Craps is a popular casino game that involves betting on the outcome of a roll or series of rolls of a pair of dice. It’s a fast-paced game that can be intimidating for beginners, especially when it comes to understanding the different types of bets.

In this article, we’ll provide a comprehensive guide for beginners on craps betting. We’ll go through each type of bet, explaining how they work, what their payouts are, and the odds of winning.

By the end of this article, you’ll have a solid understanding of craps betting and be ready to hit the table with confidence.

Whether you’re a complete newbie to the game or a seasoned player looking to refresh your knowledge, this guide is perfect for anyone who wants to learn more about craps betting.

Pass Line and Don’t Pass Bets

Players may bet on the basic outcome of a shooter’s turn, that is, on whether the shooter will pass (win) or not pass. These opposite bets are called pass line and don’t pass. If you think the shooter will make his or her point, put at least the table minimum in chips on the spot in front of you marked “pass line.” If you think the shooter won’t make his point, put at least the table minimum in chips on the spot just above the pass line marked “don’t pass.”

On the come-out (first) roll, any player who bet the pass line will win if a 7 or 11 is rolled and lose if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. Any winning pass line or don’t pass bet gets paid even money or one to one. On the come-out roll, any player who bet the don’t win if a two or three is rolled, push (tie) if a twelve is rolled, and pass will lose if a seven or eleven is rolled. Any player may bet either way, including the shooter.

Consider the following example of how the betting works. A shooter on the come-out roll throws a seven, so the two dealers take all the don’t pass bets and pay off all the pass line bets. Then, the same shooter throws the dice for a new come-out roll. This time the shooter throws a five. Now the dealers will each mark the five box on their half of the layout with a puck, white side up. This indicates to all the players that the point is five. Now in order for the pass line players to win their pass line bet, the shooter must throw a five and avoid throwing a seven. For the don’t pass bets it’s just the opposite: for them to win, the shooter must throw a seven and not throw a five. Any other outcome of the dice won’t affect the pass line or don’t pass bets.

The shooter throws the dice a few more times, then sevens out-that is, he gets a seven before he can make his five. This shooter is now done and the dealers clear (collect) all pass bets and pay all don’t pass bets. The stickman next offers the player to the left of the shooter an option to roll the dice.

The pass line and don’t pass bets provide the house with a small advantage-1.4 percent. The casinos get that edge by not paying the don’t pass when a twelve is rolled. If they paid the don’t pass when a twelve is rolled, then playing either the pass line or don’t pass would be a fifty-fifty chance. For example, if you bet $100 on either the pass line or don’t pass, over the course of a craps game your expected return would be $100, according to the true odds. But with the house advantage, your expected return on average is $98.60. The casinos are in business to make money, so they need to get their cut somewhere on each game they offer.

Come and Don’t Come Bets

A come bet and the pass line bet are virtually the same bet. The only difference is when each bet can be made. A pass line bet can be made only on a come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, or 9, play continues but players cannot place any pass line bets. That’s where the come bet enters into the picture. Think of it as a second chance to make a pass line bet. To make a come bet, put at least the table minimum bet directly in front of you in the large area marked “come.”

On the next roll, you win if the shooter throws a seven or eleven, just as on the first roll on a pass line bet. You lose if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12. If any other number comes up, then the dealer for your half of the table will move your bet from the large “come” area to the smaller box with that number, positioning it by where you’re sitting. After your bet gets moved to a numbered box, you will win if the shooter rolls that number and lose if a seven turns up-whichever comes first. It’s your responsibility to keep track of your come bets. If the dealer pays off your come bet, it’s up to you to grab your chips or another player may do so. If your bet loses, don’t worry. The dealer will surely take care of it!

Just as a come bet is similar to a pass line bet, a don’t come bet is similar to a don’t pass bet. You can make a don’t come bet only when the shooter has established a point. To make a don’t come bet, place at least the table minimum in the box marked “don’t come,” which is located next to the other numbered boxes closest to the dealer.

