Craps Strategy

I had been keeping these in a notepad for myself, but I thought it might be handy for newcomers and vets alike to have a big list of betting strategies if you want to try something new.

I play a $5 table so most strats are using those numbers, but almost all of them can be upped to whatever unit you play with and work the exact same.

Here is the PDF on Google Drive with the strategies. They are ordered from least to most investment, ranging from $1 to $144 per shooter.

Most of the strategies are from Color Up’s breakdowns on YouTube. I don’t take credit for any of the strategies except the ones named ‘My XYZ’ (and even then, barely lol). If anything is confusing or I left out important details, go ahead and ask here and I can clear it up.

Craps is one of the most complex casino games you can play, but popular because it’s very exciting, in both a live casino environment and if you play online. You can use in the same way as you would a simulator, while you learn the bets you can place and payouts before playing at a real money online casinos. Maybe you want to practice and learn craps before you make a visit to a real land based casino or trip to Vegas!

Combining the craps game with the related playing information on the site, you can treat us as your own craps training center.

Once you have a better understanding of the odds and have picked up some tips and betting strategies, you may want to play for real. If so check out our recommended online casinos for the country you live in.

Most casinos offer free craps for you to try out their software before playing for real money. Many have some great sign up bonuses, so take advantage of those so you get more throws of the dice for your money!

One of the most popular virtual craps games with American players, Real Time Gaming’s craps game is a well presented craps game suitable for both beginners and experts alike.

How To Play Craps

Craps is a fast paced, exciting game and the Craps tables are often the loudest places in a casino. Despite what at first might look like an intimidating game table learning the rules of Craps really isn’t difficult and our guide tells you everything you need to know to get started.

In a game of craps one person known as the shooter rolls two dice with one hand and bets are placed on the predicted total of the dice. All Bets must be placed before the shooter throws the dice, of course. There are always 4 casino dealers watching a craps table in a real world casino. The “Boxman” watches the chips and surveys the entire table, the “Stickman” handles the dice and declares the totals of the dice roll and 2 other dealers keep track of players bets.

In a real-world casino every player at the table can have a chance to roll the dice and The dice are passed counter clockwise after each round (it is not compulsory for players to take a turn as the shooter). When a shooter throws their first roll of the dice this is called the “come-out roll”.

If the total of the roll of this throw equals 2, 3 or 12 this is known as craps and all players lose their Pass Line bets (“Don’t Pass bets” win). A total roll of 7 or 11 (also called “a natural”) means a win for any Pass Line bets (all “Don’t Pass bets” lose).

The shooter will continue to roll until he rolls a 4, 5, 6 8, 9 or 10 and this number then becomes the Point, the dealer will take a “buck” and place it on the Point number and the second phase of the shooter’s game begins. The shooter continues to roll the dice and scoring the Point number means a win for all bets on the Pass Line but a total of 7 (also called a “Seven Out”) means all Pass Line bets are lost and the shooter’s turn with the dice comes to an end.

While beginner’s usually start with “pass Line bets” there are actually lots of different bets that can be taken including betting on single numbers, come and don’t come bets and propsition bets

How To Win At Craps

One thing is for certain and that is you cannot miss the Craps table should you venture into any casino that offers this very popular casino game, as it uses a huge table and the crowds gathered around it playing can be a noisy and rather excitable bunch of people!

Craps is definitely a community game however many players tend to give the game a wide berth as it can be quite a confusing game to play at first, and with this in mind we thought we would show you how to play Craps via the following game guide, once you know the ins and outs of how in pays and plays you will probably be itching to give it a try and all of the online casinos listed have this game available to allow you to do just that.

Knowing how to play and when to place your bets is critical if you want to win when playing Craps, and below is a quick glance guide showing you how to play and hopefully win at Craps.

