Craps Strategy – Best Craps Strategies for All Levels. Craps strategy is an often-debated topic, and there are numerous strategies around how to win at craps. Here, we will introduce you to some of the most popular craps strategies and betting methods, outlining the pros and cons of each. Before you try playing craps for real money, here are five tips that will increase your chances of being a winner. Start Playing Craps Online. If you want to win money at craps, consider playing online. There are some very good reasons for making this switch. To explain them we should first explain the nature of craps itself.
Want to know how to improve your craps game? Craps is all about the betting, not the dice roll. Knowing when and how to bet will make you invincible when you play craps—whether you play craps online or in casinos. These 5 simple tips on how to win at craps will improve your odds of winning while playing craps.
There are 11 numbers possible with a pair of dice; some easier to roll than others.
Those unfamiliar with the game of craps are usually put off by the large betting fields and seemingly endless rules and betting combinations. But the secret to winning at craps is to have some sort of understanding of the house edge, so you know when, where, and why to bet on each roll of the dice. All casino games are based on probability, so a little understanding of the math behind the game goes a long way. Some bets are better than others—and often at different times during the game.
Follow the basic strategy outlined below; it’s easy to remember and to implement. Get ready to boost your bankroll and your craps skills with these 5 easy-to-master tips.
1. Don’t Pass and Don’t Come With Odds
The rule of thumb is as follows: Put the smallest amount on the Don’t Pass or the Don’t Come lines and wager the largest amount behind them. The house edge is on the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets, which only pay out 1:1 if you win. But the player has the advantage on the Free Odds bets (those behind the don’t pass/don’t come line), which pay out at the actual mathematical odds. This means if you play it right, the house has no advantage at all.
Free Odds bets are the only bets in the casino where the house has no advantage. It’s important to bet in the right increments, because most casinos won’t pay out in fractional dollars. For example: Free Odds payouts on 6 and 8 are at a 6:5 ratio (i.e. bet $5 get paid $6), so bet in increments of $5. Free Odds payouts on 5 and 9 are at a 3:2 ratio, so bet in increments of $2. Free Odds payouts on 4 and 10 are 2:1, so bet in whatever increments you like.
2. Place the 6 or 8 Bet to Win
Instead of waiting for the shooter to establish a point, pick your own numbers: 6 or 8. When you’re playing in multiples of $6.00 (or the currency of your choice), place the 6 or 8 place-to-win bet. The 1.52% house edge makes this bet a popular choice. The winning bets are paid at 7:6 odds, which means that you’ll be paid out $7 when you bet $6 and the number hits.
The 6 and 8 are the most frequently rolled numbers other than 7. Stay away from other place bets because the house edge is higher: 4% on 5 or 9 and 6.67% on 4 or 10.
3. Place the 6 or 8 Bet to Lose
This tip is the opposite of the previous tip. You’re betting on the shooter to lose, which might make you ‘unpopular’ at a table cheering on the shooter. But you’re not gambling for them; you’re playing the odds. Place a $5 bet on the table and announce “6 (or 8) to lose.” If the 7 shows (which is a very high frequency number) then you win $4.00 as the house edge is only 1.82%. Remember, there are 11 numbers that can be rolled with a pair of dice and some numbers are much easier to roll (come up more frequently) than others. Check out the list below of numbers and the ways to roll them:
2 – one way – 1-1
3 – two ways – 1-2, 2-1
4 – three ways – 1-3, 2-2, 3-1
5 – four ways – 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1
6 – five ways – 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1
7 – six ways – 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1
8 – five ways – 2-6, 3-5, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2
9 – four ways – 3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3
10 – three ways – 4-6, 5-5, 6-4
11 – two ways – 5-6, 6-5
2 – one way – 6-6
4. Lay against the 4 or 10
This tip is similar to the place the 6 or 8 to lose but the payouts are much higher as, while there are six ways to roll a 7, there are only three ways to roll a 4 or a 10 as opposed to five ways to roll a 6 or 8. In this case you take the more “optimistic” approach and place $20 on the table and say “Lay against the 4 (or 10).” If you win, you get back $40!
