The Hop Bet
| Updated: Understanding Craps Hop Bets
Craps is one of the most entertaining casino games, and the abundance of wagering options contributes to its popularity. When you approach the craps table, you will notice that there are different betting sections on the layout. These sections help players place wagers on the various craps bets. While there are two identical side sections, there is also one in the center that is shared by all players who have joined the game.
Although the table illustrates plenty of options, one bet is known only to experienced players—the hop bet. The Hop bet cannot be found on the table layout, but that does not mean that players cannot make use of this type of wager.
The interesting thing about hop bets is that, in a way, they are a secret stake that new players most likely will not know about. They are very similar to the Hardways, but, if won, they offer much higher payouts. There are plenty of fun aspects to this bet, and you should definitely continue reading so that you can determine whether it is worth it to make this so-called ‘secret bet’.
What is a Hop Bet on Craps?
Whenever you place money on the exact two numbers that will appear on the next dice roll, you are making a hop bet. If you have decided that you want to bet on one die to roll a 4 while the other shows a 1, you can say to the dealer “4-1 hopping” or “4-1 on the hop”. This is the equivalent of betting on an easy (soft) 5.
Hopping is a single-roll bet that applies only to the next throw of the dice. If we take the example mentioned above, there would be two possible combinations that would make your bet a winner (4-1 and 1-4). While the true odds of this soft 5 rolling are 17 to 1, the actual payout for this type of bet is 15 to 1. These odds apply to any soft hop, and the house edge is estimated at 11.11%.
In addition to the easy (soft) hops mentioned above, there are also the so-called hard hops. Those are bets on combinations consisting of identical numbers. For instance, if you put your money on 4 and 4 hopping, this is the same as betting on hard 8. However, when you bet the Hardways, the payout will be 9 to 1. On the other hand, if you opt for 4 and 4 on the hop, you will be paid 30 to 1, which is a much better outcome than opting for the Hardways bet. The only difference is that the Hop bet is made on a single roll of the dice.
The high payout for hard hops stems from the fact that, compared to soft hops, there is only one possible winning combination. The true odds of rolling a hard number are 35 to 1, which are higher than the payout. However, winning 30 times your stake is still quite attractive. Even though the payout for this bet is generous, the house edge is still quite high, estimated at 13.89%.
There is also the option to make hops on the dice total. In this case, you tell the dealer the total number and add that you bet on the hop. This increases your chances of winning because you are covering all possible combinations that produce that total. Let us say that you are placing money on 10 on the hop. This would mean that you will win whenever the dice roll 4-6, 6-4 or 5-5.
If you bet $2 on 10 hopping, it’s similar to betting $1 on easy 10 and $1 on hard 10. If the dice roll 4-6 (or 6-4), you will get a payout of 15 to 1; however, you will lose the $1 that was wagered on the possibility of 5-5 rolling. The same goes if the dice roll a hard 10. You will still get the payout of 30 to 1; however, you will lose the $1 wagered on the soft 10. In short, when you are hopping on a total, you collect the winnings for whichever soft or hard combination makes your bet a winner. Despite winning the bet, the house will collect the corresponding wager you have made on the losing part of the Hop Total.
As you can see, there are different ways to utilize the Hop bet at craps, and each of them offers players a thrilling and quick game due to the nature of the stake.
How to Make a Hop Bet
As mentioned earlier, the Hop bet is a bit different from the rest of the craps wagering options. It does not appear anywhere on the table, and it can be made only verbally. This is why it is often referred to as a “secret bet”.
If you want to bet on a number hopping or on a certain dice combination, you simply place your chips on the craps table layout and tell your dealer the bet you would like to make. If you want to place your money on a soft hop, you should inform the dealer that you are betting on “5-4 on the hop/hopping” or any other combination you feel will come up in the next roll.
The same applies if you want to bet on a hard hop. You simply place your chips on the table and tell the dealer that you are betting on “4-4 on the hop/hopping”. In addition to that, you can bet on a total, which would mean that you would tell the dealer something along the lines of “10 on the hop/hopping”.
Before the stickman hands the shooter the dice for the next throw, players have the chance to make their bets. This is also the time to place your chips on the table and tell the dealer the Hop bet you would like to place. Once the dice are given to the shooter, you cannot make any bets.
The Odds of the Hop Bet
When we take a look at the game of craps, we have two dice that can form the numbers of the table in a total of 36 different combinations. If you are betting on a soft hop, there are always only two ways to roll the numbers you have bet on. This means that there are 34 possibilities in which you could lose your bet.
If we want to express the odds of winning, they would be 34 to 2, or 17 to 1. These odds are not in favor of players, and things are even more disadvantageous if you are making a Hop bet on a hard number.
