THE BEST CRAPS STRATEGIES
Before you play craps, it's essential to have a game plan in mind. In addition, several considerations should be factored into the equation, notably:
* What is your available bankroll for each session of craps? Are you able to afford the craps strategy that offers the best odds?
* What are your objectives? There are two basic craps strategies – bet long shots with bigger payoffs infrequently (and the potential for substantial losses more frequently?), or grind out a profit with smaller bets?
* Are you prepared to buck the trend and bet against the craps shooter? Often known as crossing over to the dark side, players who do this enjoy better odds, but they lose the camaraderie of 'shooter solidarity betting.'
Today, we will consider various strategic plans that craps players use at the tables. For further information on each craps bet, kindly circle back to previous chapters in the ultimate craps strategy guide.
THE MOST POPULAR CRAPS STRATEGIES
PASS AND COME BETS, WITH ODDS
Players are well served by starting with the pass line. This bet is ideal for any craps strategy, owing to its 1.41% house edge. Furthermore, it is preferable with free odds since the house edge rapidly diminishes based on how many times the pass bet is wagered on odds.
With single odds, the pass-plus-odds combo bet has a house edge of just 0.8%. It has a house edge of 0.6% with double odds and a house edge of 0.4% with X3, X4, and X5 odds. The outage drops to 0.3% with quintuple odds (X5), 0.2% with X10 odds and 0.02% on the rare occasion that casinos offer X100 odds on the pass-plus-odds bets.
Want to know something interesting? The house edges on the come plus odds bets are identical – 1.41%. The edge on the combo bets declines as the odds bets rise.
That's precisely how it has to be based on the contents of this craps strategy guide. The Come Bet is identical to the pass bet with a notable exception: it is placed in the craps betting sequence at a different time. If the craps shooter has yet to establish a point on the pass line, the next craps roll is a come-out roll, and players should place a bet on a pass. On the other hand, if a pass line point already exists, it's possible to bet on getting an extra number working.
Craps players who adopt this type of strategy typically place pass bets with several come bets to activate up to three or four numbers. The optimal size of your bet on the odds depends wholly on your bankroll and preferences. For example, let's say the casino offers X100 odds to you. It's unnecessary to bet the full quota of X100 – you're welcome to bet well within your comfort zone – single odds, double odds, triple odds, etcetera.
Your goal in all cases is the same: Place the lion's share of your bet in the free odds. Why? Because there's no house edge there. Begin bet placement at the minimum requirement on the Pass or Come bet. Then, you can upsize your total bet by placing the rest in odds. Make sense?
Never bet more than you can afford – that's a recipe for disaster. It doesn't matter how low the house edge is; stay within your budget. Never overcommit.
The Positive:
If you bet with the shooter, then pass and come bets with odds have the lowest house edge of any craps strategy.
The Negative:
You will be risking substantial money with multiple numbers – with odds – working simultaneously. For example, let's say you're betting C$10 on a pass bet, and then you follow that up with 2X C$10 come bets. You have a total of C$30 on the line before taking the odds into account. If you then bet C$10 in double odds on each, your total bet in C$ rises sharply since you're doubling your bets. Remember – your bets can be eliminated by a single 7 coming up.
If your bankroll can't handle those odds, and you can't take that sort of hit – tighten up. One option is to place fewer come bets. You can also consider more affordable betting selections.
DON'T PASS & DON'T COME WHILE LAYING ODDS
Recall from earlier we discussed Don't Pass and Don't Come bets being the opposite of Pass & Come bets? With these selections, you're betting against the craps shooter hitting their point.
Here's the thing: The house edge on Don't Pass or Don't Come bets is just 1.36%. It's better than the house edge of 1.41% on Pass or Come bets. Craps bettors can get the edges on Don't Pass or Don't Come bets down to 0.7% (on single odds) when laying the odds. You can reduce the edges further with the following selections:
* 0.5% house edge with X2
* 0.3% house edge with X3, X4, or X5
* 0.2% house edge with X5
* 0.1% house edge with X100
Like the Pass and Come Plus Odds, the objective is clear: Deposit a huge chunk of your bet into the odds. Why? Because the Odds have no house edge, whereas the Don't Pass and Don't Come bets have a house edge.