Craps – A Multi-Stage Game

When played in a land based casino the game of Craps requires four casino employees to oversee and assist in the workings of the game, these staff include a Boxman, a Stick man and two Dealers, however when played online the casino software will become all of these people and as such the online versions allow you to play many more games per session.

Once a game is Craps is ready to play one of the players becomes the Shooter, their task is to roll the dice at each stage of the game, players take it in turns to be the Shooter, however should someone not wish to take on this roll then it is not obligatory and anyone who declines being the Shooter will be replaced by the next player whose turn it is.

The Shooter must also place either a Pass Line Bet or a Don’t Pass Line Bet onto the table before they can roll the dice, (these two types of wagers and several others are explained fully in this article so make sure you read it thoroughly to ensure you know exactly what you are betting on). Once they have placed this wager they must then roll the dice from one side of the Craps Table to the other, for the roll to be deemed legal both dice must hit the opposite side of the table.

The Come Out Roll

The initial roll in the game of Craps is the Come Out Roll, Should a player have wagered on the Pass Line Bet then there are two ways in which this wager will be deemed to be a winning bet and that is if either the Shooter manages to roll in either a 7 or 11 on his first roll of the dice or if he rolls in one of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 and then manages to roll in that particular number again before rolling in a 7.

However if the Shooter throws in one of the following numbers:. 2, 3, or 12 then this Pass Line Bet will lose. The payout for a winning Pass Line Bet is usually Even Money.

The Don’t Pass Line Bet is very easy to understand as basically it is the opposite of the Pass Line Bet. When a player has placed a Don’t Pass Line Bet then he is hoping that the Shooter will either Crap Out on the first roll he makes, this is throwing in a 2, 3 or 12 or that he manages to roll in one of the Point numbers those being the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 but then rolls in a 7 before rolling in the Point number a second time.

The Don’t Pass Line Bet is an instant losing wager if the Shooter rolls in, on the first roll he makes either a 7 or 11.

Establishing The Point

When, during the initial Come Out Roll the Shooter manages to roll in any of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then the respective number becomes the “Point”, a small disc is then placed on that number on the Craps table layout and the Shooter is then tasked with continuing to roll the dice until he either rolls in the same number again which is called “Making the Point” which number becomes the “Point”.

At this stage of the game lots of additional wagering opportunities become live and you and your fellow players can, if they choose too, make and place these additional wagers. Some of these additional wagering opportunities offer poor value for money due to the house edge of those bets being exceptionally high and as such they should be avoided.

Additional Wagering Opportunities

The additional betting opportunities which come into play once the Come Out Roll have been made are varied and we shall now take a look at some of these bets in a little more detail.

Come and Don’t Come Bets – The Come Bet is a wager on which you are betting that the Shooter will roll in the Point number which he has established before a 7 appears. The Don’t Come Bet is the opposite, I.E. you are hoping the Shooter rolls in a seven before repeating the Point number.

Place, Buy, and Lay Bets – When you put a Place Bet on the table you are hoping that one of the six possible numbers you have chosen those being the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 are rolled in next. The Buy Bet is identical to the Place Bet however there is a house commission to be paid for placing this wager which is usually 5%. The type of wager will however return the true odds for the number you are wagering on actually be rolled in.

The Lay Bet is one where you are hoping that a 7 will be rolled in before the number you have chosen, so simply pick either a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 and if the 7 rolls in before your number then you are a winner, a house commission is charged on these Lay bets.

Craps Bets Guide

Line bets

Pass line bet: The basic bet in Craps is the Pass Line Bet. The Pass Line bet must be placed before the shooter’s first roll and the player will win if the roll is a 7 or 11 (known as “a natural”) but lose if the dice roll total equals 2, 3 or 12 ( Craps). If any other number comes up that number is the Point and if that number is rolled again before a 7 comes up then the player wins. Pass line bets pay even money.

Don’t pass line bet: This is the opposite of a Pass line bet – a bet that the player will not hit their point number. The player will lose if a 7 or 11 (“a natural”) is rolled on the come out roll but win if the shooter “craps out” on a 2 or 3. In most casinos a 12 will draw.

