Craps Explained
- Craps is a favorite casino game for many players. It is fast, exciting and can even get a little wild at times. It appears to be complicated at first but it actuality is very simple. On the first roll (the come out roll), the shooter is trying to establish a point with one of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
- Answer 11 of 20: Craps is a game played with 2 dice and from 1-16 players on a table. Everyone takes turns being the shooter. This is the person who rolls the dice. The game begins with everyone placing their bets on either the 'Pass'.
Place Bets in Craps Game These bets are somewhat simple. There are actually two different types of place bets. One is called place bet to win and the other is place bet to lose.
Although Craps are among the most popular and most often played gambling games, craps rules can often seem quite complicated to new players and many people can’t make heads or tails of them. Before you go and bet your hard-earned cash in the casino for the first time, try the game without any risk in a free online version using virtual currency. That way you can at least make sure that you really understand the rules. If you lose there, it doesn’t affect your finances.
Knowing the craps rules definitely pays off. Some bets have the lowest house edge by far of all table games.
Craps rules
Craps is a game that can be simple or complicated – depending on how you want to bet. Craps is a table game played by several players. One of them (the one who throws the dice) is called the “Shooter”. Very simply put: When playing craps, the shooter throws the dice and all other players bet on numbers that may or may not be rolled. Players place their bets before the shooter throws the dice.
The game starts with the Shooter (one of the table players) betting at least the minimum of the table on one of the bets:
- Pass Line
- Don’t Pass Line
The player then receives from Stickman (casino employee) several dice (usually five) from which he/she chooses two to play with. The remaining dice are taken back by the casino worker and are not used in this game anymore.
The game is played in rounds and each player has the right to throw dice. But if you do not feel like it, you can deny and pass this honour to another player.
Each round has two phases:
- Come Out
- Point
Come Out Phase
At the start of the round, the Shooter shoot one or more Come Out rolls. If the number 2, 3 or 12 falls on this first throw (called Craps and the player continues no longer), the round ends and players lose their Pass Line bets. If the Shooter hits 7 or 11 (Natural), all Pass Line bets win.
If neither happens. The Shooter continues to throw another Come Out roll until one of the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 numbers are played.
Point Phase
After that, this number becomes Point. The dealer then visibly marks this number and continues phase two. When Point number reappears, all Pass Line bets win. If the Shooter throw Seven-out, the pass line bets lose and the round ends.
The new round then begins with the new Shooter. The new shooter is then the first player on the left hand of the previous thrower. The game then goes clockwise.
A player who approaches the table should always check first the phase at which the game is. If there is no number marked, the table is in the Come Out phase. If there is the token on the table, the point is already set and most casinos allow to make Pass Line bets. All Proposition Bets can be bet in any phase of the round.
Between each bet is the part when the dealer pays wins and collects lost bets. Stickman oversees the entire game, the table and decides when the Shooter can play.
Craps Rules – All Craps Bets
As you can on the picture below, there are many types of bets in craps. But don’t worry, we will discuss them all in a very easy way.
Come Out Bets
Pass Line
As mentioned above, these bets win if the sum of 7 or 11 is rolled in the come-out roll, and they lose out if the sum of 2, 3, or 12 is rolled in the come-out roll. If another sum is rolled, it will become the Point. The Pass Line bet wins if the following shooter’s throws reach a Point number before reaching the sum of 7, and loses if the sum of 7 appears before the Point is reached.
Possible win: 1:1.
Don’t Pass Line
This is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. The Don’t Pass Line bet wins if the sum of 2 or 3 is rolled in the come-out roll and loses if come-out yields a sum of 7 or 11. If the come-out roll reaches a total of 12, such bet is called “Push” and the player gets his money back. If a number other than 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12 is rolled, it becomes the Point. Don’t Pass Line bets win if the shooter rolls a total of 7 before reaching the Point and lose if the opposite occurs. It is important to know that Don’t Pass Line bets can be reduced or even removed before the shooter’s the second throw.
Possible win: 1:1.
“Come” bets
Come bets are almost the same as the Pass Line bets. Consider them Pass Line bets that are repeated in the same game round. The players place the Come bets after establishing the Point in the come-out roll. Just like the Pass Line bets, Come bets win if the shooter rolls 7 or 11 and lose if the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number is established as the Point for Come (“Come Point”). Come bets win if the shooter rolls the Come Point again before rolling the sum of 7, and lose if the opposite occurs. Come bets cannot be reduced or removed.
Possible win: 1:1.
“Don’t Come” bets
It must be clear by now that Don’t Come bets are almost the same as Don’t Pass Line bets. These bets are also placed after the come-out roll. Once the Point is set, Don’t Come bets win if the shooter rolls 2 or 3, lose if he rolls 7 or 11, and Push if he rolls 12. If a sum of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled, it becomes the new Come Point. Don’t Come wins if the shooter rolls 7 before the Come Point, and loses if the opposite occurs. Don’t Come bets, just like Don’t Pass Line bets, can be reduced or even removed.
