Craps is one of the best games to play in a casino when considering the house advantage. It is also one of the most exciting. The key to staying in the game longer and increasing your chances of winning is knowing which bets to make on the felt. The house advantage can vary drastically from one bet to another.
The bets are listed from the lowest house advantage to the highest. The percentage next to it is the theoretical hold.
Odds – 0%
Odds may not be bet without a corresponding Pass Line, Come, Don’t Pass, or Don’t Come bet. When available, always take the maximum odds for your bankroll and comfort levels. Bet smaller on the main bets and put down bigger odds if the table minimum allows that. These bets have no house advantage. The return-to-player is 100%.
The most common Las Vegas craps odds are 3-4-5x. Others include 2x, 3x, 5x, 10x, and 20x.
Buy 4 and 10 – 1.33% or 1.67%
Most casinos give players a free Buy on 4 and 10. This means the house only collects the 5% commission when the bet wins. Losing bets do not pay a commission at most Las Vegas craps tables. If a live casino has this favorable rule, you can make bets of $25 or $50 for a house edge of 1.33% because the juice is rounded down to the nearest dollar. This does not work on electronic table games or online casinos. The house edge is 1.67% on bets divisible by $20.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come – 1.36%
The house advantage on Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets is 1.36% before accounting for odds that may be placed when a point is established. When combining these bets with odds, the house edge drops on the combined wager.
Here are the house advantages for each bet when taking the maximum allowed odds:
- 2x: 0.46%
- 3-4-5x: 0.27%
- 5x: 0.23%
- 10x: 0.12%
- 20x: 0.07%
- 100x: 0.01%
Pass Line and Come – 1.41%
The Pass Line and Come have a house edge of 1.41% before considering odds. When taking odds, the house advantage on the combined bets drops to:
- 2x: 0.61%
- 3-4-5x: 0.37%
- 5x: 0.33%
- 10x: 0.18%
- 20x: 0.1%
- 100x: 0.02%
Place 6 and 8 – 1.52%
Placing the 6 and 8 has a house edge of 1.52%, making it the best Place bet on the table.
Lay 4 and 10 – 1.67% to 2.44%
Laying the 4 and 10 means that it will lose to a 7 before it is made. Some casinos give a free lay on 4 and 10, like they do on Buy bets. Most do not. If the house gives free lays on these numbers, the casino’s advantage is 1.67%. If the 5% commission must be paid on all bets, it increases to 2.44%.
Buy or Place 5 and 9 – 2% or 4%
Placing the 5 and 9 holds 4%. If you find an electronic table game or online casino that allows the 5 and 9 to be bought for free, and the commission is only paid on wins, that drops to 2%.
Lay 5 and 9 – 2.17% or 3.23%
Laying the 5 and 9 requires paying the 5% commission upfront. The house edge on most increments is 3.23%. However, if players bet $45 or $75, they usually get the $0.50 commission rounded down. That puts the house advantage at 2.17%.
Field – 2.78% or 5.56%
The Field is a one-roll bet that wins if 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 comes. The 2 and 12 always pay at least double. If one pays triple, the house edge is 2.78%. If both pay double, it holds 5.56%.
Lay 6 and 8 – 4%
Laying the 6 and 8 holds 4% at all proper $25 win increments.
Hard 6 and 8 – 9.09%
Betting that a hard 6 or 8 will come before a 7 holds 9.09%.
Big 6 and Big 8 – 9.09%
This bet is a holdover from the days of craps tables with minimum bets of $5 and lower. Some tables offer a Big 6 and 8. Do not ever make this bet, as it only pays even money. Place the 6 and 8 instead.
Hard 4 and 10 – 11.11%
The 4 and 10 Hardways are worse than the 6 and 8. These bets hold 11.11%.
Any Craps
Any Craps is a one-roll bet that wins when a 2, 3, or 12 is called. It holds 11.11%.
All easy hop bets, including 3 and 11 – 11.11%
A Hop bet is when the player declares what the next roll will be. It must be the exact two dice called to win. The 3 and 11 and all other rolls that can come two ways hold 11.11%. Some casinos do not accept these hops on numbers other than 3 and 11.
All Hardway hop bets, including 2 and 12 – 13.89%
Hopping the 2, 12, or any hardway number holds 13.89%. Some casinos do not accept these bets on numbers other than 2 and 12.
Any Seven – 16.67%
If a craps game has no side bets, the Any Seven is the worst bet on the table. It holds 16.67%. This bet is sometimes called “Big Red.”
Side bets
Side bets like All Tall Small and Fire Bet are on some craps tables. When available, these are usually the worst bets on the table. While some casinos keep the house edge around 10%, most do not. These bets may hold as much as 25%. These bets can have massive payouts. However, over a large sample size, it can be a bankroll destroyer.
