How to Win in Craps
Whether you’re going to a casino in Las Vegas or somewhere else in the world, you will almost certainly encounter a craps table. This is one of the most popular games to play, and for beginners, it’s quite easy to understand. However, that certainly does not mean that it’s easy. Before playing, you should do your research to ensure that you’re as prepared as you can possibly be.
In this guide, you will learn everything you need to know about playing craps and increasing your chances of winning. We’ll cover odds and probabilities, along with outlining the different types of bets that beginners should consider placing. On top of that, you’ll also find out about some strategies you can implement.
You will also discover a couple of extra tips to help you win at craps. Without further ado, let’s get started.
What’s the Best Bet in Craps?
When playing craps, it’s tempting to look for what others might perceive to be the best bet. But unfortunately, there is no such thing. Craps is pretty much exclusively a game of luck, meaning that what might work well in one round is not guaranteed to give you repeated success.
A better approach is to learn a broader range of bet types and then think about how you can apply them to different situations. For example, knowing how to cover more potential outcomes can help increase your chances of winning a payout. Similarly, knowing the different odds for each result will give you a better chance of receiving your payout.
Craps Strategies for Beginners
While there is no such thing as “the best bet in craps”, that doesn’t mean that you can’t implement different strategies. When you’re new to any casino game, it’s worth learning the most beginner-friendly options before then trying out some of the more complex alternatives.
There are three bets that you should learn in particular to begin with:
- Don’t Pass Line Bets
- Come Bets
- Field Bets
We’ll now discuss each one in further detail to help you maximize your usage for all of these.
Don’t Pass Line Bets
The Don’t Pass Line Bet is one of the easiest to learn in craps. When you place this bet, you’re going directly against the shooter and predicting that they will lose. In simple terms, you’ll win a payout if the dice combination lands on 2 or 3.
However, you’re also putting a reasonable degree of risk into this bet. You will lose if the dice lands on a combination that totals 7 or 11. The main reason why this bet can be risky is because 7 is the most common rolled bet combination total in craps. This bet is also known as the Don’t Come Bet; unless you roll 12, any number other than a winning or losing combination will be the new point.
See Also: What is the Pass Line in Craps: Understanding Odds, Bets, and Strategies
Come Bets
Come bets are also very easy to understand. When you place this bet, you will wager after the initial point has been established. It is the opposite of a Don’t Pass Line Bet; when the dice is rolled, the number you see will become your new point. To win, the dice must reach that total before a 7 is rolled again. If a 7 is rolled before you get to that, you will lose.
The come bet can sometimes take a lot of time to determine whether you win, so you should prepare for that possibility. You can place a come bet whenever you want after the initial point is established.
Field Bets
Field bets are a bit more complex than come/don’t come bets, but they are still not the most challenging thing to understand. You will bet on multiple numbers with a field bet, which either pay at 1/1 or 2/1 depending on the number that lands.
When placing a field bet, you win if the dice lands on any of the following:
- 2
- 3
- 4
- 9
- 10
- 11
- 12
Each of these numbers pays out at evens, with the exception of 2 and 12 – both of which will pay out double your initial stake.
Craps Betting Strategies
Now that you know about some of the most beginner-friendly types of craps betting, let’s look at some strategies you can implement. These can increase or lower the risk depending on what you choose, and while some are good for beginners, you might want to wait until you have some more knowledge of craps before placing others.
Let’s now go over three different craps betting strategies that you can consider implementing.
Increasing Your Bet Each Time You Lose
If you’re happy to play with a bit more risk involved, you can try increasing your bet each time you lose via the Martingale Strategy. Every time you lose, you double down on your bet until you either run out of money or win.
Let’s say that you bet $5 and lose, for example. In the next round, you’ll wager $10. If that’s unsuccessful, you’ll bet $20, and so on. As you can imagine, you need quite a big budget for this to work successfully. While you will win some money if you keep going, you don’t know when that will be and if it’s even worth it in the end.
