The foundation of craps betting lies in the fact that two, six-sided dice can produce eleven different numbers 2-12.  But some numbers are more common than others because they can be rolled with more combinations of numbers on the six-sided dice.  For example, the least common numbers are the 2 and the 12.  This is because each of them can only be rolled with a single combination.  A 2 can only be rolled by ones on both dice, and a twelve can only be rolled by sixes on both dice.  Contrast this to a seven.  A seven is the only number that can rolled using every number 1-6 on the dice.  Meaning if you first role one die and get a number 1-6, it will be possible to make a seven with the role of the second die no matter what number you get on the first die.  This makes the seven the most common number to be rolled.  The other number combinations of 3 and 11, 4 and 10, 5 and 9, and 6 and 8 each have an increasing chance to be rolled because they have an increasing amount of possible number combinations.  For example, the three and eleven can be made using two of the numbers on the dice (the 1 and 2 for the 3 and the 5 and 6 for the eleven).  The 4 and 10 can be made with three of the numbers on the dice (1, 2, and 3 for the 4 and 4, 5 and 6 for the 10).  This progression increases with the 5 and 9 (1, 2, 3 and 4 for the 5 and 3, 4, 5 and 6 for the 9) being the next most common roles, followed by the 6 and 8 (1, 2, 3, 4 and 5 for the 6 and 2, 3, 4, 5 and 6 for the 8) which are the two most common roles after the seven.  Odds are easily calculated for the chance of rolling any number 2-12, and these odds are incorporated into the game.

The actual game of craps, which you can choose to bet at the craps table or not, starts with placing a bet on the “pass” line or the “don’t pass” line.  If you bet the pass line, you are betting against the casino.  If you bet the don’t pass line, you are betting with the casino.  If you bet the pass line, you win double your money if the first role is a 7 or 11, and you lose your bet if it is a 2, 3 or 12.  Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) sets the “point.”  You then need to role the point number again before you roll a seven to double your money.  All other numbers rolled are irrelevant to your bet.  Once the point is established, you cannot take down your bet.  This is because the casino has better odds now to win the bet because the seven is the most common roll of the dice.  The game continues until the point number is rolled again or a seven is rolled.  If a seven is rolled, this is called “seven out,” the bet loses and dice get passed to the next roller for the next “come out roll” to establish a new point.  If the point is rolled, the winning bet is paid, the dice stay with the roller who made the point, and a new pass line bet is made by the player and it starts all over.   

A “Don’t Pass” bet is the opposite.  You win double your money if the roller rolls a 2 or a 3.  A 12 is a push.  The bet loses if a 7 or 11 is rolled.  If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled, the point is established and you will win if a seven is rolled before the point number is rolled again.  Any other number rolled is irrelevant.  Unlike the pass line bet, the casino will let you pick up a don’t pass bet after the point is established because now the odds are in your favor to win that bet.  The odds are slightly better to do a don’t pass bet rather than a pass line bet, but most players play the pass line instead since it is more fun to be betting with players against the casino. 

Now the most important part – you can make what is called an “odds” bet once the point is established.  If you are betting the pass line and a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled on the come out roll, you can then put more down that the point number will be rolled before a seven.  However, since the odds are substantially in the casino’s favor on such a bet, the casino will pay you the exact mathematical odds to induce you to make this bet.  For example, since it is twice as likely to roll a seven before another 4 or 10 is rolled, the payout on the odds bet on a 4 or 10 point is 2:1.  The odds bet is the only bet in the casino that the casino does not have a mathematical advantage.  While it true you are more likely to lose this bet than win it, if you win it you get paid the true odds thereby eliminating the house edge.  Because this bet exists, if you are playing craps we strongly recommend (if not insist) that you make the odds bet in the maximum amount allowed.  Most casinos allow odds bets based on a 3x4x5x formula.  This means that you can bet 3x your pass line bet if the point is a 4 or 10, 4 times your pass line bet if the point is a 5 or 9, and 5 times you pass line bet if the point is a 6 or an 8.  Different casinos have different amounts you can bet on odds bets.  Some just allow twice your pass line bet (typical in the Caribbean), some allow 5x, 10x or even 100x your pass line bet regardless of the point number.  Whatever the amount allowed, full odds should always be taken. 

You can also make odds bets after the point is established on a don’t come bet.  However, instead of “taking odds” you have to “lay odds.”  This means you have to bet more to win less, but that is okay because your odds of winning the bet in the first place is better than the casino’s.  For example, if the point is a 4 or 10, it is twice as likely a seven will be rolled before a 4 or 10 and you will win.  To account for this, you will win half the amount of the odds you lay if the 4 or 10 is established.  Using a mathematical example, you will lay $100 for the chance to win $50.  This is a pure odds recovery, just like the odds bet on the pass line.  Casinos typically allow you to lay 6x the amount of your don’t pass bet.  Whatever the maximum amount you can lay, you should do it. 

