Craps Strategy

Have you ever wondered why casinos have fewer crap tables than any other table games? It certainly isn’t because fewer people want to play the game. It’s because 50 or more people can play on the same table at one time, betting for or against whoever is rolling the dice.

Craps Rules

There is no sense in learning tips or strategy if you don’t understand why a player wins or loses, keeps playing or passes the dice to the next player. Start by knowing the minimal basics of the game.

1. You are NOT required to roll the dice. When a player doesn’t make the point, they said that they would, the player next to them in clockwise rotation gets a turn to throw the dice. When it comes to your turn, you do not have to roll, if you are uncomfortable about it – or unlucky at it.
2. If you DO choose to shoot the dice, you MUST place a Pass or Don’t Pass bet.
3. The first roll, that each player takes after the Pass Line wins, is called the “Come-Out” roll.
4. The Pass Line bet wins on the Come-Out roll on 7 or 11 and loses on 2, 3 and 12.
5. If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 on the Come-Out roll, the shooter must roll that number again before shooting a 7 or the pass loses.

How to Play Craps

Craps is a game of dice with over 15 different types of bets, that can be made on any one throw. Instead of trying to learn all of them at once, learn four that pay more often than others, even if they fail to pay the highest amounts.

 

• Pass – betting that the shooter will roll any of the numbers, that will keep him in charge of the dice
• Don’t Pass – you’re betting that the shooter will roll a 7 on the come-out or after making his point. You lose when the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12, unless the board has a Bar 12 and/or Bar 2 bet space. In that case, the 2 and 12 are pushes.
• Come – betting that the shooter will make the point established in the Come Out roll
• Don’t Come – betting that the shooter will fail to make point and roll a 7. Again, 2, 3 and 12 are losers, unless the spaces are provided for a push on 2 and 12.
• Place – betting on a specific number – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 – and that the shooter will roll that number before he/she rolls a 7. You lose if a 7 is rolled. You cannot make a Place bet on the Come-Out roll
• Laying the Odds – betting against the number – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 – and betting that the shooter rolls a 7 before the point. You lose on 7.
• Buy – these are the Super Place bets for all practical purposes. You bet more on one of the numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 – and agree to pay a commission of 5% to the house if you lose and are compensated with a win by being paid true odds.
• Buy Behind – you are betting against the numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 – and pay the commission or are paid true odds if you win.
• Put – betting skip the pass line and come line bets and pick one number to “put” your bet on
• Field – betting the field – 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 – on one roll. If any of the numbers come in, you are paid even money. In many casinos, the 2 will pay double and the 12 pays triple your bet. Ask the Stickman, before you place a field bet about the payout on these two numbers.
• Big 6 and Big 8 – these are the numbers 6 and 8 on the corner of the table layout. You can take these bets down or add them at any time. 7 is a loser.
• Hard Way – betting that 4, 6, 8 or 10 are going to be rolled as a pair – a pair of 2s, 3s, 4s or 5s. You lose if the number is rolled but is not reached as a pair.
• Proposition – these are sometimes referred to as hopping bets which only means that you are betting a single number on the very next roll. If it comes in, you win otherwise you lose. You can bet the Hard Way as well. The win pays 30 to 1.
• Horn – winning the Proposition bet and telling the Stickman to bet the Horn on the very next roll where you are betting on 2, 3, 11 and 12 only.
• World – as variation of the Horn bet and under the same circumstances where you are betting on 2, 3, 11, 12 and 7 with your bet split evenly across all 5 numbers.
• High Horn – another variation of the Horn bet under the same circumstances, where you are betting an extra $1 on each $5 of your bet, on the number you chose from 2, 3, 11 or 12. In other words, if you place a High Horn on 12, you are betting $1 on 2, 3, and 11 and the $1 increase on 12.

Craps Winning Strategy

• Balance your bet – if you are a beginner at the game, it is better to play the Pass/Don’t Pass and any one of the other types of bets of your choice. This won’t get you a huge win but it will keep you in the game.
• Anything but Seven – there are some players that prefer to play anything but 7 and bet the Pass/Don’t Pass and the Field on every play. The reason is that, on average, the player with the dice rolls 5 – 6 times before rolling a 7.

Craps Tips

• If you are unsure of what you to do, ask the Stickman – he will guide you through the process until you feel comfortable but he is not there to tell you what or how to bet.
• Don’t waste your money on purchasing a “Strategy System” because they are nothing but scams.

Craps FAQs

Is it true that Craps is the highest-paying game in the casino?

No. Baccarat and Roulette pay higher, but Craps is the fastest game in the casino for those, who like the wild and rowdy environment.

Can a player get a mathematical advantage at craps?

No. The casino has put the best math minds in the world on calculating odds and setting the house’s edge, so that the player never has a consistent edge.

Is there any craps system or strategy that works better than others?

No. Every strategy has the possibility of working for a short period of time, but none works consistently throughout a game. This has to do with the way individual players hold the dice, how strong they are when they throw them, and if they are left or right handed. Players that wear glasses, often throw the dice to one side or the other depending on which eye is the most predominant, but no one knows why. Each of these variables disrupts any strategy system.