You don’t have to do the Martingale Strategy, though. It’s possible to do this on a smaller scale, such as increasing your bet by $1 each time you lose. You need to think about your risk tolerance level and how much money you can spend; with smaller amounts, it’s less of a guarantee that you’ll win.
Iron Cross
Another betting strategy that you can implement in craps is the Iron Cross. This strategy involves placing both a Field bet and a Place bet. The Place bet is where you wager on combinations totalling numbers between 4 and 6, and 8 and 10.
The Iron Cross betting strategy is popular with some players because it mitigates the amount of risk involved in craps. You will receive a payout on most of the numbers, but the amount you receive will still vary depending on which numbers are landed.
When you place an Iron Cross bet, you will lose if the dice rolls on 7. So, even though you reduce a lot of the risk involved in playing craps, you can’t get rid of it completely. Nonetheless, having this betting strategy in your knowledge bank means that you’ll at least be able to fall upon it if needed.
Fibonacci Sequence
The Fibonacci Sequence is another sequential betting strategy that you can consider using when you play craps. When you use this strategy, you will add up your bet totals from the previous two. So, if you’ve bet on 2 and 3, it’ll be 5. Of course, you can only do this up to 12 in craps – making it more limiting than what you will find in other casino games like roulette.
When you lose your bet, you will then add up your last two rounds and then move to those. However, if you win, you’ll go backwards. This can be quite an effective strategy to win, but learning how to use it will take a bit of time.
Craps Tips and Tricks
In addition to learning the different types of bets and strategies in craps, it’s worth knowing about some of the tips and tricks you can use to increase your chances of winning at craps further. A bit of knowledge about how the game works and different things to consider when betting can go a long way.
Below, you’ll discover three tips and tricks you can use to increase your chances of winning at craps.
Understand House Edges
House edges are one of the most important things to think about in craps because they dramatically impact your payout. The difficult thing in craps is that unlike some other casino games, the house edge can vary significantly. This is good in a way because it means you can control what it is based on your bet, but it can also cause a huge headache.
See Also: What Are the Odds? How to Read Betting Odds and More
The house edge in craps can range from 1.36% to almost 17%. With this in mind, you need to consider what it will be for different bets you place. This table will help you do precisely that:
| Bet Type | House Edge |
| Don’t Pass | 1.36% |
| Pass Line | 1.41% |
| Place (6 or 8) | 1.52% |
| Don’t Pass, Don’t Come, Lay (4 or 10) | 2.44% |
| Don’t Pass, Don’t Come, Lay (5 or 9) | 3.23% |
| Place (5 or 9) | 4% |
| Don’t Pass, Don’t Come, Lay (6 or 8) | 4% |
| Pass Line, Come Bet, and Buy (4 or 10, 5 or 9, and 6 or 8) | 4.76% |
| Field Bets | 5.5% |
| Big 6 or 8 or Hardways (6 or 8) | 9.09% |
| Hardways (4 or 10), Any Craps, and 3 Craps or 11 Craps | 11.1% |
| Any 7 | 16.9% |
Think About Minimum and Maximum Bets
When playing craps, you should also think about the minimum and maximum bets allowed at the table. Each casino has different rules in relation to this, and if you don’t have an unlimited budget, you should understand what these are. Since each venue differs, you should ask before you start playing.
Learn About Craps Before You Play
By reading this long-form guide on craps and how to play/win, you’re already doing an amazing job. Many beginners will go into a casino without understanding how the game works, which automatically puts them at a disadvantage. It can also slow the game down, which may disgruntle the other players.
Before you go to a casino, it’s also worth practicing craps. You’ll find plenty of places to do this online, and you might even want to play with some of your friends. By doing these, you will find it much easier to get into the rhythm when you’re at the table in a venue.
More Tips for Winning at Craps
In addition to the above tips, you should consider implementing the following to further enhance your chances of winning at craps.
