Craps Odds for Dummies: House Edge, Payout Charts, and More

With over a dozen Multi Roll and One Roll bets available, craps is likely one of the most complex casino games, especially for beginners. You should understand not only how to make these kinds of bets but also what their odds are so you can anticipate your chances of winning.

Craps odds incorporate true odds and a house edge to reflect the payout odds of any winning bet. In this article, we clear things up by discussing odds for different craps bets, the difference between true odds and payout odds, how to calculate a potential payout, and much more.

CONTENTS

• Best Real Money Casinos to Play Craps
• How to Play Craps
• How Craps Odds Work
• Craps Odds Payout Chart
• Craps Odds With Different Types of Bets
• A History of Craps
• Craps Odds Tips
• Craps Odds FAQs

BEST REAL MONEY CASINOS TO PLAY CRAPS

In-person craps is the thrill of a lifetime, but you don't have to leave your couch to experience this exciting game. Check out these top real money online casinos for playing craps:

HOW TO PLAY CRAPS

Craps is a dice game where a player, known as a “shooter,” rolls two six-sided dice numbered 1 through 6. Players can place various bets and take turns being the shooter.

When playing craps at a brick-and-mortar casino, you’ll likely see four rotating dealers. Two dealers stand on either side of a boxman to keep track of craps bets, while a stickman handles the two dice (with a stick, mop, or whip) after the shooter rolls.

Different craps bets apply to two separate rounds of betting: the Come Out roll and the Point roll.

CRAPS BETS FOR THE COME OUT ROLL

A craps game starts with a betting round for the Come Out roll, indicated by a black puck that reads OFF. During that round, players can wager on the following:

• Pass Line: Wins with a 7 or 11; loses with a 2, 3, or 12 (known as crapping out)
• Don’t Pass Line: Wins with a 2 or 3; loses with a 7 or 11; 12 results in a push or tie (your bet gets returned)
• Field Bets (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12): These bets offer different payout odds than the Pass/Don't Pass Line

CRAPS BETS FOR THE POINT ROLL

Once a player rolls a point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), the puck moves to that number and reads ON for the Point roll. Players can wager on the following:

• Come Line: Wins with a 7 or 11; loses with a 2, 3, or 12 (if the shooter rolls a point number that's not their point, the bet moves to that number)
• Don’t Come Line: Wins with a 2 or 3; loses with a 7 or 11; 12 results in a push
• Odds Bets: Available for Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't Come line bets once a point gets established (true odds in craps come from odds bets, which are side bets without any house edge attached to wagers on the Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come lines)
• Place Bets (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10): Wins if the shooter rolls the point before a 7; loses if the shooter gets a 7 before the point
• Don't Place Bets (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10): Wins if the shooter gets a 7 before the point number; loses if the shooter rolls the point before a 7
• Buy/Lay Bets (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10): Betting for/against the shooter with a 5% commission on winning bets; offers separate payout odds from Place/Don't Place bets

As you can see, the rules work similarly for craps bets during the Come Out roll and Point roll. While we’ve listed the most popular wagers for a craps game, you can see below for payout odds and other craps bets.

Remember: If a player rolls a 7 during the Point roll before rolling the point number, the Pass Line, Place, and Buy bets (and any attached Odds bets) lose, and the craps game returns to the Come Out roll.

CRAPS GAMES AT AN ONLINE CASINO

Craps games at our recommended real money online gambling sites may use in-house software (DraftKings Craps) or software from a top provider like Evolution Gaming (Craps Live, First Person Craps).

To get started, you can:

1. Pick an online casino from our list of recommended options.
2. Choose a craps game and “enter” the craps table (click "Play").
3. Make a craps bet by selecting from the available chip denominations (i.e., $1, $5, $25, $100, and $500).
4. Click “Roll” at your convenience.
5. Place another wager on your next roll if desired.

HOW CRAPS ODDS WORK

To understand the odds in craps, we can start with the concept of 36 possible combinations for a two-dice roll of six numbers each, or 6 X 6 = 36 possible outcomes. Those reflect the true odds associated with rolling various dice combinations during a two-dice roll.

However, the payout odds in craps include a house edge to ensure the casino remains profitable by reducing the probability of a big payout.

TRUE ODDS

At its most basic level, true odds reflect the actual odds associated with the probability of winning or losing a wager on a potential outcome. For example, the odds of choosing heads or tails correctly for a coin flip remain 50/50 every time.