The level-best craps strategy is to bet the table minimum amounts for Don't Pass and Don't Come selections. Then, you can accomplish your desired total bets by laying the odds. That's how it's done!
The Positive
You get the lowest house edge in craps with the Don't Pass and Don't Come bets while laying the odds.
The Negative
The total bets can rise fast like the Pass & Come Plus Odds. This is true even if you start playing the minimum bet amounts. It's best to let your bankroll determine the affordability of your Don't Pass Bet and Don't Come Bet selections. There's also the question of whether you can afford to Lay the Odds in these bets.
PLACING BETS ON 6 & 8
This popular craps betting strategy allows you to pick your numbers. You don't have to wait for the craps shooter to establish a point number. Besides 7, the most frequently occurring numbers in craps are 6 & 8. The house edge on these numbers is 1.52%. Granted, the odds are higher than the Pass, Come, Don't Pass & Don't Come bets. But guess what? The house edge is lower than most of the bets you can place at the casino.
Knowledgeable craps players know to stay away from other types of place bets (owing to the high house edge):
* 4% house edge on numbers 5 or 9
* 6.67% house edge on numbers 4 or 10
Always bet in multiples of C$6 when placing bets on 6 or 8. All winning bets are paid out at 7:6 odds, but if you choose not to bet in multiples of C$6, shorter pay is offered. For example, a C$5 bet is only paid C$5, as opposed to a C$6 bet paying C$7!
The Positive
Players will never be restricted to the less frequently rolled points, including 4 or 10. Plus, there's a pretty low house edge to contend with. Players can enjoy this betting system with far less money than the craps systems, including odds. For example, when betting with a C$5 minimum table, a 6 and 8 bet requires a minimum investment of just C$12.
The Negative
There are no free odds on point numbers. There is no house edge on free odds. The house edge is worse for players than the Pass-Come-Odds and Don't Pass-Don't Come-Lay Odds betting systems.
PASS WITH ODDS, PLUS PLACE 6 AND/OR 8 BETS
There is a hybrid system of betting which allows players to capitalize on the free odds. If you can't afford to place bets on both the pass plus, there is an option. Play begins with a bet on the Pass Line Bet at the table minimum. The pass bet is backed with the free odds based on your budgetary restraints as soon as a point is established. If the point happens to be 6 or 8, it's possible to add a place bet on the other number. But, if the point is another number place bets are made on 6 and 8.
The Positive
Because of the free odds backing your pass bet, the house edge on 6 and 8 is lower. Another positive to remember is that the most frequently occurring non-7 numbers are in your favour – 6 and/or 8.
Equally important to bear in mind: these bets require less money than the complete full pass-come-odds betting system. Let's say you've got a C$5 pass bet which is backed up by a C$10 in double odds. And, there are C$6 place bets on numbers 6 & 8. At this point, you are risking a total of C$27. That's substantially different from a C$45 bet for Pass and two Come Bets. Remember, these are backed up with double odds, and you are risking more money if you wager more than double odds.
The Negative
This isn't the lowest possible house edge you can get in a craps bet. However, the edge on the two place bets is markedly higher than the edge on the Come-Plus-Odds-Combo bets.
ALTERNATIVE BETTING STRATEGIES IN CRAPS
These betting strategies are popular for several reasons. First, they radically reduce the house edge to the bare minimum and allow players the best shot at stretching their budget and enjoying maximum leverage in craps. Plus, you get to enjoy winning sessions at craps play.
But, there are alternative betting strategies in craps too. Some of them are geared towards rapid, sizeable wins when they work. With these alternative systems, players are quickly in and out of the betting action (either with a profit or a loss).
Other betting systems are tailored to players who want to bet the downside without exclusively betting on Don't Pass or Don't Come selections. Alternatively, they may be looking to capitalize on the free odds without waiting for the craps shooter to establish a point. Several of these betting systems are also designed to obfuscate player bet weaknesses through layering with other bets.
We've listed many different craps betting systems above, but all of these have higher house edges. So bet at your own risk as you assess your options.
