What kind of betting systems can be applied in the Craps game? Do Craps players have better odds at winning depending on the combination they bet on? Read our article to find out!

The Allure of Craps

Craps is undoubtedly one of the most exciting table games out there. Craps table gathers around the most passionate dice players, who experience a lot of thrill watching those dice roll in the air. However, these players are the most superstitious, too. Do not even try to yell out the word “Seven” after the dice are rolled! It is considered such bad luck, that the players will scatter before you know it. Also, watch out for those snake eyes (two ones) while you’re at it.

The rules of this game are quite simple — you need to roll 7 or 11 in order to win. If you get 2,3, or 12, it’s not your lucky day. The game of Craps is unique in many ways. Namely, all of the players are united against the dealer. Additionally, if one player rolls the winning number, they all win. That way, when one of the players is throwing the dice, they can bring victory to other players, but demise too.

Moreover, there are several types of player bets that are important to distinguish. First, you have your pass line, and a don’t pass line bet. If you bet on the first, you are betting for the dice, and as for the latter, you are betting against them. Additionally, you are betting on the specific number you think that the dice will depict.

Craps have quite good odds, which is one of the many reasons why the players choose to try their luck playing this game. The house edge exists, just as it goes for every other casino game. They are designed to cater to the house since the casino has to earn something too. But you shouldn’t be discouraged by this, and it shouldn’t stop you from enjoying the ride.

Craps Table

Once you’ve approached the table, you will see a layout that can look a bit intimidating, but it is quite easy to understand once you know the basics.

First, there is a “Pass” line all around the table. It is used for the players that are betting on the side of the shooter. On the other hand, there is a “Don’t Pass” line as well, designed for the players who want to bet against the shooter. In addition, you will see two areas marked “Come” and “Don’t Come,” which have a similar purpose and will be useful later in the game.

Moreover, there is an area for proposition bets (or one-roll bets), right between the stickman and the boxman. Besides that, there is also an area where you can lay odds on bigger bets too. You can double your bet or rather lay a field bet. We will explain all the types of Craps bets first, in order for you to understand how the systems work when you play Craps.

The Field Bet

This is the only bet that is applied to a certain player, so whether you win or lose, it affects only you. The field bet consists of 16 possible combinations that can be thrown, which means that 20 combinations are excluded from this bet.

The odds of this bet are pretty good — 5 to 4. The payout is the same in case the shooter throws 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11. However, the payout is 2 to 1 if the roll of the dice shows 2 or 12. Some casinos even offer 3 to 1 odds, which is exceptionally generous to their players. In this case, the house edge is 2.78%, and as for the regular field bets, that advantage is 5.56%.

The Place Bet

This type of bet is pretty simple — you have a “Place a bet to win” or “Place a bet to lose” option. The Place bet provides a lot of excitement and action, but it can also be placed at any time during the game, which is why it’s otherwise known as a “standing” bet. For this bet, you are putting your luck into the numbers from 4 to 10, excluding the number 7. In this case, if number 7 is rolled you actually lose your whole bet amount, so watch out! Also, this bet is not suitable in the long run as it only provides immediate excitement. This bet influenced the development of one of the most common craps betting systems — the 6 to 8 method. This system consists of you betting on these numbers specifically since their house edge is the lowest it could be — only 1.57%.

The Proposition Bet

This bet is considered to be one of the riskiest, which is why we don’t advise beginners to use it. This bet, otherwise known simply as “Props,” depends on the next roll of the dice. That way, it can last through several throws, which increases excitement even more.

Now that we’ve covered the types of bets, we will go over the most effective Craps systems when it comes to placing your bets.

The 6-8 Survival Method

The 6 to 8 method is quite frequently used when playing Craps, and in many variations, too. It consists of betting on these two numbers when making a place bet, since the house edge is really small. This one is risky, too. Namely, by applying this system, you are doubling your bets every time. It may sound a little ridiculous, but that’s how you will determine much faster when to go to another table.

The Come Bet Parlay

This system is used after the shooter has established the point. With the Parlay bet, you are letting the next bet decide your fate. First, you make a decent bet of $25, for example, and you will have a few possible outcomes. In case you lose, you should bet again with the same amount. Also, you can take double what you started betting, and parlay that one in case you win to the next one, and so on.

Betting the Eleven

So you have 36 possible combinations when rolling the dice. The number 11 brings you an instant win, and it has a chance of 15 to 1 to be rolled. However, this method actually adds betting on the number 3 too — and we all know this is a losing combination in Craps. But it also changes the odds of 17 to 1. This system is quite tricky since it requires 27 bets, which sounds quite a lot. That’s why you should start slow, with adding up a $1 for every future bet. Betting the Eleven has proven to be quite a safe method to use by the expert Craps players, so you should consider trying it out next time you find yourself at a casino!

$32 Across Martingale

The Martingale Strategy is a famous method used in Roulette, so how did it end up here you might ask? Well, this method is a way to recover your losses, but it’s a little risky since it requires you to double your bet every time. Of course, it is adjusted for the game of Craps. Namely, you should bet $32 on the come out which will be spread quite evenly — 5, 5, 6, 6, 5, 5. This way, in case you get a 7 before 3 collections, you can just keep going. If not, you should add $1 to each bet. This method assures to bring quite a sweet profit if applied accordingly of course.

Summary

As you can see, Craps is pretty entertaining casino game. Once you understand all the different bets you can place, everything else will go smoothly. Of course, there are some cases where you can lose big time, but hey, that’s what you get when you play any game of chance. Craps is surely a table game that has a great amount of appeal to it, and with some basic methods which you can apply, the enjoyment is even greater!