When thinking about strategy in Craps it is important to understand all the different betting options available.

Pass Line and Don't Pass Line Bets

The basic bet in Craps is the Pass Line bet. When the Shooter rolls the Come Out Roll, you win immediately if the numbers of both dice add up to 7 or 11.

You lose the Pass Line bet if the Shooter rolls craps (2, 3 or 12) on the Come Out Roll. Any other number rolled on the Come Out Roll becomes the Point. If the Point is rolled before a 7, you win again. You are essentially betting that the Shooter will win his Point.

The Don't Pass Line bet is the exact opposite of the Pass Line bet. You lose if 7 or 11 is rolled in the Come Out Roll and win if 3 or 12 is rolled. If 2 come up this is a Stand-Off and you neither win nor lose the bet. Any other number rolled becomes the Point and if this comes up again before a 7, you lose – if 7 comes in first you, win.

The Don’t Pass Line is essentially betting against the Shooter – considered in poor taste by some gamblers!

Single Roll Bets

You can place a Single Roll bet any time during the game of Craps. These are also called Service Bets and must be placed by the dealer in the centre of the Craps table. They are resolved in one dice roll by the Shooter.

2 (Snake Eyes): wins if Shooter rolls a 2

3: wins if Shooter rolls a 3

Craps 2 - wins on a roll of 3 only.
Craps 12 - wins on a roll of 12 only.
7: wins on a throw of 7 only.
11 (Yo): wins if Shooter rolls 11.
12: wins if Shooter rolls a 12

2 or 12 (Hi-Lo): wins if Shooter rolls a 2 or 12

Any Craps: wins if Shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12.
Horn Bet and Horn High: wins if Shooter rolls 2, 3, 11 or 12.

On the Hop: combination bet for two dice on the next roll

Field: wins even money if Shooter rolls 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11; pays double on 12.

Come Bets

A Come bet is the same as a Pass Line bet, except that a Come bet may be made on every single roll of the dice once the Shooter has established the Point. After the Come bet is placed, the next dice roll becomes the Come Out roll for that wager. If the Shooter rolls a 7, you win your bet even though Pass Line bets lose. If the Shooter rolls an 11, you win and the Line bets will not be affected.

If one of the Craps numbers comes up, you lose your Come bet, but the Line bets will be unaffected. If the Shooter rolls one of the box numbers on the first roll of the dice after you have made your Come bet, this number becomes an established Point for your Come bet. If your Come Point is rolled again before a 7, you win. To make an odds wager on a Come Point, you must give your bet to the dealer tell him that you wish to ‘Take the Odds’ on that Point.

Taking the Odds

When the Point has been established on the Come Out roll, any player who has made a Pass Line bet can ‘Take the Odds’. A Single Odds bet is an additional wager, up to the amount of your original wager, that the Point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled. The Odds bet is an excellent bet to make in Craps because there is no house edge on this bet.

Sometimes you can take Double Odds or even greater Odds bets. There is no designated place on the Craps table layout for the Odds bet. So to make the bet, simply place your chips behind your Pass Line bet.

The payout for the Odds bets varies from Point to Point and depends on the odds of a 7 being rolled before a particular Point is repeated.

The payouts are as follows:

Points 4 and 10 pay 2-to-1

Points 5 and 9 pay 3-to-2

Points 6 and 8 pay 6-to-5

Shooter's Bets

When you are the Shooter, you must decide whether to bet the Pass Line or the Don't Pass line. If you successfully win your Pass - that is, if you repeat your established Point number before throwing a 7 - you can roll the dice again.

Only when you seven-out will the stickman push the dice to the next player, who will then become the new Shooter.

Pass Line bets are unaffected by any number other than the Point or a 7.

A pass line bet can be made at any time during a Shooter’s roll, even after the Point has been established. However, you should always place your Pass Line bet before a Point has been established so that you can have the opportunity of winning on the Come Out roll when the shooter throws a 7 or an 11.

Winning Craps Strategy

Craps is the perfect game to capitalise on a lucky winning streak. The Shooter might continue to roll the dice for a long time without ‘sevening out’. Players take advantage of these streaks by betting on the Pass Line, backing that bet with Free Odds bets and placing multiple Come bets, also with Free Odds.

If you want to play aggressively, you can make Come bets on every roll until all the point numbers are covered. This is risky play, but you will have the opportunity to win many bets in a short space of time if the Shooter stays lucky.

A less risky and more solid strategy would be to place two Come bets only alongside the original Pass Line bets. This will give you three winning numbers every roll. When one of the Points is made, you can place another Come bet to keep three individual numbers. It is best to stop betting after three Points have been established. Once a Come bet has won, place another; similarly, once an original Pass Line bet is won, place another. This way you can boost your winnings on a hot streak and keep losses to a minimum.

Craps Overview

Craps Rules