What’s a quick decision-making game with high stakes and a lot of luck? Craps, of course! Gambling has recently surged to new highs, so if you’re new to playing online and looking for a game, this could be one for you.
Craps can be intimidating if you’re new to the game and don’t know what some of its rules mean. The craps probability of winning is always in favour of the house due to its built-in advantage (the house edge) — and this has been a rule since its Las Vegas days.
The goal for players is to minimise this disadvantage by mastering strategy techniques that increase their chances of winning big or even turning a profit without relying on Lady Luck alone! There are many bets that can be placed, so naturally, craps odds, payouts and house edge have a significant part to play.
The odds in craps are the ratio of the number of ways something can happen to the number of ways it cannot. Online casinos and gambling companies calculate odds by dividing the number of favourable outcomes by the total number of possible outcomes or vice versa. To put it another way, if you bet on an event occurring and you win, you see your odds as a ratio.
Keen to know more about craps bets and their payout odds? Let’s dive in.
WHAT ARE TRUE ODDS IN CRAPS?
The true odds of any bet in craps, including Pass Line bets, Come bets, and Don’t Pass bets, are all determined by a simple calculation based on the number of ways each side can lose or win.
For example, if you were to place a €5 Come bet when the shooter throws the dice and the point is rolled (a seven), there would be two ways you could lose:
- Firstly, if the shooter rolls the point number before throwing another seven but then rolls another seven before hitting the point again on the next throw — craps players win if they hit their point first before rolling another seven; otherwise, the players’ bet lose).
- Secondly, if players hit their points twice (in this case, one roll would have been an automatic loss).
You can’t win big in craps without understanding craps odds. To review, here is a quick breakdown of how to calculate the payout odds for each bet:
PASS LINE BET
The true odds of winning with this bet are 1.4%. This means that if you place €100 on the pass line, you will win back €140. This wager is a very common bet placed by the vast majority of players.
COME BET
This bet has a true payout percentage of 17%, which means that if you place €100 on a come line, then your profit (or loss) will be €170 when all is said and done. It’s not much better than a Pass Line bet because it’s still only marginally profitable over time but while we’re talking about marginal profitability, let’s move on to our next type of bet:
DON’T PASS BET
The Don’t Pass bet (opposite of the Pass Line) also has a payout percentage equal to 17% (meaning your profit will be about €170 per every hundred dollars wagered), but unlike its counterpart, this bet does not deduct from other players’ rolls when they roll their dice (which makes sense since there isn’t an opposite side).
CRAPS ODDS AND PAYOUTS
ONE-ROLL BETS ODDS
As their name implies, one-roll bets are craps bets that resolve after one dice roll and can be placed during both the Come Out roll and the Point roll. Some players refer to these bets as proposition bets as well. One-roll bets include: Field bet, Seven bet, Craps bet, Eleven bet, and the C-E bet, as illustrated in the following craps odds table:
Bet | True Odds | Payout Odds | House Edge |
Any 7 | 5 to 1 | 4:1 | 16,90% |
Any craps | 8 to 1 | 7:1 | 11,10% |
2 craps or 12 craps | 35 to 1 | 30:1 | 13,90% |
3 craps or 11 craps | 17 to 1 | 15:1 | 11,10% |
Big 6 or 8 | – | 1:1 | 9,09% |
Horn Bets: (3 or 11) | – | 3:75:1 | – |
(2 or 12) | – | 7:5:1 | – |
Field bets (3, 4, 9, 10 or 11) | – | 1:1 | 5,50% |
(2 or 12) | – | 2:1 | 5,50% |
MULTI-ROLL BETS ODDS
Unlike one-roll bets, multi-roll craps bets stay on the craps table until the shooter hits a seven, or the established point number is rolled. The way these bets pay out depends on the roll phase.
PASS LINE/ COME/ BUY BET ODDS
Before we get into craps odds, let’s break these bets down and dive into how each bet wins:
- Pass Bet: The Pass bet pays out when the dice total is seven or 11. If the outcome is two, three or 12, the bet loses. During the Point roll, winning bets pay out if the shooter makes the point before a seven is rolled.
- Come Bet: Come bets win if seven or 11 is rolled and loses if two, three or 12 is rolled. If any other number is rolled, it will become the Come bet point, and will pay out even-money if that same number is rolled again before a seven. Come bets odds and Pass Line odds are similar.
- Buy Bet: Buy bets have a high house edge of 4.76% and pay out true odds on a win with a 5% commission. Some casinos only charge commission when Buy bets win, which drops the house edge to 2% on five or nine, and 1.67% on four or 10.
Check out the following table that illustrates the odds, payouts and house edges for each of the bets above:
Bet | True Odds | Payout Odds | House Edge |
4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 2:1 | 4,76% |
5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 3:2 | 4,76% |
6 or 8 | 5 to 6 | 5:6 | 4,76% |
DON’T PASS/ DON’T COME/ LAY ODDS
The following betting options act as a kind of opposite to the ones mentioned above:
- Don’t Pass Bets: Don’t Pass bets win if a total of two or three is rolled, and loses if a seven or 11 rolls. During the Point roll, Don’t Pass bets pay out if the outcome is a seven before the point is rolled.
