The Hop Bet
Understanding the Craps Hop Bets
Craps is one of the most fun casino games and the fact that there are plenty of wagering options contributes to its popularity. When you approach the craps table, you will notice that there are different betting sections on the layout. These will help players to place wagers on the various bets of craps. While there are two identical side sections, there is also one in the center that is shared by all players who have joined the game.
Although there are plenty of options that are illustrated on the craps table, there is one bet that is known only by players who are well aware of the game and that is hopping on numbers. The Hop bet cannot be found on the table layout but that does not mean that players cannot make a use of this type of wager.
The interesting thing about hopping bets is that, in a way, this is a secret stake that new players most likely will not know about. It is very similar to the Hardways but if won, it offers much higher payouts. There are plenty of fun aspects of this bet and you should definitely continue reading so that you can determine whether it is worth it to make this so-called ‘secret bet’.
What is a Hop Bet on Craps?
Whenever you feel like placing money on the specific two numbers which will form the combination of the next dice roll, you are “hopping on the bet”. If you have decided that you want to bet on one of the dice to roll 4, while the other one to show 1, you can say to the dealer “4 – 1 hopping” or “4 – 1 on the hop”. This is the equivalent of betting on an easy (soft) 5.
Hopping is a single-roll bet which can be done only on the following throw of the dice. If we take the example mentioned above, there would be two possible combinations which will make your bet a winning one (4 – 1 and 1 – 4). While the true odds of this soft 5 rolling are 17 to 1, the actual payout for this type of bet is 15 to 1. These odds apply to any soft hop and the house edge is estimated to 11.11%.
In addition to the easy (soft) hops mentioned above, there are also the so-called hard hops. Those are the bets made on dice combinations made of the same number. For instance, if you put your money on 4 and 4 hopping, this is the same as betting on hard 8. However, when you bet the Hardways, the payout will be 9 to 1. On the other hand, if you opt for 4 and 4 on the hop, you will be paid 30 to 1 which is a much better outcome than opting for the Hardways bet. The only difference is that the Hop bet is made on a single roll of the dice.
The high payout for hard hops is due to the fact that compared to the soft ones, there is only one possible combination that can bring players a win. The actual odds to roll a hard number is 35 to 1 which is higher than the actual payout. However, winning 30 times your bet is still a pretty good deal. Even though the payout for this bet is generous, the house edge is still quite high, estimated at 13.89%.
There is also the option to make hops on the total of dice. In this case, you tell the dealer the total number and add that you bet on the hop. This way you will increase your chances of winning since you are actually placing your money on all possible combinations that may lead to this total. Let us say that you are placing money on 10 on the hop. This would mean that you will win whenever the dice roll 4 – 6, 6 – 4 or 5 – 5.
If you bet $2 on 10 hopping, it’s similar to betting $1 on easy 10 and $1 on hard 10. If the dice roll 4 – 6 (or 6 – 4), you will get a payout of 15 to 1, however, you will lose the $1 that was wagered on the possibility of 5 – 5 rolling. The same goes if the dice roll a hard 10. You will still get the payout of 30 to 1, however, you will lose $1 for betting on soft 10 at the same time. In short, when you are hopping on a total, you collect the winnings for either the soft or hard combination which have made your bet a winning one. Despite winning the bet, the house will collect the corresponding wager you have made on the losing part of the Hop Total.
As you can see, there are different ways to utilize the Hop bet at craps and each of them offers players a thrilling and quick game due to the nature of the stake.
How to Make a Hop Bet
As it was mentioned earlier, the Hop bet is a bit different than the rest of the craps wagering options. It cannot be found anywhere on the table and it can be made only verbally. This is the reason why often it is referred to as a “secret bet”.
If you want to bet on a number hopping or on a certain dice combination, you simply place your chips on the craps table layout and tell your dealer the bet you would like to make. If you want to place your money on a soft hop, you should inform the dealer that you are betting on “5 – 4 on the hop/hopping” or any other combination you feel will come up in the next roll.
The same applies if you want to bet on a hard hop. You simply place your chips on the table and tell the dealer that you are betting on “4 – 4 on the hop/hopping”. In addition to that, you can simply bet on a total which would mean that you would tell the dealer something along the lines “10 on the hop/hopping”.
Before the stickman hands the shooter the dice for the next throw, players have the chance to make their bets. This is also the time to place your chips on the table and tell the dealer the Hop bet you would like to place. Once the dice are given to the shooter, you cannot make any bets.
The Odds of the Hop Bet
When we take a look at the game of craps, we have two dice which can form the numbers of the table in a total of 36 different combinations. If you are betting on a soft hop, there always are only two ways to roll the numbers you have bet on. This would mean that there are 34 possibilities when you could lose your bet.
If we want to express the odds of winning, they would look like 34 to 32 or 17 to 1. These odds are not in favor of players and things are even more disadvantageous if you are making a Hop bet on a hard number.
