Introduction to Craps Strategy
Unlike many casino games, there is no Craps strategy that every player agrees on. If you read 3 or 4 different strategy guides, you are likely to get 3 or 4 different theories.
The specific strategy that a player should use for craps depends on his goals and playing style. If he wants to minimize the house edge, extend his playing time and try to ‘grind out’ a profit he should target the bets with the lower house edge. Unfortunately, they all have relatively low payouts. The basis of the Three point molly craps strategy is using both the pass line and the come bet as part of your betting. At the start of the game you place a bet on the pass line and wait for the shooter to throw the point. Once appointed been established you now place a bet on the come line.
Start small until you learn the game as this is by far one of the more complicated games to learn and master due to the high number of bets available to you.
Best Craps Strategy & Bets
Craps Strategy - How to Win at Craps Craps Strategy – The Best Bets. For an optimal craps strategy, the best bets you can make are Pass/Don’t Pass. Betting the Right Way – Pass and Come Bets. One craps strategy to play is being a right way bettor. You are considered a. Betting Wrong Is Right. Craps is undoubtedly the most exciting games at every online casino. Players can have huge percentages of their bankroll out on the table at any given time, and can only hope that the shooter makes them rich. The camaraderie among players and fast-paced action make craps many a player’s favourite. Of course, the casinos love the game, too.
The following craps strategy will give you the best odds of winning. Craps has one of the lowest house edges against you of any casino game, but only if you make the right bets and play with the right craps strategy. In fact, with one type of bet (which you will soon learn), you play even with the house, meaning that the house has a zero edge. This is the only casino game where this is the case and our craps strategy will show you how.
However don’t get tempted by all those fancy bets in the middle of the table, they have high payoffs but they have one of the worst odds of all casino games. Stick with our craps strategy, play only the bets with good odds, avoid the sucker bets and you’ll have the best chance of winning.
The best craps strategy is to take the Odds Bet. Once the shooter establishes a point, if you have placed a Pass Line/Don’t Pass Line, you can plan an extra free odds bet. This is generally regarded as the best bet to make in Craps as there is no house edge. See image below on where this bet is placed.
Some Casinos actually allow you to place this bet up to twice as much as your original pass line bet, keep an eye out for these and place a higher bet if possible for the free odds bet or a lower pass line bet if you don’t want to bet more.
Pass Line
The Pass Line isn’t a great bet as it is an Even Money bet. In other words, whatever you bet, you’ll get in return. So, if you bet $2 on the Pass Line, you’ll only win $2. With the object of betting being to win more on your original bet, it is clear why some players aren’t too keen on it, but many others place a bet here as it allows them to place a Take the Odds bet which has a 0% House Edge.
A lot of players approach their strategy knowing which bets to avoid at all costs as opposed to those which give them the best odds. You will find that most experienced players will avoid nearly all bets except for the Come and Pass Line bets and also a few Place Bets, leaving the Proposition, Field, Big 6 & Big 8 bets alone.
Strategy Example
Here’s an example of the three types of outcomes that result when a new shooter plays and how you should bet.
Assume new shooter is getting ready to make the come out roll and you make a $10 bet (or whatever amount you want) on the pass line. The shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come out. You win $10, the amount of your bet.
You bet $10 again on the pass line and the shooter makes a come out roll again. This time a 3 is rolled (the player “craps out”). You lose your $10 pass line bet.
You bet another $10 and the shooter makes his third come out roll (remember, each shooter continues to roll until he sevens out after making a point). This time a 4 is rolled – one of the place numbers or “points”. You now want to take an odds bet, so you place $10 directly behind your pass line bet to indicate you are taking the odds. The shooter continues to roll the dice until a 4 is rolled (the point is made), at which time you win $10 on your pass line bet, and $20 on your odds bet (remember, a 4 is paid at 2 to 1 odds), for a total win of $30. Take your chips off the table and get ready to bet again.
However, if a 7 is rolled before the point number (in this case, before the 4), you lose both your $10 pass line bet and your $10 odds bet.
And that’s all there is to it! You simply make you pass line bet, take odds if a point is rolled on the come out, and then wait for either the point or a 7 to be rolled. Ignore all the other confusion and sucker bets. You have the best bet in the casino and are playing wisely. You can combine these craps tips with a money management system such as the Small Wins System or the The Stan’s System.
