Mastering the craps odds and payouts is the key to a successful gambling session. Discover the odds for all the bets in craps from this in-depth guide.
Here is what you’ll learn:
So, if you’re ready to get more wins at craps, you will definitely enjoy the teachings of expert dice influencer Bill Collins.
Without further ado, let’s get started.
Payouts are what you are paid, based on the size of your bet, when you win a bet. Craps odds for each bet tell you your chances of winning a particular bet.
The average player's chances of winning long-term at craps aren't good, because the casino has stacked the odds against you winning long-term by paying less than even odds on almost all bets.
You can increase your odds of winning by making bets that carry the smallest house advantages.
The odds and payouts for the craps bet can be hard to memorize for a complete beginner.
Use the craps odds chart below will guide you while sitting at the table to check on the best bets you can make. The color coding from green to red indicate how big of an advantage the bet gives you.
Keep in mind
The dark green colored cells represent the lowest vig bets, and the dark red ones represent bets with a house advantage so big it is better to avoid them.
My recommendation is to stick to those in darker shades of green and avoid the red ones as much as possible.
The logic is simple - the better the odds the longer your bankroll will last. Make sure you read my craps table layout guide if you're still unsure about the betting areas and their positioning on the table.
Bet Type | True Odds | Payout | House Edge |
---|---|---|---|
Pass Line / Come Bet | 251 : 244 | 1:1 | 1.41% |
Don't Pass / Don't Come | 967 : 949 | 1:1 | 1.36% |
Pass Line / Come Bet Odds | |||
4 or 10 | 2:1 | 2:1 | 0% |
5 or 9 | 3:2 | 3:2 | 0% |
6 or 8 | 6:5 | 6:5 | 0% |
Don't Pass / Don't Come Bet Odds | |||
4 or 10 | 1:2 | 1:2 | 2.44% |
5 or 9 | 2:3 | 2:3 | 3.23% |
6 or 8 | 5:6 | 5:6 | 4.00% |
Field Bets | |||
3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 | 3:1 | 1:1 | 5.50% |
2 or 12 | 35:1 | 2:1 | 5.50% |
Place Bets | |||
6 or 8 | 6:5 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
5 or 9 | 2:3 | 2:3 | 4.00% |
4 or 10 | 2:1 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
4 or 10 (bought for 5% vig, instead of placed) | 2:1 | 2:1, less vig. | 4.76% |
Big 6 or Big 8 | 6:5 | 1:1 | 9.90% |
Hardways | |||
6 or 8 | 10:1 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
4 or 10 | 8:1 | 7:1 | 11.10% |
Single-Roll Bets | |||
2 and 12 (Hi-Lo) | 17:1 | 15:1 | 11.11% |
3 (Ace / Deuce) | 17:1 | 15:1 | 11.11% |
11 ( Yo Eleven) | 17:1 | 15:1 | 11.11% |
Any Craps (2, 3 or 12) | 8:1 | 7:1 | 11.10% |
C&E Bet (Any Craps plus the Yo) | - | 7:1, minus half the bet, for Any Craps | 11.10% |
15:1, minus half the bet for 11 | |||
Horn Bet (Any Craps plus the Yo) | - | 15:1 for 3 and 11, minus 3/4 the bet | 12.50% |
30:1 for 2 and 12, minus 3/4 the bet | |||
World or Whirl (Horn plus Any 7) | 2:1 | 15:1 for 3 and 11, minus 4/5 the bet | 13.33% |
30:1 for 2 and 12, minus 4/5 the bet | |||
4:1 for any 7, minus 4/5 the bet | |||
12 (Boxcars or High) | 35:1 | 30:1 | 13.90% |
2 (Snake Eyes or Low) | 35:1 | 30:1 | 13.90% |
Any 7 (Big Red) | 5:1 | 4:1 | 16.67 |
What's known as the house edge is how casinos pay for looking so fancy. Simply put, they set the craps payouts so that most bets don't payout as much as they should to be an even-money bet.
Remember
Math is used to insure they have the advantage on all but the added odds bets on pass, don't pass, come and don't come bets.
One of the best payoff odds can probably be found in crapless craps, where you can win 6 to 1 on buying 2 and 12, 3 to 1 on buying 3 and 11.
What makes these great bets, if you can toss a lot of horn numbers, is that these bets can stay up for the entirety of your roll.
So, on a good roll, you could have 30 or more opportunities to win these bets.
Back when I started playing crapless craps I remember seeing so many shooters make these bets and nail those bets over and over again during their shooting turn. It amazed me.
Then I found out what their payoffs were and I understood why they were betting the way they were.
The worst bets?
Anything in the prop-bet section in the middle of the craps table.
They are all pretty well, IMHO, sucker bets with high vigs that lose long term; whether horn, hardways, hop bet, etc., and should be avoided if you want your money to last. Although some players have found ways to use some of them as partial hedges to cover other bets.
The house edge on a pass line or come bet is 1.41%. Both bets pay even money when won.
The pass line bet is won when the shooter repeats his pass line point number before tossing a losing 7.