Possible win: 1:1.
Bets after the Point
Odds
Odds are a side bet in craps that you can only place if the Point is established. The win will be paid out if the Point is rolled before the sum of 7. Chances of Odds are completely equal, the house edge is therefore zero. To clarify, Odds have the following payouts:
- 2 to 1 at point 4 and 10
- 3 to 2 at point
- 6 to 5 at point 6 and 8
If we want to place the Odds after a Pass Line bet, we place the chips of the Odds bet behind the Pass Line bet, outside the marked area for Pass Line closer to us.
Because Odds bets are absolutely free of house edge, you can always bet only as much as your original Pass bet. Most casinos allow players to bet for example “3-4-5x Odds”. This means that the player can bet three times the bet if Point is 4 or 10, four times the bet if it’s 5 or 9 and five times if it’s 6 or 8.
But some casinos may offer more, like 5x, 10x, 20x, or 100x Odds for all points. So if you see a 10x Odds offer in a casino, that means you can place Odds in the amount of ten times the original bet.
Place Bets
In craps, the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are known as Place numbers and the player can bet on any of these numbers. If this number is rolled before 7, the player wins. Place bets are something like Odds, but they can only be placed if you have placed a No Pass Line bet and their payouts are not so profitable. To be precise:
- Place the bet on 6 and 8 pays 8 to 7
- Place the bet on 5 and 9 pays 7 to 5
- Place the bet on 4 and 10 pays 9 to 5
Field Bets
Craps rules allow to place bets only for one roll. These are called Field Bets and Proposition bets. In Field Bets you win when a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 strike. Field Bets are paid out in the following proportions:
- 2 is paid 2: 1
- 12 is 3: 1
- All other numbers are paid as straight bets, ie with a payout ratio of 1: 1.
Big Six, Big Eight Bets
You can bet these bets at any time during the game and win if the number 6 or 8 hit before number 7. Both bets are paid at 1: 1.
Proposition Bets
Proposition bets can be placed at any time. Almost all of them (besides the Hardways bet) are only for one roll.
Any Craps
- Wins when 2, 3, or 12 are rolled. The payout ratio is 8: 1.
Any Seven
- Wins when thrown 7. The payout ratio is 5: 1.
Eleven
- Wins when thrown 11. The payout ratio is 16: 1.
Ace Duece
- Wins when thrown 3. The Payout ratio is 16: 1.
Aces or Boxcars
- Wins when thrown 2 or 12. The payout ratio is 30: 1.
Horn Bet
- It works like a bet on numbers 2, 3, 11 and 12. Wins if one of these numbers falls. The payout is by the number that fits. The other three losers are losing.
Hardways
The player wins if the sum of pairs 4 (2-2), 6 (3-3), 8 (4-4) and 10 (5-5), is thrown before 7. The payout ratio is
- hard 4 and 10 – 8: 1
- hard 6 and 8 – 10: 1
Even the craps rules may seem to be really confusing, it should discourage you to try this game. You can always try craps for free online and practice craps rules without any risk or money loss. You also do not need to bet all the possible bets. Many advanced players only use the bets with the lowest house edge.
House Edge of the Craps Bets
| Bet | House edge |
| Pass/Come | 1,41 % |
| Don´t Pass/Don´t Come | 1,40 % |
| Field bet (2:1 on 12) | 5,56 % |
| Field bet (3:1 on 12) | 2,78 % |
| Any Craps | 11,11 % |
| Big 6, 8 | 9,09 % |
| Hard 4, 10 | 11,11 % |
| Hard 6, 8 | 9,09 % |
| Place bet (on win) 6, 8 | 1,52 % |
| Place bet (on win) 5, 9 | 4 % |
| Place bet (on win) 4, 10 | 6,67 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 6, 8 | 1,82 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 5, 9 | 2,50 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 4, 10 | 3,03 % |
| Proposition bet on 2, 12 | 13,89 % |
| Proposition bet on 3, 11 | 11,11 % |
| Proposition bet on 7 | 16,67 % |
What is the Horn bet?
It is a single-roll bet type always placed by the stickman in the center section of the table's layout. A truly unique bet type, the Horn allows players to combine four individual wagers into one. The Horn covers all three Craps numbers (2,3 and 12) as well as the number 11.
Some seasoned craps players opt for incorporating the Horn bet into their betting pattern to diversify their gameplay and add more excitement to their session. Inexperienced players, however, are recommended to refrain from experimenting with this more exotic bet type as the Horn is a higher-risk bet.
It's largely considered one of the worst options to go for in a game of craps as the player's bet is actually divided equally into four individual, smaller stakes on four different numbers. The only advantage of the Horn is that it is a one-roll bet type so one would not have to wait for the dice throws, irrelevant to their bet to pass.
Horn bets can be placed and are accepted at every stage of the game.