Come bet: A come bet is similar to the pass line bet but is bet after a point number has been established. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 then the come bet wins while a dice roll of 2, 3 or 12 means the come bet losses. Should the shooter roll any other number then the come bets are moved to that numbered box on the table and if that number is rolled before a 7 the come bet wins.

Don’t Come bet: Don’t come bets are the opposite of come bets. If the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 the bet wins while a 12 results in a tie. If the come out roll is a 7 or 11 then the bet is lost. Should a 4,5,6,8 9 or 10 be rolled then the shooter must roll a 7 before any of those numbers for the don’t come bet to win.

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets are settled with one roll of the dice and they are usually located in the center of the Crap’s table. Some of the more poular propsition bets are:

2 (also known as snake eyes, or Aces): wins if the shooter rolls a 2

3 (also known as ace-deuce): Wins if the shooter rolls a 3

Yo: Wins if the shooter rolls 11

12 (also known as boxcars, midnight or cornrows): wins if the shooter rolls a 12

2 or 12 (also known as hi-lo): wins if shooter rolls a 2 or 12

Any Craps (also known as Three Way):will win if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12. An equal amount of chips must be placed on all three numbers

C and E: The player bets half their bet on craps and the other on Yo (11)

Any Seven (also known as Big Red): Wins if the shooter rolls a seven

Field: A bet that 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will appear on the next roll of the dice. A roll of 5, 6 7 or 8 means a loss

Horn Bet: a bet on 2, 3, 11 and 12. Wins if one of these numbers is rolled, the other three bets are lost

Multi Roll Bets

These are bets that may not be settled on the first roll and may need any number of subsequent rolls before an outcome is determined

Hard Way: wins if the shooter rolls a 4, 6, 8 or 10 the “hard way” before the “easy way” or a 7. A hard way roll is a pair of identical numbers: 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5

Easy Way: The opposite of a hard way bet. The dice rolled are not identical numbers so a roll of 4 and 2 equals an easy way 6

Big 6 and Big 8: wins if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8 before a 7

Place bets: wins if shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 before 7

Craps Odds

Craps is a game with a large number of different possible bets and it’s helpful to have an understanding of which bets offer good and poor chances of winning.

Possible Dice Rolls

In our table below you can see that the hardest dice roll to get hit is a 2 or 12 as there’s only one possible combination for each one (1 and 1 to roll a 2 and 6 and 6 to roll a 12). The odds of rolling these, then, are 1:36.

Next hardest are the 3 and 11 with two possible combinations each and odds of 1:18.

Next is the 4 and 10 both of which have three possible combinations and odds of 1:12

The 5 and 9 can be made with four combinations each at odds of 1:9

The 6 and 8 can be made with five combinations each at odds of 1:7

The number 7 has the most possible combinations at 6 and odds of 1:6

Our table below shows typical Payout odds and the House Edge for each bet

Craps Tips

Craps is a game of chance and it’s important to remember the House always has the edge over the player but with just a little useful knowledge you can ensure you don’t make rookie mistakes, inrease your chances of winning and prolong your fun at the Craps table. We’ve created this list of simple tips to help you enjoy your time at a Craps table either virtual or real-world!