- Don’t Come Bets: Don’t Come bets win if the outcome is a two or three and have a low house edge. If the outcome is is seven or 11, the bet is lost. If any other total is rolled, this will mark the Come point. The bet will win if a total of seven is rolled before the same point is rolled again.
- Lay Odds Bets: Lay Odds bets in craps pay true odds will win together with a Don’t Pass/Don’t Come wager. When laying the odds in craps, players face a zero house edge.
Bet | True Odds | Payout Odds | House Edge |
4 or 10 | 1 to 2 | 1:2 | 2,44% |
5 or 9 | 2 to 3 | 2:3 | 3,23% |
6 or 8 | 5 to 6 | 5:6 | 4,00% |
PLACE BET ODDS
Place bets may include a Place bet to win or a Place bet to lose. The house edge and payout odds vary depending on the outcome of the roll:
Bet | True Odds | Payout Odds | House Edge |
4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 9:5 | 6,70% |
5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 7:5 | 4,00% |
6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 7:6 | 1,52% |
HARDWAYS ODDS
The Hardway bet involves betting on rolling doubles (all pairs of hardways), including two, three, four and five. It offers the lowest odds of winning due to its large house edge.
Bet | True Odds | Payout Odds | House Edge |
6 or 8 | 10 to 1 | 9:1 | 9,09% |
4 or 10 | 8 to 1 | 7:1 | 11,10% |
HOW TO CALCULATE PAYOUTS IN CRAPS
The house edge is the percentage of bets that a casino makes money on. To calculate it, divide the house’s theoretical profit by your craps bet amount.
For example, suppose you’re betting €10 on each roll of the dice, and the casino wins on half of all rolls. The true odds of rolling a seven are one in six, so if the house pays out €15 for every €10 bet when a craps player rolls a seven, they’ll make an average profit (over time) of 5% (€15/€210 = 0.05).
HOW DO CRAPS DEALERS CALCULATE PAYOUTS?
The casino’s edge is the difference between the total amount wagered and what they return to you as winnings.
The house edge is the percentage of money wagered that the casino keeps for itself. It’s how much money you can expect to lose over time by playing a game of craps if you don’t know how to play optimally.
With dice games like craps and caroms, your chances of winning is directly related to how many craps bets are in play at any given moment during a session, so you need to know this number before betting any money on your next round.
When calculating house edges for dice games such as craps or caroms, remember one thing: The more bets placed during a session, the higher the chances that players will lose money.
So, to calculate craps payouts you must multiply the bbet amount by the percentage probability. For example, if a player bets €5 on Pass Line and wins with six or eight showing on the dice roll (€5 x 20%), then they would receive €10 total (€5 bet back + €5 profit). In this case, they would have lost their initial bet but profited by 5%.
HOW THE HOUSE EDGE AFFECTS CRAPS ODDS
The house edge is the amount of money that a casino makes on average from a particular game. It’s expressed as a percentage and calculated by dividing the house advantage by the total amount bet.
The smaller this number is, the better for you as a player; for example, if you’re playing craps with a 2% house edge and you have €100 in play, then on average, over time, you’ll lose about €2 per hundred hands (or about 20% of your bet). To put it simply, the lower the house edge, the better the probability of winning!
HOW DO ODDS TIE INTO YOUR STRATEGY?
You can’t win big in craps without understanding craps odds. Understanding how each bet works and how they pay out is key to making the most strategic moves you possibly can.
For example, the chances that the number rolled is a seven are six out of the 36 possible combinations from the two dice. Simply put, the higher the odds of winning, the more likely you will place a particular bet. Not all bets offer the same outcome, and your craps strategy depends on numerous other factors, but having a good understanding of craps payouts and odds will help you place the best bets you possibly can from your very first roll.
CRAPS BETS WITH THE BEST ODDS
In this section, we’ll take a look at the all the bets you can place during a craps game. Here’s a table that lays out the best odds to the worst in descending order:
Bet | Odds |
Don’t Pass (4 or 10) | 66,70% |
Don’t Pass (5 or 9) | 60,00% |
Don`t Pass (6 or 8) | 54,50% |
Pass (6 or 8) | 45,50% |
Place (6 or 8) | 45,50% |
Field (3, 4, 9, 10 or 11) | 44,40% |
Field (2, 12) | 44,40% |
Pass (5 or 9) | 40,00% |
Place (5 or 9) | 40,00% |
Place (4 or 10) | 33,30% |
Pass (4 or 10) | 33,30% |
Any 7 | 16,70% |
Hardway (4 or 10) | 11,10% |
Any Craps | 11,10% |
Hardway (6 or 8) | 9,10% |
Craps (3 or 11) | 5,60% |
Craps (2 or 12) | 2,80% |
CRAPS ODDS VS. OTHER TABLE GAMES
Offering some of the best odds and fast-paced, easy-to-learn gameplay, it’s no wonder craps has become one of the most popular casino games at internet casinos. But, how do craps games measure up to other table games? Take a look:
Game | House Edge |
Craps | 1.4% on Pass/ 1.36% on Don’t Pass |
Baccarat | Ranges from 1.01% – 1.24% on Banker and Player bets |
Blackjack | 0,50% |
Texas Hold’em Poker | 2,19% |
American Roulette | 5,25% |
European Roulette | 2,70% |
French Roulette | 1,35% |
When gambling online, you’ll quickly realise that house edges vary depending on the variant you play, but it is easy to see that you’ll have better chances of winning more money at a blackjack table rather than at a craps table. That said, craps offers better odds than American roulette, so it is up to you to decide what kind of gaming experience you’re up for.
