Full Craps Guide And Strategies
Craps has been a casino favorite for many years and while the intricacy of the table may be intimidating, craps players can play successfully just by learning a few basic bets.
For players not familiar with the craps table, it is important to understand that the game is played in rounds. The first roll of a round is the Come out roll. It is possible that the Come Out roll already ends the round which is the case if a 2, 3,7,11, or 12 is rolled. If any other number is rolled -being a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 then this number will establish the Point number. The Point number is important because it will determine when the round is ended and determine winners and losers. The round continues with further rolls until a 7 or the Point is rolled.
Button and Table Bet Descriptions
Placing a Bet
Specify the amount that you would like to wager. Use the chip denominations at the bottom, click on a chip amount to add the value to the “Amount to bet per click” section.
Once the player has chosen their desired wager amount, they can click on the region of the table outlining a specific bet. You may modify the bet amount by changing the amount in the “Amount to bet per click” section for every bet you make. Making a bet places the chips on the table. Using mouse-over, players should look for the green areas which indicate available betting areas; red areas indicate bets that cannot be made.
To remove a bet from the table right click on the bet or use the Remove (x) option. The amount of chips will be removed from the stack on the table.
Roll
Select the Roll button after placing a bet to start a new game and roll the dice. After the dice stop rolling, losing bets are removed from the table, and winning bets will be paid out. After achieving a win, the original bet amount is returned plus the winnings. Tied bets are returned.
Repeat
The Repeat button allows previous bets to be replayed instantly.
Clear
The Clear option allows player to clear all bets on the table.
Many table bets can be cleared, added to, or deducted from at any time. The only bets which cannot be modified include the Pass and Come bets, and you cannot exceed the maximum bet on the odds.
Bet Regions
When the cursor hovers over the bet regions, a yellow “message box” will appear giving the name of the bet, the current amount placed for that bet, and the minimum and maximum amounts that can be placed on that bet.
Craps Bets
The Pass Line
The Pass Line is the most important bet on the table when playing Craps.
The Pass Line pays even money. To begin, place your bet on the Pass Line area on the Come out roll. If the Come out roll produces a 7 or 11 then the player wins, which is also called a “natural”. If the Come out roll should produce a 2, 3, or 12 (Craps) then the player loses. If any Point is rolled on the Come out roll and if this Point should be rolled again before a 7 the player wins. If a 7 should be rolled before the Point is achieved, then you lose.
Buying the Odds
Once a Point has been achieved, then the player may bet up to 2 times the Pass Line bet on the ‘odds.’ The odds section of the table allows a player to place an additional bet that the Point will be rolled again before a 7. There is a less than 50% chance that the Point will be rolled first and that’s why it pays more than even money. If the Point is a 6 or an 8, then it will pay 6:5, if it is a 5 or 9 it pays 3:2, and if the Point is a 4 or 10, then odds pay 2:1.
| Point | Odds | Bet | Win | Total Winnings |
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 | $10 | $20 | $30 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 | $10 | $15 | $25 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 | $10 | $12 | $22 |
Don’t Pass
The Don’t Pass Bet is quite the opposite to the Pass Line bet. In this case, if the Come out roll is a 2 or 3 then you win, a 7 or 11 you lose. A 12 is a push. Otherwise the Point is established and the dice are rolled over and over until either the Point or a 7 is rolled. If the 7 comes before the Point you win.
Players of Craps don’t find the Don’t Pass Bet to be their favorite since it is made against the shooter. This is also called a “wrong” bettor and it becomes a winning bet usually when everyone else is losing, and vice versa.
Laying the Odds
Laying the odds is the opposite of buying them, in other words the player is betting that a 7 will be rolled before the Point.
- If the Point is a 4 or 10 the don’t odds pay 1:2.
- If the Point is a 5 or 9 the don’t odds pay 2:3.
- If the Point is a 6 or 8 the don’t odds pay 5:6.
Come
The Come Bet is similar to the Pass Line Bet but differs in that it can be placed at any moment. The Come Bet allows players to bet on odds if a Point was set with the Come Bet.
Players choosing the Come Bet should be aware of one thing. If a Point is achieved and there are still active Come bets waiting for a different Point, then special rules must apply for the following Come out roll. In this case, the Come out roll will still apply to active Come bets but it will not apply to their respective odds bets. If a Come bet is resolved on a Come out roll then any odds bets will be given back, while the original Come bet will be lost.
The Come bet is one of the most popular bets on the table. Many players use this bet to attain a strategy by having more numbers working for them at the same time.
Don’t Come
The Don’t Come bet is simply opposite to the Come bet. If a player should roll a 2 or 3, then they win. Anytime a 12 is rolled, a tie is achieved. If a 7 or 11 is rolled, then the player loses. Other numbers rolled will become the “Come Point.” The player will win if a 7 should be rolled before the Come Point and they will lose if the Come Point is rolled before a 7.
Other Craps Bets
Place Number Bets: This bet is like laying the odds. The place bets allowed are the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If the number chosen is rolled before a 7, then the player will win the payout outlined in the payout table below. These bets are similar to the odds except that a Pass Line bet is not necessary. Place number bets are ON or WORKING during a come out roll. These bets can be removed at any time.