To put a wrinkle into this, once the point is established you can make what is called a “come” or “don’t come” bet.  Making one of these bets is the same as making another pass line or don’t pass bet on the next roll.  A come bet wins on a roll of 7 or 11, and loses on 2, 3 or 12.  So, let’s say you made a pass line bet and the point was established with a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, and then you made a come bet.  If a seven is then rolled, your pass line bet loses, but your come bet wins.  If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled instead, that number established the point for that come bet to win.  The dealer will then move the come bet onto the number at the top of the table and you can bet full odds on that bet.  Thus, you now have two games going at the same time with full odds.  If you then put out another come bet, you have three games going at the same time.

Many players stop at making two come bets and having three games going at once.  We make a come bet on every roll once the pass line point is established.  We believe in maximizing the opportunity to make full odds bets and having as many come bets, and maximizing the number of points in play is the way to do this.  The upside is that if the roller keeps rolling the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 before a 7, you are making a ton of money.  The downside is you can have up to six bets out there and a single 7 will lose all of them.  If you play this way, craps will always ultimately end catastrophically – with the role of a 7.  It is just a matter of how much money you can make before it ends.  We have made a lot of money before that catastrophic end, and we recommend using this strategy if you have the stomach and bankroll to do this. 

There are several finer points to this strategy that can be adopted.  First, on the come out roll we usually place a horn bet for 20% of the value of the pass line bet.  This acts as a hedge to rolling a 2, 3 and 12 and losing your bet.  We do a horn bet to take advantage of an 11 being rolled with enough odds on the 2, 3, or 12 to cover the pass line bet.  If you are not betting substantial sums, we forego this bet.  Second, on each come bet we place an “any crap” bet in the amount of 20% of the come bet to cover a 2, 3 or 12 being rolled.  Again, if you are not betting substantial sums, you can forego these bets.  Third, we will occasionally make a hardways bet on a number already established as a point where we have money working.  A hardways bet is a bet that you will role that number as a doubles (double four, six, eight to ten) without rolling a seven or making that number by a combination other than doubles (an easy 4, 6, 8 or 10).  The hardways bet is one of the worst bets in the casino.  The payout is not worth the risk of losing.  However, it does pay well and it stays on the board only until the number is rolled or a seven is rolled.  We will only do it if hitting the “easy” number (not a doubles) and losing will be covered by the odds win on the number being rolled.  Even then we acknowledge it is a bad bet.  We will do it only when the table is hot and we are winning.  We cannot count how much money we have won playing the hardways this way despite the fact that statistically everyone acknowledges it is a bad bet.

Also, if you play by making multiple come bets and taking full odds, you will have multiple bets still on the board after the roller rolls the point and new point needs to be established.  The base components of these bets (the amount you put on the come bet) is at risk on the new come out roll no matter what.  You cannot take that bet off the table because of the house edge on the bet.  However, you can choose whether you want to have your odds bets “working” or not.  If they are not working and the dealer rolls a seven, you lose the base bet but the odds bets are returned to you.  This sometimes feels like a win.  If the bet is not working and the number is rolled, you win the base bet at 2:1 but the odds bet is simply returned to you and not paid as a winning bet.  You have three options when you have these prior come line bets still on the board during a come out roll.  One is to do nothing and keep the odds working.  While this is statistically the best thing to do, it is hard to do it when you have a new pass line bet working against that bet.  However, this is not different than a come bet that also works against the pass line bet.  Second, you can turn the odds off.  This is what we typically do if we do not have a more than two bets on the board.  If we have more than two bets on the board, we typically keep the odds off but we “hop the sevens” and place enough of a bet so that if a seven will be rolled the amount of the payout covers the loss of the place bets and the horn bet we place on the come out roll.  We do this because most casinos will then give you the option to keep those bets up for when a new point is established.  If the casino does not give you this option, we do not cover those bets with a “seven hop.”  But we do keep the odds off.  We know this may be confusing which is why you should take advantage of our services in person where strategies like this can be explained in greater detail and in person.  If you are going to venture into the world of craps, this will be a wise investment that will more than payoff. 

As for the other bets on the craps table, we avoid them at all costs.  If you are insistent on making place bets on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 after the point is established, you may do so but understand that you do not get full odds like you do when taking odds on a pass line bet.  That is why we avoid these place bets.  However, if you do want to make them since they are easier to understand than pass line and come bets with odds, we urge you to only bet the 6 and 8 and avoid betting the 4, 5, 9 or 10.  The math is better on these bets based on the payouts and the chance of winning them is better as well.  If you do bet the 4 or 10, always “buy it.”  This means you pay a little more so the bet gets better odds.  Some casinos will not require you to pay the cost of buying it unless you win the bet.  That is a significant advantage.

It is said that if playing blackjack is casino marijuana, craps is like cocaine.  It can move very fast, the dealers are generally not nice, and your bets are all over the board and typically not right in front of you.  So you need to remember all your bets to make sure you get paid as dealers often miss paying bets (and they are not apologetic or nice about it when it happens).  So you have to know the game very well and stay sharp.  That is why we urge you to take advantage of our services before venturing onto a craps table.