Odds bets can be made any time after a come out point is rolled. You don’t have to make them right away. However, you’d be foolish not to make an odds bet as soon as possible considering it’s the best bet on the table. However, you are permitted to make, withdraw, or reinstate an odds bet anytime after the come out and before a 7 is rolled.
When you win an odds bet, be sure to take your chips off the table. Otherwise, they are considered to be automatically “off” on the next to come out and will not count as other odds bet unless you specifically tell the dealer that you want them to be “working”. But in a fast-moving and loud game, your request may not be heard, so it’s better to simply take your winnings off the table and bet again with the next comes out.
Bets to Avoid
Field Bet
The chances of winning on a Field Bet are less than 50/50. In fact, there are 16 ways to win on a Field Bet but 20 ways to lose. The payout looks great on some numbers, with double being paid on the Numbers 2 and 12 for example, but the odds of winning are worse than 50/50. Betting on the Field is one of the worst Craps bets you can make.
Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line is another bad bet as it’s an Even Money bet. In other words, whatever you bet, you’ll get in return. So, if you bet $2 on the Pass Line, you’ll only win $2. With the object of betting being to win more on your original bet, it is clear why this falls into the category of worst Craps bets.
Come/Don’t Come Bet
The Come Bet and the Don’t Come Bet are definitely ones to avoid. There are a few reasons for this. Firstly, they are Even Money bets, secondly, you have to roll the same number twice to win money once and finally you lose your money when the 7 comes out during the Come Out roll. In all these cases, you can never take advantage of a long roll, because you lose your money in the middle of a long roll and then have to start from scratch. It’s clear that this is not a very advantageous bet, with such odds against you.
Hardway & Proposition Bets
Hardways and Proposition bets should be avoided at all costs. These one roll bets are a recipe for disaster because you only have one roll or one chance of hitting these numbers, which puts the odds in the casinos favor and not yours. Hardways generally pay 7:1 and 9:1 and the Props pay between 4:1 and 15:1. However, your chances of winning these bets are very slim.
Big 6 & Big 8
The Big 6 and Big 8 bets don’t offer any value to you, especially when you’re in the middle of a long roll. You have to wait for either a 6 or an 8 to be rolled in order to win. Also, they are Even Money bets. There are 5 ways to roll either the 6 or the 8, but still, six ways to roll a 7, so logic tells you that you’re better off not placing wagers on the Big 6 and Big 8 bets.
Low Limit Tables
Another really bad Craps mistake you can make is to play at a table with a low maximum because then you can’t take advantage of a winning streak. Try whenever possible to find those Craps tables that have high maximum bets. This gives you the flexibility to raise your bet amounts so that you’re not stuck making only small bets.
The best advice we can give you is to always make educated bets. Learn the bets and their Odds before you begin playing, because, at the end of the day, Craps is all about the numbers.
Craps Odds & House Edge
Understanding the odds of each bet available is paramount to succeeding in this game. See our Craps odds chart below.
Bet | Pays | Expected Rolls | House Edge per Bet Made | House Edge per Bet Resolved | House Edge Per Roll |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Pass | 1 to 1 | 3.38 | 1.41% | 0.41% | 0.42% |
Don’t Pass | 1 to 1 | 3.47 | 1.36% | 1.40% | 0.40% |
Taking Odds 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 3.27 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Taking Odds 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 3.60 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Taking Odds 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 4.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Laying Odds 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 3.27 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Laying Odds 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 3.60 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Laying Odds 4 or 10 | 1 to 2 | 4.00 | 0.00% | 0.00% | 0.00% |
Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 3.27 | 0.46% | 1.52% | 0.46% |
Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 3.60 | 1.11% | 4.00% | 1.11% |
Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 4.00 | 1.67% | 6.67% | 1.67% |
Don’t Place 6 or 8 | 4 to 5 | 3.27 | 0.56% | 1.82% | 0.56% |
Don’t Place 5 or 9 | 5 to 8 | 3.60 | 0.69% | 2.50% | 0.69% |
Don’t Place 4 or 10 | 5 to 11 | 4.00 | 0.76% | 3.03% | 0.76% |
Conclusion & Tips to Follow
If you look at a craps table you’ll see that casinos reserve clear spots for almost all bets, except the odds bet, which of course has the best odds in the game. Don’t get tempted, play wisely and leave the table while you’re winning. Money management systems like the Star alternative progression, the Stepladder System and the Stretched d’ Alembert system can also assist you in increasing your chances of beating the house for your session of play.