On the next throw, you win on your don’t come bet if the shooter rolls a two or three. If the shooter rolls a twelve, you push or tie. (Remember the house advantage!) If the shooter rolls a seven or eleven, you lose. If any other number is rolled, a dealer moves your don’t come bet behind that number in a don’t come box. This bet says you think a seven will come up before the number your bet is next to. It stays there until a seven is rolled and you win or the number is rolled and you lose. All payoffs on the don’t come are even money or one to one.

The house advantage on come and don’t come bets is the same as pass line or don’t pass bets-1.4 percent. With the house advantage that low, craps players have a reasonable chance at winning a little money. In fact, the low house advantage is one reason craps is still popular in casinos today.

Odds Bets

The odds bet (also called taking odds) is the best bet to make in a casino. It’s the only bet in the casino where the casino has no advantage over the player. The casino pays the player true odds when he or she wins an odds bet.

You can make an odds bet only after you make a pass line bet, come bet, don’t pass bet, or don’t come bet and a point is estab- lished. Once a point is established for your pass line bet or come bet, you can place up to two times your bet behind (outside) the pass line bet or tell the dealer to put odds on your come bet. To understand how much you’ll get paid for your odds bet, look at the chart above.

Let’s review this true odds chart. By the chart, you can see that the number most likely to roll is a seven. Why? Because the two dice can total seven in six different combinations. All the other totals are less likely to roll than a seven because they come from fewer than six combinations of the two dice. Since craps revolves around the number seven rolling, all the other numbers are compared with the seven when figuring out the true odds.

For example, the true odds of rolling a four or a ten (they each have three combinations, so the odds of rolling them are the same) before a seven are two to one. Why two to one? Let’s look at the number of combinations for a seven to roll (six) and the number of combinations for a four or ten to roll (three). That’s six chances to three chances, a ratio that we simplify to two to one. Since a seven is twice as likely to roll before a four or a ten, the true odds for a four or ten are two to one. The true odds for a five or nine are three to two. The true odds for a six or eight are six to five.

Odds bets are not marked on the craps layout, probably because the house has no advantage over the player on these bets and there fore has no reason to encourage them. To take odds on a pass line bet, just set an amount up to twice the amount of your pass line bet directly outside your pass line bet. If the shooter rolls the point before a seven, you’ll get even money for your pass line bet and true odds for your odds bet. The photo above illustrates how to make an odds bet on a craps layout.

For example, if the point was five and you had a $5 pass line bet with $10 odds behind it, you’d win $5 for the pass line bet and $15 for the odds bet when the shooter rolled a five before a seven. The true odds on five rolling before a seven is three to two. So to figure out what you should get paid, multiply your $10 bet by one and a half or 1.5. That’s $15. You can see how impor- tant it is that you know what the true odds are for each point. That way, you’ll know if you get paid correctly. Believe it or not, dealers make mistakes.

To take your odds on come bets, you must wait until the dealer moves the come bet to a number, then tell the dealer you want odds on your come bet and put down the amount you want for odds in the come area. Make sure the dealer puts your odds on the correct come bet. When there are several players this can get confusing, so watch where your come bet goes.

Odds on the Don’t Come or Don’t Pass Bets

Laying odds is the opposite of taking odds. When you’ve bet the don’t pass or don’t come, you want a seven to roll before the point. Laying odds gets you paid at the true odds, only you have to bet more money than you’ll win because the odds are in your favor that a seven will roll before the point.

For example, if the point is four and you have a $10 don’t pass bet with a $20 odds bet and the shooter throws a seven before a four, you’ll win $10 for your don’t pass and $10 for your odds bet. The true odds of a seven rolling before a four is one to seven. A seven is twice as likely to roll as a four. Therefore, you get paid one to two on your lay bet, or half your lay bet, when the seven rolls before the four.

