Crap: Rules and General Layout of the Craps Table – Part 2

January 18, 2021

Part two in our series- because Craps is a complicated game. But once you get it, you get all the bets, odds, and payouts that come with it

 

So the last time we spoke, we walked you through some basic terminology and crap rules. In this edition, we talk about the best part- the table and the bets you’ll surely soon be making.

 

Any craps table you join will have a layout similar to the one shown below. Many online casinos pay different odds, have varying minimum bets, and some interesting (albeit always terrible) auxiliary bets. While there are slight deviations to this layout and the payouts, they’re usually not stark enough to cause any rift in understanding once you learn the basics and the bets associated with them.

 

The Craps Table

 

 

Pass Line

The pass line is the most basic bet you can make on a craps table. Placing a bet on this line means that you are betting on the shooter’s success and against the house. You may only place a pass line bet during the come-out roll.

• Come Out Roll is 7 or 11- Win 1:1
• Come Out Roll is 2, 3, 12 – Lose
• Any other place number (4,5,6,8,9,10) becomes “Point”
• Point is rolled- Win 1:1
• 7- Lose. Bets are cleared or paid and dice pass to the next shooter.

 

Pass Line Odds

While this bet isn’t officially marked on the table, it’s easily one of the best in the house- because there is no house advantage on an odds bet. The odds bet is signified by placing chips directly behind your pass line bet, once a point is rolled. Odds pay to depend on the point:

• 4 or 10- 2:1
• 5 or 9- 3:2
• 6 or 8- 6:5
• 7- Lose

There are limits to how much you can place on an odds bet. Most casinos use the “3-4-5x Rule”. This means you can bet 3x your pass line bet on a 4 or 10, 4x your pass line bet on a 5 or 9, and 5x your pass line bet on a 6 or 8.

Odds bets may also be laid on the Come, Don’t Come, and Don’t Pass bets as well.

 

Don’t Pass Bar

This bet has the best odds on the table, and it functions in strict opposition to the Pass Bar. What wins on the Pass, loses on the Don’t Pass, and vice versa. Consider it as an evil twin with a better chance of paying. The Don’t Pass and Don’t Come do offer the best odds on a table but see “Playing the Dark Side” in part one for (less pertinent) information about this.

• 12’s aren’t a loss- but a push.
• House advantage of 1.36%
• Bets “with” the House and “against” the shooter
• You can lay odds on Don’t Pass (6x bet)
• Odds pay 5:6

 

Field

Good for one roll only. This bet is fairly well explained by the table. 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 12 all win. Where a 2 pays 2:1 and a 12 pays 3:1 (some casinos have this flipped), all other numbers pay 1:1. This area has a 2.78% House advantage.

 

Come

The come bet functions like an additional Pass Line. Once a point has been rolled, you may place bets on the Come Bar. If the number following your come bet is a place number, then the come bet will automatically be moved to the number that was rolled. Come bets stay until a 7 is rolled and they are lost, or the point/place number is rolled and they are won.

 

So say you have an 8 as a Come Out roll point. You then place a Come bet and roll a 6. That Come bet moves to the six. If the next roll is a six, your Come Bet wins. If the next roll is an 8, your Pass Line bet wins. If it is any other point number (or 2,3,11,12)- the come bet stays. If you roll a seven both the Come bet and the Pass Line bet are lost.

Notable Notes:

• You can make any number of Come bar bets that you like throughout around.
• You can lay odds on any Come bet (tell the dealer “odds on the Come bet”). These pay the same as a Pass Line odd bet.
• If a Point is rolled, the Come bet stays until the next Point is decided. During this time, any odds you have on a Come bet will be turned “off”, so even if a Come-Out roll is lost, your Come bet is unaffected.
• If the following Come Out roll results in the point being the same as your Come bet, your Come bet will stay and function like a Pass Line bet.
• Craps result in the loss of a Come bar bet.

 

Don’t Come

Just like the Don’t Pass line, the Don’t Come bar acts exactly opposite to the Come bar. So as a Come roll functions like an additional Pass Line, the Don’t Come roll functions similarly to the Don’t Pass. This means that any place number rolled after the point has been established receives the Don’t Come bet. If that number (or the point number) is rolled, it’s a loss for that specific Don’t Come bet. If a 7 is rolled before the point number or Don’t Come bet place number- it’s a win.

• 36% House advantage
• 12 is a push
• Pay if a 7 is rolled before a point
• Can lay odds (6x bet- ask dealer)
  • 6 & 8: Pay 5:6
  • 5 & 9: Pay 2:3
  • 4 & 10: Pay 1:2

 

Place Bets (4-10)

Also known as “Buying a number” or “Betting the numbers”. At any time after a point is rolled, you may place a bet on a specific number. Should the roll reveal any of the numbers you bought- you win. 2, 3, 11, and 12 do nothing, and 7 is a loss. There are specific amounts that you can bet on any given place number to ensure an even payout.

• 6 & 8: 1.52% House advantage. Pays 7:6 ($6 increment buy)
• 5 & 9: 4% House advantage. Pays 7:5 ($5 increment buy)
• 4 & 10: 1.67% House advantage. Pays 2:1 with 5% commission ($20 increment buy). Commission is paid to the dealer following a win.

 

The “Sucker” Bets

Only suckers bet the sucker bets. These bets represent tantalizing payouts, but horrifically low odds. Usually made for bragging rights, or by people who don’t like their money.

 

E&C

Eleven and any Crap bets. If you roll an 11 or any crap number, these bets win.

• Mathematically the same as Craps and 7 payout.

 

Any Seven

One roll only. If you bet this and the next roll is 7, you win. Any other number rolled and it’s a loss. This is one of the worst bets on the table.

• 67% House advantage. Pays 5:1

 

The Hardways

These bets hit anytime the dice come out hard, or identical (i.e. two 2’s, two 3’s, two 4’s…). These bets will lose if the hard number bet is easy, or a 7 is rolled.

• 6 & 8: 9.09% House advantage. Pays 9:1
• 4 & 10: 11.11% House advantage. Pays 7:1

 

The Horn

“The Horn” actually refers to 4 bets in one: The 2, 3, 11, and 12. You can bet the horn and bet all of these numbers at once- or choose which combination of these numbers you would like to bet individually. Good for one roll only. So unless you roll the number (or domination of) you have bet on, you lose your bet. These House advantages and payouts are considered standard, but these payouts and advantages vary greatly among many casinos.

• $4 increment buy for The Horn
• 3 & 11: 11.11% House advantage. Pays 16:1
• 2 & 12: 13.89% House advantage. Pays 31:1

 

Any Craps

Another bet that’s often considered to be unwise-this one is good for one roll only. The bet pays if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled following the bet placement, all other results lose.

• 11% House advantage. Pays 8:1