Craps Bet Types

A. Antonova (editor)

| 16th October 2024

Guide to the Various Bet Types of Craps

Craps offers a staggering number of betting options. These can be classified into two major categories – multiple-roll bets and one-roll bets. In craps, the payouts and the house edge fluctuate greatly depending on the type of bet you make. Some bets are considered more advantageous to players than others, which is why you should choose the wagers you make wisely, at least if you wish to end your betting sessions on profit. Read on to learn more about the types of bets you can place in craps and their respective payouts.

Multiple-Roll Bets

As the name itself suggests, the outcome of such bets is resolved after several tosses of the dice. Because of this, craps novices often experience difficulties in understanding and mastering multiple-roll bets. However, some bets that fall in this category, like the Pass/Don’t Pass Line and Come/Don’t Come bets, offer the lowest house edge in the game of craps which certainly can be interpreted as an advantage.

Bet Name	Winning Criteria	Single-Roll/Multi-Roll Bet	Payout	True Odds	House Edge
Pass Line Bet	7 or 11 to appear on the come-out roll If a point is established, the number should be rolled before 7	Multi-Roll Bet	1:1	251 to 244	1.41%
Don’t Pass Bet	If 2 or 3 shows, the Don’t Pass Bet wins. If a 12 is rolled, there is a tie. If a point is established, a 7 should appear before it	Multi-Roll Bet	1:1	976 to 949	1.36%
Come Bet	Come Bets win if 7 or 11 is rolled out, and lose if 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. The other numbers will become a point	Multi-Roll Bet	1:1	251 to 244	1.41%
Don’t Come Bet	If 2 or 3 is rolled out, the bet wins. If 7 or 11 appear, the bet loses. If a point is established, it should appear before 7 for Don’t Come Bets to win	Multi-Roll Bet	1:1	976 to 949	1.36%
Free Odds Bet	Free Odds Bets win if the point number is rolled out prior to 7	Multi-Roll Bet	Depends on the established point: 6:5 for 6 and 8 3:2 for 5 and 9 2:1 for 4 and 10	Pay at true odds	N/A
Place Bets	Wins if the chosen number is rolled	Multi-Roll Bets	2:1 for 4 and 10 3:2 for 5 and 9 6:5 for 6 and 8	7:6 for 6 or 8 7:5 for 5 and 9 9:5 for 4 and 10	1.52% on 6 or 8; 4% on 5 or 9; 6.67% on 4 or 10
Buy Bets	When 4, 10, 6, 8, 5 and 9 or rolled out prior to 7	Multi-Roll Bets	2:1	True odds	4.76% or less
Lay Bets	When seven is rolled out prior to 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10	Multi-Roll Bet	1:2 for 4 and 10 2:3 for 5 and 9 5:6 for 6 and 8	1:2 for 4 and 10 2:3 for 5 and 9 5:6 for 6 and 8	2.44% for 4 and 10 3.23% for 5 and 9 4% for 6 and 8
Big 6 and Big 8 Bets	When 6 or 8 are rolled	One-Roll	1:1	N/A	9.0900

The Pass Line Bet

Bets on the Pass Line are the most fundamental type of wager to be made in the game of craps. Players’ chances of winning with one such wager are greater, not to mention the Pass Line bets boast a lower house edge of 1.41% only.

Pass Line bets are made before the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls out a natural 7 or 11, all Pass Line bets win. However, if the shooter throws one of the craps numbers (2, 3 or 12), all bets on the Pass Line lose. Of course, there is a possibility of the shooter throwing one of the remaining numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10) on the come-out roll, in which case this number becomes the point.

The chips for the Pass Line bets would remain on the table until the point is rolled again. The Pass Line bets would win if the shooter succeeds in rolling the point before a 7 comes up. If a 7 is thrown prior to the point number, the result would be a seven-out and all bets on the Pass Line would end up losing.

As players’ chances of winning on the Pass Line are higher, these bets pay out even money. For instance, if you put $10 on stake and win, you will end up collecting a total of $20.