To make it fair to all players, the casino allows the players betting the don’t side to lay an amount that they’d win if they had won a pass line bet with full odds. Players playing the don’t pass and don’t come can lay up to four times their don’t pass or don’t come bet when the point is four or ten. When the point is five, six, eight, or nine, you’re allowed to lay up to three times your don’t pass or don’t come bet.

To lay odds on the don’t pass, set the amount you want to lay in odds next to your don’t pass bet. To lay odds on a don’t come bet, set the amount you want to lay in odds in the come area and tell the dealer you’d like to lay X amount on your don’t come bet.

Place Bets

Place bets are very similar to come bets, except you don’t have to place a bet in the come or pass bar first (as with odds bets). If you want to do a place bet on the four, for example, you tell the dealer you’d like to place X amount on the four. In order for your place bet on the four to win, you need the shooter to roll a four before a seven. The only numbers you can place are the possible point numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Place bets on the 4, 5, 9, or 10 must be made in $5 increments. Place bets on the six and eight must be made in $6 increments. The reason for this is the odds of seven to six do not make it easy to pay off $5 bets on those numbers. The payoffs on place bets are the following:

four or ten place bets get paid nine to five: for every $5 bet, you’ll win $9. five or nine place bets get paid seven to five: for every $5 easg bet, you’ll win $7. six or eight place bets get paid seven to six: for every $6 bet, you’ll win $7.

Your place bets remain on the number after that number is rolled and the dealer counts your winnings out in front of you. If you don’t want your place bet to stay on that number, you have to tell the dealer to take your place bet down and return the chips to you.

Remember, for a place bet to win, the number you selected must roll before a seven. If a seven rolls, then your place bet will lose. Making place bets gives the casino a larger house advantage than it has with pass line bets or come bets. The house advantage on placing the four or ten is 6.67 percent. The house advantage on placing the five or nine is 4 percent. The house advantage on placing the six or eight is 1.52 percent. The reason for these differences is the likelihood of one of these numbers being rolled, as shown in the chart above.

Buy Bets

A buy bet is similar to a place bet, only you pay a 5 percent vigorish (commission, sometimes called a vig) in order to get true odds. The only numbers that are smart to buy are the four or ten. Buying the 5, 6, 8, or 9 will only raise the house advantage higher than if you placed them. No one buys the 5, 6, 8, or 9.

To buy the four or ten, you must make a bet of at least $20. On a $20 buy bet the vigorish charged is $1 (5 percent of $20), which is paid at the time you make the buy bet. In order for your buy bet to win, you need that number to roll before a seven. If a seven rolls before that number, you’ll lose the buy bet. If then the dealer will pay you two to one on a buy bet of four or ten. If you want to keep the same buy bet after it wins, then you’ll have to pay another vigorish of 5 percent of the bet.

The house advantage on a buy bet on the four or ten is 4.76 percent, which is lower than a place bet on the four or ten, but still not as good as a pass line or come bet.

Lay Bets

A lay bet is different from laying odds on your don’t pass or don’t come bets. A lay bet is the opposite of a buy bet. When you have a lay bet, you’re hoping a seven will roll before the number you made the lay bet on. While it’s not smart to buy the five, six, eight, or nine, it’s OK to lay those numbers.

Here’s an example of a lay bet. You tell the dealer you want to make a lay bet on the six. The dealer will put your chip on that number. This means you are betting that a seven will be rolled before a six comes up. If any other number besides a six or seven is rolled, nothing happens to your bet. If a six is rolled, you lose. If a seven is rolled, you win.

When you make a lay bet, you pay a vigorish (commission) of 5 percent, just like you do on a buy bet. The vigorish is 5 per- cent of the amount you’ll win if the lay bet is successful. The minimum amount you can lay on the four or ten is $40. The minimum amount you can lay on the five or nine is $30. The minimum amount you can lay on the six or eight is $24. By paying the vigorish on lay bets, you get the true odds if a seven rolls before number you lay.

