Craps offers a multitude of betting options, each with its own clearly delineated spot for putting down chips as bets on the Craps table (see How to Play and The Table.) Study the following betting options and understand them clearly before you play. Some offer lower payouts because they offer more frequent chances to win, giving the house only a small edge over the player; others hold out the hope of much bigger payouts, but give the house correspondingly higher edges.
Pass Line: Wins immediately if the first throw (the “Come-Out Roll”) comes up a 7 or 11, known as a “Natural”; loses immediately if it comes up 2, 3, or 12, all referred to as “Craps.” Any other number thrown becomes the “Point,” which the shooter must, in as many tries as it takes, roll again to win before rolling a 7, which then loses. A win on a Pass Line bet has a payout of 1 to 1, with the house edge slim at just 1.414%.
Don’t Pass: A bet against the shooter, basically hoping for the exact opposite of a Pass Line bet’s outcomes (see above). Payout of 1 to 1, with the house edge even slimmer at 1.402%.
Come: Bets made with the dice, but placed only after the Come-Out Roll. Same rules, payout, and house edge apply as the Pass Line bet (see above).
Don’t Come: Bets made against the dice, but placed only after the Come-Out Roll. Same rules, payout, and house edge apply as the Don’t Pass bet (see above).
Place: Bets can be placed before any roll of the dice on any one or more of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, betting that they will come up before a losing 7 is rolled. A 4 or 10 pays 9 to 5, with a house edge of 6.66%. A 5 or 9 pays 7 to 5, with a house edge of 4%. A 6 or 8 pays 7 to 6, with a house edge of 1.51%.
Buy: Like a Place bet (see above), but usually made on the 4 or 10, requiring a 5% additional bet. A win brings a 10 to 5 payout and drops the house edge down to 4.76% from the similar Place bet.
Lay: Like a Buy bet (see above), only betting against the dice, that a 7 will come before the Place number.
Hard Way: One-roll bets that the two dice thrown will come up with specific pairs of matching numbers before a throw yields a 7 or any other combination of the number being bet upon. Hard 4 (2x2) and 10 (2x5) pay 7 to 1, with a house edge of 11.11%. Hard 6 (2x3) and 8 (2x4) pay 9 to 1, with a house edge of 9.09%.
Craps & Eleven (C&E): A bet that the next roll with come up Craps (2, 3, or 12) or 11. Craps pays out 7 to 1, with a house edge of 11.11%. Eleven pays out 15 to 1, with a house edge of 16.66%.
Horn: A bet that the next roll will come up 2, 3, 11, or 12. A 2 or 12 pays out 30 to 1, while a 3 or 11 pays out 15 to 1. The house has a 16.66% edge on all outcomes.
Field: A single-roll bet that a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 will come up. A 2 or a 12 pays out 3 to 1; 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 pays out 1 to 1. The house edge is 5.55%.
Any Seven: A single-roll bet that a 7 will come up, with a payout of 4 to 1 and a house edge of 16.66%.