- Know the rules before you start playing. If the table is busy don’t try to rely on the dealer for help.
- Don’t be too confused by all the fancy language at the craps tables, you’ll learn the terminology while playing.
- Don’t lose your mind and with it your money. It’s easy to get excited at the craps tables, but stick to your strategy and avoid the sucker bets.
- Make sure you give the dice a good toss. When making a bad toss you’ll have to throw the dice again and this way you slow down the game.
- Keep your hand off the table so they don’t get away of a toss.
- Don’t put your drinks on the tables
- Don’t listen to the advice of other players
- You should play the pass/don’t pass and come/don’t come bets as much as possible for the best odds.
- Make sure that when you make a line or a come bet, you can back it up with full odds.
- Avoid the proposition bets (the ones in the middle of the table), it will save you a lot of money.
- You should tip the dealer.
Back to Part I: How to Play Craps
Craps Related Articles:
Featured Gambling Guides
I’m writing a series of blog posts about casino games and the good and bad strategies for playing those games.
Craps is one of my favorite casino games, so I’ve been looking forward to writing this one.
And the beautiful thing about craps is that it’s a game of pure chance. The best strategy is just to choose the bets with the lowest edge for the house and have fun.
But I’ll have some things to say about some of the strategies and systems that other writers promote, too.
They’re mostly bad craps strategies.
Here’s the Only Craps Strategy You Need
When you’re dealing with an entirely random game – like craps – the only strategy that matters is choosing the bets with the lowest house edge and having fun.
The only decision you make in craps is what bet to place.
I’ll have something to say about shooters and whether they have control over the outcomes later in this post, but for now, let’s just agree that games like craps are purely chance.
In other games that are entirely random, like slot machines, you don’t even really need to decide which bet to place. It’s chosen for you before you sit down.
When playing craps for real money, you have a handful of good bets you can make, but most of the bets on the table are bad. Just skip the bad bets, and you’re all set.
The Bests Bets at the Craps Table
The best bets at the craps table are the pass line bet and the don’t pass bet.
The come and don’t come bets are also great wagers.
I always advise casino gamblers to try to limit their gambling to games where the house edge is lower than 2% — preferably 1.5% or lower.
The house edge for the pass and come bets is the same, 1.41%, which means they qualify.
The house edge for the don’t pass and don’t come bets is even lower, 1.36%, but the 0.05% isn’t worth worrying about. Most people prefer to root for the shooter to succeed.
The other bet to think about at the craps table is the odds bet. This is a bet you can only place after making one of the 4 bets I already mentioned and when the shooter has set a point.
This is one of the only bets in the casino that has no house edge. It’s a break-even bet, but it can be expensive.
It can also drive the effective house edge on the money you have in action down to almost nothing.
Here’s how that works.
How the Odds Bet Changes the House Edge for the Better
If you’re betting on the pass line and the shooter sets a point, you can expect to lose $1.41 for every $100 you bet. That’s on average and in the long run.
If you’re playing at a casino that only allows you to place an odds bet at 1X the size of your pass line bet, you can put another $100 into action.
Your expected loss remains $1.41, though, which effectively cuts the house edge in half, from 1.41% to 0.71%.
If you’re able to bet 2X your original bet on the odds bet, you can lower that even further to 0.36%. (You have $300 in action, but your expected loss is still only $1.41.)
The more you’re able to bet on the odds bet, the lower the house edge for all the money you have in action becomes.
It’s clear why betting on the pass line and taking the most odds that you can is an effective strategy. With the odds bet, you can get the house edge in craps lower than 0.5% at least some of the time at the table, making it an even better game than blackjack.
And what’s more, you don’t have to memorize basic strategy to get the low house edge at craps.
You just need a big enough casino bankroll to make the right bets, and you need enough sense to avoid the bad bets at the table – of which there are many.
