• Craps Table Bets Explained Game
• Craps Table Bets Explained Table
• Craps Table Bets Explained Calculator
• Craps Table Bets Explained Two
• Craps Table Bets Explained Against
• Craps Table Bets Explained Odds
• Craps Table Bets Explained

The craps table is a good key to help players understand the various bets. Betting on craps can be broken down to three main betting methods. Pass line, don’t pass line and field bets. There are additional craps bets which we will explain further. Knowing the craps rules definitely pays off. Some bets have the lowest house edge by far of all table games. 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”.

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.

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.

Craps Table Bets Explained Game

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.

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.

Craps is a much easier game to learn than most people think. The basic premise is simple: you are betting on the outcome of the roll of two dice. The only thing that makes the game confusing is all the different types of bets you can place.

Most of these bets are straightforward, but it’s just the fact that there are so many of them that make the game a little complicated. You don’t need to know how each one works to enjoy playing the game, so it’s not like you have to learn them all before you start playing.

The bets we would say you absolutely must understand are the pass line and don’t pass wagers, the come and don’t come wagers, and the odds bets. We explain these in detail below, and also provide information on all the types of bets. Here is a list of the bets we discuss below:

• Pass Line & Don’t Pass Wagers
• Come & Don’t Come Bets
• Odds Bets
• Place Win
• Place Lose
• Buy
• Lay
• Big 6 and Big 8
• Hardways
• Field
• Proposition Bets

The pass line and don’t pass wagers are the most commonly placed bets in craps and also the most straightforward. A shooter will usually have to place one of them before making their come-out roll; and in some casinos, players must make one of them if they also want to place other wagers. These bets have to be placed before the come-out roll, and they both pay out at even money (1:1) when they win.

A pass line bet wins if the value of the come-out roll is 7 or 11 and loses if it’s 2, 3, or 12. If it’s any other value, then a point is established at that value, and the pass line wager remains on the table until the point is rolled again or 7 is rolled. If the point is rolled, the wager wins; if 7 is rolled, the wager loses.

A don’t pass wager wins if the value of the come-out roll is 2 or 3 and loses if it is 7 or 11. If the value is 12, then the bet is pushed, neither winning nor losing. Just like the pass line bet, it remains on the table if a point is established. The don’t pass wager loses if the point is rolled again and wins if a 7 is rolled.

Craps Table Bets Explained Table

Come & Don’t Come Bets

These wagers are very similar to the pass line and don’t pass bets, the main difference being that they are placed after the point is established rather than before. They can be a little confusing, so please make sure you fully understand the concept before placing them.

If the first roll after you have placed a come bet is a 7 or 11, then you win your wager. If a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, then you lose. If any other number is rolled, this is the point for your come wager. So if a 5 is rolled, for example, then 5 becomes your point. Your wager stays in place and will win if a 5 is rolled again, and lose if a 7 is rolled. A come bet may be thought of as a personalized pass line bet, where the point number is established on the first roll after it has been placed.

By the same token, a don’t come bet is like a personalized don’t pass bet. It will lose if a 7 or 11 comes up on the first roll after you place it, and win if a 2 or 3 is rolled. Any other number establishes the point for your don’t come wager, which will then stay in place until it either wins or loses. It will win if a 7 is rolled, and lose if the point is rolled.

Both of these bets are paid out at even money (1:1) when they win.

Odds bets are a bit like side bets that can be made after a point is established. They are essentially extensions of each of the four bets mentioned above. There are four different types:

• Pass Line Odds
• Don’t Pass Odds
• Come Odds
• Don’t Come Odds

You would place a pass line odds bet to complement your pass line bet following a point being established. It pays if the point is then rolled before a seven, and loses if a seven is rolled. The big advantage of this type of bet is that it’s paid out at true odds when it wins i.e. there’s no house edge. The payouts vary, depending on what the point is.

When you place a pass line odds bet, you are said to be “taking the odds.” Because there’s no house edge, the amount you can stake is limited. Typically, you can stake up to three times the amount on your original pass line wager, but some casinos allow more.

A don’t pass odds bet is placed to complement a don’t pass bet. It pays if a seven is rolled before the point, and loses if the point is rolled first. Bets of this type are also paid out at true odds with no house edge and, again, the payouts vary depending on what the point is.

You are said to be “laying the odds” if you place a don’t pass odds bet. The amount you can stake is limited in the same way as a pass line odds bet. Come odds and don’t come odds bets are based on exactly the same principle. They just use the point that is established following a come or don’t come bet.

Place win bets can be made after a come-out roll when a point has been established. They can be on any of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, and they win if the number chosen is rolled before a 7. The payouts vary depending on which number you have chosen.

Craps Table Bets Explained Calculator

These are basically the opposite of place win bets. They can be on the same choice of numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), but with a place lose, you win if a 7 is rolled before the number you have chosen. The payouts again vary depending on which number is chosen.

Craps Table Bets Explained Two

A buy bet is largely the same as a place win in that you are betting on a specific number to be rolled before a 7. The difference is that the payouts are higher, with the trade-off that you have to pay a 5% commission. At some casinos, this commission is payable when you place your stake, and at others it’s only payable if you win. The payouts once again vary based on which number has been chosen.

A lay bet is the opposite of a buy bet, and also comes with a 5% commission. With this wager, you are betting on a 7 being rolled before a specific number, in the same way as a place lose. It offers higher payouts than a place lose, which vary depending on the number chosen.

These bets are very straightforward, and both pay even money (1:1) if successful. A big 6 wins if any 6 is thrown before a 7, and a big 8 wins if any 8 is thrown before a 7.

Craps Table Bets Explained Against

Hardways

Craps Table Bets Explained Odds

When a number is rolled as a double, it’s said to have been rolled the hard way. A hard 8, for example, is a double 4. That is how wagers of this type get their names. They are pretty simple and are based on certain doubles being rolled before a 7.

You can bet on any of a hard 4, a hard 6, a hard 8, or a hard 10. If the relevant hard number is rolled before a 7, you win the bet. As with some other wagers, the payouts are determined by the number bet on.

Field

A field bet is always settled on the next roll. It will win if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled and lose if 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled. It pays 1:1 unless a 2 or 12 is rolled, in which case it pays double (2:1).

Craps Table Bets Explained

There are several different proposition bets available in craps, all of which are settled on the next roll. We explain each of these below.

It’s worth mentioning that proposition bets come with higher payouts than previously mentioned options. The house edge is also higher, however, and players are generally advised to avoid them for this reason. However, there’s nothing wrong with using them if you’re willing to accept more risk in exchange for potentially bigger rewards.

• Any 7 (Payout 4:1). Wins if 7 is rolled next.
• Any 11 (Payout 15:1). Wins if 11 is rolled next.
• Any Craps (Payout 7:1). Wins if any of 2, 3 or 12 is rolled next.
• Ace Deuce (Payout 15:1). Wins if 3 is rolled next.
• Aces (Payout 30:1). Wins if 2 is rolled next.
• Boxcar (Payout 30:1). Wins if 12 is rolled next.