When you are choosing to bet on a hard hop, you have only one possible combination to rely on. This automatically means that the losing possibilities are 35, which gives the house a huge advantage. If we have to determine your winning chances in odds, they would look like 35 to 1 in favor of the casino.
You can easily calculate the house edge when you place a Hop bet on a soft number. If you wager $36 ($1 on each of 36 rolls) and each number appears just once, you will win twice in total. This means that you will keep your $2 in winning stakes and win $15 for each of the two successful bets. You will end up with a return of $32, which, when compared with the $36 you have staked, results in a $4 loss. When you divide the $4 by the money you have staked ($36), you will get 0.1111, which expressed as a percentage is 11.11%. This is the estimated house edge for making a Hop bet on a soft number in craps.
If you take a look at the case of wagering on a hard number, you will have the true odds of 35 to 1 and the actual payout of 30 to 1. If you use the same method to calculate the house edge, you will get 13.89%, which is the casino’s advantage in this case. There is also the option to Hop on totals, which makes the payout for hard hops 29 to 1, while soft hops pay 14 to 1. In this case, the house edge increases even further to 16.67%, which is an even bigger advantage for the casino.
Should Players Hop Bets When Playing Craps?
When you are faced with the dilemma of whether to place a certain bet on craps, you should always consider two things. The first one is the house edge, which is the amount of advantage the casino has. The second important thing to keep in mind is the payout you will receive for the bet you make. Of course, there is also the aspect of the type of gambling you are seeking. If you are in it for the thrill, you are definitely the type of player who will appreciate riskier bets.
The house edge for the Hop bet varies depending on its type. If you are opting for betting on a soft (easy) number, you have better chances to win. This is because easy hops consist of two different numbers, which means that there are two ways to roll the winning number. Even though your chances are better when you are making a bet on a soft number, you are still at a disadvantage because the losing combinations seriously outnumber the two winning ones.
When it comes to betting hard hops, you may be fooled by the high payout of this bet. While making a stake such as “4-4 on the hop” may be similar to making a Hardway bet on 8, there is a difference in the two wagers. If you bet on 8 rolling the “hard way”, you will be paid 9 to 1. Meanwhile, if you opt for betting the same hard 8 on the hop, you will enjoy a much more generous payout of 30 to 1. While this may sound very tempting, you should take into consideration that the Hop is a single-roll bet. This means that whether you win or lose will be determined on the next throw of the dice. When you are making a Hardway bet, it is active until your bet wins or loses, no matter how many throws of the dice it will take for that.
If you are on the lookout for a thrilling game of craps, then you can definitely make your gambling more interesting by making a Hop bet. It takes a single roll to determine whether you win or lose, and if luck is on your side, you can actually enjoy quite generous payouts. If you, however, are seeking a more advantageous game, you are advised to avoid making this bet as there are plenty of other options with a much lower house edge.
Hop Bet Strategy
Despite not being on the table layout, the Hop bet is still considered one of the proposition bets on craps. As such, it is one of the least advantageous options if you are looking for profitability.
However, many players still enjoy this wager and manage to walk away from the table pleased by the game they have played. This is often because they are playing while using a certain strategy. While, just as it is with every other casino game, no one can guarantee you a win if you use a strategy, you can definitely improve your game if you are utilizing a certain system.
If you are interested in hop bets, there are several tactics you can use when you are trying to tilt the scales in your favor and secure better payouts. One of them is hopping 7 on the come-out roll. As mentioned earlier, it is rare for players to make a hop bet before the come-out roll. The reason for that is that it is a risky bet and definitely not a suitable option for every craps player.
If you are a skillful shooter, however, you can opt for betting 7 on the hop before the come-out roll. This would mean that you will win if any of the six combinations that total 7 rolls. If you manage to actually roll 7, you will collect $32. Then you should keep $2 and parlay (re-bet) the remaining $30. If you manage to throw 7 again, you will enjoy a payout of $160. The next step is to keep $10 and parlay $150. After the second parlay, you would have your initial bet back and an additional profit of $6. This, of course, will work only if you manage to throw a 7 two times in a row.
Another strategy is to use the so-called Fibonacci progression for your hopping 7’s strategy. This means that you will always add your previous two bets and wager their total. This is a good betting system only for players who have a sizable bankroll and can afford to make high stakes. If you start with a $3 stake, your next wagers will follow the pattern 3, 3, 6, 9, 15 and so on. If luck is on your side and you experience a short losing streak, you will enjoy great payouts thanks to this betting system. However, you have to make sure that you have the bankroll to play long enough if the losing streaks are too long.
Although the betting strategies for hop bets may not be the best ones to use in the game of craps, they can still make the gambling experience very exciting and potentially rewarding.