To the beginner, a game like craps can be rather daunting. But once you have learned how to play craps and are familiar with the rules, you will find the game rather simple (not to mention incredibly fun).
Craps strategy is much like any other game of chance: once you know the best bets, the odds, and the house edge, you can customize a craps strategy to better your chances of winning big.
Casino games always have a built-in betting system that can change the earning potential. From the moment a shooter rolls on the craps table to the moment the dealer pushes over a pile of chips, playing craps is fun, exciting, and can be very profitable…under the right circumstances.
A good craps strategy involves creating those perfect circumstances. Following a calculated and intelligent craps strategy will assure any player can have good, if not always winning, results.
Be Humble
Our first piece of advice comes directly from experience: Before you arrive at a Las Vegas (or any other casino) craps table, try to know the rules and the basic terminology used in the game.
Craps has its own language which may seem complicated to a novice but can easily be learned with practice. Even if you are playing craps in an online casino, you’ll want to know the vernacular to perform your best.
There is nothing more annoying than a pushy player who has no idea what they are doing.
Make sure to learn the basic terminology and be humble enough to admit that you may not know everything about the game.
Craps Strategy Basics
Not much can be done to manipulate the actual dice outcome at craps. Instead of trying to predict the result of a single roll, a strategically well-planned strategy involves riding on the outcome and accordingly varying the amount of a bet.
You must bet more when you are winning and less when you are losing at a craps table. Knowing the difference between a field bet (a bet for a roll of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12), the point number (the number a shooter is attempting to match, once a point has been set), and the pass line, will help you build confidence in your craps strategy.
Using the Odds
Try to use high-odds bets and be mentally prepared that you will not win each time the dice is rolled. Hence, take the best odds you can manage, use them in your favor as far as possible, and play cleverly.
The odds, or basic bets, you can make (based on the point and “crap out” roll) on the table in a game of craps are Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come.
Most craps bets can be added to, removed, or deducted from at any point. There are certain exceptions to this—namely the Come and Pass bets—where the player cannot go beyond the maximum bet on the odds.
It is said that a Pass bet gives the house a 1.41% edge whereas a Don’t bet gives a little less than 1.41%. These Line Bets form the core of a winning strategy.
Apart from this, a player must concentrate on the odds in order to improve the best bet. He must either buy odds in a Pass or Lay Odds in case of ‘Don’t Pass’. This plan improves your initial bet because the house takes on edge on Odds.
Place an Odds Bet by supplementing the initial Pass/Don’t Pass with an incremental amount after the Come Out roll. Generally, you must buy the biggest Odds possible for the greater the Odds bet, in betting the maximum here you minimize the house advantage.
Confused? Here’s a basic rule that you can follow: If you’re Laying Odds, let the initial Don’t Pass bet be a multiple of $6 and then bet full on your Odds for a multiple of $12.
Similarly, when Buying Odds, make your Pass bet a multiple of $5 so as to make the Odds multiples of $10. Some numbers have better odds than others, so consider the True Odds and Free Odds potential of any bet for the maximum value.
Don’t Pass for Success
Most players choose to play the traditional way and Buy the Odds as the paybacks appear to be larger. But here’s a piece of advice to those playing seriously to win.
The strategy is to look at playing “wrong” so as to take the smaller house edge and grind it out. Playing “Wrong” and Laying Odds is for seasoned players with a big bankroll and for those who have the perseverance to spread the wins over longer play time.
A Pass Line bet aims for the shooter to win, but whether you’re in an online casino, Vegas casino, or any other casino, the house is attempting to win. So, considering that, betting on that 7 to hit isn’t such a bad idea when done at the appropriate time.
When it comes to Double Odds, it may be safer to not Lay Double on each round.
Let’s take a look at probabilities. You will find that there are four ways to roll a 5 and 9, three variations that produce a 4 and 10, and five ways in which you will roll 6 or 8. But there are six rolling iterations that result in a 7!
Here’s the catch: when you’re betting wrong and going for a double up, the 6’s and 8’s will appear frequently, making you lose the bet. Hence, a good strategy will be to play Double Odds on the 4’s and 10’s to maximize best bets.
Throughout your craps journey, on your way to betting like a pro, you’re looking to minimize the house edge and maximize your profit.
Advanced Craps Strategy
Craps can be a very simple game for beginners, but there are some advanced craps strategies used by players who are willing to take on a little more risk in exchange for the chance to quickly amass a large stack of chips. With so many betting options on a craps table, many players have their own preferred strategies to follow. Here we have collected a handful of popular craps strategies so you can try them for yourself.
1. 3 Point Molly
The idea for the 3 Point Molly strategy is to build up to having three different bets out with the chance to hit several small wins throughout the game. To start, bet the Pass line until a point has been set. Max out your odds on the point, then place a Come bet. Once the Come bet point has been established, max out those odds and place another Come bet. Max out the odds on the second Come bet once that point is established.
At this point, you will have three bets out on the table: the original Pass Line bet, and two Come bets. If one of your bets wins, you can take the winnings and keep betting either the Pass or Come bets so that you always have three bets on the table.
Keep in mind that this is an aggressive strategy. You should have a large bankroll to avoid losing all of your chips early on.
2. Iron Cross
The Iron Cross strategy is simple. Wait until the point for the table has been set. Once set, place bets on the Field, 5, 6, and 8. This way, you will win on any roll that isn’t a 7.
There are 36 different results that can happen on any given dice roll. By betting the Iron Cross, you win on 30 of those 36 potential results. The best-case scenario is that the Field hits. This will double your Field bet and leave your 5, 6, and 8 bets untouched. And some casinos even pay double or triple your Field bet on a 2 or 12. If a 5, 6, or 8 hit, you’ll make a bit of money but lose your Field bet.
When 7 hits, you’ll lose all of your bets.
This can be a great strategy when you have a hot shooter. Every roll that isn’t a 7 will add to your chip stack. If the shooter can go long enough, you’ll be able to quickly build a sizable stack of chips.
3. KISS
KISS of course stands for Keep It Simple Stupid. The strategy here is simply to bet the Pass line and max out your odds, then bet the 6 and 8. It can be a bit more boring than some of the other advanced strategies but does allow you to get more bets out on the board while still keeping the house edge lower. It also doesn’t require as large of a bankroll as some other strategies.
4. YOLO
This is the opposite of the KISS strategy. If you just want to aim for big payouts, have a large bankroll, and don’t care how quickly you burn through it, there are several single roll bets that you can make. Betting on either a 2 or a 12 being rolled pays out at a whopping 30-1. You can also bet on a 3 or 11 being rolled, both paying out 15 to 1. Betting on Hard 6’s or Hard 8’s pay out at 10 to 1, and betting on Hard 10’s or Hard 4’s pays out at 8 to 1.
The house has a much larger edge on these bets, but hitting a few of these can make for a very fun evening.
Feeling Lucky?
Having a solid craps strategy is the best way to increase your odds of winning, and winning is the best way to increase your enjoyment of the game.
But just like any skill, you’ll get better results with practice.
A private casino party is a great way to practice your craps strategy and have a great time doing it, learning true odds, best bets, and how to run a craps table.
Call us today to set up your casino party!
This post was originally published in November 2017 and updated in May 2020.
