Craps Bet Types

Guide to the Various Bet Types of Craps

Craps offers a staggering number of betting options. These can be grouped into two major categories – multiple-roll bets and one-roll bets. In craps, both the payouts and the house edge vary greatly depending on the type of wager you place. Some bets are more advantageous to players than others, which is why you should choose your wagers wisely if you wish to finish your betting sessions with a profit. Read on to learn more about the types of bets you can place in craps and their respective payouts.

Multiple-Roll Bets

As the name suggests, the outcome of these wagers is determined after several tosses of the dice. Because of this, craps novices often experience difficulties in understanding and mastering multiple-roll bets. However, some bets in this category, such as Pass/Don’t Pass Line and Come/Don’t Come wagers, offer the lowest house edge in the game, which is certainly an advantage.

The Pass Line Bet

Pass Line wagers are the most fundamental bets in the game of craps. Players’ chances of winning with this type of wager are relatively high, and Pass Line bets carry a house edge of only 1.41%.

Pass Line bets are made before the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a natural 7 or 11, all Pass Line bets win. However, if the shooter throws one of the craps numbers (2, 3, or 12), all bets on the Pass Line lose. If the shooter rolls any of the remaining numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) on the come-out roll, that number becomes the point.

The chips for Pass Line bets remain on the table until the point is rolled again. Pass Line wagers win if the shooter rolls the point before a 7 appears. If a 7 is thrown first, it is called a seven-out and all Pass Line bets lose.

The Don’t Pass Line Bet

Don’t Pass Line wagers mirror Pass Line bets: they lose whenever a natural 7 or 11 is thrown on the come-out roll. Thus, Don’t Pass Line bets win if craps numbers 2 or 3 are tossed. A roll of 12 results in a push—players do not collect a payout, and their original wagers are returned.

If the shooter establishes a point by rolling 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, Don’t Pass Line bets win only when a seven-out occurs before the point number is repeated. If the point is rolled before 7, all Don’t Pass Line bets lose. Winning Don’t Pass Line wagers pay even money and carry a house edge of 1.36%.

The Come Bet

Come bets function as an extension of Pass Line wagers and their outcomes are often resolved after several tosses of the dice. You can place such bets on the come-out roll or after the shooter has already established a point. The puck at the side of the table will then read “On” to indicate that Come bets are allowed.

The chips for these wagers are positioned within the two boxes on the layout marked “Come”. If the shooter rolls a natural 7 or 11, the player automatically wins their Come bet but loses if the roll results in a craps number (2, 3, or 12). When a point is established, the shooter must hit that point again before sevening out for Come bets to win. Winning Come bets pay 1 to 1 and have a house edge of 1.41%.

The Don’t Come Bet

Don’t Come bets closely resemble Don’t Pass Line bets. If craps numbers 2 or 3 hit on the come-out roll, all Don’t Come bets automatically win, while a natural 7 or 11 causes them to lose.

After a point is established, Don’t Come bets win only if 7 appears before the point number. Should the point be rolled first, the bets lose. Once the point is established, 11 is neutral on these wagers. A roll of 12 results in a push. Winning Don’t Come bets pay even money and present a low house edge of 1.36%.

Free Odds Bets

This is the best bet players can make at the craps table because winnings are paid at true odds, completely eliminating the built-in house advantage. Free Odds are offered on Pass/Don’t Pass Line bets and Come/Don’t Come bets.

Once a point has been established, players may place a side wager that is double or triple the size of their original bet. This is called “taking” the odds on Pass Line and Come bets. Some casinos allow Free Odds bets that are 4x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 9x, or even 10x the original wager. The payout depends on what the point is.

The bigger the Free Odds bet, the lower the overall house edge. Pass Line bets, together with their Free Odds, win if the shooter rolls the point before a 7. The Pass Line portion pays even money, while the side wager pays at true odds.

It is also possible to “lay” the odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets. After a point is established, Pass Line and Come wagers win only if the point is rolled before 7. While this is unfavorable for Pass Line/Come bettors, it benefits Don’t Pass/Don’t Come players because there are more combinations that add up to 7 than to any point number.