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Craps novices are guided to become better acquainted with the Horn bet's essence, how it is divided and its odds prior to placing such stakes. Furthermore, this will help them avoid confusion as many beginners tend to mix up Horn bets with the so-called “Craps and Eleven” bet.
The Horn Bet in Action
If you place a $20 Horn bet, the sum will be divided equally between all four numbers and the stickman will respectively place four $5 chips on 2, 3, 11, and 12. Unlike the Any Craps bet which wins when any one of the Craps numbers is rolled, with the Horn bet, only the number that is thrown wins, the remaining three stakes you've placed will ultimately lose.
Let's better demonstrate how it works.
As players are required to place bets that are equally divisible by the number four, we will assume you've placed $20 “around the horn” to use the proper craps term, so that each of the four numbers 2, 3, 11 and 12 is covered with a $5 stake. The number 12 is rolled on the next dice throw, so you practically win with one of your individual stakes. As payouts for the Horn bet depend on the winning number and 12 pays out 30 to 1, you will collect a total of $150, plus your initial $5 stake on 12.
Unfortunately,
…your bets on the remaining three numbers 2, 3, and 11 will ultimately lose, causing you to part with your remaining $15. So it turns out, this is the most profitable option as you will win $155 and lose $15. Your net profit, in this case, will amount to $140. The tricky part is that if one of the following numbers 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 is thrown, you will lose your entire $20 stake and walk away empty-handed.
One important thing to remember is that players are advised to stick to whole numbers that are equally and easily divisible by four.
First of all, this will enable you to avoid fractions which are difficult to divide and subtract mentally. Then again, if you have placed say $5 “around the horn”, your payout (provided that you win) will be fractional as well.
However, there are no casino chips to represent cents, so the stickman will round down your profits to the nearest integer. If 12 is rolled, your $1.25 individual bet on this number will be multiplied by 30, so you win $37.50. Your other three $1.25 stakes will result in a $3.75 loss. Your net profits in this instance will amount to $33.75, but you will receive only $33.
Craps Explained
The High Horn Bet
The High Horn is a subtype of the Horn bet and generally works in the same manner. The only difference is that the stake on one of the four numbers is doubled so that players actually place five individual bet units instead of four.
Please note, if you intend to place a High Horn, you should specify which of the four numbers you wish to place the extra unit on. This will be your “High” number.
Thus, instead of placing $20 “around the horn” with $5 bets on all four numbers, you are expected to put $25 on stake. This translates into the following division, $10 is placed on the number 12, for example, and the remaining $15 is divided equally between the remaining three numbers, 2, 3 and 11. If 12 is rolled, you will win twice as much money ($300). However, if any of the other numbers is rolled on the next dice, you lose your entire $25 stake.
The Whirl Bet
Also known as the “World” bet, this stake poses as an interesting combination between a Horn and an Any Seven bet, but is generally considered unprofitable and is to be avoided, especially by craps novices. The Whirl works in multiples of five bet units and actually consists of five independent bets, placed respectively on numbers 2, 3, 11, 10, and 7, meaning it is not a combination bet like the standard Horn.
A Whirl bet is won with only one of the numbers listed above, the remaining four numbers lose.
Let's assume you have placed a $5 Whirl bet, so you have five independent $1 stakes. If numbers 2 and 12 are thrown, you will be paid only $26 instead of $30 as $4 will be subtracted for the four losing numbers. Provided that 3 or 11 are rolled, players will collect only $11, instead of the usual $15 for the same reason. If the number 7 is rolled, your bet will result in a push as 7 pays 4:1, so you practically win nothing with this number.
Odds for the Horn Bet
Payouts for the Horn bet vary in accordance with the individual numbers, which in this case are paired. Numbers 2 and 12 pay out 30:1, while 3 and 11 pay 15:1.
Unfortunately, such payouts do not correspond to what players should actually collect, because the losses for the remaining three numbers should be subtracted from the payout.
From this, it follows that if you win with number 11 and have placed a $20 Horn bet, your $5 stake for 11 will be multiplied by 15, which makes for a $75 win in addition to your original $5 stake. But as you've lost $15 on the Craps numbers, it turns out your net profit amounts to $65 only.
The house edge for numbers 2 and 12, when combined for a Horn bet, amounts to 13.89%, while that for 3 and 11 is equal to 11.11%. This indicates players will lose respectively $13.89 and $11.11 for every $100 they spend placing Horn bets.
Conclusion
It certainly is not difficult to see why Horn bets are considered more risky and unprofitable. Sure, their payouts are higher, especially when compared with those of more basic bet types like the Pass and Come bets. However, players still lose a substantial amount of their overall wager since with Horn bets only one number wins while the remaining three lose. Add the higher built-in house advantage to the equation and it turns out Horn bets are a total waste of time or in this case, of both time and money.
Craps Explained Youtube
That is why players are recommended to avoid this bet type altogether or resort to it only on rare occasions when they wish to diversify their betting pattern a tiny bit.