Every craps bet has three numbers you care about: the payout (what you get paid when you win), the true odds (the actual probability of winning), and the house edge (the gap between true odds and payout, expressed as a percentage). This page lists all three for every bet on a standard craps table, ranked from best to worst.
Understanding house edge
The house edge is the casino's long-term mathematical advantage over the player. A 1.41% house edge on the pass line means: for every $100 you bet, the casino expects to keep $1.41 on average over the long run.
House edge is different from "how often you win". A pass line bet wins about 49.3% of the time (very close to 50-50), but the small gap between payout and true odds (plus the 2/3/12 come-out losses) creates the edge. Over one roll, house edge is noise. Over 10,000 rolls, it is inevitable.
The practical lesson: pick bets with low house edges and stay away from bets with high ones. The difference between a 1.41% edge and a 16.67% edge is the difference between losing $1.41 per $100 and losing $16.67 per $100 over the long run. Same amount of entertainment, 12x the cost.
Line bets (the best odds on the table)
The four line bets are the foundation of any smart craps strategy. They have the lowest house edges of any bets you can make, and they are the only bets on the table that let you add "odds" to lower your edge further.
| Bet | Payout | House edge | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass line | 1 to 1 | 1.41% | The standard bet. Play this. |
| Don't pass | 1 to 1 | 1.36% | Slightly better than pass line, but "wrong way" betting is socially awkward at a live table. |
| Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% | Identical to pass line but placed mid-round. |
| Don't come | 1 to 1 | 1.36% | Identical to don't pass but placed mid-round. |
All four pay even money. Pass line and come have a 1.41% edge because the come-out roll has eight winning rolls (7, 11 plus making the point) vs nine losing rolls (2, 3, 12 plus sevening out), weighted by probability. Don't pass and don't come are slightly better because of the "bar 12" rule reducing their disadvantage.
The odds bet (the only 0% house edge bet)
Behind every line bet, the casino lets you place an additional "odds" bet that pays true mathematical odds - meaning 0% house edge. The odds bet is the closest thing to a fair bet in a casino, and every serious craps player takes it.
You can only place odds after a point has been set. The payout depends on which number is the point:
| Point number | True odds (pass line) | True odds (don't pass) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 1 to 2 |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 2 to 3 |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 5 to 6 |
Note that don't pass odds are "laying" odds - you put up more than you win. This reflects the fact that once a point is set, the don't pass bet is actually favored to win (since rolling a 7 before the point is more likely than rolling the point first).
Casinos cap how much odds you can take. Common limits:
- 2x odds: Old-school, low max. Combined pass line + 2x odds = 0.85% edge.
- 3-4-5x odds: Most common modern rule. Combined edge = 0.37%.
- 5x, 10x, 20x: Found at more generous casinos. 10x odds = 0.18% edge. 100x odds (rare) = 0.02%.
The more odds you take, the lower your effective house edge across your combined bet. Always take maximum odds if your bankroll allows.
Place bets
Place bets let you wager that a specific box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will roll before a 7. They can be placed at any time between rolls and can be taken down or increased freely.
| Bet | Payout | True odds | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|
| Place 6 | 7 to 6 | 6 to 5 | 1.52% |
| Place 8 | 7 to 6 | 6 to 5 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 | 7 to 5 | 3 to 2 | 4.00% |
| Place 9 | 7 to 5 | 3 to 2 | 4.00% |
| Place 4 | 9 to 5 | 2 to 1 | 6.67% |
| Place 10 | 9 to 5 | 2 to 1 | 6.67% |
Place 6 and Place 8 are excellent bets - only slightly worse than the line bets. Place 5 and Place 9 are acceptable. Place 4 and Place 10 have a 6.67% edge, which is bad - use buy bets instead on those numbers (see below).
Buy and lay bets
Buy bets pay true odds but charge a 5% commission ("vig"). Lay bets are the reverse: they bet against a number, paying true odds minus commission. They are most useful on 4 and 10 where the true-odds payout significantly beats the place bet payout.
| Bet | Payout | House edge (vig on win only) | House edge (vig always) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Buy 4 / Buy 10 | 2 to 1 (minus 5% vig) | 1.67% | 4.76% |
| Buy 5 / Buy 9 | 3 to 2 (minus 5% vig) | 2.00% | 4.76% |
| Buy 6 / Buy 8 | 6 to 5 (minus 5% vig) | 2.27% | 4.76% |
Critical detail: some casinos charge the vig only on winning bets ("win only"), and some charge it on every bet placed. The first is much better for the player. Always ask before making buy bets.