If you have a lay bet on the four or ten and a seven rolls before the number you lay, then you’ll get paid one to two, or $1 for every $2 bet. If you have a lay bet on the five or nine and a seven rolls before the number you lay, then you’ll get paid two to three, or $2 for every $3 bet. If you have a lay bet on the six or eight and a seven rolls before the number you lay, then you’ll get paid five to six, or $5 for every $6 bet.

The house advantage on lay bets on the four or ten is 2.44 percent. The house advantage on lay bets on the five or nine is 3.23 percent. The house advantage on the six or eight is 4 percent.

While most people only lay the 4 or 10, on occasion some people will lay the 5, 6, 8, or 9. With the higher house advantage on laying the 5, 4, 8, or 9 (because there are more combinations that yield these numbers), you’re better off playing the don’t pass or don’t come instead of making lay bets on those numbers.

Big 6 or Big 8

On each side of a craps table there is an area near the corner with a big red six and eight. This is called the Big 6 or Big 8. This bet works the same as a place bet on the six or eight. The only difference is you get paid even money instead of seven to six. When you bet the Big 6 or Big 8, you want whichever of the two you select to roll before a seven. The minimum amount bet on the Big 6 or Big 8 is the table minimum. The house advantage on the Big 6 or Big 8 is 9.09 percent. Avoid this bet at all costs.

Field Bet

This is a bet that on the next throw of the dice one of seven num- bers will roll: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. You lose if 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled.

To bet the field, place an amount of at least the table minimum in the area marked “field” (between the don’t pass bar and the come area). Place your chips in the field directly in front of where you’re standing. If any of those seven numbers rolls, you win even money or one to one. If 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, you lose. If you get lucky and bet the field before a two or twelve is rolled, you’ll get paid two to one on your field bet. In some casinos, they’ll pay you three to one for the twelve. If you’re going to bet the field, you’ll want to try to play in casinos that offer three to one on the field bet.

On the surface, the field looks like a good bet. However, let’s look at the true odds of one of those seven numbers rolling compared with the odds for one of the other four. On two dice there are thirty-six different combinations that can be rolled. Out of those seven numbers there are sixteen of the thirty-six combinations that can be rolled. The four losing numbers have the other twenty combinations. So the odds are once again in the casino’s favor that you’ll lose money on that bet in the long run. The house advantage on the field bet is 5.5 5 percent

Proposition Bets

Proposition bets are located in the center of the table, directly in front of the stickman. To make a proposition bet, you toss the chips to the center of the table and call out to the stickman how much you want to bet and on what you want bet. The stickman is responsible for setting up the proposition bets in the proper place and instructing the dealers on how to pay for the proposition bets.

Proposition bets are the worst bets you can make at a craps table. The house advantage on the proposition bets ranges from 9.09 percent to as high as 16.67 percent. You’d be better off trying your luck at a slot machine in hopes of hitting a high payoff. Keep in mind that you don’t have to bet the table minimum on proposition bets; sometimes you can bet as little as one dollar.

Any Seven

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw a seven on the next roll. The casino pays you only four to one for this bet. The true odds of throwing a seven are five to one. The house edge on this bet is 16.67 percent. You’ll often see that the table for this bet says “5 for 1.” This means that for every chip you play and win, you will receive five chips (including the one you played). This is the same as four to one, but it sounds more enticing.

Any Craps

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will roll a 2, 3, or 12 on the next roll. The casino pays you seven to one if 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. The true odds of a craps roll (2, 3, or 12 are called crap dice) are eight to one. The house advantage on this bet is 11.1 percent.

Twelve

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will roll a twelve on the next roll. This bet attracts a large number of novice players because of its high payoff of thirty to one. Remember, there are thirty-six possible combinations on two dice, only one of which is a twelve. The true odds the casino should pay you are thirty-five to one, not just thirty to one. The house advantage on this bet is 13.69 percent.