• Avoid paying money for any winning systems. No matter what anyone may tell you there’s no such thing as a fool proof or guaranteed way to win at a game like Craps so do not be tempted by any online promotions or adverts offering tips, videos, e-books, systems or magical mathematical formulas that promise to show you how to beat the casinos. There are plenty of useful hints and tips that you can access online for free (including this very page!) so there’s no need to pay out money for the same kind of information.
• Have at least a basic understanding of the rules before you start. This is especially true if you are playing online or in a real world casino for real money – casinos like to see rookie players approach a table, get caught up in quick moving, noisey and exciting games and quickly blow their cash on a few sucker bets. It’s much better to approach the table with an understanding of the basic bets, keeping cool and calm and making sensible descisions. Use our Free Craps game as an excellent no-risk training aid to familiraise yourself with all aspects of the game and to try out different strategies.
• Set limits and stick to them. Decide before you start playing exactly how much you can afford to lose and still consider your time at the table time well spent on an enjoyable past time and once you’ve reached that limit walk away fom the table.
• Be aware of the Gambler’s fallacy and also be aware of just how many Gamblers think this fallacy needn’t apply to their games! It’s important to remember that the dice have no memory – just because a number has or hasn’t come up a certain amount of times in previous rolls doesn’t mean it is any more or less likely to appear on the next roll.
• One of the best bets you can have on the Craps table is to Place a 6 or 8 – betting that either a 6 or 8 will appear before a 7 is rolled. This bet has one of the lowest house advantages on the table.
• Other bets to avoid include the “Hard 4” and “Hard 10” bets which typically offer a house edge of a massive 11%+.
• We recommend that you also avoid proposition bets. Proposition bets are settled with one roll of the dice and they are usually located in the center of the Crap’s table – Dealers are trained to tempt players into placing these bets because the house has such a high edge on these bets. Only place money on these bets if you’re feeling really lucky or if you have some spare cash you’re prepared to lose quickly on a high risk gamble.
• Beginners and Pros alike can both benefit from keeping calm and sticking to the simple Pass line bet which offers one of the lowest house advantages on the table – stay disciplined so that you don’t fall into the rookie’s trap of quickly and sometimes randomly picking various “exotic” sounding bets which might make you feel like a high rolling big player for the few seconds it takes for the dice to roll but can quickly leave you feeling like a prize chump once the casino has gobbled up your entire stack of chips in the space of a few minutes.

Craps Table

Key to Craps Table.

1. This is the main table betting layout, you need to click to place your chips on the relevant betting sections.
2. Here you can set the value of your playing chips, you can increase there value or decrease them, remember the minimum wager is just 1.00 and the maximum permitted stake is 500.00.
3. The Clear button will remove all of the wagers you have just placed onto the Craps table.
4. If you click on the repeat button your previously placed wager will be automatically placed onto the Craps table for you.
5. By clicking the Roll button you will set the dice in motion and the dice will roll!
6. Once you have clicked the roll button this area is where the dice will roll and then finally come to a rest.
7. If you wish to return to the main menu, simply give this button a click, make sure you have finished the current Craps game you are playing.
8. The help button is where you will find a complete and definitive guide to this Real Time Gaming Craps game.
9. By clicking on the back button you will return to the casino main lobby and will be able to choose another casino game to play from those listed.

Craps Strategy

Looking at a Craps table when the players are in full flow you would be forgiven for thinking that none of them are using any form of Craps strategy, however it would amaze you just how many of these players are following a set strategy to ensure they get more than a sporting chance of having a winning session at that particular Craps Table.

Both experienced and novice players for that matter should fully understand the true odds on any particular number being rolled in and also find out what the odds paid out are for that number rolling in as each of them have a house edge attached to them and by placing your money onto a betting proposition that offers large odds should that number be rolled in is often a very bad bet to make.

You need to stick to placing wagers on the even money (or less) type bets as it is common sense that these numbers will appear much more often that the higher value wagers, and if you constantly place money on high paying events that have a large house edge you will soon find your bankroll depleted and that is never good for any gambler!

So when you are out and about and have a choice at which casino to play make sure you shop around making note of which casinos offer the best odds, and also look out for any special coupons given to players as these can add great value to your Craps playing experience.

Craps Tactics

Make sure you are a member of the casinos comp club before you buy in at the Craps table and giving the casino employees your card to validate before you start playing is one Craps tactic you should use as this ensures that you are going to be getting comp points on each and every wager you place during that session.