When you are choosing to bet on a hard hop, you have only one possible combination to rely on. This automatically means that the losing possibilities are 35 which gives the house a huge advantage. If we have to determine your winning chances in odds, they would look like 35 to 1 in favor of the casino.
You can easily calculate the house edge when you are making a Hop bet on a soft number. If you wager $36 ($1 on 36 rolls) and each number rolls just once, you will win two times in total. This will mean that you will keep your stakes of $ and win $15 for each of the two bets that were won. You will end up with a profit of $32 which when compared with the $36 you have staked will result in a $4 difference. When you divide the $4 by the money you have staked ($36), you will get 0.1111 which in percents looks like 11.11%. This is the estimated house edge for making a Hop bet on a soft number on craps.
If you take a look at the case of wagering on a hard number, you will have the true odds of 35 to 1 and the actual payout of 30 to 1. If you use the same method to calculate the house edge, you will get 13.89% which is the casino’s advantage in this case. There is also the option to Hop on totals which makes the payout for hard hops 29 to 1, while soft hops pay 14 to 1. In this case, the house edge increases even further to 16.67% which is even a bigger advantage for the casino.
Should Players Hop Bets When Playing Craps?
When you are faced with the dilemma of whether to place a certain bet on craps, you should always consider two things. The first one is the house edge which is the amount of advantage the casino has. The second important thing to keep in mind is the payout you will receive for the bet you make. Of course, there is also the aspect of the type of gambling you are seeking. If you are in it for the thrill, you are definitely the type of player who will appreciate riskier bets.
The house edge for the Hop bet differs in accordance with its nature. If you are opting for betting on a soft (easy) number, you have better chances to win. This is due to the fact that easy hops consist of two different numbers which means that there are two ways to roll the winning number. Even though your chances are better when you are making a bet on a soft number, you are still at a disadvantage and this is due to the fact that the losing combinations seriously outnumber the two winning ones.
When it comes to betting hard hops, you may be fooled by the high payout of this bet. While making a stake such as “4 – 4 on the hop” may be similar to making a Hardway bet on 8, there is a difference in the two wagers. If you bet on 8 rolling the “hard way”, you will be paid 9 to 1. Meanwhile, if you opt for betting the same hard 8 on the hop, you will enjoy a much more generous payout of 30 to 1. While this may sound very tempting, you should take into consideration that the Hop is a single-roll bet. This means that whether you win or lose will be determined on the next throw of the dice. When you are making a Hardway bet, it is active until your bet wins or loses, no matter how many throws of the dice it will take for that.
If you are on the lookout for a thrilling game of craps, then you can definitely make your gambling more interesting by making a Hop bet. It takes a single roll to determine whether you win or lose and if the luck is on your side, you can actually enjoy pretty good payouts. If you, however, are seeking a more advantageous game, you are advised to avoid making this bet as there are plenty of other options with a much lower house edge.
Hop Bet Strategy
Despite not being on the table layout, the Hop bet is still considered one of the proposition bets on craps. As such, it is among some of the least advantageous options to bet on if you are looking for a fruitful outcome.
However, there are plenty of players who enjoy making this wager and they still manage to walk away from the table pleased by the game they have played. This is often due to the fact that they are playing, using a certain strategy. While, just as it is with every other casino game, no one can guarantee you a win if you use a strategy, you can definitely improve your game if you are utilizing a certain system.
If you are interested in hopping bets, there are several tactics that you can use when you are trying to tilt the scales in your favor and sweep better payouts. One of them is hopping 7 on the come-out roll. As it was mentioned earlier, it is rarely the case that players make a hop before the come-out roll. The reason for that is that it is a risky bet and it is definitely not a suitable option for every craps player.
If you are a skillful shooter, however, you can opt for betting 7 on the hop before the come-out roll. This would mean that you will win if any of the six combinations that form 7 rolls. If you manage to actually roll 7, you will collect $32. Then you should keep $2 and parlay (re-bet) the remaining $30. If you manage to throw 7 again, you will be enjoying a payout of $160. The next step is to keep $10 and parlay $150. After the second parlay, you would have your initial bet back and an additional profit of $6. This, of course, will work only if you manage to throw a 7 two times in a row.
Another strategy is to use the so-called Fibonacci progression for your hopping 7’s strategy. This would mean that you will always add your previous two bets and wager their total. This is a good betting system only for players who have a pretty big bankroll and can afford making high stakes. Let us say that you have started with a $3 stake, this would mean that your next wager will follow the pattern 3, 3, 6, 9, 15 and so on. If the luck is on your side and you experience a pretty short losing streak, you will enjoy great payouts thanks to this betting system. However, you have to make sure that you have the bankroll to play long enough if the losing streaks are way too longspun.
Although the betting strategies for hopping bets may not be the best ones to use in the game of craps, they may still make the gambling experience of players very exciting and rewarding.
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