The Don’t Pass Line Bet

Don’t Pass Line wagers mirror Pass Line bets because they lose whenever a natural of 7 or 11 is thrown on the come-out roll. Thus, Don’t Pass Line bets win if craps numbers 3 or 2 are tossed. A dice roll of 12 results in a push – players fail to collect a payout and have their original wagers returned to them.

However, if the shooter establishes a point by rolling 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, Don’t Pass Line bets would win only when a seven-out occurs before the point number is repeated. If the point is thrown prior to 7, all Don’t Pass Line bets lose. Winning Don’t Pass Line bets pay even money and have a house edge of 1.36%.

The Come Bet

Come bets function as an extension of wagers made on the Pass Line and their outcomes are often resolved after several tosses of the dice. It is possible to make such bets on the come-out rolls or after the shooter has already established a “come” point. The puck at the side of the table would then read “On” to indicate players can place their Come bets.

The chips for such wagers are positioned within the two boxes on the layout that read “Come”. If the shooter rolls a natural of 7 or 11, the player automatically wins with their Come bet, but loses if the dice roll results in a craps number (2, 3 or 12). Provided that a point is established on the come-out roll, the shooter needs to hit the point number again before they seven out in order for Come bets to result in a win. Winning Come bets are paid out at a rate of 1 to 1 and have a house edge of 1.41%.

The Don’t Come Bet

Don’t Come bets resemble Don’t Pass Line bets to a great extent. If craps numbers 2 or 3 hit on the come-out roll, all Don’t Come bets automatically win, but if a natural of 7 or 11 is thrown, the bets lose.

If the shooter establishes a point on the come-out roll, the Don’t Come bets would result in a win only if 7 comes before the point number. If the point is rolled before a seven-out occurs, the bets lose. Number 11 is considered neutral on such bets. A roll of 12 is equal to a push and the player fails to collect a payout. Speaking of payouts, winning Don’t Come bets pay even money and offer a relatively low house edge of 1.36%.

Free Odds Bets

This is the best bet players can make at the craps table because it completely eliminates the built-in house advantage since winnings are paid at true odds. Free odds are offered on Pass/Don’t Pass Line bets and Come/Don’t Come bets.

Once a point has been established, the players are allowed to make a side wager that is double or triple the size of their original bet. This is called “taking” the odds on Pass Line and Come bets. Some casinos allow players to make Free Odds bets that are 4x, 5x, 6x, 8x, 9x or 10x the original wager. The payout for the bet depends on what the point for the Pass Line is.

The bigger the Free Odds bet, the lower the house edge. The Pass Line bets, along with the Free Odds bets, win if the shooter rolls the point number again prior to a 7. The Pass Line bets will be paid out at even money, while the side bets will be paid at true odds.

Please do have in mind these are not self-service bets – you need to communicate with the dealer when laying odds, so that he or she can place the chips for your side bet on the layout.

It is also possible to “lay” the odds on the Don’t Come/Don’t Pass Line bets. After the shooter establishes a point, Pass Line and Come bets will win only if the point is rolled before the 7 hits. While this is unfavorable for Pass Line/Come bettors, it actually works to the advantage of players who have made Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets since the chances of the shooter hitting a seven-out are greater because there are more combinations that add up to the total of 7.

This is the perfect moment for the Don’t Pass/ Don’t Come player to lay odds on their bet. The player will win with both his original wager and his side bet if the shooter sevens out before he or she rolls the point number. Thus, players are practically betting against the shooter.

The winning side wagers will be paid at the correct or true odds, while the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets will pay even money.

Place Bets

When it comes to Place bets, one of the most important things to remember is that this type of wager is accepted only when a point has been established. Place bets are made on individual point numbers like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. Suppose you have made a Place bet on number 8, for instance. You will collect a payout only if the shooter rolls an 8 prior to throwing a 7. If the shooter hits 7 before a roll of 8, your Place bet would lose.

The payouts for these bets differ depending on the number you have placed your bet on. Thus, winning Place bets on 4 and 10 pay out 9 to 5, numbers 5 and 9 pay out 7 to 5, and 6 and 8 have a payout of 7 to 6. Needless to say, the house edge also varies depending on the number you bet on. Place bets on 4 and 10 have a house edge of 6.67%, bets on 5 and 9 come with an edge of 4%, while the built-in house advantage for Place bets on 6 and 8 stands at 1.52%.

