• New Craps Playing Videos
• Playing Craps V2
• Learning To Play Craps
• Playing Craps At The Casino
• Tricks To Playing Craps

Craps is a dice game in which the players make wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other (playing 'street craps') or a bank (playing 'casino craps', also known as 'table craps', or often just 'craps'). Because it requires little equipment, 'street craps' can be played in informal settings. If you are betting on the don’t pass or don’t come, don’t celebrate when you win. Most players will be playing the opposite bets. Craps is a social game, so try and join in. Cheer at the appropriate points, and congratulate the shooter after a good roll. It’s considered bad luck to.

Most casino games are designed in a way that discourages professional players from participating. You can find professional poker players, professional blackjack players, and professional sports bettors. But you’ve probably never heard of professional roulette or baccarat players.

A few people claim to be professional craps players, but these people are also usually trying to sell you a book or seminar on dice control. I’m not here today to argue about the possibility of dice control. I’m going to teach you how to play craps like a professional based on the odds and traditional house edge numbers.

Like all casino games, craps has a house edge built in. But unlike other casino games, there’s a bet available at the craps table that doesn’t have a house edge. Pros know all about this special bet and always use it when they can.

In addition to this special wager, craps also offers two other bets that have a low house edge. I’m going to teach you about these bets, too. You can make many other bets when you play craps, but if you want to play like a pro, there are only a few bets you’re ever going to make. I cover all of them below.

1 – Pass Line Wager

Every time you gamble, you need to be concerned and educated about the available wagers and the house edge of the bets you can make. Not only should you limit your play to the games that have the lowest house edge wagers, you also need to make sure you only make the best craps bets.

The good news is that craps has a few bets with a low house edge. And if you stick with them and avoid all of the other available bets at the table, you can play with a lower house edge than most other casino games offer.

The pass line wager is the most popular bet made at the craps table. Most craps players feel that making the pass line bet is the best way to play, because in a way, when they make this bet, they’re rooting for the shooter to win.

A pass line wager has a house edge of 1.41%. This is lower than almost every slot machine, most table games, roulette, and some blackjack games. A pass line wager also often takes several rolls of the dice to resolve, so you can play longer using the same bankroll than when you play many games.

But the pass line bet isn’t the best bet available at the craps table. It isn’t even the second best bet available. The best bet is an odds bet, which I cover later. The way that craps is designed, you have to make either the second- or third-best available wager before you’re allowed to make the best bet.

The second-best bet at the craps table is the don’t pass line wager. You can learn more about this bet in the next section.

2 – Don’t Pass Line Wager

The second-best bet you can make playing craps, and the best option for the come out roll, is the don’t pass line wager. The house edge is only 1.36%, making it one of the best wagers in the casino.

I mentioned in the last section that most craps players prefer to make a pass line bet instead of a don’t pass line wager. The don’t pass line is often called betting the dark side or going over to the dark side. I always recommend making the bet offering the lowest house edge, and in the long run, the don’t pass bet is the best come out bet you can make.

But if you make a don’t pass line wager, you might receive some negative feedback or reactions from the other players at the table. This shouldn’t matter, because you can make any bet you want. After all, it’s your money, and you should be able to do whatever you want to do with it.

However, if you want to avoid the wrath of other players, you can stick with the pass line wager. And in the long run, it doesn’t cost you much.

If you make $100,000 worth of come out bets in a year, the difference in your expected loss between the pass line and don’t pass line bets is only $50. In other words, if you make 1,000 bets of $100, you only lose an average of five cents on each bet more than you’d lose betting on the don’t pass line.

3 – Full Odds

Possibly the best bet in the casino, the odds bet at the craps table doesn’t even have a spot listed on the felt. After a point has been established on the come out roll, you can place an odds bet by placing your chips behind your original pass line or don’t pass line wager.

The odds bet has a zero house edge, which makes it unique.

The way the payouts for an odds bet are designed, in the long run, you break even on all of your odds wagers. This might not sound like a great bet, but the casino doesn’t have any other bets that are offered at fair odds.

You still have to deal with the house edge on your original line bet, because the casinos don’t let you make an odds wager unless you make a line wager first. But you can usually make a much larger odds wager than line wager, so it helps lower your effective house edge when you make a full odds wager.

The amount of the odds bet you can make varies from casino to casino, with a few casinos offering odds bets as high as 100 times your line bet. Probably the most common odds bet size allowed is 10 times. It doesn’t matter what the maximum odds bet amount is; you should always take the maximum if your bankroll is big enough.

When you’re playing craps online, most software providers have a spot behind your come out bet where you click to place an odds bet. Like land-based craps tables, the odds bet is not marked on the table when you play online.

4 – Play Online Craps

I’m a big supporter of playing casino games online. I like the ease of use, the ability to play without travel, and the ability to control how fast you play. While these things are also true with craps, the one difference is that I recommend playing land-based craps at least one or two times, even if you usually play online.

The way the game of craps is played isn’t really different online versus in a land-based casino. The mechanics of the game are the same, but the feel of the game is entirely different. Most craps tables are the loudest and happiest place in a land based casino. It’s almost like a family atmosphere where everyone at the table is having fun and rooting for each other.

This is fun for many players, but some players don’t like the noise and being around wild players. Still, I suggest trying land-based craps at least a few times in your life to see if you enjoy it.

The Bottom Line:

Craps has a house edge no matter what you do. You simply can’t overcome the house edge in the long run. But you can control how much you risk and how fast you play when you play online.

