Hilton Las Vegas, Jim Luciano drives you through the numbers of craps to explain how to calculate odds, payouts, and winning chances.
This video complements the section of this article dedicated to the bets and the odds.
The 10-Minute Full Craps Strategy Course
This video features everything you need to become a pro. Watch it once you are familiar with the numbers in the game and the use these craps strategy tips from the Players Network!
How To Play Craps And Win Free
The Five-Count Strategy System
In the video below Gaming author, Frank Scoblete, describes the so-called Five-Count System, an alternative craps strategy you can read on hit book Beat the Craps Out of the Casinos
The five-count system begins when a shooter rolls a point number of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Once any of these numbers is rolled, the next roll is the two-count. Assuming there is a third roll, here is where you would start betting with a come bet.
If the roll continues, it is considered to be the four-count where you would place another come bet. Once it reaches a five-count, here is where you would start to place odds on your come bets and also make your third come bet.
How To Play Craps And Win Part 1
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Can You Win At Craps
Disclaimer: Gambling is a game of chance and there's no sure-fire formula that guarantee winnings. You can improve your winning chances by using the right in-game strategies but there is no way to predict when a machine or a Casino game is going to pay. Also, this page contains affiliate links. If you click through and play, we might earn a commission. That’s what allow us to keep CasinoSmash free and bring you the best online Casino bonuses!