The Hardways Bets
| Updated: Craps Hardway Bets Explained
Craps is definitely one of the most entertaining table games in casinos and it has many fans worldwide. One reason for that is the fact that there are plenty of betting options to choose from. This allows you to join the game and pick the option that sounds the most thrilling or lucrative to you.
To make the right choice, however, you should be familiar with all wagering options on the craps table. While there are two identical side sections on both ends of the table, several additional options, known as proposition bets, are positioned in the center. They offer quite tempting payouts but at the same time impose higher risks.
One prop bet that you will come across while playing craps is the Hardway. As the name suggests, you are betting on numbers to roll the “hard way” before the “easy way” or before the shooter throws a 7. There are four numbers on which you can make a Hardway bet, and there are both similarities and differences between these wagering options. In this article, we will cover everything you need to know about Hardways and whether it is worth making such a wager in craps.
Located in the center of the craps table, Hardway bets are placed when players wager on the two dice showing the same number. We will examine in greater detail the Hardway bet variations, including Hard 6, Hard 8, Hard 4, and Hard 10. Once you are familiar with the ins and outs of Hardway bets, we will review several Hardway craps strategies.
What Exactly are Hardways?
To understand this type of craps bet, you must differentiate between forming a number the hard way and the easy way. If you are making a Hardway bet, you are putting your money on the two dice rolling the same number, forming one of the four numbers available through Hardways.
You can bet on a hard 6, hard 8, hard 4, and hard 10 in craps. If we take 10 for example, we notice three possible ways to roll it. The first two are 4 – 6 and 6 – 4, combinations known as soft (easy) 10. The third way is 5 – 5, which is considered a hard 10 and is the combination you are backing when you make a Hardway bet.
The reason why 5 – 5 is called a hard 10 is that, out of all 36 dice combinations, only a single one can produce 10 as a pair of 5s. Since rolling a non-pair 10 is easier, the other two combinations are referred to as easy or soft 10.
Just like the rest of the proposition bets, the Hardways are located in the center of the craps table. That said, they differ from the other prop wagers because Hardways are standing bets, whereas the other proposition options can be made only for a single roll. Unlike situations in which players lose or win their prop bets on the next roll, Hardways remain active until the dice produce either a win or a loss for those who have made the bet. Craps players can make, remove, or adjust their Hardway bets at any time.
The Hardway bet can be made only on even numbers that are formed by a pair. Even though 2 and 12 can also be formed by pairs, players cannot bet that they will roll the hard way. This is simply because there is no easy way for these two numbers to appear.
While the betting limits of the craps table apply to the other standing bets, the minimum you can usually wager on a number rolling the hard way is the chip with the lowest value at the table.
Hard 6 and Hard 8
As already mentioned, craps players can place their money on 4, 6, 8, and 10 appearing the hard way. You will often see 4 and 10 grouped together as one type of Hardway wager, while 6 and 8 form the other pair because each duo shares the same winning odds.
Let us look at hard 6 and hard 8. If either option is your choice, you are betting on 6 rolling as a pair of 3s or 8 showing as 4 – 4. There are five possibilities to roll a 6: 5 – 1, 1 – 5, 4 – 2, 2 – 4, and 3 – 3. This means there are four chances for the dice to show a soft 6, which will cost you the bet you have made.
If you decide to bet on hard 8, you face a similar situation. There are four ways to form a soft 8 (5 – 3, 3 – 5, 6 – 2, and 2 – 6) and only a single chance to roll 4 – 4, which will reward you with a win.
Hard 4 and Hard 10
When you look at the craps table where the Hardway bets are positioned, you will notice that the payouts for hard 4 and hard 10 are lower than those for hard 6 and hard 8. This is because there are fewer losing combinations for a hard 4 and hard 10. When you wager on hard 4, you win if the dice roll a pair of 2s. Conversely, there are two possibilities—3 – 1 or 1 – 3—which mean a soft 4 rolled before the number appeared the hard way. The same applies when you bet on a hard 10: there are two ways to form an easy 10 (6 – 4 or 4 – 6) and just one way to roll a pair of 5s.
How to Make a Hardway Bet?
As mentioned earlier, the Hardway is a type of proposition bet positioned in the center of the craps table. There, you will find bets that do not fall under the category of self-service wagers. This means that instead of placing the chips yourself, you must tell the stickman the bet you would like to make, and he will handle your stake.
If you want to put money on hard 8, you should tell the stickman, “Give me a hard 8, please”. and place your chips somewhere on the table layout where they will not interfere with other players’ bets. The stickman will then take your chips and place them in the Hardways section corresponding to your position so the dealers know the wager is yours.