This is the perfect moment for the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come player to lay odds on their wager. The player will win both the original wager and the side bet if the shooter sevens out before rolling the point number, effectively betting against the shooter.

Winning side wagers pay at true odds, whereas Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets pay even money.

Place Bets

When it comes to Place bets, remember that this type of wager is accepted only after a point has been established. Place bets are made on individual point numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Suppose you have made a Place bet on number 8. You will collect a payout only if the shooter rolls an 8 before throwing a 7. If 7 comes first, your Place bet loses.

The payouts vary with the chosen number. Winning Place bets on 4 and 10 pay 9 to 5; numbers 5 and 9 pay 7 to 5; and 6 and 8 pay 7 to 6. The house edge also differs: 6.67% for 4 and 10, 4% for 5 and 9, and only 1.52% for 6 and 8.

Place Bets to Lose

Players may also make Place bets against the shooter—in other words, they are betting that the shooter will lose. The player wins if 7 is rolled first and loses if the number they are betting against appears before 7. Note that Place Bets to Lose are not available everywhere and some casinos or online tables do not accept them.

The payouts for winning wagers of this type are as follows – a winning bet against 4 or 10 pays 5 to 11, against 5 and 9 pays 5 to 8, and against 6 and 8 pays 4 to 5. The house edge fluctuates depending on the number the player is betting against.

Buy Bets

To encourage more Place bets, some casinos allow players to “buy” the 4 or the 10. This wager is more advantageous to players because it reduces the house edge from 6.67% to 4.76%. The bet resembles a Place wager in that it wins if 4 or 10 is rolled before a seven-out.

The difference is that players must pay a 5% commission (called a vig) to the house. Winning Buy bets offer a reduced edge because they pay at the true odds of 2 to 1 instead of the Place payout of 9 to 5. If the bet remains unresolved after several rolls, the player may take the wager down and the 5% commission is returned. Should 4 or 10 hit before 7, the player is paid at true odds, but the casino retains the commission.

It is also possible to buy numbers 6, 8, 5, and 9, though such wagers rarely favor the player. Please consider your bet sizing in advance because the craps crew does not make change on these wagers. For example, a $25 Buy bet on 4 with a 5% commission of $1.25 is rounded down to $1. The dealer may sometimes allow a $30 or $35 bet with a $1 vig. Conversely, if the commission calculates to $0.50, it is rounded up to $1.

Lay Bets

At some craps tables, you can lay bets against the point numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. These bets win if the shooter rolls 7 before the respective point number. Lay bets involve a 5% commission, which the house retains if the wager wins.

Only Lay bets against 4 and 10 are truly worthwhile, offering a house edge of 2.44%. The edge rises to 3.23% against 5 and 9, and to 4% against 6 and 8.

Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

Generally, Big 6 and Big 8 bets should be avoided because of their hefty house edge of 9.09%. These wagers win whenever 6 or 8 is rolled on the next toss of the dice. If the shooter tosses a 7 first, the bets lose. Unfortunately, there are six combinations that add up to 7 and only five ways to roll 6 or 8. Even if you do win, the payout is merely even money, which is far from impressive.

History of Craps

How to Play Craps

Craps House Edge

Craps Strategy

One-Roll Bets

One-roll bets constitute the second major category of wagers in craps. They are easier to understand because the outcome is determined by a single throw of the dice. Less-experienced players often gravitate toward one-roll bets because of their apparent simplicity.

The downside is that one-roll bets carry a much higher house edge than wagers involving multiple rolls, so they offer poor value. On some one-roll bets, the house edge exceeds 16%. In this category, we find Field bets, Proposition bets, and the Hardway sub-class. Except for the Field bet, these are not self-service wagers—the stickman must place the chips in the appropriate boxes on the layout.

Field Bets

This is arguably the most popular one-roll bet in craps. It covers a “field” of numbers—2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12—and can be placed at any stage of the game. If any of these numbers are thrown on the next roll, the Field bet wins. The payout, however, depends on the number rolled.

