Craps Betting Strategy

To say that craps can be a very complex and intimidating casino game, to those new to casino craps, would be a gross understatement. For most people that gamble at casinos, slots or other machine games are probably the least complicated. Those would be followed by perhaps keno, and roulette. Some may even argue that blackjack is simple enough, once you understand basic strategy. But craps is a different animal altogether. This is a game that is played in rounds. Each player, by choice, gets to roll the dice until their turn is over. That's the simple part. Beyond that, looking at the craps table, a new player could easily think there are hundreds of betting options available. That is where the confusion begins. In order to clear up some of the confusion, I am giving you a brief summary of many of the betting options available at the craps table. Pay close attention and you will find that with a little reading, this complex and intimidating game really is simple. To begin, the player that rolls the dice is called the shooter. The shooter's first roll of the dice is called a come out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, the shooter and all those that make a Pass Line bet win. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, those that made a Pass line bet lose. If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that establishes a point number. From this point forward, no pun intended, the shooter tries to roll the same point number again in order to win. If the shooter is successful, all those that bet on the Pass Line win. If not, they lose. The Come bet is basically the same as the Pass Line bet; with one major exception ... every roll is like a new come out roll, as described above. Each of the bets above is paid at even odds. For every dollar you bet, if you win, you win one dollar profit (you get your dollar back plus another dollar for winning). Here is one trick to cutting down on the confusion, let the dealers do their job. They are paid to keep track of all the bets and the payoffs. Rather than try to learn all the payoffs, just know in advance that your bets will be paid at even odds or better. There are bets that are paid at less than even odds, but that is beyond the scope of this article. Next, the Place bet is a bet that the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will show up before the 7. There is also a buy bet that is similar with one twist; you have to pay a commission to get the fair odds payout. The Field bet is a bet that the next roll will be one of the following numbers: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. These bets are paid at even odds, except the 2 and 12. Depending on the casino you play at, the 2 is paid double your original bet and the 12 is paid triple your original bet. So, if you bet one dollar on the Field and the 12 is the next number rolled, you get your dollar plus three more. Most the other betting options are proposition bets. These bets include betting on any of the numbers on the dice, a Hardways bet (the 4, 6, 8 or 10 are rolled with the same number on both dice like 2 and 2, or 5 and 5)... ...any craps (2, 3, 12), horn (2, 3, 11 or 12), C & E (half your bet on the 2, 3, 12, the other half on 11), World (2, 3, 11, 12 or 7) and On The Hop (number rolled with the dice combination you call like a 6 rolled with a 5 on one die and a 1 on the other). You are betting on the outcome of the very next roll of the dice. The odds payout is based on the difficulty, but the chances of you making a profit with these bets are terrible. The better strategy is to avoid all proposition bets and stick to the Pass Line bet. You can also add the Odds bet to the Pass Line bet, which is a bet after the point number is established. The Odds bet is the best bet on the table, because the casino has no edge against you with these bets. By betting the Pass Line with Odds, you are limiting the house advantage against you to less than 1%. Once you understand the bets I have mentioned above, realize the majority are not conducive to your winning, and use a simple Pass Line with Odds bet strategy, you will be able to avoid being intimidated by a craps table. You will also increase your chances of winning from time to time.

Kelly Jones is the author and leading expert on casino craps and the creator of a winning craps strategy. See these sites now to get the most advanced Winning Craps Strategy System information available on the internet today.