You must pay the house a 5% commission to make lay bets, but they pay out at true odds. Also, you’re betting against the shooter, so try not to gloat if you win large amounts betting against them. And if you’re playing craps online, you’re not offending anyone.
5. Place the 5 or 9 to Lose
In this bet, you put down $8.00 (remember you have to bet in increments of $2 as the odds are 3:2, meaning for every $2 you bet you get $3 if you win) and bet that the numbers above will lose. Why? The house edge on this type of bet is low – only 2.5% so when the 7 shows (again, that happens often), you’ll win $5.00.
In addition to these tips, always remember that craps is a negative expectation game, so the longer you play, the higher the chances you have of losing. But this is how casinos stay in business, and how the house edges make or break bettors who don’t make smart bets—or know when to walk away.
These are 5 of the most effective bets to make on craps to win. By reducing the house odds you are increasing your own chances of winning big when the table is hot. Try this for yourself at Slots of Vegas Craps Table today and walk away a winner!
See also: “Fall in love with the game of craps”
Craps is one of the most popular games in the casino for several reasons. It’s a relatively simple game, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s possible to keep the house edge very low if you make the right bets.
As a game of chance, there’s no real strategy involved, although you can decide on the level of risk you want to take and this does affect your chances of winning.
We have provided some tips below that will show you how to get the most out of playing craps. They include some advice on how to behave when playing in a live casino, which is useful as there’s a certain etiquette expected at the craps table.
These tips are targeted primarily at beginners to the game, but there’s plenty of useful advice for more experienced players too.
Focus on the Fun
This is perhaps the most important craps tip we can offer. Craps can be a very enjoyable game, win or lose, providing you view it primarily as a form of entertainment. There’s nothing at all wrong with wanting to win, and of course you will, but you have to be prepared to lose too.
Once you have exchanged your cash for chips, or made a deposit at an online casino, you should consider that money spent. You will then really appreciate it if you do win. On the other hand, if you hit the tables expecting to win, then there’s a good possibility that you’ll leave disappointed.
If you focus on the fun and only play with money you can afford to lose, then you should have a positive experience regardless of the results.
The basic rules of craps are quite straightforward, but the game is complicated somewhat by all the different types of bets available. Although it’s not particularly difficult to learn how to play, a busy craps table can be somewhat intimidating if you don’t really know what you are doing.
The best way to learn craps if you’re new to the game is to use an online casino. You can then pick everything up as you go along, from the comfort of your own home.
You won’t have to worry about annoying people if you make a mistake or take a long time to make a decision. Once you’re familiar with how everything works, you can then play in a live casino with confidence.
There are a few other advantages to playing online too. You can play whenever you want for one thing, and the game is much quicker.
Most online casinos provide a play for free option, which is great for learning the game, and they generally offer valuable bonuses and rewards for depositing and playing with real money. Check out our top ranked casinos for the best places to play.
You can easily enjoy craps just by sticking to the simple bets, so it isn’t by any means essential to learn all the betting options in the game. However, we suggest that it’s a good idea to do so.
Crap Table Tips Meaning
By familiarizing yourself with all the different wagers available you can make a more informed judgment about which ones you want to use.
Craps is a game of pure chance, which means the strategy involved is very limited. There’s nothing you can do to affect the outcome of the roll of a dice, so you are basically just relying on luck.
You can, however, decide how you approach the game in terms of the risks you are prepared to take.
Conventional advice is that you should take a low-risk approach and only play the bets that have a very low house edge. This makes a lot of sense, as you are maximizing your chances of winning this way.
Pass line bets, don’t pass bets, come bets, don’t come bets, and odds bets are the best bets to place when using this approach.
Despite the conventional advice, we don’t believe there’s anything wrong with taking a high-risk approach if that’s what you prefer. Placing bets which have a high house edge, such as the proposition bets, might not be widely considered a good way to go, but it can make things more exciting.