Place Bets to Lose

Players are allowed to make Place bets against the shooter, or in other words, they are betting the shooter will lose. Thus, the player wins if a 7 is thrown and loses if the number they are betting against is rolled. Please note that Place Bets to Lose are not available everywhere and some gambling establishments or online craps tables do not accept this type of wager.

The payouts for winning bets of this type are as follows – a winning bet against 4 or 10 pay out 5 to 11, winning bets against 5 and 9 pay out 5 to 8, and the payout for bets against 6 and 8 is 4 to 5. The house edge also fluctuates depending on the number the player is betting against.

Buy Bets

To encourage players to make more Place bets, some casinos allow them to “buy” the 4 or the 10. This type of wager is more advantageous for the players because it reduces the house edge from 6.67% to 4.76%. The bet resembles, to a great extent, the Place bets since it is a multiple-roll wager that wins if 4 or 10, respectively, is rolled prior to a seven-out.

The difference is players are required to pay a 5% commission (also called a vig) to the house. Winning Buy bets offer a reduced house edge because the casino pays winnings at the true odds of 2 to 1, instead of 9 to 5 as is the case with Place bets on 4 and 10. What is more, if the outcome of the Buy bet is not resolved after a few tosses of the dice, the player is entitled to take the wager down and will have their 5% commission returned to them. If 4 or 10 hit before the 7 is rolled, the player is paid at true odds, but the house gets to retain the 5% commission.

It is also possible to buy numbers 6, 8, 5 and 9 but such wagers do not always work in favor of the player. Please note that when buying bets on any of the above-listed numbers, you should consider your bet sizing in advance because the craps table personnel does not deal with change on such wagers. For example, if you wish to place a $25 Buy bet on the 4 with a 5% commission of $1.25, it will be rounded down to $1. The dealer may sometimes allow players to bet $30 or $35 with a $1 vig. However, if the player makes a smaller Buy bet so the commission is only $0.50 for instance, it will be rounded up to $1.

Lay Bets

At some craps tables, it is possible to lay bets against the point numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. Such bets win if the shooter hits 7 before rolling the respective point number. Lay bets on the point numbers also involve a 5% commission, which is retained by the house if the wager results in a win.

It is important to mention only Lay bets against the 4 and the 10 are of value for the player. It is only these two numbers that offer a lower house edge of 2.44%. In comparison, the edge of Lay bets on 5 and 9 stands at 3.23% while that of bets on the 6 and 8 is 4%.

Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

In general, the Big 6 and the Big 8 bets are to be avoided because of their massive house edge of 9.09%. These bets win whenever 6 or 8 is rolled on the next toss of the dice. Then again, if the shooter tosses a 7 before 6 or 8, these bets lose. The bad news is the chances of this happening are higher than the shooter rolling 6 or 8. There are six combinations that add up to 7 and only five ways to roll 6 or 8. Besides, even if you do win, you will be paid even money at the rate of 1 to 1, which is far from impressive.

One-Roll Bets

One-roll bets are the second major category of wagers players can make in craps. These are easier to understand as whether they win or lose is determined by a single throw of the dice. Less experienced players tend to gravitate towards one-roll bets because of their seeming simplicity.

On the downside, one-roll bets have a much higher house edge in comparison to bets that involve multiple throws of the dice, and they, therefore, do not offer great value for bettors. On some one-roll bets, the house edge soars over 16%. In this category, we have Field bets, Proposition bets, and their sub-class of Hardway bets. These are not self-service wagers (with the exception of the Field bet) as it is the stickman, who positions the chips in the respective boxes on the layout.