PUT BETS IN CRAPS
You don't have to wait for the craps shooter to establish a point – you can take advantage of free odds with put bets.
After the shooter has established a point, you can place Craps put bets. For example, it's possible to bet on the pass line if the shooter rolls a 6 on the come-out. The point value is 6, and even money is paid to winners.
There are high house edges on craps put bets. Let's take a look at some of the options:
* 9.1% house edge if the point is 6/8
* 20% house edge if the point is 5/9
* 33.3% house edge if the point is 4/10
The reason for the high house edges is that players are skipping the comeout – that's where there are 8 ways to win. These include 6 ways for a 7 to be rolled and 2 ways for any 11. There are only 4 ways to lose, including:
* Two ways to roll 3
* One way to 2
* One way to roll 12
What's inherently appealing about Put Bets in Craps is that you can use Free Odds to back them. However, there is no inherent house edge with Free Odds. As a casual player with low-stakes play, that's not enough incentive to place bets. Most craps players choosing 6 or 8 of the target numbers are better served by place bets.
There are' breaking points' where Put Bets can be equivalent to or better than place bets. Let's take numbers 6 or 8 as cases in point – Put Bets have the same 1.52% house edge as Place Bets, provided you take X5 odds, and the house edge drops even lower when you bet a greater value in odds.
Perhaps you take X4 odds – the other put bets at the equivalent house edge as place bets. That's 4% on fives and nines, but it's 6.67% on fours and tens. Once again, remember that with odds, the house edge on put-odds combinations drops even lower. Provided you have a substantial enough playing budget and you're okay with X5 betting odds, the house edge will drop even lower if you wager more in odds.
Let's assume you take X4 odds, then what happens is that the other put bets have an equivalent house edge as place bets. That's 4% on numbers 5 or 9, and a house edge of 6.67% on numbers 4 or 10. Remember, the house edge on put-odds combinations drops lower with additional odds.
If you got a stash of cash and don't mind betting with X5 odds, put bets on numbers 6 or 8 are as good as placing 6 and 8. The odds are X6 or greater, and put-plus-odds are better than 6-8 place bets.
The Positive
With put bets in craps, players can select the most frequently rolled numbers. Players can also bring down the house edge, placing bets on free odds.
The Negative
For many players, Put Bets are uncomfortable to play. When the table minimum is C$5, that value put bet plus X6 odds to lower the house edge on craps numbers 6 or 8 to less than 1.52% requires a minimum investment of C$35. Unfortunately, that is only worth a single number. Simultaneously, players can get a 1.52% house edge by placing a bet of C$6 are numbers 6 or 8. Naturally, these betting options are ideal for high rollers and casino whales.
Side note: In craps, the house edge can never drop as low as pass plus the same odds value. Players have carte blanche to select their points, but there is a cost factor when starting with a 9.1% odds Put bet rather than a 1.41% Pass Bet.
HEDGE BETS IN CRAPS
There's always a weakness with craps bets. It is easy to determine what it is with Pass and Come Bets – once you establish a point, the most frequently rolled number is 7. So it's a guaranteed loser. It's just the same with Place Bets. Why? Because if the crapshooter rolls 7, the bet loses.
Craps players often attempt to compensate for this weakness with craps hedge bets. One of the most common ways to hedge your bets in craps is betting on any 7 while making a place bet. Of course, that's assuming you make a C$6 bet on number 8. Now let's assume that you hedge with a C$2 on any 7 coming up. If the craps shooter rolls a straight-up 8, you will win C$7 from the place bet. But, you will lose the hedge of C$2. That results in a nifty profit of C$5 for your efforts.
If the losing number crops up – number seven – you will forfeit your C$6 from the place bet, but the 7 pays at odds of 4:1. Therefore, you'd win C$8 on the hedge bet for a nifty overall profit of C$2. Since we already know that dice rolls can form any number – not just 7 or 8 – therefore, any 7 is a one-roll bet. If another number comes up, the craps player loses the C$2 on any 7, but the place bet remains in force until the craps shooter rolls 7 or 8.