With "win only" vig, buy 4 and buy 10 (1.67%) beat place 4 and place 10 (6.67%) significantly. If the table uses "always vig", buy bets are worse than place bets on every number - stick with place bets.
Field bet
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Field (standard) | 1 to 1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11; 2 to 1 on 2; 2 to 1 on 12 | 5.56% |
| Field (triple on 12) | Same but 3 to 1 on 12 | 2.78% |
| Field (triple on 2 and 12) | 3 to 1 on both | 0.00% |
Most tables pay the 2 and 12 at double odds (5.56% edge). Some tables pay triple on either the 2 or the 12 (reducing the edge to 2.78%). A few very generous tables pay triple on both - that becomes a 0% house edge bet, but it is rare.
Always check the field payout printed on your table before betting. A single-roll bet with a 5.56% edge is bad value; the same bet at 2.78% is acceptable.
Proposition and hardway bets
These are the center-of-the-table bets. High payouts, high house edges. Fun to hit, expensive to play over time.
| Bet | Payout | House edge | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% | Bad |
| Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% | Worse |
| Any craps (2, 3, 12 next roll) | 7 to 1 | 11.11% | Worse |
| Yo (11 next roll) | 15 to 1 | 11.11% | Worse |
| Ace-deuce (3 next roll) | 15 to 1 | 11.11% | Worse |
| Aces (2 next roll) | 30 to 1 | 13.89% | Terrible |
| Boxcars (12 next roll) | 30 to 1 | 13.89% | Terrible |
| Any seven (Big Red) | 4 to 1 | 16.67% | Worst bet on the table |
Any seven has the dubious honor of being the single worst bet on a craps table - and arguably one of the worst bets in any casino. Avoid.
Big 6 and Big 8
| Bet | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
Big 6 and Big 8 bet the same thing as Place 6 and Place 8 (that the number will roll before a 7) but pay only 1 to 1 instead of 7 to 6. This is strictly worse - use Place 6 and Place 8 instead. The Big 6 / Big 8 boxes exist on the layout only as a trap for beginners.
The ranked list: best to worst
All craps bets, sorted by house edge from best to worst:
| Rank | Bet | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pass line + 100x odds | 0.02% |
| 2 | Pass line + 10x odds | 0.18% |
| 3 | Pass line + 3-4-5x odds | 0.37% |
| 4 | Pass line + 2x odds | 0.85% |
| 5 | Don't pass | 1.36% |
| 6 | Pass line (no odds) | 1.41% |
| 7 | Place 6 / Place 8 | 1.52% |
| 8 | Buy 4 / Buy 10 (vig on win only) | 1.67% |
| 9 | Place 5 / Place 9 | 4.00% |
| 10 | Field (triple on 12 only) | 2.78% |
| 11 | Field (standard) | 5.56% |
| 12 | Place 4 / Place 10 | 6.67% |
| 13 | Big 6 / Big 8 | 9.09% |
| 14 | Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 9.09% |
| 15 | Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 11.11% |
| 16 | Any craps / Yo | 11.11% |
| 17 | Aces / Boxcars | 13.89% |
| 18 | Any seven | 16.67% |
The practical takeaway: everything above rank 10 (Place 5/9) is acceptable for a recreational player. Everything from rank 13 on down should be avoided except as the occasional "fun" bet. The single most important lesson is that odds multipliers - the 100x, 10x, 3-4-5x, 2x - make a huge difference. If you take max odds on every pass line bet, you are playing the closest thing to a mathematically fair game a casino offers.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best bet in craps by odds?
The pass line bet with maximum odds has the lowest effective house edge. At 3-4-5x odds it is 0.37%; at 10x odds it is 0.18%; at 100x (rare) it is 0.02%.
What is the worst bet in craps by odds?
Any Seven ("Big Red") has the worst house edge in craps at 16.67%. The bet pays 4 to 1 but the true odds are 5 to 1.
What is the house edge on a pass line bet?
1.41%. For every $100 you bet, the house expects to win $1.41 on average over the long run.
Does taking odds behind the pass line reduce the house edge?
Yes. The odds bet itself has 0% house edge. Adding odds lowers your effective edge across your combined bet.
What pays better - place 6 or buy 6?
Place 6 (1.52% edge) beats buy 6 (2.27% edge with win-only vig) on the 6. On the 4 and 10, the math flips - buy is better than place.
What are true odds in craps?
True odds are the actual mathematical probability of a bet winning. The only craps bet paying true odds is the odds bet behind pass line, don't pass, come, or don't come.