A craps table has more than 20 distinct bets available at once. Most players only use a handful, and that is fine - you do not need to know every bet to play. But if you want to actually understand what is on the layout in front of you, this page walks through every single bet on a standard craps table, with examples, payouts, and honest notes about whether each one is worth making.
Line bets
Line bets are placed on the curved band running along the outer edge of the table. They are called "line" bets because they sit on (or next to) a long marked line. These are the most common and lowest-house-edge bets in craps.
Pass line
The standard bet in craps. Place a chip on the area marked "Pass Line" before the come-out roll.
- Win: Come-out is 7 or 11, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls the point before rolling a 7.
- Lose: Come-out is 2, 3, or 12, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls a 7 before the point.
- Payout: 1 to 1.
- House edge: 1.41%.
The pass line is where most players start and where most of the table's money sits. If you only ever make one bet, make this one.
Don't pass
The mirror bet. You are betting against the shooter.
- Win: Come-out is 2 or 3, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls a 7 before the point.
- Lose: Come-out is 7 or 11, OR a point is set and the shooter rolls the point.
- Push: Come-out is 12 (or 2, depending on table).
- Payout: 1 to 1.
- House edge: 1.36%.
Marginally better odds than pass line, but "wrong way" betting is socially awkward at a live casino. At Crapsee, nobody cares which way you bet.
Come
The come bet works exactly like the pass line, except you place it AFTER a point has been set. The next roll becomes your personal come-out roll.
- Win: Next roll is 7 or 11, OR the come number is rolled before the next 7.
- Lose: Next roll is 2, 3, or 12, OR a 7 rolls before the come number.
- Payout: 1 to 1. House edge: 1.41%.
Come bets let you keep action going during a long point round. A pass line bet only wins on the original point - a come bet can win on a different number. Many players layer 2-3 come bets on top of a pass line bet.
Don't come
Mirror of come, same way don't pass mirrors pass. 1.36% house edge.
The odds bet (the fair bet)
Once you have a pass line, don't pass, come, or don't come bet on a point, the casino lets you place an additional "odds" bet behind it. The odds bet is unique because it pays true mathematical odds - meaning the casino has 0% house edge on this bet.
The odds bet is the only fair bet in a casino. Take maximum odds on every line bet. Always.
- How to bet: Place a chip directly behind your pass line bet (not on top). The dealer will confirm it is the odds bet.
- Win: Same conditions as the underlying line bet.
- Payout: True odds - 2 to 1 on points of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on 5 or 9, 6 to 5 on 6 or 8.
- House edge: 0.00%.
- Limits: The casino caps the odds bet at a multiple of the underlying line bet (commonly 2x, 3-4-5x, 10x, or rarely 100x).
"Laying odds" on a don't pass bet is the reverse: you put up more than you win, because don't pass is favored to win once a point has been set. The math is the same - 0% house edge.
Place bets
Place bets let you wager that a specific box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will roll before a 7. You can place a bet at any time between rolls, and you can take it down, increase it, or decrease it freely.
The dealer will move your chip to the correct spot in the place number box. You do not need to reach across the table.
- Place 6: Pays 7 to 6. House edge 1.52%. Excellent bet.
- Place 8: Pays 7 to 6. House edge 1.52%. Excellent bet.
- Place 5: Pays 7 to 5. House edge 4.00%. Acceptable.
- Place 9: Pays 7 to 5. House edge 4.00%. Acceptable.
- Place 4: Pays 9 to 5. House edge 6.67%. Avoid - use buy bet instead.
- Place 10: Pays 9 to 5. House edge 6.67%. Avoid - use buy bet instead.
The reason place 6 and place 8 are the workhorses of craps: the 6 and 8 are the second most likely numbers to roll (after 7), and their place payout is better proportional to true odds than any other number.
Bet sizing matters: place 6 and place 8 should be bet in multiples of $6 (because the 7-to-6 payout is cleanest with divisible numbers). Place 5 and place 9 in multiples of $5. Place 4 and place 10 also in multiples of $5.
Buy bets
Buy bets are place bets that pay true mathematical odds instead of house odds, in exchange for a 5% commission ("vig") on the bet.
- Buy 4 or Buy 10: Pays 2 to 1 (true odds). 5% vig. House edge 1.67% (if vig charged only on winning bets) or 4.76% (if always charged).
- Buy 5 or Buy 9: Pays 3 to 2. House edge 2.00% / 4.76%.
- Buy 6 or Buy 8: Pays 6 to 5. House edge 2.27% / 4.76%.
The critical question: does the table charge vig on every bet, or only on winners? Always ask. "Win only" vig makes buy 4 and buy 10 significantly better than the place equivalents. "Always vig" makes buy bets worse than place bets on every number.
Lay bets
Lay bets are the opposite of buy bets: you bet that a 7 will roll BEFORE a specific number. Like don't pass, you pay more than you win because the 7 is favored to come up before any specific number.
- Lay against 4 or 10: Pays 1 to 2 (lay $20 to win $10). 5% vig on the win.
- Lay against 5 or 9: Pays 2 to 3.
- Lay against 6 or 8: Pays 5 to 6.