If 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 hits, the bet pays even money (1 to 1). With a $5 wager, you would collect $10. If 2 appears, the payout is 2 to 1, earning you $15 on a $5 bet. Rolling a 12 also results in a win, with a payout of either 2 to 1 or 3 to 1, depending on the casino. The wager loses whenever 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled.

Any Craps Bets

This proposition bet involves wagering that the next roll of the dice will result in 2, 3, or 12—the three craps numbers. Any other result causes the bet to lose. Pay close attention to how the payout is listed. At some tables the layout reads “8 for 1”, meaning the house keeps the original $1 stake and you receive $8, effectively a 7 to 1 payout. The house edge is 11.11%.

Yo-Leven

This proposition bet wins if 11 is thrown on the next roll. The term “Yo-leven” is used at the table to avoid confusion between “seven” and “eleven”. Winning Yo-leven bets pay 16 for 1 or 15 to 1 and carry a house edge of 11.11%.

Ace-Deuce

This one-roll proposition bet is placed on number 3. Winning Ace-Deuce wagers pay 16 for 1 or 15 to 1 with a house edge of 11.11%, identical to Yo-leven because both 3 and 11 have only two possible dice combinations.

Seven or Big Red Bets

This proposition wager bets that 7 will appear on the next roll. The payout is either 5 for 1 or 4 to 1, depending on the table, and the house edge is a steep 16.67%.

Ace Bets

One-roll proposition bets on number 2 are called “Aces”. With only one possible dice combination, Ace bets offer a high payout of 31 for 1 or 30 to 1. Unfortunately, they also come with an unfavorable house edge of 13.89%.

Boxcars/Twelve Bets

Boxcars or Twelve bets win when 12 is rolled on the next throw. As 6-6 is the only combination that totals 12, the payout matches that of Ace bets—either 31 for 1 or 30 to 1—with a house edge of 13.89%.

Hard 6 and Hard 8 Bets

These Hardway wagers form a subcategory of proposition bets. When you place a Hard 6 bet, you are betting that the next roll will total six with the exact combination 3-3; combinations such as 5-1, 4-2, or their reverses do not count. Hard 8 bets work similarly, winning only with the 4-4 combination. Both bets pay 10 for 1 or 9 to 1 and carry a house edge of 9.09%.

Hard 4 and Hard 10 Bets

Hard 4 and Hard 10 bets win on the “hard” combinations of 2-2 and 5-5, respectively. All other combinations totaling 4 or 10 result in a loss. Winning bets pay 8 for 1 or 7 to 1 with a house edge of 11.11%.

Combination Bets

Combination bets are placed in the center section of the layout, where the boxes read “C and E”. They can be treated as two separate one-roll proposition bets. Below are some of the most popular combination wagers.

Horn Bets

The Horn wager involves betting four units on 11 (Yo-leven) and the craps numbers 2, 3, and 12. If one of these numbers appears on the next roll, the portion of the bet on that number wins, while the units on the other three numbers lose. Numbers 2 and 12 pay 30 to 1; 3 and 11 pay 15 to 1. You win only on the number rolled and lose the amounts staked on the others.

World/Whirl Bets

This bet consists of five units—four placed on the Horn numbers (11, 2, 3, and 12) and one on 7. If 7 is rolled, the payout is 5 for 1, resulting in a push overall. If 11, 12, 3, or 2 is rolled, the bet pays 15 to 1.

High-Low Bets

The name refers to the lowest and highest possible totals—2 and 12. This two-unit wager wins whenever 2 or 12 is thrown. The payout is 15 to 1 with a house edge of 11.11%.

Three-Way Craps Bets

Some inexperienced players confuse this wager with Any Craps. Three-Way Craps involves betting three separate units on numbers 2, 3, and 12 individually. Your return depends on which number hits: 2 or 12 pays 30 to 1, while 3 pays 15 to 1. The house edge is 11.11%.

Three-Way Red Bets

This wager bets that 7 will hit on the next roll. It differs from Big Red in two ways: the house edge is lower at 11.11%, and it requires three units—one on each of the combinations that total 7 (4-3, 5-2, and 6-1). The payouts match those of Ace-Deuce and Yo-leven—either 16 for 1 or 15 to 1.