Two

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will roll a two on the next roll. Since the odds of throwing a two are the same as for a twelve, the casino pays you thirty to one. The true odds the casino should pay you are thirty-five to one. The house advantage on this bet, as for the twelve, is 13.69 percent.

Eleven

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will roll an eleven on the next roll. In a craps game, eleven has the nickname of “yo.” Why? Because in the noise and action, it would be easy to confuse “seven” and “eleven.” So, the stickman and the dealers call out “yo” instead of “eleven.” The payoff for a yo bet is fifteen to one. The true odds of an eleven coming up on the next roll are seventeen to one. The house advantage on this bet is 11.1 percent.

Three

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will roll a three on the next roll. Since the odds of rolling a three are the same as for an eleven, the payoff is fifteen to one, although the true odds of rolling a three on the next roll are seventeen to one. As for the eleven bet, the house advantage on this bet is 11.1 percent.

Horn Bet

This is a one-roll bet that a 2, 3, 11, or 12 will come up on the next roll. There’s a $4 minimum on horn bets. All this bet is doing is combining the four above bets-2, 3, 11, and 12-into a single bet. The payoff for the horn bet? If three or eleven is rolled, you get three times the amount of your bet. If two or twelve rolls, you get paid seven times the bet minus one quarter of the bet. Do yourself a favor and stay away from this bet. The house advantage on this bet is 11.1 percent.

Hard Ways

When both dice come up with the same number it’s called a hard way. For example, if the shooter rolls two fives, this would be ten the hard way or a hard ten. Two and twelve are not called hard ways because the only way to make either is with a double: two ones or two sixes. The only numbers that can be rolled hard are 4, 6, 8, and 10.

Hard 4

When you bet a hard four, you’re hoping for a two to come up on both dice before any other four combination or a seven. If the shooter rolls one and three, your bet loses. If the shooter rolls a seven, you lose this bet. The only way you’ll win is on a double two before any other combination of four or any seven. The payoff on this bet is seven to one. The true odds of this happening are eight to one. The house advantage is 11.1 percent.

Hard 10

When you bet a hard ten, you’re hoping for a five on both dice to be rolled before any other ten combination or a seven. The payoff is the same as for a hard four-seven to one. The true odds of this happening are eight to one. The house advantage is 11.1 percent.

Hard 6

When you bet a hard six, you’re hoping for a three on both dice to be rolled before any other six combination or a seven. The payoff for a hard six is nine to one. The true odds of a hard six rolling before any other six combination or a seven are ten to one. The house advantage is 9.09 percent.

Hard 8

When you bet a hard eight, you’re hoping for a four on both dice to be rolled before any other eight combination or a seven. The payoff for a hard eight is the same as a hard six, or nine to one. The true odds of a hard eight rolling before any other eight combination or seven are ten to one. The house advantage is 9.09 percent.

Craps-Eleven (C & E) Bet

This is a one-roll bet that the shooter will throw any crap dice (2, 3, or 12) or an eleven on the next roll. The payoff for this bet is three times the amount you bet if craps rolls (2, 3, or 12) and seven times the amount you bet if an eleven rolls. The house advantage on this bet is 11.1 percent.

There are some more obscure proposition bets that aren’t listed on the craps layout. Very rarely do you see players make these other obscure bets. There are more than enough ways to bet on craps without getting into these obscure proposition bets. Also, these additional proposition bets have a high house advantage.

Conclusion

In conclusion, understanding the different types of bets in craps is essential for beginners to have a better chance at winning and maximizing their experience at the table.

By knowing the basic bets such as the pass line, don’t pass, come, and don’t come, players can start with a solid foundation and gradually move onto more advanced bets. It is important to remember that craps is a game of chance, and no betting strategy or system can guarantee a win every time.

However, with a good understanding of the bets and a little bit of luck, players can have a great time at the craps table. So go ahead and give it a try, but always remember to gamble responsibly.