Knowing when to stop playing will make you into a better Craps player, let’s face is sometimes no matter what bets you place at a Craps table, if Lady Luck isn’t on your side during that session then you could be in for a losing session, so if the dice start to fall in such a way that you are not winning then never be afraid to call if a day when you have lost around half of your bankroll.

Conversely should you be able to do no wrong when playing Craps and the winnings keep on mounting up then make sure you put some chips on one side or in your pocket and keep them there until you decide to walk away, it is always better to walk away a winner than being a loser!

It can often pay dividends to play at a Craps table at the quieter times of day, if there are large crowds around the table then the game pace is going to be much slower as the casino staff will be wasting more time on each game removing losing wagers and paying out the winning ones, so if you want a quicker game play then head to the table when most people are asleep!

Craps Payouts

Knowing the payouts, pay backs and house edge is important when playing any casino game and more so in the game of Craps as this is one of the games which offers lots of different betting opportunities however not all of them offer good value for the player.

In this section of our website we are going to take a look at each of the different types of bets that can be found on the Craps Table and will present to you all of the facts and figures surrounding that particular bet to see if it is a good or bad Craps bet to make.

Initial Betting Opportunities

Pass Bet – Come Bet – The true odds of these wagers are 251:244 and the payout is 1:1, the house edge is 1.41%

Don’t Pass Bet -Don’t Come Bet – The true odds of these wagers are 976:949 the payouts is 1:1 the house edge is 1.36%

Betting Opportunities Once Point is Established

Pass Odds / Come Odds – The true odds on these wagers are the same odds of them being rolled in, a payout of 2:1 is given on the numbers 4 or 10, a payout worth 3:2 is given for the 5 or 9 and a payout of 6:5 is given for the 6 or 8 the house edge on these bets are all therefore 0%.

Don’t Pass Odds / Don’t Come Odds – Like the wagers above these bets pay the exact odds of the event happening so a payout of 1:2 is paid for a 4 or 10, 2:3 is paid for either a 5 or 9 and a payout of 5:6 is paid for betting on and rolling in a 6 or 8,, the house edge on all these Craps betting opportunities is 0%.

Yo Bet (11) – The true odds are 17:1 with the payout being given is 15:1 and this works out at a house edge of 11.11%.

3 Bet – The true odds of rolling this in is 17:1 with the payout being 15:1 and the house edge on this wager is 11.11%.

2 Bet – The true odds of this number rolling in is 35:1 and the payout is 30:1 the house edge is 13.89%.

12 Bet – The odds of this rolling in is 35:1 whilst the payout is 30:1 which is a house edge of 13.89%

Hi-Lo (2 or 12) Bets – The odds of these numbers appearing are 17:1 and the payouts is 15:1 and the house edge is 11.11%.

Craps (2, 3, or 12) Bets – The true odds of these bets are 8:1 and you get a payout of 7:1 and the house edge is 11.11%.

C & E (combined bet) Bet – The true odds of this is 5:1 and you will get a payout of 3:1 on craps and a payout of 7:1 on 11 both these bets have a house edge of 11.11%

Any 7 Bet – The true odds are 5:1 and the payout is 4:1 resulting in a house edge on this bet of 16.67%

Field Bet – The true odds of this is 5:4 the payout is 1:1 on 3,4,9,10 11 or true odds of 2:1 on 2 and 12 the house edge on this wager is 5.56%

Field Bet – The true odds of this is 5:4 the payout is 1:1 on 3,4,9,10 or 11 or true odds of 2:1 on 2, 3:1 on 12 the house edge on this wager is 2.78%

Field Bet – The true odds of this is 5:4 the payout is 1:1 on 3,4,9, or 10 2:1 on 2 and 11, or true odds of 3:1 on 12 the house edge on this wager is 1 5%

The Horn Bet – The true odds of this is 5:1 the payout is 27:4 on 2 or 12 3:1 on 3 or 11 the house edge on this wager is 12.5%

