The Horn Bet
| Updated: Understanding the Horn Bet
The game of craps is often intimidating for the average casino player because of the large number of available bets. The outlandish jargon used by players at the craps tables does not make things any easier for newbies, but the rules are actually quite simple.
Although it may seem difficult to play, craps is a fascinating game of chance that offers plenty of excitement for both seasoned and casual gamblers. Players can choose from a large number of available wagers, including an entire category of one-roll proposition bets. The Horn bet also belongs to this category, giving players the chance to diversify their session at the craps table and even pocket extra-large payouts.
The trouble is that the average player has little understanding of how this combination bet works, let alone the monstrous disadvantage they face when making it. People frequently confuse it with the C and E bet, which covers the same numbers but is different in essence, as you will discover in a moment. This section of our craps guide introduces the Horn bet, its odds, house edge, and whether it is a good wager for craps players.
The Horn Bet in Craps Explained
When you walk past the craps table, you will inevitably see players pushing chips toward the stickman, yelling phrases like “Horn High Yo!”, “Horn High Ace Deuce!”, “Horn High Snake Eyes!”, or “Horn High Boxcars!”. These are the nicknames of the four Horn numbers. The 2 is referred to as “snake eyes”, the 12 is known as “boxcars”, the 3 is called “ace deuce”, and the 11 has been given the nickname “yo(leven)”.
So, the Horn bet covers all three craps numbers (2, 3, and 12) along with the 11. This is a combination bet, which means you must place four individual wagers, one on each of the four winning numbers. Because of this peculiarity, players are advised to always bet amounts that are divisible by four.
The Horn bet highlights one unique aspect of the game of craps. To avoid confusion—because 7 and 11 sound very similar—players often call the Horn numbers by their alternative nicknames.
Depending on the casino where they play, gamblers might be offered the opportunity to place a breakage Horn bet. This occurs when a player wagers an incorrect unit and the house is unable to pay them back to the exact unit. In simple terms, when breakage occurs, the amount the player has earned is rounded in the house’s favor.
Thus, if you wager $10, dividing your Horn bet by four means that $2.50 is staked on each number.
Please bear in mind that the payout rate is not the same when the low and high sides hit. If 2 or 12 comes out, you will receive $77.50.
- $2.50 x 31 = $77.50. After subtracting the $10 stake, the net profit is $67.50. In such cases, players will collect $67 instead of $67.50.
It is important to note that the payoffs for high-side breakage are 31:1. Thus, if the staked amount is $5, players get a payout of $33. In the event that they stake $10, they collect $67. Betting $15 or $25 will bring them $101 and $168, respectively.
However, this will not be the case if the low side comes out, because even if players have staked an irregular unit, there is no need for the amount to be rounded up: $10 x 3 = $30. As you can see, in such situations, gamblers are safe.
Difference between Horn Bets and C and E Bets
This wager should not be confused with the Craps and Eleven bet (commonly known as the C and E bet). The latter covers the same numbers (2, 3, 12, and 11) but offers much lower payouts than the Horn bet because there is no need to divide the wager among four separate winning outcomes. The stickman will divide your C and E bet equally, so that one half of the wager backs craps numbers 2 and 12 while the other half backs 3 and 11.
The C and E bet wins when one of the four numbers is rolled, and you lose the half of the original stake that was backing the other pair of numbers. The Horn is different in that you lose three individual wagers even if one of the four winning numbers shows on the next throw.
How to Make a Horn Bet While Complying with Table Etiquette
It is essential to comply with the established table etiquette when making this type of wager. You should keep in mind the Horn is not a self-service bet, meaning that only the stickman can place it for you.
The chips for Horn bets are placed in the center of the table layout, and you must request the stickman to make the wager for you. You can do this either by pushing the chips toward the stickman or by informing one of the base dealers that you want to bet on the Horn. Some casinos use separate betting grids for the individual Horn numbers, while others may have an extra betting grid that reads “Horn”.
Players are advised to wager amounts divisible by four, especially if it is difficult for them to calculate fractions in their heads; otherwise, they might be shorted on the payout if they happen to win.
You toss four $1 chips toward the stickman and say you want to bet “around the Horn”. The stickman will then take your four chips and break the wager into four equal parts so that Horn numbers 2, 3, 12, and 11 are all covered with a $1 chip each. Accordingly, the payout you receive depends on which individual number wins. If the shooter rolls a 2 or a 12, the casino will pay out at odds of 30 to 1—or 31 for 1, which is the same thing. The numbers 3 and 11 pay out 15 to 1, or 16 for 1.
Let’s look at an example where the amount you bet on the Horn is not divisible by four. Suppose you have no $1 chips left and decide to wager $5 around the Horn at a table that features a separate Horn betting box. In this instance, you determine that you are essentially wagering $1.25 on each of the four Horn numbers.
But notice what happens if one of your numbers rolls; calculating your payout with fractions can get tricky. If 11 rolls on the next throw, your payout is 15 to 1 (or $18.75). However, the other three $1.25 bets on 3, 2, and 12 will lose. The dealer will then subtract your losses of $3.75 from $18.75 to pay you $15 in winnings. The calculations would be the same if your Horn bet had won with a 3 instead of an 11.
If you happen to win with craps numbers 2 or 12, the Horn bet will pay out at odds of 30 to 1. Suppose 12 hits: your winnings from this bet will amount to $37.50. You will again incur losses of $3.75 from the other three individual wagers on 2, 3, and 11.
