Craps is one of the most popular table games at both traditional and virtual casinos. It is mostly considered a game of chance. However, rolling the dice requires a certain skill in addition to luck. One glance at the table leads to the conclusion that there are numerous ways of decreasing the house edge in craps and, subsequently, enhancing your chances of winning. Craps players often disregard the importance of strategic thinking in this casino game and rely solely on luck. Consequently, they are inclined to making mistakes that cause them to lose money.
In this article, we will provide a thorough explanation of the craps game. Moreover, we will elaborate on the subject of various craps bets and differences among them. By emphasizing the importance of particular moves, we intend to pave the way towards big winnings the craps game can provide for you. In the following lines, you will learn about the best craps strategies you can apply to your game. If you take advantage of them, the odds are in your favor. Stay tuned to get the answer to the question the game of craps has been imposing — how to win at craps.
Craps Game: the Best Bets
We have already mentioned the importance of placing the bets wisely. In this paragraph, we will dedicate our attention to listing and explaining all the bets you can benefit from. You will see all of them on the layout of the craps table, and here, you will learn how and when to place them.
Safe Bets vs. Risky Bets
Risky bets are the ones that can provide the largest payouts, but they are also the ones that imply the highest house edge in craps. If you can afford to lose and you feel like making an attempt to win big, feel free to give them a try. You may happen to be on a roll. Otherwise, we advise you to stick to the low-risk bets. They will not bring you big money instantly, but they will gradually build your bankroll.
The Basics: Pass and Don’t Pass Bets
How to win at craps without taking big risks? The answer lies in the outer sections of the layout, and it is called betting on the pass and the don’t pass line. Apparently, the house edge in craps depends on the bets you place, and these are generally considered the safest ones.
The pass line bet in craps decreases the house advantage to 1.41%. If you place your wagers on this area, you are betting on the side of the shooter and hoping for a 7 or 11. In case the outcome of the roll is one of these numbers, you win. On the other hand, if the dice land on 2, 3, or 12, you lose. All the other outcomes mean that the shooter has established a point. For you to win your bet, they have to roll their point before they roll a 7.
The section adjacent to the pass line is the don’t pass bar. Placing your wager in this area further lowers the house edge. This move represents the complete opposite of the previously explained one but is equally simple. The don’t pass line bet in craps requires you to bet against the shooter. The dice landing on 2 or 3 results in you winning the bet, whereas a 7 and an 11 as outcomes mean you lose.
Both the pass line and the don’t pass line bets in craps, if won, pay even money.
Free Odds Bets: the Pot of Gold
How to win at craps by diminishing the house edge even further? Free odds bets are the way to do it. The move we are about to explain enhances your odds in craps more than any other. Free odds bets imply no house edge whatsoever. Nevertheless, you can place them only as an attachment to other bets, lowering the house advantage they involve.
Making the odds in craps means placing this bet on top of the pass line one. In such a case, you hope for a point to come up before a 7 does. The less common the outcome is, the better the payout: 2:1 on a 4 and a 10, 3:2 on a 5 and a 9, and 6:5 on a 6 and an 8.
Laying the odds in craps, on the other hand, is betting that the shooter will roll a 7 before the point they have established. This move pays 1:2 against a 4 and a 10, 2:3 against a 5 and a 9, and 5:6 against a 6 and an 8.
Expand Your Perspective: Come and Don’t Come Bets
The come and don’t come bets are essentially the extensions of the basic bets we have previously discussed. After the come out roll, you can place one of these, which is the only difference between them, and the pass line and don’t pass bar bets which can be placed at any point during the game. The come and don’t come bets equal the pass and don’t pass line ones, respectively, in all the other aspects.
The Risky Moves
In this paragraph, we will elaborate on the risky bets we have mentioned. Unless you are willing to take big risks, we advise you to refrain from placing them. The bets we are about to list and discuss imply high house edge and are therefore meant for entertainment purposes only.
Put bets are the same as the pass line bets, except for one big difference that has a significant impact on the house edge. By placing them, you skip the come out roll and face the house edge of over 33%. However, there is a secret to lowering that rate, and it involves the free odds bets.
Proposition bets, commonly referred to as the “prop” bets, imply betting only on the following roll of the dice. Therefore, you can win them only on the condition that the very next roll lands on a number you have placed your money on. Needless to say, these bets are rather risky, which is why they deliver high payouts.
Consider Alternatives
Gambling is a risky activity precisely because of the house edge every casino game implies. Craps represents no exception to the rule. However, you can outsmart the house by walking away when you are on a winning streak because the house edge exists to make sure you lose whether you are on a roll or not. Of course, provided that you play for too long. Moreover, there are certain alternatives to playing craps at casinos, and we will list them below for you.
- Consider playing at the “downtown” tables instead of risking more money at the “strip” ones. The unwritten rule is that the latter implies a higher house advantage.
- Search for tables that involve dice setters, as they are likely to improve your chances as a shooter.
- Engage in street craps, provided that it is not against the law. This alternative offers you the possibility of playing this game without fearing the house edge.
May the Odds be Ever in Your Favor
In order to ensure the best possible craps experience for yourself, study the guide, and gradually move up the winning ladder instead of risking all your money at once. Moreover, take the general gambling advice into consideration, as they apply to craps as well as any other game. Whether you play craps online or at land-based venues, dedicate some time and attention to developing the safest possible strategy. The most accurate answer to the question “how to win at craps?” is to play patiently and wisely.