For as long as you continue to place hedge bets in craps, it is necessary to add a new C$2 bet, followed by another, and another after that. It's possible to lose many hedge bets as well as place bets. For example, the any 7 bet has an outrageously high house edge of 16.67% – far greater than the 1.52 % on 6 or 8. Expect a higher overall house edge and greater losses when you hedge a solid Place Bet with Any Seven. In our examples, we described a system whereby a C$6 place bet on the number 8 and a C$2 hedge bet on any 7 was associated with every roll. In this case, the average player losses for every 36 craps rolls amount to C$1 without the hedge in place and C$13 with a hedge in effect.
Players have several ways to hedge in craps, such as the Comeout Roll with 2, 3, 12, as losing numbers. Hedging with any craps is helpful. The house edge on any craps is 11.1%. For every 36 comeout rolls, a C$5 Pass Bet and C$1 for Any 7 results in an average winnings figure of C$16. Players who hold firm on the past bet and avoid the hedge typically generate winnings of C$20. Sadly, hedge bets are significantly weaker than the weaknesses they are trying to make up for. It's best to avoid any betting system that uses hedge bets.
The Positives
It's possible to transform losing craps numbers into winning craps numbers with hedge bets. So, if your main bet (primary bet) loses, it's still possible to mitigate losses with the hedge.
The Negatives
There are extremely high house edges on hedge bets. They are all of the one-role variety, meaning that there are craps rolls where players will lose their hedge bets, regardless of what has happened with your main bet. Take a tip – hedge bets usually work against players.
IRON CROSS STRATEGY IN CRAPS
The Iron Cross Strategy sometimes goes by Darby's Field or Dinner Bet. But, unbeknown to many, the Craps Iron Cross was formulated as a hit-and-run casino strategy.
The concept behind the Iron Cross Strategy is to cover plenty of numbers on the table. Start by seeking out a win on the first roll, then remove the remaining craps bets. Claim your profits and move on to the next round. There's a reason' move on' is highlighted in the Craps Iron Cross – players have dubbed this the dinner bet. That means you leave the table – move on - after a win pays for your dinner.
Iron Cross Bettors cover all numbers on the craps table except for number 7. Play begins with a field bet (numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12). After that, place bets are made. These numbers include 5, 6, and 8. Remember, there are 36 possible combinations with a pair of dice. Therefore, there are 30 winners and just 6 ways to form 7 as losing bets.
The majority of field numbers pay even money – 1:1. But the number 2 pays 2:1, and the number 12 pays 2:1 or sometimes 3:1. So ideally, look for a craps table that pays 3:1 on the number 12 to maximize your advantage with this type of bet. Regarding other numbers, the place bet on number 5 pays 7:5, and the place bet on number 6/8 pays 7:6 odds.
Now let's switch our attention over to a craps table with a minimum bet of C$5. In this scenario, your total bet value is C$22. That is made up of C$5 on each field and place bet on 5. There is C$6 on each place bet number 6 and 8. You will win C$15 if the next roll is 12. Winnings of C$7 are paid for numbers 5, 6, and 8/ C$5 winnings are paid on numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. However, if the craps roll turns out to be C$7, players lose the total C$22 bet.
In this case, a C$5 payday won't buy dinner for anyone. Not even at a cheap casino buffet! You're probably going to be able to afford a cup of water and some gum if you're lucky (Vegas hotels are expensive!). That being said, the rationale for this strategy is to generate winnings once and then make a beeline for the exit.
The Positive
With the Iron Cross Craps Strategy, it's possible to win 30 times from 36 rolls.
The Negative
Incur a loss, and it's going to hurt. Any loss you suffer will sting way worse than any win you manage. Overall, the house edge is 2.4% - not a train smash but not great for extended playing sessions. There are better bet selections to place, including pass bets, come bets, free odds bets and other place bets.
In the literature on the topic, you might see the house edge listed as 1.136%. Sadly, that's just per roll, not for each decision. That's a fair proposition for a craps system designed for one roll only. If, on the other hand, you're looking for an extended playing session, then you want the edge to be per decision, not per roll.
