Gambling Strategy Guide
Craps Betting Strategy
Craps Betting Strategy
Craps is one of the most popular casino table games, both with players and spectators. While it is true that a smart player can step in with as little as $100 and walk away, minutes later, with $10,000, there is still a fine line between a smart bet and a bad one and, with so many betting options, it is also easy to slip up.
Craps is a dice game, and when you are rolling the dice you are the shooter. Your first roll in a round is called the come out roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you win and the round is finished immediately. If you roll a 2, a 3, or a 12, known as craps, you lose and the round is over. Any other number becomes the point, If point is rolled, the dealer places a mark above the Point number printed on the table. The objective of the game is for the shooter to toss the point again before tossing a 7, called the out 7. If point is tossed, the shooter and his fellow bettors win and the round is over. If the shooter tosses out 7, they lose and the round is over.
Betting on craps can get complicated, because there are an overwhelming number of betting options:
- Pass bets: The simplest craps bet is the pass bet. It is placed on the pass line before the come out roll. Assuming the round goes past the come out roll, you're betting on the chance that you'll roll the point again before you roll an out 7. Pass bets win at even odds, 1:1.
- To Win: A bet placed to win, pays if the come out roll shows a 7 or 11. You also win on any subsequent roll if you roll the point.
- To Lose: Lose on the come out roll if the dice are craps (2, 3, or 12). Lose on any subsequent roll if it's an out 7.
- Don't Pass bets: A bet placed on the “don't pass’ line is the opposite of a Pass bet. Assuming that the round goes past the come out roll, you're betting that the shooter will roll out 7 before making the point.
- To Win: Win on the come out roll if the dice show Craps (2, 3 or 12). Win on any subsequent roll if it's an out 7.
- To Lose: Lose on the come out roll of 7 or 11. Lose on any subsequent roll if it's the Point.
- Come/Don't Come Bets: Basically the same as pass and don't pass except they are placed while a round is in progress. They are designed for players who join the game late. Win if the next roll is 7 or 11, lose if it's Craps.
- Odds Bets: An Odds bet is a backup bet on pass/don't pass/come/don't come bets already on the table. They're usually limited to two or three times (2x or 3x) the original bet and pay off at true odds. Unresolved odds bets can be removed from the table during play.
The rest of the table is comprised of place number and proposition bets. However, these are high-risk bets.
- Place Number Bets: A Place Number bet is where you are betting that a particular number will roll before a 7 does, or vice versa. These include the place, buy, lay and lose bets, the big 6 and big 8, the hard 4, hard 6, hard 8 and hard 10.
Proposition Bets: Proposition bets are where you bet that the next roll will be a specific number. These include the 2, 3, 7, 11, and 12 bets, the any craps bet, the field, hop and horn bets.
Playing Craps online is the best way to learn this exciting game!