Any Strategy that Involves Placing ANY Other Bets at the Craps Table Is a BAD Craps Strategy
There’s a reason gambling experts measure bets according to their house edge. That’s because it’s the single best indicator of how good or bad a bet is.
The house edge is a statistical estimate of how much money you’ll lose as a percentage of your original bet over the long run.
If the house edge is 1.41%, the casino expects to win an average of $1.41 every time you bet $100.
If the house edge is 16.66%, the casino expects to win an average of $16.66 every time you bet $100.
Which bet looks like the better bet for the casino?
And which one looks like the better bet for the gambler?
It shouldn’t be hard to make the distinction.
Most of the bets at the craps table have a house edge of over 9%, making these bets worse than roulette, which is a notoriously bad game for the player.
Even the best of the bad bets on the craps table are inferior to the 1.41% or 1.36% you can get from the pass, don’t pass, come, and don’t come bets.
And trust me on this:
You can have PLENTY of fun sticking with the basic bets at the craps table.
Betting Systems Where You Raise and Lower the Size of Your Bets Are Bad Strategies
The classic example of this kind of betting system is the Martingale System, where you double the size of your bets after each loss. When you do this repeatedly, you eventually win back the money you’ve lost along with a profit of one unit.
The problem with a system like the Martingale is that you’ll eventually run into a big enough losing streak that it will wipe out all those small profits and then some.
Craps Tips And Strategy
Most people underestimate how quickly a bet’s size gets when doubling after every loss.
They also overestimate how likely they are to avoid long losing streaks.
If you double a $5 bet once, that’s $10.
But if you run into a losing streak of 8 bets in a row, you’re looking at having to bet $640 to make up for your losses.
Also, every roll of the dice is an independent event. The odds don’t change based on how many times you’ve won or lost in a row.
You might think the probability of losing that 8th bet is lower than the likelihood of losing the first one, but the truth is that the dice have no memory. They have the same 6 sides, no matter how many times you’ve lost in a row.
Each bet in craps is an independent event, and any betting system will assume that the odds are changing based on how many times in a row you’ve won or lost.
Money Management Strategies Don’t Hurt Anything, but They Won’t Improve Your Odds of Winning, Either
Craps Strategy For Beginners
Money management strategies involve having strict gambling discipline about how much of your bankroll you’re willing to risk before quitting the game. They also require you to stop when you’ve won an arbitrary amount of money.
Money management techniques are often used in conjunction with betting systems.
Here’s an example of a money management strategy in craps:
You decide your bankroll for the session is $250, and you’re playing for $5 per roll of the dice.
Your stop-loss limit is $100, so, if your bankroll drops to $150, you must quit the craps session and go do something else.
Your win goal is $250, so once your bankroll gets up to $500, you must quit the game and go do something else.
This kind of strategy might increase your chances of walking away from the game a winner.
But that’s only because a lot of gamblers will just keep playing until they’ve lost their entire stake. They just don’t generally have a lot of sense about that sort of thing.
The Jury’s Out on Dice Setting or Dice Control
I’ve seen multiple reputable gambling writers express interest and some belief that some craps shooters can influence the probability of specific outcomes. I’m skeptical – in the extreme – but I’ll give it an appropriate amount of credence.
The idea is that you hold the dice a specific way – “setting” the dice – then throw with a minimum amount of force – just enough to hit the back wall and eliminate most of the rolling action.
A controlled shooting expert doesn’t have to be perfect. Instead, they’re trying to be like someone who’s playing darts. They improve the probability enough to change the negative expectation on a bet to a positive expectation.
For the most part, this means throwing the dice in such a way as to minimize the probability of getting a total of seven.
You can buy books and videos explaining how to get an edge at craps this way, but I can’t imagine the amount of practice and record-keeping required to have any confidence in your ability to change the odds.
Imagine if you spent 1000 hours trying to learn how to control the dice and coming up short. Maybe you just don’t have the knack for it.
That doesn’t sound like a good deal to me.
I’d rather learn to count cards in blackjack.
Conclusion
Those are the best and the worst of the strategies I know of for playing craps in the casino. I know plenty of people who would disagree with every recommendation I’ve made, but the math behind the game doesn’t lie.
The best strategy is to stick with the bets with the lowest house edge and have as much fun as you can.