- A Place Bet on 4 or 10 pays 9:5 you bet $10, win $18
- A Place Bet on 5 or 9 pays 7:5 you bet $10, win $14
- A Place Bet on 6 or 8 pays 7:6 you bet $12, win $14
If a Place Bet wins, then the player is paid their winnings and the original bet is returned to the player. A Place Bet can be removed at any time.
Buy Bets: Buy bets can be placed similarly to a Place Bet, only with a different payoff. The Player may place a buy bet (on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10), betting that any of these numbers will be rolled before a 7. When placing such a bet, the player must cover a 4% commission and the bet will pay fair odds if it wins. Fair odds are 2:1 on the 4 and 10, 3:2 on the 5 and 9, and 6:5 on the 6 and 8. A different way to look at this bet is that the buy bet pays 48:25 on the 4 and 10, 36:25 on the 5 and 9, and 144:125 on the 6 and 8. The pay out on all bets will be rounded down to the nearest quarter.
Lay Bets: Lay bets are opposite to the buy bet and the same as the Place Bet to lose but with different paybacks. The lay bets may be placed on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The Lay Bet is that a 7 will be rolled before the number chosen. Since the number 7 has a higher than 50% chance of being rolled first, a player will generally place a larger bet since the payoff is less than even money. A commission of 4% must be paid on winnings and the fair odds are paid on the bet. Fair odds include 1:2 on the 4 and 10, 2:3 on the 5 and 9, and 5:6 on the 4 and 8.
Hard Ways: The Hard Ways is betting that a number (an even number) is rolled rather as a pair of same dice than another (easy) way or a 7. Those are four separate bets (4,6,8,10). For instance, placing a 4 bet means that the player is betting that a pair of twos will be rolled before a 7 or any other possible way to roll a 4. The reason that it’s called “the hard way” is because the odds clearly favor the “easy”way. The same hard ways bet can be placed on 6, 8 or 10.
- The casino pays 7:1 on a hard 4 or 10.
- The casino pays 9:1 on a hard 6 or 8.
Place Lose Bet: This type of bet will bet that a 7 will be rolled before a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The Place Lose bets will lose if the number selected is rolled before a 7. Place Lose Bet odds are: 9:5 on the 4 and 10, 7:5 on the 5 and 9, and 7:6 on the 6 and 8.
Big 6: A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7. Pays even money.
Big 8: A bet that an 8 will be rolled before a 7. Pays even money.
* Big 6 and 8 cannot be placed on the Come out roll and are NOT working on the next Come out roll after a Point is rolled.
The table below is a summary of the various place number bets for quick comparison.
| Bet | Description | Pays |
| Big 6 | 6 before 7 | 1:1 |
| Big 8 | 8 before 7 | 1:1 |
| Buy (4) | 4 before 7 | 48:25 |
| Buy (5) | 5 before 7 | 36:25 |
| Buy (6) | 6 before 7 | 144:125 |
| Buy (8) | 8 before 7 | 144:125 |
| Buy (9) | 9 before 7 | 36:25 |
| Buy (10) | 10 before 7 | 48:25 |
| Hard 4 | Hard 4 before 7 or easy 4 | 7:1 |
| Hard 6 | Hard 6 before 7 or easy 6 | 9:1 |
| Hard 8 | Hard 8 before 7 or easy 8 | 9:1 |
| Hard 10 | Hard 10 before 7 or easy 10 | 7:1 |
| Lay (4) | 7 before 4 | 12:25 |
| Lay (5) | 7 before 5 | 16:25 |
| Lay (6) | 7 before 6 | 12:15 |
| Lay (8) | 7 before 8 | 12:15 |
| Lay (9) | 7 before 9 | 16:25 |
| Lay (10) | 7 before 10 | 12:25 |
| Place (4) | 4 before 7 | 9:5 |
| Place (5) | 5 before 7 | 7:5 |
| Place (6) | 6 before 7 | 7:6 |
| Place (8) | 8 before 7 | 7:6 |
| Place (9) | 9 before 7 | 7:5 |
| Place (10) | 10 before 7 | 9:5 |
Chips amounts don’t allow fractions and will be rounded down to the closest dollar amount. For example a $5 Place bet on the 6 or 8 will pay $5 while a $6 bet will pay $7. A $5 bet on the 5 or 9 odds will pay $7, not $7.50.
The Proposition Bets
Proposition bets have a short life span and will either win or lose on the next throw. For specifics on the various bets see below.
- Craps 2: A bet that a 2 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30:1.
- Craps 3: A bet that a 3 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15:1.
- Seven: A bet that a 7 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 4:1.
- 11(e): A bet that an 11 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 15:1
- Craps 12: A bet that a 12 will be thrown on the next roll. Pays 30:1
- Any Craps (c): A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7:1
- Field Bet: The Field Bet is special in that it is a one-time bet that the next roll will be a 2,3,4,9,10,11, or 12. The 3,4,9,10, and 11 pay even money, the 2 pays 2:1 and 12 pays 3:1.