Focus on Fun First
When playing craps, it’s important that your primary focus is on having fun. Any casino game is unlikely to be a reliable source of income, and winning is a nice byproduct of playing a game that you enjoy. Craps is also almost entirely luck-based, meaning that you are going to significantly frustrate yourself if you focus just on profits.
Oddly enough, you’ll probably find it easier to win if you take the pressure off. Take the wins as they come along, but set your budget with the idea that you’ll probably lose most of – if not all – of it.
Quit When You’re Ahead
Another good idea when playing craps is to quit when you’re ahead. It’s easy to think that your luck will never run out, but it inevitably will. If you’re on a hot streak, that’s probably when you should step away from the table. You might think that you’re leaving more money on the table, and that might be true – but you will at least guarantee your profits, whereas continuing to play could have resulted in you losing all of those.
How to Play Craps and Win: Can I Win Every Time?
It’s impossible to win at craps every single time. The game is pretty much the luck of the draw, and you’ll sometimes have better streaks than others. The law of probability suggests that you’ll win something at some point, but big profits are another question. Higher odds are inevitably harder to achieve.
You can increase your chances of winning by adopting good practices and thinking more strategically about your bets. But ultimately, it’s unlikely that you will always be successful.
Craps Odds and Probabilities
When playing craps, it’s important to know that some of the payouts aren’t always identical to the odds. Knowing the odds, payouts, and probabilities will make it much easier to determine how much you can expect to profit.
Here’s a breakdown of everything you need to know:
| Bet | Odds | Actual Payout |
| Pass Line | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Don’t Pass | Don’t Pass/Don’t Come/Lay (4 or 10) | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Don’t Pass/Don’t Come/Lay (5 or 9) | 3/2 | 3/2 |
| Don’t Pass/Don’t Come/Lay (6 or 8) | 5/6 | 5/6 |
| Place (4 or 10) | 2/1 | 2/1 |
| Place (5 or 9) | 3/2 | 7/5 |
| Place (6 or 8) | 6/5 | 7/6 |
| Hardways (6 or 8) | 10/1 | 9/1 |
| Any 7 | 5/1 | 4/1 |
| Any Craps | 8/1 | 7/1 |
| 2 or 12 Craps | 35/1 | 30/1 |
| 3 or 11 Craps | 17/1 | 15/1 |
Tips for Maximizing Wins in Craps
In addition to what we’ve already discussed, you can implement another few things to maximize your chances of winning at craps. Here’s what we recommend.
Use Bonuses
In addition to placing bets with a house edge, it’s worth looking to see if there are any places that have bonuses you can use for craps. You’ll find a number of online casino websites that allow this, and you often get free bets plus other benefits. Sometimes, land-based casinos will also have promotions and bonuses that you can utilize to make the most of your games.
Balance Risk and Reward
It can be very tempting to go for the big bets in craps, especially if you’re new. But while you could get a solid payoff, it’s likely that you’re being too unreasonable and will end up losing your money. At the other end of the scale, some players place too much of an emphasis on safety. Generally speaking, low risk equals low reward.
It’s up to you to strike a balance between risk and reward. Look at each bet’s odds and house edge, and think about what you believe could happen next. Once you’ve done that, you’ll find it much easier to find a middle ground.
Set Your Budget in Advance
Another thing you can do to maximize your chances of winning at craps is to set your budget in advance. Know exactly how much you’re going to go into the game with, and decide what you want to do with your profits. It might also be a good idea to consider a cut-off point for how much you’ll make in profits (or losses) before stepping away from the table.
Conclusion
Craps is one of the most fun casino games to play, and it’s also quite easy to understand on a basic level. For these reasons, we definitely suggest playing if you get the opportunity. The main things to know are the different bet types and the house edges for each of these.
Now that you’ve read this guide, you should have all the information you need to play craps effectively.
See Also: What Is the Come Bet in Craps? (+ Other Things You Should Know About Betting in Craps)
