 CRAPS
BETS
- PASS LINE:
- By playing the Pass Line, you're betting
with the shooter. An immediate 7 or 11 on the come out roll wins;
a 2, 3 or 12 loses. If a point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10),
it must be repeated before a 7 is thrown in order to win. The Pass
Line bet pays even money and, with a house advantage of 1.41 percent,
is one of the best bets at the table.
- DON'T PASS:
- The Don't Pass bettor bets against the
shooter. He therefore wins his bet if the come-out roll is a 2 or
3 (a 12 is usually a push), and loses if the shooter throws a 7 or
11. If the shooter establishes a point, a 7 must be thrown before
the point is rolled again in order to win. This even money bet has
approximately the same house advantage of winning as the Pass bet.
- COME & DON'T
COME BETS:
- These bets are identical to the Pass
and Don't Pass bets, except that they can be placed only after a point
has been established. That is, an immediate 7 or 11 is a winner; a
2, 3 or 12 loses, and any other number becomes an established point
for the Come bettor. The reverse is true for the Don't Come bettor.
In addition, you can place as many consecutive Come/Don't Come bets
as you like, while you are limited to one Pass/Don't Pass bet. The
importance of these bets is that it allows players to increase their
chances of winning during any given roll of the dice. They offer the
same odds as the Pass-Don't Pass bets.
- PLACE BETS:
- A bet on any or all of the Place numbers
(4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is a bet that the number or numbers will be
thrown before a 7. The 4 and 10 pay at 9-5 odds; the 5 and 9 at 7-5
odds; and the 6 and 8 at 7-6 odds. Placing the 6 and 8 is a fairly
good bet because the house edge is 1.52 percent. However, placing
the 5 and 9 and the 4 and 10 are less attractive because the house
edge jumps to 4 percent and 6.73 percent, respectively.
- THE FIELD:
- This is a one-roll bet that any number
in the Field - 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 - will be rolled. If any other
number - 5, 6, 7 or 8 - is thrown, the bet is lost. The house advantage
on this bet is nearly 6 percent, and too great to recommend it.
- BIG 6 AND BIG 8:
- A bet on either the 6 or 8, or both,
can be made at any time, and either must appear before a 7 is thrown
in order to win. Because the bet only pays even money, instead of
its true odds of 6-5, the house enjoys an advantage of 9.09 percent.
- PROPOSITION BETS:
- These bets which
include the Hard Ways and One-Roll Bets in the center of the
layout, are all poor betting propositions. Because the house advantage
varies from 10 percent to 17 percent, they should never be made.
- FREE ODDS:
- Although there's nothing on the table
to indicate the existence of this bet, it is one of the most advantageous
to the player. It is available to all Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't
Come bettors after a point has been established. Once the shooter
establishes a point, a player can make a bet equal to his previous
bet and receive true odds (instead of even money) if the point is
made. This amounts to 2-1 on the 4 and 10; 3-2 on the 5 and 9; and
6-5 on the 6 and 8. If the casino offers "double odds,"
the player can double his previous bet. It's always to the player's
advantage to make the free odds bet, especially at double odds, because
it gives you the chance to win more money at correct odds when the
shooter is on a "hot" roll. With single odds, the house
edge is reduced to 0.8 percent; with double odds it's reduced further
to 0.6 percent.
WINNING CRAPS STRATEGY
As with other
casino games, the goal in craps is to capitalize on the relatively short
cycle of streaks that invariably occur. These are marked by prolonged
passes of the dice. This means the shooter continues to roll, often times
for many minutes, without sevening out.
You can take advantage of these hot streaks
by playing the Pass Line, backing that bet with Free Odds bets, and placing
multiple Come bets, also with Free Odds.
Professional gamblers disagree on the number
of come bets to place. The most aggressive players make Come bets on every
roll until all the point numbers are covered. This gives them the opportunity
to win many bets in a short period of time, provided the dice stay hot
and the shooter continues to roll without hitting a 7.
But that method is too risky. A sound strategy
calls for placing a maximum of two Come bets, which, coupled with the
original Pass Line bets, give the player three numbers always working
for him. When one of the points is made and his bet is paid off, the player
places another Come bet to keep three numbers working.
To recap:
- Bet the Pass Line and back up the bet
with a Free Odds bet.
- Make two additional Come bets, also
taking the Free Odds bets.
- Stop betting after three points have
been established.
- If one of the Come bets is won, immediately
place another Come bet. Similarly, if the original Pass Line bet is
won, make another Pass Line bet.
This system
lets the player capitalize during a shooter's hot streak while minimizing
his losses when the dice eventually turn cold.
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