The come bet is won when the shooter repeats the come bet point number before tossing a losing 7.
Odds can be added after a pass line point or a come bet point has been established. Doing so reduces the total house advantage the casino has on the total combined pass plus odds bet or the come plus odds bet.
Odds added behind a pass line, or come bet, after it's traveled, have no house advantage. Odds paid at true value are offered by online casinos to get you to make a pass line or come bet.
Pass Line Odds / Come Bet Odds and Payouts:
Odds can be added after a don't pass line point or a don't come bet point has been established, and there is no house advantage on odds added to a don't pass or don't come bet, so it's always a good bet to make.
Don’t Pass Odds / Don’t Come Bet Odds Payouts:
Pro tip
If you are brave and want to win 100% of your bet, instead of just part of it, you can just bet the combined total of what you would be betting on the don't pass (or don't come) + odds on just the first part of that bet, as the don't pass and don't come bets pay you even money when they win.
The risk here is the come out 7 or 11 taking down your bet.
Place bets are non-contract player-controlled bets that, before each roll, the player can reduce, increase, call off or back on, take down or make place bets on single or multiple box numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 in regular craps and 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in crapless craps.)
Place bets in craps pay off at less than true odds, but better than even money and can be fully controlled by the player, which is a huge advantage.
Place Bet Payouts:
In the parts of the world that have the place bet to lose, you win when the 7 rolls before the number being bet.
Place Bet to Lose Payouts:
The field bet is a one roll bet that is won when the next number rolled is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
It pays even money, except for usually paying double on the 2 and double or triple (varies from casino to casino) on the 12.
The odds of winning a field bet are 44.44% on each roll for a random shooter.
Buy bets are non-contract bets, just like place bets, that the player has full control over before each roll of the dice, being able to call the bet off or back on again, increase or decrease the bet's amount or take the bet down before any roll.
This helps the player avoid being stuck with a bad bet, like he is when a pass line point is established on a hard number to make.
You also get to pick the number you want to be on.
By paying a 5% vig on the amount of your bet, when betting at least $20 on a number, you can turn bets that would normally be place bets on a number into a buy bet that gives you a correct pay off, without any house advantage, other than the 5% cost of the bet.
Please note
Some casinos require a minimum bet amount, usually $20, to discourage everyone and his uncle from taking advantage of making buy bets.
The 4 and 10 should always be bought when betting $20 or more, because your payoff by buying those numbers, instead of placing that number will be more.
The 5 and 9 should be bought when the house collects the vigs only when the bet wins. If the house collects the vig up front, it's recommended you place that number, instead of buying it.
6 and 8 bets should always be place bets in order to get your best pay out.
Buy Bet Payouts:
Lay bets odds are like buy bet odds, in that they pay true odds, except that you win only when the 7 rolls before the number your lay bet is on.
You are betting against that number rolling first, when it does roll before the 7, you lose your bet.
You have to pay a 5% vig for the privilege of making a lay bet, and a minimum bet is usually required that will win at least $20.
A lot of players use lay bets to hedge their place and buy bets against losing to the 7. The number the lay bet(s) is on would have to roll in order to lose.
If the 7 rolled first, the winnings on the lay bet would help hedge the losses on their place and buy bets.
Lay Bet Payouts:
Hardway bets are multiple-roll bets that can stay up until won or lost, or taken down before any roll.
You win a hardway bet on the even numbers of 4, 6, 8, or 10 when you have a hardway bet on that number and the dice produce that number with the same numbers on both dice. 2-2 for 5, 3-3 for 6, 4-4 for 8, and 5,5 for 10.
Hardway bets lose to the number being made with non-matching numbers on each die or when a 7 rolls first.
Hardway Bet Payouts:
There are many one rolls bets, like hop bet, horn bets, C/E (Craps & 11's), Any Seven, etc. available in the center area of the craps table.
Most carry very high vigs and should be avoided by the average player unless you have a special talent at winning such bets.
Your best bets in terms of having to overcome the lowest house advantage at craps is to bet the pass line, come, don't pass, don't come, all with odds added that pay off correctly to those bets.
Be aware
Doing this can put a lot of money at risk on contract bets that you lose control over once the bet is made.
If you want the most control over how you play your bets, you'll want to place and buy bet, because those bets are non-contract bets that give the player full control over how they are played.
That is a very powerful weapon when it comes to winning.
Make sure you try the odds and payouts in demo mode using one of the free craps games available in our collection! It's the best way to train your skills with no investment requirements.
Craps can be intimidating to the new player, with so many different bets available.
Here are 5 key takeaways to keep in mind:
For example
Bet $50 units across for one hit, then regress your bets to $66 inside, $15 units.
The $70 or more that you got on your first across bet win more than covers the cost of your $66 inside bet, so you can't slide in deeper at the end of that turn.
I hope this guide helped you understand how to use the odds and payouts in your favor.
Make sure you check out the Craps Academy to discover even more actionable craps that will help you master the game in no time.
See you at the craps table!
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