No craps betting combination has a lower house edge than an individual bet with the lowest house edge. With the Iron Cross Craps Betting Strategy, you're looking at place bets on 6 and 8. These have a house edge of 1.52% for each decision. When factoring in a per-roll basis, the house edge is 0.46% - that's substantially lower than the edge per roll on the Iron Cross Craps Strategy.
Irrespective of how you assess the house edge – per roll or decision – when you place bets on 6 or 8, you get a much lower house edge than the Iron Cross. This renders the Iron Cross a wager that's useful only for players with a precise one roll, hit and run objective.
LAY BET STRATEGIES IN CRAPS
Like Place Bets, Craps Lay Bets allow players to select their number rather than going through the comeout roll with the shooter. Players who want to bet against infrequently rolled points including 4 & 10 can do so by expressing their interests to the dealer – Lay the 4 or perhaps Lay the 10. Once you make this announcement, you'll win if the craps shooter rolls 7 before those numbers come up. Or the craps player will lose if the Lay numbers arise first!
Remember that 7s are rolled much more frequently than the Lay numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10). That's why players must pay a commission of 5% to the house to place these bets. All craps payouts on Lay Bets are made at true odds. For example, you can wager C$6 to win C$5 on number 6 or 8. Or, you can bet multiples of C$3 to score win multiples of C$2 on numbers 5 or 9. Or, you can bet multiples of C$2 to win C$1 on numbers 4 or 10. The commission generates the house edge it charges on bets.
Players can score the lowest house edge of 2.44% by placing craps lay bets on numbers 4 or 10. The edges work out to 3.23% on numbers 5 or 8. There is a 4% house edge on numbers 6 or 8 too. All in all, the best Lay Bet strategies in craps to affirm the lowest house edge is evident on numbers 4 or 10.
The Positive
Players can select the least frequently rolled craps numbers (known here as point numbers) where you're likely to win more regularly, without a comeout roll. Plus, your total bet is substantially less when you lay the numbers instead of don't bettors, who tend to use a combination of Don't Pass and Don't Come bets + Laying the Odds. In this case, it's the Don't Side version of playing 6 or 8 rather than betting on Pass-Come-odds.
The Negative
Compared to Don't Pass, Don't Come, and Lay Odds, the house edge on Lay Bets are significantly higher. However, remember that the house edge on Lay Odds is often less than 1% compared to the house edge of 2.44% on numbers 4 or 10.
DON'T PASS WITH LAY ODDS, PLUS LAY 4 OR 10 CRAPS BETS
If you're with the shooter and play Pass Plus Odds, then play 6 or 8; the Don't Pass with Lay Odds, Plus Lay 4 or 10, plays similarly.
Play begins with a minimum bet on the Don't Pass selection. Once the shooter establishes a point, then Lay Odds on the point. For example, the point is 4; then, you should also lay the 10. Likewise, if the point is 10, then lay the 4. For any other point number, Lay Both of them.
The Positive
Don't Pass with Lay Odds allow you to lay odds on the Don't Pass bet. There is zero house edge on Laying Odds. With the follow-up bets, numbers 4 and 10, it's impossible to Lay Odds, but this is great because it reduces your overall bets.
For craps players who can't afford to play the Don't Pass, Don't Come bet selections while laying odds but have more available for betting than a player who lays 4 or 10, this combination betting system is inherently attractive.
The Negative
The house edge on Lay Odds, Plus Lay 4 or 10, is significantly higher than the house edge on other bets such as Don't Come, especially when you lay odds. Since you're betting against the craps shooter, there is no camaraderie when most players win together!
WHAT IS THE BEST CRAPS STRATEGY TO USE?
The secrets of craps strategies and the best system to use depends on player preferences and bankroll requirements. The bets offering the lowest house edge and the best winning chances are the Pass-Come Odds and the Don't Pass-Don't Come Lay Odds. You can keep the bet sizes low by playing the 6 or 8 if you can't afford the odds.
It's always best to select the craps strategy that works with your objectives. If you choose outlier bets, you may incur additional costs in the form of a higher house edge. Remember these craps strategies – they can certainly help you make the most informed decisions when you play!