Bet Name	Winning Criteria	Single-Roll/Multi-Roll	Payout	True Odds	House Edge
Field Bets	Wins if 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 appear	One-Roll	1:1 for 3,4,9,10, or 11 2:1 for 2 and 12	N/A	5.56%
Any Craps Bet	Wins if 2, 3, or 12 appears	One-Roll	7:1	8:1	11.11%
Yo-Leven	Wins if 11 comes out	One-Roll	16:1 or 15:1	17:1	11.11%
Ace-Deuce	Wins if 3 is rolled out	One-Roll	16:1 or 15:1	17:1	11.11%
Seven or Big Red Bets	Seven will be rolled out on the next round	One-Roll	4:1	5:1	16.67%
Ace Bets	Two will be rolled out on the next round	One-Roll	30:1	31:1	13.89%
Boxcars/Twelve Bets	Wins if 12 is rolled out	One-Roll	30:1	31:1	13.89%
Hard 6 and Hard 8 Bets	6 or 8 will be rolled out the hard way (3-3 and 4-4)	One-Roll	9:1	10:1	9.09%
Hard 4 and Hard 10	4 and 10 will be rolled the hard way (2-2 and 5-5)	One-Roll	7:1	8:1	11.10%

Field Bets

This must be the most popular one-roll bet in craps, which covers a group or a “field” of numbers – 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12. What is more, this type of bet is accepted at all stages of the game. If any of the aforementioned numbers are thrown on the next dice roll, the field bets win. However, the payouts vary depending on the rolled number.

Thus, if numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 are tossed, the field bets will pay even money or 1 to 1. So if you bet $5, you will collect a total of $10 with one such wager. Should number 2 hit, the payout will be 2 to 1, so you will earn $15 with a $5 bet. Rolling a 12 will also result in a winning field bet, with a payout of 2 to 1 or 3 to 1, depending on the casino you are playing at. The bet loses whenever the numbers outside the field are tossed, namely 5, 6, 7 and 8.

At first glance, field bets seem like a good bargain. Unfortunately, they are not because there are twenty dice combinations outside the field and only sixteen combinations that result in a win, which makes for a house edge of 5.56%. Yet, if you chance to take a seat at a table where Field bets pay out 3 to 1 for rolling a 12, the edge will be cut in half to 2.56%.

Any Craps Bets

This is a sub-type of the proposition bets which involves wagering that the next roll of the dice will result in 2, 3 or 12, or the three craps numbers. If any other number is tossed, the Any Craps bet loses. Be very careful when placing such bets and mind how their payouts are listed on the layout. At some tables, the payouts for Any Craps bets read 8 for 1, which means the player will collect $8 while the house gets to retain their original $1 bet. This practically means that winning Any Craps bets pay out 7 to 1. The built-in house advantage here stands at 11.11%.

Yo-Leven

This type of proposition bet wins if 11 is thrown on the next dice roll. You may wonder why the bet is called Yo-leven (or Yo). The staff at craps tables have adopted this lingo to prevent misunderstandings since numbers 11 and 7 share a very similar pronunciation. Winning Yo-leven bets pay out 16 for 1 or 15 to 1 and have a house edge of 11.11%.

Ace-Deuce

This is a one-roll propositional bet on number 3. The payout for winning Ace-Deuce bets is 16 for 1 or 15 to 1, with a built-in house advantage of 11.11%. As you can see, the payouts and the house edge of Ace-Deuce bets coincide with those of the Yo-leven. This is so because both 3 and 11 are two-combination numbers.

Seven or Big Red Bets

This type of proposition wager practically involves betting that number 7 will hit on the next roll of the dice. If it does, the payout will either be 5 for 1 or 4 to 1, so make sure you check what the layout reads. The house edge for this bet is terrible at 16.67%.

If you are playing at a landbased casino instead of online, by all means, avoid calling out “Seven!” when you wish to make one such bet. As was said above, the words “seven” and “eleven” sound too much alike and players betting on the Pass Line would frown upon you. It is best to call out “Big Red”, instead, and spare yourself the wrath of fellow craps players.

Ace Bets

One-roll propositional bets on number 2 are called “Aces”. Since there is only one combination that adds up to 2, Ace bets offer the highest payout of 31 for 1 or 30 to 1. Unfortunately, this bet, too, comes with unfavorable house edge of 13.89%, so Aces are certainly no bargain in this case.