Some casinos employ a rule that all Hardway bets are off for the come-out roll. This means that the stickman is not required to put an OFF button on any of the Hardway bets since they are automatically turned off. Knowing when Hardway bets are on or off at the table where you play is essential. If the bets remain active, the stickman usually reminds players by announcing, “Hardways work unless you turn/call them off!” If, for instance, you decide to bet on the Pass Line before the come-out roll and your Hardway bet is active, a 7 will be good for your Pass Line wager but you will lose the stake placed on the Hardway. In such situations, turning off your Hardway wager can be helpful.
The House Edge and Payouts of Hardways
If you are trying to determine whether making a Hardway bet is a good strategy when you play craps, you should examine the house edge and the payout you will receive for this type of wager.
To determine the house edge of the Hardway bets, we must look at the true odds of the bets and the actual payout you will receive. If you choose to bet on hard 6 and hard 8, the true odds of winning are 10 to 1, while the actual payout is 9 to 1.
You may be misled by the table layout of some craps variations. Often, you will encounter tables listing the payout for hard 6 and hard 8 as “10 for 1”. At first glance, this may sound more beneficial; however, it simply means you will receive $10 for every $1 wagered. In the end, 10 for 1 is the same as being paid 9 to 1. The house edge of this bet is 9.09%.
If you opt to bet on a hard 4 or hard 10, you will receive a lower payout because players have fewer chances to lose this bet; there are only two ways to form a soft 4 or soft 10. The true odds for hard 4 and hard 10 are 8 to 1, but players are actually paid 7 to 1. Again, you might see tables listing the payout as 8 for 1, which is still the same as 7 to 1. The house edge for these Hardway bets is 11.1%.
Should You Make a Hardway Bet?
As you can see, whether you are betting on Hard 6 or Hard 8, or choosing to put money on Hard 4 or Hard 10, the casino’s advantage is still quite high. If you are looking for better chances, then it will be more beneficial to opt for bets with a lower house edge.
Since the Hardway is a prop bet, just like the other options in the center of the craps table, it often appeals to high-rollers. If you win a bet on Hard 8, you can quickly turn a $1 wager into a $10 profit and gather impressive payouts if you parlay the wins and enjoy a long winning streak. This, however, is difficult to achieve, which makes Hardway bets rather risky.
Many players compare Hardways with hopping a hard number, but each bet has advantages. While winning a hop on a hard 10 offers a whopping payout of 30 to 1, it is even riskier than making a Hardway bet on 10. Although you will enjoy a payout of only 9 to 1, you have better winning chances by simply betting on a Hard 10. This is because hop bets apply to a single roll, so players know whether they win or lose on the next throw of the dice. Meanwhile, if you make a Hardway bet on 10, it remains active until you win, or until you lose when the shooter throws a soft 10 or a 7.
If you are not a fan of thrilling gambling action, you are advised to avoid Hardway bets in craps. There is, however, a way to make your betting more profitable, and advanced craps players know how to make the most of Hardways. With the right betting strategy, you can still enjoy the game even when making this risky prop bet.
Hardways Craps Strategies
If you are wondering how players who make Hardway bets can still leave the craps table with enviable winnings, then you probably have not heard about utilizing betting strategies. Even though, just as in life, nothing is certain at craps, you can make your gambling more profitable by being daring and smart about your betting choices.
Because Hardway bets stay active until they are won or lost, players can apply a progressive betting technique. If you enjoy riskier bets and have the bankroll to use this system, you can experience a fruitful game of craps by betting on Hardways.
You can start by staking $1 on each of the Hardway bets (Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8, and Hard 10), totaling $4 as your starting wager. If the shooter throws a soft number or a 7, you should increase your bet by $1. This may lead to wagers of different sizes on the four Hardway bets. For example, if you begin with a $1 stake on each option and the shooter throws a soft 10, you would increase only the bet on Hard 10 to $2. If the no-seven streak is long enough, you might be lucky enough to win all of the Hardway bets you have placed. Despite this being a wonderful outcome, the odds of experiencing such a game are not in your favor.
Therefore, you must be cautious when approaching craps with such a betting strategy. It is wise to set a limit of 30% for your winnings and losses. Let us assume you decide to gamble $500; you should stop playing once your profit or your losses reach about $150.
You start by betting on either Hard 6 or Hard 8. Let us assume you stake $5 on your initial bet. The essence of this betting strategy is to parlay the full amount of your winnings three times. After the third win, you should place an additional $100 bet on the neighboring number, which will be Hard 8 if you have so far won on Hard 6 (or vice versa). Taking the $5 initial stake as an example, you should parlay to $50, then to $500, and for the third time to a $1,000 wager; then stake $100 on the adjacent hard number. You should take down your winnings of $3,900 and, from this point on, double your bets only if they win.
This system is also quite risky and may often not work in players’ favor. However, if you wish to make your game more exciting, it is definitely worth a try.