Lay bets are used by "dark side" (wrong way) players who want to bet against specific numbers. Not common at casual tables.
Field bet
A one-roll bet that the very next roll will total 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. The field covers 7 of the 11 possible dice totals, so it feels like a high-probability bet - but 7 and 8 and 5 and 6 (all losing numbers) are the most likely rolls, so the field actually loses slightly more than half the time.
- Standard payout: 1 to 1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11. Double (2 to 1) on 2 and 12.
- Common variations: Triple on 2 or 12 (reduces house edge to 2.78%).
- House edge: 5.56% standard, 2.78% with triple, 0% if triple on both.
The field is fun because you get action on every roll. The standard 5.56% edge makes it a poor long-term bet. Check the posted payouts - a field with triple on 2 AND 12 is a fair bet.
Hardways
A "hardway" bet wins if a 4, 6, 8, or 10 is rolled with both dice showing the same number (two 2s, two 3s, two 4s, two 5s). It loses if the number is rolled the "easy" way (any combination that is not doubles) OR if a 7 is rolled.
- Hard 6 or Hard 8: Pays 9 to 1. House edge 9.09%. Bad.
- Hard 4 or Hard 10: Pays 7 to 1. House edge 11.11%. Worse.
Hardways are multi-roll bets - they stay working until they win or lose. You can place a "no call" (turn the bet off) during a come-out roll if you want it to not risk a come-out 7.
Proposition bets
These are the one-roll bets in the center of the table managed by the stickman. They have high payouts and high house edges.
- Any seven ("Big Red"): One-roll bet on 7. Pays 4 to 1. House edge 16.67% - the worst bet on the table.
- Any craps: One-roll bet on 2, 3, or 12. Pays 7 to 1. House edge 11.11%.
- Yo (eleven): One-roll bet on 11. Pays 15 to 1. House edge 11.11%.
- Ace-deuce (three): One-roll bet on 3. Pays 15 to 1. House edge 11.11%.
- Aces (snake eyes): One-roll bet on 2. Pays 30 to 1. House edge 13.89%.
- Boxcars (twelve): One-roll bet on 12. Pays 30 to 1. House edge 13.89%.
- Horn bet: Four-way bet combining 2, 3, 11, 12. Pays the relevant number's payout on the next roll.
- World / whirl: Horn plus any seven - a five-way bet. Pushes on 7.
Proposition bets are entertainment, not strategy. If you enjoy the occasional big hit, throw a dollar on the yo every few rounds. Just understand the math: over time, every one of these bets will lose you money faster than the line bets.
Hop bets
Hop bets are one-roll bets on specific dice combinations, not just the total. For example, "5-3 on the hop" wins if the next roll shows exactly a 5 and a 3 (in either order).
- Easy hop (two different numbers): Pays 15 to 1. House edge 11.11%.
- Hard hop (same number on both dice): Pays 30 to 1. House edge 13.89%.
Hop bets are rarely printed on the layout but are always available - just tell the stickman what combination you want and drop your chip in the center. Not recommended unless you have a specific superstitious reason to bet a particular combination.
Big 6 and Big 8
Big 6 and Big 8 are bets that the shooter will roll a 6 (or 8) before rolling a 7. Pays 1 to 1.
This is the exact same bet as Place 6 and Place 8 but with worse payouts. Place 6 pays 7 to 6; Big 6 pays 1 to 1. Never bet Big 6 or Big 8. They exist on the layout as a trap for beginners who have not yet learned about place bets.
Many modern casinos have removed Big 6 / Big 8 entirely. Good riddance.
Which bets are worth making?
For a recreational player, the practical answer is a tight list:
- Always: Pass line with maximum odds. The best bet in craps.
- Often: Place 6 and Place 8 for extra action on a hot shooter. Low edge, high hit rate.
- Sometimes: Come bets to layer more action during a long point round. Same edge as pass line.
- Rarely: Field bet for fun, only if the table pays triple on 2 or 12.
- Entertainment only: Yo bet or any craps on a come-out roll (small amounts, expect to lose).
- Never: Any seven. Big 6 / Big 8. Hop bets.
This list represents about 5 bets out of 20+. That is intentional. You do not need variety to enjoy craps - you need a few well-chosen bets and a bankroll that lets you ride out the losses.
Frequently asked questions
How many different bets are there in craps?
Over 20 distinct bet types: 4 line bets, 6 place bets, 6 buy/lay bets, 1 field, 4 hardways, and multiple proposition bets. Plus odds as a variation on top of line bets.
What is the simplest craps bet to start with?
The pass line bet. Place a chip on the pass line before the come-out roll. You win 1 to 1 if the shooter rolls 7 or 11, or if they set a point and roll it again before a 7.
Can you make multiple craps bets at once?
Yes. Most players have several bets working on every roll - pass line with odds, come bets, place bets.
What is the difference between place, buy, and lay bets?
Place bets pay fixed house odds with no commission. Buy bets pay true odds minus 5% commission. Lay bets are the opposite of buy bets - betting against a number.
What is the best multi-bet craps strategy?
Pass line with maximum odds, plus Place 6 and Place 8. This gives low house edge, good hit rate, and balanced action.