Craps Betting

Craps offers a great multitude of betting options, many of which have absolutely horrible odds. Some craps bets are closely tied to the shooter's attempt to pass, others are simply bets on the next number to be rolled. A craps player can have numerous wagers going simultaneously, and one roll of the dice might see three winning, two losing and leave three more unaffected. Multiply those eight wagers above by the number of players at a craps table and you'll see why the action at a craps table is often seen as "fast and furious". Below we have outlined some of the better and more useful craps betting options for you.

Prelude to the betting information:
As you may have seen on our craps terminology page, the first roll in a Craps round is called the 'come out' roll. If the dice total is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 than the point is established. On the other hand a total of 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately ends the round. When the point has been established, an “ON” puck will be placed on the point. After the point is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously until the same point is rolled again or a 7.

Pass line bets:
The most basic craps bet is a wager that the shooter will 'pass'. The pass line bet is placed on the pass line before the come out roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you win and the round is done. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12, it is craps and you lose. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10) becomes the point. You win the pass line bet if the point is rolled before a 7. You lose the pass line bet, if a 7 is rolled before the point. A winning pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1).

Pass line bets with odds:
After the point has been established you can lower the house edge by 'taking odds' on your pass line wager. Odds is basically an additional bet that the shooter can make on an existing pass line bet. It's paid at true odds so it has zero percent house edge. You can take odds on your line bet by putting an additional amount of chips just off the pass line behind your original chips. Pass line bets with odds are allowed in multiples of the original flat bet and there is usually a limit (usually posted to the side of the table along with other table limit information).

Don’t Pass Line Bets:
The opposite of a pass-line bet is a wager on the "don't pass" bar. It is placed on the craps table in the “Don’t Pass Bar” before the come out roll. In a don’t pass line bet, you are betting that the shooter will roll 7 before rolling the point. You win on the come out roll if you roll craps (2 or 3), and on any other roll if it is 7. If the come out roll is 12, a don’t pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. You lose on the come out roll if it is either 7 or 11, and on any other roll if it is the point. A winning don’t pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). A bet on the Don't Pass bar can only be made before a come-out roll.

Come Bets:
Come bets work like pass line bets, except that a come bet is made after the shooter establishes a point. To place a come bet, put your chips in the box labeled Come. You win even money if the next roll is either a 7 or 11. You lose if the next roll is craps (2, 3, or 12). If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then that number becomes the come point, and the come bet is moved from the “COME” bar to the box corresponding to the come point. If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, you win the bet. If a 7 is rolled first, you lose the bet. The come bet pays even money (1 to 1).

Don't Come Bets:
This is the exact opposite of the Come Bet. It is placed after the come out roll in the “Don’t Come Bar” on the craps table. If the shooter rolls a 3 or 2, the don’t come bet wins. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, the don’t come bet loses. If the shooter rolls a 12, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. If the roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the “don’t come point,” and the don’t come bet is moved from the “Don’t Come Bar” to the bar in the upper left corner of the box corresponding to the don’t come point. Once the don’t come point is established, don’t come bets win even money (1 to 1) if a 7 is rolled, and lose if the don’t come point is rolled.

Odds Betting:
You can make odds bets on the Pass Line, Don't Pass Line, Come and Don't Come bets detailed above. An odds bet is a basically a backup bet on an existing bet.

Place Win Bets
Place bets are made on: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Place your chips in the box with the number that you wish to bet on. You are allowed to make place bets at any time. You win if the shooter rolls your number before a seven. The payouts depend on the number you bet on.

Place Lose Bets
Place Lose bets are just like Place Win bets, except you are paid if the shooter rolls a seven before the number you bet on. The payouts depend on the number you bet on.

Buy Bets
A buy bet is the same as a place bet with the exception being the payout. To distinguish the buy bet from a come bet, the buy bet is labeled with a “BUY” marker. When winning a Buy bet, a commission (vigorish) is charged. Your winnings are paid at true odds: 6 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 3 to 2 on numbers 5 and 9, and 2 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10.

Lay Bets
A lay bet is the opposite of a buy bet. A lay bet is labeled with a “LAY” marker. It bets that a 7 will be rolled before a 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. It is a bet against the dice, which means you win if a 7 is rolled before the number you selected. When winning the Lay bet, a commission (vigorish) is charged. Lay bet winnings are paid at true odds: 5 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 2 to 3 on numbers 5 and 9, and 1 to 2 on numbers 4 and 10.

Just for you, we've detailed some 'not-so-good' Craps Bets!
Here are other useful links to: Craps Instructions & Craps Betting

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