Craps Strategy

Craps is one of the most popular games at casinos, be it live or online. A lot of the popularity stems from the excitement of seeing the dice roll out the number that wins everybody money. In addition to the excitement, Craps has become popular due to the great odds offered as compared to other casino games. The experienced player will always walk straight to the Craps table knowing that there lies his best chance of winning. To make it into the Craps Winners table, players must exercise optimal Craps strategy.

There are over one hundred possible bets at the Craps table. With so many bets, it is not unusual for players to become overwhelmed or intimidated when playing Craps. Most of these bets, however, are trash. They are sucker bets created by the casino to increase their house edge. Players needn’t worry about the odds and rules of these bets. Players looking to make it to the Winner’s Table table only need to focus on a few betting options.

The best bets on the Craps table are the Don’t Pass with odds – Don’t Come with odds and the Pass with odds – Come with odds bets. The key to this Craps strategy is placing the minimum bet on the Don’t Pass or Pass line then placing the maximum allowable odds behind the bet after the point is established. For example, if the minimum bet at the table is $5 and the house allows players to place 5x odds behind, the optimal Craps strategy would be to bet $5 on the Don’t Pass (or Pass) line and then placing $25 behind the bet once the point is established. This strategy gives the house a very tiny edge. For bets that are on the Don’t Pass and Pass lines, the house has a 1.403% and 1.414 edge, respectively. The odds placed behind those bets are even money. If we consider our previous $5 bet with $25 behind, the house is only winning about seven cents per bet! Again, these amazing odds are hard to find at any other game in the casino.

The free odds are awesome because the house has no edge. Savvy players maximize the free odds bets to minimize the house advantage on pass bets.

The free odds are as follows:
point ==> odds
6 or 8 ==> 6:5
5 or 9 ==> 6:4
4 or 10 ==> 6:3

Suppose the point is 6 or 8. A free odds bet of $25 returns 6:5. This means we have $55 in front of us when we win.

Suppose the point is 5 or 9. A free odds bet of $24 returns 6:4. This means we have $60 in front of us when we win.

Suppose the point is 4 or 10. A free odds bet of $25 returns 6:3. This means we have $75 in front of us when we win.

Ever wonder how oddsmakers came up with the amount to pay out on the free odds bets? As with all bet payouts, it is based on the expected result of the bet. The expected results (numbers rolled) when two die are thrown 36,000 times are shown in red in the Craps chart above. For example, if we were to throw two die 36,000 times, we would roll a seven 6,000 times while rolling a six or eight 5,000 times. Of course, the numbers will deviate in an actual trial. The actual number of times any point is rolled is represented by the number in blue.

Craps oddsmakers took the ratio of the expected result of rolling a seven over the expected result of rolling the point (which are the "true odds") and made that ratio the payout. Since this bet is offered for "free" (hence the name of the bet: "free odds"), the payout is not reduced and the true odds of rolling the point before the seven is paid out. For example, imagine the point was a four. As we know, the payout for hitting our free odds here is 6:3. Notice this is equal to the ratio between the expected result of rolling a seven and the expected result of rolling a four (6000:3000 or 6:3 or 2:1). This gives the house no edge making the free odds bet the best odds in the casino!

Players love to put money on place bets. Most of these bets don’t offer the player good odds; however, the six and eight place bets offer some of the best odds on the table. Once the point is established, players may place money on the Six or Eight to win. These bets are usually in multiples of $6 and pay the player $7 (for each multiple of $6) if and when the Six or Eight hits before the Seven. This bet keeps the house edge small at only 1.52%. A bet that most players do not know exists are place bets to lose. Players can place money on the Six or Eight to lose once the point is established. These bets are placed in multiples of $5 and the house pays the player $4 (for each multiple of $5) if and when the Seven shows before a Six or Eight. The Six or Eight to win and Six or Eight to lose bets give the house a 1.52% and 1.82% edge, respectively.

Another popular bet at Craps tables is The Field bet. The Field bet is a one-roll bet that pays players if the next roll on the dice is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Players may be inclined to bet here since they see so many opportunities to win. Unfortunately, the combinations of two-dice and the number the dice total puts players at a sharp disadvantage. Some casinos offer “double the bubble” Field Bets where players are paid double when the 2 or 12 are hit. Even with this added incentive, the Field Bet remains in the sucker bet category. However, if a player is lucky enough to find a casino that offers “triple the bubble” Field Bets (those Field Bets that pay triple for the 2 or 12), they have found a bet that they can add to their Craps strategy repertoire. Though these tables are rare, they do exist. The house edge drops to a slim 2.78% edge when two's and twelve's pay three-to-one.

Gambling should be exciting and fun. One way to ensure it stays fun is by winning as much as possible. When playing Craps, this is done by following the Craps strategy outlined above. Players that follow this strategy are on the fast track to making it into our Winner's Table!

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