Whirl/World Bet – The true odds of this is 2:1 the payout is 26:5 on 2 or 12 11:5 on 3 or true odds of 11 0:1 (push) on 7 the house edge on this wager is 13.33%

Hard way 4 / Hard way 10 Bet – The true odds of this is 8:1 the payout is 7:1 the house edge on this wager is 11.11%

Hard way 6 / Hard way 8 Bet – The true odds of this is 10:1 the payout is 9:1 the house edge on this wager is 9.09%

Big 6, Big 8 Bet – The true odds of this is 6:5 the payout is 1:1 the house edge on this wager is 9.09%

Place 4 / Place 10 Bet – The true odds of this is 2:1 the payout is 9:5 the house edge on this wager is 6.67%

Place 5 / Place 9 Bet – The true odds of this is 3:2 the payout is 7:5 the house edge on this wager is 4%

Place 6 / Place 8 Bet – The true odds of this is 6:5 the payout is 7:6 the house edge on this wager is 1.52%

Buy 4 / Buy 10 Bet – The true odds of this is 2:1 the payout is 2:1 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 4.76%

Buy 4 / Buy 10 Bet – The true odds of this is 2:1 the payout is 2:1 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 1.67%

Buy 5 / Buy 9 Bet – The true odds of this is 3:2 the payout is 3:2 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 4.76%

Buy 6 / Buy 8 Bet – The true odds of this is 6:5 the payout is 6:5 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 4.76%

Lay 4 / Lay 10 Bet – The true odds of this is 1:2 the payout is 1:2 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 2.44%

Lay 5 / Lay 9Bet – The true odds of this is 2:3 the payout is 2:3 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 3.23%

Lay 6 / Lay 8 Bet – The true odds of this is 5:6 the payout is 5:6 (this bet has a house commission of 5%) the house edge on this wager is 4.00%

Etiquette

Whilst on first appearance you may be forgiven for thinking that there is no real Craps etiquette in place around a Craps table, there is indeed several unwritten rules which you should follow to enable you and your fellow players have an enjoyable time when playing Craps in a land based casino, and in this part of the website we shall look at just that.

As Craps is a community game, each person will get a turn to roll the dice, this person is known as the Shooter, and whilst he or she may be rolling in either good or bad numbers you should still give them maximum respect and not heckle or abuse them if they roll in any set of numbers which makes your currently placed wagers lose!

You can either accept your role as the Shooter when it is your turn or should you prefer not to roll the dice then politely refuse the task and the next person in line will be given the roll, there is no shame in not wanting to roll the dice so do not be afraid to say no if you don’t want to do this as making a swift decision allows the game to continue running smoothly.

Remember that you can only place certain bets onto the table when the game play structure permits it, so make sure you learn when you can place each wager as by doing so at the wrong time is bad Craps etiquette and you may run the risk of getting the wrath of the casino employees if you constantly place the wrong bets at the wrong time.

Congratulating the Shooter when he rolls in good numbers is also a good way to build up a rapour with him and your fellow players so don’t be afraid to join in the camaraderie.

Below you start to play make sure that you have given your comp card to the casino staff, by ensuring you do this before you start to play they will have entered you into the comp system and therefore you will be amassing your loyalty points as you start to play.

If you have never played Craps before then it is also advisable for you to sign up to one of the free daily Craps schools that are held each day in many of the casinos across the land, the idea of these schools is that you will be shown how to play the game along with fellow novice players in a relaxed atmosphere, it costs nothing to learn how to play Craps and often you will be given a free bet or money match coupon simply for taking part.

One other important part of Craps etiquette we should inform you about is to ensure you do not get in the way of your fellow players, try and stick to your own territory as there is nothing worse than a player who barges past other players trying to get their bets placed, the casino staff will always help you place your wagers if you cannot reach that part of the table layout so simply ask them and they will be happy to help.