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⭐ WHAT DOES ‘ODDS’ MEAN IN CRAPS?
Craps odds are the ratio of your bet to the amount you can win. The odds of 1:1 mean that for every €1 you bet, you can get back another €1 if you win.
Odds do not imply there's any uncertainty about whether or not your bet will win. The very definition of having an "even chance" is that it is guaranteed to happen with 100% certainty. For example, with 3:2 craps odds on a roll of two six-sided dice, a roll of five would pay out €3, and a roll of 4 would pay out €2.
Remember, winning is never a guarantee with the house edge involved.
⭐ WHAT ARE TRUE ODDS IN CRAPS?
True odds represent the actual probability of any given outcome occurring over multiple trials; in other words, it's what would happen if you played long enough.
True odds are calculated by dividing one by 26, which gives 3.85%. This means that for every unit staked on craps bets, the casino will win, on average, €0.38.
⭐ HOW TO BET ODDS IN CRAPS?
Here’s how true odds work when placing actual bets. Pass Line bets pay true odds of 1.41 to 1 (1.41:1). That's because it's paying you a total of €7 for every unit that you originally wagered.
When betting on the Don’t Pass bet, the casino pays true odds of 2.35 to 1 (2.35:1). This means that if your wager is €20 and your point number is made before the shooter rolls their third consecutive seven or 11, then €40 will be added onto your original wager and paid at 2-to-1 odds (€40 divided by €20 = 2).Bear in mind that different craps bets offer different odds.
⭐ WHICH BET IN CRAPS HAS THE BEST ODDS?
The Place bet on a number (other than seven or 11) has the best odds, with about a 70% chance of winning. Hardway bets have the second-best odds, with about 64%. The Pass Line has the lowest house edge of all bets, at 2.7% (1/37). Don't Pass odds are very similar to this but gives you an additional 5% disadvantage if you lose by rolling a natural seven before your point rolls again.
⭐ WHAT IS AN ODDS BET IN CRAPS?
The odds bet is arguably one of the best craps bets to place. The odds bet is a bet on the shooter hitting a seven or 11, or two or 12.
The payout odds are even money (1:1) on these bets, so they have no house edge against you.
⭐ WHAT IS LAYING ODDS IN CRAPS?
Laying the odds is a bet you place against the shooter. In other words, you're betting that the person shooting craps will not hit their number or come within seven or 11 of it. For example, if you lay an odds bet on a point of nine, you're betting against the shooter rolling a six.
If they do roll a six, then they lose your bet. The same goes for laying odds bets on points of two and 12; these numbers must be rolled before your wager pays out because then it's too late for them to win.
As far as payouts go, if you place any sort of 'off' or 'don't pass' wager on any combination involving one of the numbers three through 10 and one of 11-12, then those bets will only pay out when those two numbers are rolled together by either player (1:1 payout odds). If only one number is rolled, your original wager is lost (2:1 payout odds).
⭐ WHAT ARE THE ODDS OF WINNING IN CRAPS?
If you're looking to improve your craps betting strategy, it's important to know how to calculate the craps odds and payouts for every type of bet. For example, if you're playing with €100 and place a €10 Pass Line bet, what are the odds that you'll win?
There are many different kinds of bets in craps and they all have one thing in common — they give players a chance to win by getting lucky on their roll.
⭐ WHAT HAS BETTER ODDS, CRAPS OR BLACKJACK?
If you're looking for a casino game with better odds, blackjack is your best bet. The house edge in blackjack is 0.5%, while the player edge is 1.5%.
Compare this to craps which has a higher house edge. If you want to win big at a casino, go play blackjack! Though, this is not to say that you won't have fun playing craps either.
⭐ HOW DO YOU NEUTRALISE THE HOUSE ODDS IN CRAPS?
If you've played at a craps table and wondered why the players next to you are winning, it's likely because they're using one of these options. The most common way to neutralise the house's edge is by betting on the Pass Line (the Don’t Pass wager is also a good bet to place).
The other popular neutralising maneuver is betting against the Come Out roll, which means placing a bet on either Don't Come (DC) or Don't Odds (OD). You can also place a bet on Field bets or Place Odds bets when there's no point spread.