Boxcars/Twelve Bets

The Boxcars or Twelve bets result in a win whenever number 12 is thrown on the next dice roll. As the only possible combination with two dice that adds up to 12 is 6 plus 6, Boxcar bets have the same payout as Ace bets – either 31 for 1 or 30 to 1. The house edge is again 13.89%.

Hard 6 and Hard 8 Bets

These hardway bets are a sub-category of the propositions. When the player is making a Hard 6 bet, they are practically betting the next dice roll will result in a total of six, but the only winning combination is 3-3 while 5-1, 1-5, 4-2 and 2-4 will not do. Similarly, Hard 8 bets win only when the combination of 4-4 is rolled. The payouts for both bets are either 10 for 1, or 9 to 1, with a house edge of 9.09%.

Hard 4 and Hard 10 Bets

You can probably guess what Hard 4 and Hard 10 bets are. They win on “hard” rolls of 2-2 and 5-5, respectively. All remaining combinations that add up to the totals of 4 and 10 result in a loss. The payouts for winning bets of this type are 8 for 1 or 7 to 1 and the house edge is 11.11%.

Combination Bets

Combination bets are placed in the center section of the layout where the boxes read “C and E”. Bets in this category can be treated as two separate one-roll proposition bets. Read on to find out more about some of the most popular types of combination bets.

Bet Name	Winning Criteria	Single-Roll/Multi-Roll	Payout	True Odds	House Edge
Horn Bets	Wins if 2, 3, 11, or 12 is rolled out	One-Roll	30:1 for 2 and 12 and 15:1 for 3 and 11	–	13.89%
World/Whirl Bets	Wins if 2, 3, 10, 11, or 7 hits	One-Roll	15:1 for 3 and 11 and 30:1 for 2 and 12 4:1 for 7	–	13.33%
High-Low Bets	Wins if 2 or 12 is thrown	One-Roll	15:1	–	11.11%
Three-Way Craps	Wins if 2, 3, or 12 is thrown	One-Roll	30:1 or 15:1	–	11.11%

Horn Bets

The Horn involves betting four units on 11 (Yo-leven) and the craps numbers 2, 3 and 12. If one of these numbers comes up on the next roll, the Horn wins on this number and loses on the remaining three numbers. The payout depends on which number is thrown. Numbers 12 and 2 pay 30 to 1, while numbers 3 and 11 have a payout of 15 to 1. It is important to remember, you win only with the number that has hit, and lose the bet units you have placed on the other numbers.

World/Whirl Bets

This bet involves betting five units. Four of them are placed on the Horn (on numbers 11, 2, 3, and 12) and one unit is bet on the 7. If the shooter throws a 7, players will fail to collect because the payout is 5 for 1, but at least the bet will not result in a loss. This basically means that a roll of 7 is treated as a push. If 11, 12, 3 or 2 are rolled, the World/Whirl bet will pay out at a rate of 15 to 1.

High-Low Bets

The name of this type of bet is directly related to the numbers it involves – 2 and 12. This is a two-unit wager which wins whenever numbers 2 or 12 are thrown. So, 2 is the lowest number the shooter can throw with two dice and 12 is the highest number, hence the name High-Low. This bet wins if any of these two numbers hit. The payout for winning High-Low bets is 15 to 1, with a house edge of 11.11%.

Three-Way Craps Bets

Some inexperienced players tend to confuse this bet with the Any Craps wager. However, Three-Way-Craps involves betting three units on craps numbers 2, 3 and 12 individually. In other words, the players are making three separate bets – one on 2, one on 3 and another one on 12. How much you collect depends on which number gets thrown. Thus, if the shooter rolls 2 or 12, your bet will pay out 30 to 1. If numbers 11 or 3 hit, the payout will be 15 to 1. The house edge on Three-Way Craps bets stands at 11.11%.

Three-Way Red Bets

This wager involves betting that number 7 will hit on the next toss of the dice. However, it is not to be mistaken with the Big Red bet. First of all, the Three-Way Red bet offers a lower house edge of 11.11% and second, it requires players to bet three units on each of the combinations that add up to 7, namely 4-3, 5-2, and 6-1. The payouts coincide with those of the Ace-Deuce and Yo-leven bets – either 16 for 1, or 15 to 1.