It can work out very well if you happen to have luck on your side while playing.
As long as you’re aware of the risks involved and are playing with money you can afford to lose, there’s no right or wrong way to play in our opinion. Playing it safe is certainly the most sensible approach, but you shouldn’t be afraid to take bigger risks in exchange for potentially bigger payouts if you want to.
Another thing you should learn before playing craps is the chances of each value being rolled. There are two dice being rolled, which means some values are more likely than others. This is because some values have more possible combinations than others.
The only way to make a two, for example, is for both dice to land on one. A three can be made with a one on the first die and a two on the second die, or a two on the first die and a one on the second die.
You need to know the chances of each value being rolled as this affects the chances of any particular bet winning. For example, you are more likely to win a bet on six being rolled than you are to win a bet on two being rolled. The following table shows the total number of possible combinations for each value, and the chance of that value being rolled.
This tip applies to any game in the casino and it’s one you should follow regardless of whether you are winning or losing. Craps can be a lot of fun, which is a good thing, but it’s all too easy to get carried away and start betting like crazy. You really need to try and stay in control otherwise you might lose all of your bankroll and not have any fun at all.
It might be very tempting to increase your stakes in the hope that your luck will turn around soon, but you are just as likely to increase your losses as you are to make a recovery. It’s much better to just accept your loss, and either reduce your stakes or walk away.
It can also be tempting to go after big wins during a losing streak and start placing wagers which have bigger payouts. While such wagers don’t have to be ignored completely, placing them purely because you’re trying to recover losses is a horrible strategy.
Keeping your discipline is just as important when you’re winning too. When luck is on your side, it can feel like you are unbeatable, but no winning streak lasts forever.
If you increase your stakes, or start placing higher risk wagers, you might end up giving back everything you’ve won. That, in turn, can lead to taking even more risks to try and get those winnings back.
Crap Table Tips For Toddlers
Basically, you should always try and keep your stakes at a level you are comfortable with, and try to avoid taking big risks just for the sake of it. If you are having a bad run, then consider walking away and keeping some of your bankroll intact for another time.
If you are having a good run, then make sure you hang on to some of your winnings.
Whether you are playing craps online or in a live casino, you should always try and take advantage of any extra value you may be entitled to. Online you’ll have the opportunity to claim bonuses on some of your deposits, and you may be able to earn additional rewards based on your play.
Crap Table Tips
In most live casinos you will be able to earn “comps” based on the time and money you spend at the craps table.
Crap Table Tips Ideas
This extra value is just what you need after a bad session of losing money, and even if you win you’ll still appreciate the extra boost to your funds. It’s well worth finding out what you may be entitled to, and making sure you claim it.
Learn Proper Table Etiquette
When playing craps in a live casino there are certain things you are expected to do, and some things you should never do.
If you want to avoid being unpopular at the table it’s a good idea to learn how to behave in the “correct” manner. The following points are all established as good craps etiquette.
- Place your chips on the table, don’t toss them. The exception is proposition bets.
- When placing proposition bets, toss your chips in the center of the table and ask the stickman to place them on your chosen bet(s).
- Use the highest denomination chips you can. For example, use a $100 chip rather than four $25 chips.
- Keep your hands away from the table while the dice are being rolled.
- When you are the shooter, don’t take too long to roll the dice.
- It’s good to tip the dealers, or place bets on their behalf, when winning.
- If you are betting on the don’t pass or don’t come, don’t celebrate when you win. Most players will be playing the opposite bets.
- Craps is a social game, so try and join in. Cheer at the appropriate points, and congratulate the shooter after a good roll.
- It’s considered bad luck to say the word “seven” following a come out roll.
- It’s considered bad luck to change dice during a roll.
- It’s considered bad luck for a shooter to leave the table following a successful come out roll.
- Remember to “color up” when leaving the table (exchange your small denomination chips for larger ones).