The dealer will subtract these losses from your $37.50 profit, leaving you with $33.75. At some craps tables, the staff does not deal with cents because they do not have such small chip denominations, so instead, your profit will be rounded down to $33. The remainder is retained by the house.
There are two ways to prevent this from happening. You can either wager in multiples of four so that you can easily keep track of your winnings, or you can make use of the remainder by placing a Horn High bet. Of course, requesting $1 change on your $5 is also an option, if small chips are available, but sometimes this can be a nuisance for the table staff.
Betting the Horn High
Some players shy away from requesting change for their Horn bets, while others are too lazy to arrange their $1 chips into neat stacks and prefer to use $5 chips to save time. The Horn High bet is the perfect option for such players because it lets them choose which Horn number they want to back with their extra chip.
In such instances, the player announces “High Horn Yo” when they want the extra dollar on the 11, or “High Horn Snake Eyes” if they want to back the 2 with the remainder of their Horn wager. A $5 Horn High Snake Eyes would have $2 wagered on 2 and $1 on each of the remaining Horn numbers (3, 11, and 12). The payouts for Horn High bets are the same as those for regular Horn bets.
Note that you have another option if you want to use the remainder of your Horn bet. You can request “Give me a Horn and a Hard 8”, for example. The stickman would then put $1 on the Hard 8 and distribute the remaining $4 equally among the four Horn numbers, giving you an extra number you can win with. If the Hard 8 (4-4) hits, you will collect a payout of 9 to 1. In this case, you get $9 from your Hard 8, lose $4 from the Horn bet, and end up with $6 ($5 plus your original $1 wager).
The Whirl Bet
We include the Whirl bet here because it closely resembles the Horn bet. In essence, the Whirl is nothing more than a Horn bet that also covers the 7. In other words, you make five independent bets on numbers 2, 3, 11, 12, and 7. Respectively, you need five units to make a Whirl bet: four units are wagered on each of the Horn numbers, and the fifth unit is wagered on the 7.
Likewise, players who wish to experiment with Whirl bets are advised to wager amounts that are multiples of five, which keeps things simple. The payouts on winning Whirl bets when 2, 3, 12, or 11 hit are the same as those for the regular Horn bet. If the shooter rolls a 7 on the next throw, your bet results in a push because the 7 pays at odds of 4 to 1 (4 for 1). Neither the Horn nor the Whirl bet offers favorable odds to the player, as we explain in the next section.
Odds, House Edge, and Probability for Horn Bets
Gamblers love to experiment with Horn bets because they are interesting to play, ignoring the fact that this is absolutely one of the worst wagers a person can make in the game of craps. There is only one possible combination for each of the craps numbers 2 (1-1) and 12 (6-6), so the probability of either occurring is 2/36 = 5.56%. The 3 and the 11 have a total of four possible combinations—2-1, 1-2, 6-5, and 5-6—which corresponds to a probability of 4/36 = 11.11%.
Therefore, you have six possible winning combinations out of a total of 36, and the probability of your Horn bet winning stands at 16.67%. In contrast, the likelihood of losing is substantial at 30/36 = 83.33%.
You are probably asking yourself why anyone would make a Horn bet with such a small chance of winning. Well, the main reason is that Horn bets bring lots of excitement to the game. More importantly, they offer significant returns if one of the four winning numbers shows on the table, especially if it is the 2 or the 12, where the casino offers a payout of 30 to 1 (some establishments list these odds as 27 to 4).
Rolling a 3 or an 11 on the next throw results in a payout of 15 to 1 (or 3 to 1 in some casinos). Keep in mind the amounts the house pays you do not reflect the true odds of winning. The combined true odds for the Horn bet are 5 to 1. Meanwhile, the true odds of rolling 2 or 12 individually are 35 to 1 because there are 35 losing combinations and only one winning combination for each of these values. Respectively, the true odds of winning with 3 or 11 individually are 17 to 1.
Despite the differences in how the payouts are expressed, Horn bettors face a very steep house edge. You can calculate your expected return for the Horn bet as long as you know the probabilities of winning and losing and the profits you can generate from a winning bet. However, you should not forget you are making four independent bets, so you will lose three units even if you win. If the roll results in any number other than 2, 3, 12, or 11, you will be four units down.
Calculating your expected return with a $4 Horn bet runs as follows: ((2/36) x 27 + (4/36) x 12 + (30/36) x (-4)) / 4 = (-0.125) x 100 = -12.5%. This means you will be $12.50 down for every $100 you wager on Horn bets in the long run. In other words, you are battling an outrageous house edge of 12.50% when betting “around the Horn”.
Is the Horn Bet a Bargain for Craps Players
It is probably apparent what our stance on betting the Horn is. In itself one of the worst casino bets ever, the Horn combines four of the worst bets you can make in craps, namely the individual wagers on values 2, 3, 11, and 12.
However, if you do insist, you can experiment with the Horn bet every once in a while, as long as you do not overdo it. The trouble is that you will most likely have to spend a little extra on gas and drive to the nearest land-based casino, since Horn bets are rarely available in online versions of the game.
That being said, some software suppliers, such as Wagerworks and Betsoft, have indeed included it on their craps layouts. The good news is that you will not have to deal with betting in multiples of four or calculating fractions. You can make this proposition wager with a single click on the section that reads “Horn”, and, if you happen to win, the software will calculate the exact payout for you. Experiment with the Horn bet at your leisure—but don’t say we didn’t warn you.