You also can find online casinos willing to give you a bonus to use when you play craps online. You need to read the terms and conditions of every online bonus offer closely, because some of them restrict your play. But a bonus can help extend your bankroll so you can play craps longer and afford to make higher odds bets.

Conclusion

Here’s the perfect formula if you want to play craps like a pro! Play at an online casino site that offers a large craps bonus and low minimum bets. Play for the table minimum and always make the don’t pass line wager and back it up with full odds. This makes your bankroll last as long as possible and reduces the house edge as low as possible.

The most important thing you need to do in addition to the formula above is make sure you have a large enough bankroll so you can always take the maximum available odds. If you’re playing at a table that offers 100 times odds and you’re making $50 come out bets, the maximum odds bet is $5,000. This requires a huge bankroll. If you can’t afford this much, make smaller come out bets.

Please enable JavaScript to view the comments powered by Disqus.

Want to know how to improve your craps game? Craps is all about the betting, not the dice roll. Knowing when and how to bet will make you invincible when you play craps—whether you play craps online or in casinos. These 5 simple tips on how to win at craps will improve your odds of winning while playing craps.

There are 11 numbers possible with a pair of dice; some easier to roll than others.

Those unfamiliar with the game of craps are usually put off by the large betting fields and seemingly endless rules and betting combinations. But the secret to winning at craps is to have some sort of understanding of the house edge, so you know when, where, and why to bet on each roll of the dice. All casino games are based on probability, so a little understanding of the math behind the game goes a long way. Some bets are better than others—and often at different times during the game.

Follow the basic strategy outlined below; it’s easy to remember and to implement. Get ready to boost your bankroll and your craps skills with these 5 easy-to-master tips.

1. Don’t Pass and Don’t Come With Odds

The rule of thumb is as follows: Put the smallest amount on the Don’t Pass or the Don’t Come lines and wager the largest amount behind them. The house edge is on the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets, which only pay out 1:1 if you win. But the player has the advantage on the Free Odds bets (those behind the don’t pass/don’t come line), which pay out at the actual mathematical odds. This means if you play it right, the house has no advantage at all.

Free Odds bets are the only bets in the casino where the house has no advantage. It’s important to bet in the right increments, because most casinos won’t pay out in fractional dollars. For example: Free Odds payouts on 6 and 8 are at a 6:5 ratio (i.e. bet $5 get paid $6), so bet in increments of $5. Free Odds payouts on 5 and 9 are at a 3:2 ratio, so bet in increments of $2. Free Odds payouts on 4 and 10 are 2:1, so bet in whatever increments you like.

2. Place the 6 or 8 Bet to Win

Instead of waiting for the shooter to establish a point, pick your own numbers: 6 or 8. When you’re playing in multiples of $6.00 (or the currency of your choice), place the 6 or 8 place-to-win bet. The 1.52% house edge makes this bet a popular choice. The winning bets are paid at 7:6 odds, which means that you’ll be paid out $7 when you bet $6 and the number hits.

The 6 and 8 are the most frequently rolled numbers other than 7. Stay away from other place bets because the house edge is higher: 4% on 5 or 9 and 6.67% on 4 or 10.

3. Place the 6 or 8 Bet to Lose

This tip is the opposite of the previous tip. You’re betting on the shooter to lose, which might make you ‘unpopular’ at a table cheering on the shooter. But you’re not gambling for them; you’re playing the odds. Place a $5 bet on the table and announce “6 (or 8) to lose.” If the 7 shows (which is a very high frequency number) then you win $4.00 as the house edge is only 1.82%. Remember, there are 11 numbers that can be rolled with a pair of dice and some numbers are much easier to roll (come up more frequently) than others. Check out the list below of numbers and the ways to roll them:

2 – one way – 1-1

3 – two ways – 1-2, 2-1

4 – three ways – 1-3, 2-2, 3-1

5 – four ways – 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1

6 – five ways – 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1

7 – six ways – 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1

New Craps Playing Videos

8 – five ways – 2-6, 3-5, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2

9 – four ways – 3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3

10 – three ways – 4-6, 5-5, 6-4

Playing Craps V2

11 – two ways – 5-6, 6-5

2 – one way – 6-6

Learning To Play Craps

4. Lay against the 4 or 10

This tip is similar to the place the 6 or 8 to lose but the payouts are much higher as, while there are six ways to roll a 7, there are only three ways to roll a 4 or a 10 as opposed to five ways to roll a 6 or 8. In this case you take the more “optimistic” approach and place $20 on the table and say “Lay against the 4 (or 10).” If you win, you get back $40!

You must pay the house a 5% commission to make lay bets, but they pay out at true odds. Also, you’re betting against the shooter, so try not to gloat if you win large amounts betting against them. And if you’re playing craps online, you’re not offending anyone.

5. Place the 5 or 9 to Lose

In this bet, you put down $8.00 (remember you have to bet in increments of $2 as the odds are 3:2, meaning for every $2 you bet you get $3 if you win) and bet that the numbers above will lose. Why? The house edge on this type of bet is low – only 2.5% so when the 7 shows (again, that happens often), you’ll win $5.00.

In addition to these tips, always remember that craps is a negative expectation game, so the longer you play, the higher the chances you have of losing. But this is how casinos stay in business, and how the house edges make or break bettors who don’t make smart bets—or know when to walk away.

Playing Craps At The Casino

These are 5 of the most effective bets to make on craps to win. By reducing the house odds you are increasing your own chances of winning big when the table is hot. Try this for yourself at Slots of Vegas Craps Table today and walk away a winner!

Tricks To Playing Craps

See also: “Fall in love with the game of craps”