CRAPS
There's nothing like a good old game of craps. This rowdy game attracts people looking for a good time and adds a dose of healthy competition between pals. With bets that have zero house edge, you can make a bigger profit playing craps than most other casino games. So listen up, because we're laying everything out on the table for you.
HOW TO PLAY CRAPS
Think of the game as rounds of dice rolls. A round begins with a dice shooter. If you're playing online, you're always the shooter, but if you're in a brick and mortar casino, players around the table take turns being the shooter. You can still place bets when you're not the shooter. Every round begins with the shooter rolling the come-out roll, which is simply the inaugural roll of the round. The outcome of the come-out roll dictates the next move. Rolling a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 ends the round. Wins and losses depend on the specific bet placed (we go into detail on the different types of bets below). Rolling a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes a Point number. A puck is placed on the number on the board to remind players of the Point. Once the Point is established, you pick up the dice again and continue to roll them over and over, until you re-roll the Point (also known as making the point), or roll a 7 (also known as sevening-out).TYPES OF CRAPS BETS
While there's a bunch of different ways to bet in craps, we're going to go over the five most popular bets.PASS LINE AND DON'T PASS LINE
The most popular bet you can make in craps is the Pass Line bet. It's reserved for the come-out roll, and pays even-money if you roll a 7 or 11. Alternatively, you lose your Pass Line bet if you roll a 2, 3 or 12. For rounds that include a Point number (a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on the come-out), you're looking to re-roll the Point. If you roll a 7 instead, you lose the bet. The Don't Pass Line is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. It's also reserved for the come-out roll, but unlike the Pass Line bet, you're aiming to roll a 2 or 3 on the come-out roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you lose. Rolling a 12 results in a tie, which returns your bet. For rounds that include a Point, you win if a 7 is rolled, and lose if the Point is re-rolled. ODDS BETS Craps is one of the few games in a casino to offer a bet with zero house edge. They're called odds bets and they're side bets that boost your Pass Line and Don't Pass Line bets. These bets pay according to a number's true odds. For example, the odds of landing a 4 or 10 before sevening-out are 2 to 1, and the payout is 2-1. These bets are available in rounds where a Point number is established.PLACE TO WIN
The Place to Win bet lets you bet on a specific number being rolled before a 7. It can be placed on the table at any time and removed after any roll. You don't even have to place a Pass Line bet to access the Place to Win. To use this bet, place chips on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and/or 10; these are the only numbers you can bet for Place to Win.PLACE TO LOSE
The Place to Lose bet wins if a 7 is rolled before the selected number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10). You can make and remove this bet as you please and aren't required to first bet on the Pass Line, making it one of the most flexible bets on the table.COME BET AND DON'T COME BET
The Come and Don't Come bets are the same as the Pass Line and Don't Pass bets, with one exception: You can't place them on the come-out roll. So just like with the Pass Line, if you bet on the Come, you're hoping that a 7 or 11 are rolled. If you make a Don't Come bet, you're hoping that a 2 or 3 is rolled. Everything else results in another Point number. You can think of the Come and Don't Come bets as mini rounds with a new come-out roll. You can even boost your Come and Don't Come bets with odds bets.CRAPS STRATEGY
When playing craps, most people bet the Pass Line/Come and take odds because it allows players to play with the group, with everyone winning and losing together. Now if ‘group mentality' is not your thing, bet the Don't Pass Line/Don't Come and take maximum odds. This method gives you the lowest house edge possible when you combine the zero edge of the odds bet with the 1.36% edge of the Don't Pass bet. Whatever you do, stay away from the Big Six and Big Eight bets. These sucker bets pay 1-1 for rolling a 6 or 8 before sevening-out when you can be paid 7-6 betting on the same numbers through the Place to Win bets.HOW DO YOU BET IN CRAPS?
You might be in for a bit of confusion if you're looking at a craps layout for the first time. That's why it's best to start your craps training using Practice Play online. Big bets like the Come and Pass Line are clearly written on the table, but there are many bets that aren't obvious when you're first learning how to play craps. To explore the different betting options, grab a casino chip with your cursor and hover it over the virtual board. As you hover over different bets, the bet name pops up at the top of the screen. Then, simply drop those babies on the bets you want. After getting used to the betting layout online, you'll be confident enough to join a craps table at a physical casino and make more than just a Pass Line bet.WHAT ARE THE PAYOUTS IN CRAPS?
Payouts in craps range from even-money bets to ones that pay 30-1. See below for the most popular bets and their payouts.- Pass and Don't Pass: 1-1
- Come and Don't Come: 1-1
- Taking Odds 6 and 8: 6-5
- Taking Odds 5 and 9: 3-2
- Taking Odds 4 and 10: 2-1
- Laying Odds 6 and 8: 5-6
- Laying Odds 5 and 9: 2-3
- Laying Odds 4 and 10: 1-2
- Place to Win 6 and 8: 7-6
- Place to Win 5 and 9: 7-5
- Place to Win 4 and 10: 9-5
- Place to Lose 6 and 8: 4-5
- Place to Lose 5 and 9: 5-8
- Place to Lose 4 and 10: 5-11
- Buy 4 and 10: 2-1 (minus 4% commission)
- Buy 5 and 9: 3-2 (minus 4% commission)
- Buy 6 and 8: 6-5 (minus 4% commission)
- Lay 4 and 10: 1-2 (minus 4% commission)
- Lay 5 and 9: 2-3 (minus 4% commission)
- Lay 6 and 8: 5-6 (minus 4% commission)
- Hard Way 4 and 10: 7-1
- Hard Way 6 and 8: 9-1
- Big 6: 1-1
- Big 8: 1-1
- Field Bet 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11: 1-1
- Field Bet 2: 2-1
- Field Bet 12: 3-1