If a casino offered true odds on a coin flip against a player, both heads and tails would eventually break even over longer betting sequences. That’s why casinos use a house edge to maintain a profit for the bets they offer.

We can see this in the true odds for two six-sided dice before incorporating the payout odds and house edge. One and one (two ones, "aces" or "snake eyes") and two sixes ("boxcars") are One Roll wagers you’ll see on the craps table. The true odds or probability of rolling a pair of ones or sixes each equal 1 out of 36 (1 / 36 = 0.0277 or 2.78%) or 35:1.

However, the payout odds for rolling a 2 or 12 may range from 30:1 to 33:1 (depending on the craps table and casino). You can calculate dice probability via math equations or refer to our craps odds chart to see a house edge of 13.89% for rolling a 2 or 12 from a One Roll wager.

As an example of house edge in craps, instead of paying out based on the true odds of 2.78% or 35:1 for rolling a 2, the casino might offer payout odds of 30:1. Those payout odds reflect a house edge of five possible combinations out of 36 rather than only one (5 / 36 = 0.1388 or 13.89%).

PAYOUT ODDS

Payout odds in craps come from general formulas for Pass/Don’t Pass Line bets, Come/Don’t Come bets, and all the other bets on the table. Pass/Don't Pass Line bets and Come/Don’t Come bets pay 1:1 or even money.

Odds bets attached to Pass Line bets and Come wagers offer various payout odds: 2:1 (for 4 or 10), 3:2 (for 4 or 9), and 6:5 (for 6 or 8). There’s no house edge on those Odds bets.

Point numbers also apply to Place bet options with these payout odds:

• Place 4 and 10 - 9:5
• Place 5 and 9 - 7:5
• Place 6 and 8 - 7:6

Those payouts differ from Don’t Place bet options, with the following payout odds:

• Don’t Place 4 and 10 - 5:11
• Don’t Place 5 and 9 - 5:8
• Don’t Place 6 and 8 - 4:5

Depending on the casino, payouts for Field bets range from:

• 1:1 for 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11
• 2:1 for rolling a 2
• 3:1 for rolling a 12

As we previously mentioned, the true odds of rolling a 2 or 12 for a One Roll bet equal 1 out of 36 or 35:1 (while the craps table might only pay 30:1). Field bet payouts for 2 or 12 offer 2:1 and 3:1, respectively, for heavily reduced payout odds.

For example, a $10 One Roll wager on either 2 or 12 offers a potential payout of $300 rather than $350. That same $10 wager on a Field bet (which includes seven numbers: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12) offers a potential payout of $20 for a 2 and $30 for a 12.

THE HOUSE EDGE

Odds determine payouts—for example, winning a $10 wager on 2:1 payout odds equals a total payout of $30 ($10 bet + $20 profit = $30 total payout). What’s much more essential for players to understand is that a 2.78% house edge for Field bets (depends on the casino) is a valuable example of how a craps payout incorporates an extremely favorable house edge for the casino and not the true odds.

We’ll go into further detail about the best craps odds and the probability of winning (and you can easily refer to our payout table below, which includes Pass/Don’t Pass Line, Come/Don’t Come bets, and more).

However, once you’ve grasped that each craps payout incorporates a house edge, you can learn how to make bets that offer the best odds or probability of winning and balance that with extracting the most value for your bankroll.

As we mentioned, craps players can get as close as possible to true odds by attaching an Odds bet to a Pass/Come Line bet, which usually offers a house edge of 1.41%. Once a point number gets established, you can reduce the house edge to 0% via Pass/Come Odds (depending on the casino). Other than an Odds bet, the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come lines offer the game’s lowest house edge of 1.36%.

When gambling online, you can check the in-game settings for a reduced house edge for attaching an Odds bet to the Pass Line/Come and Don’t Pass/Don’t Come lines. For example, DraftKings Craps offers a house edge of 0.27% (nearly one-quarter of a percent) for Don’t Pass with full odds (6x max).

CALCULATING A PAYOUT IN CRAPS

With the complicated math out of the way, we hope new players understand how a house edge benefits a casino. While any player could get the best value from placing Odds bets on the Pass Line/Come, Don’t Pass/Don’t Come, and Buy/Lay bets, calculating payout odds is the easiest way to realize your potential return.

There are valuable resources for calculating a payout in craps, such as using a house edge calculator, odds converter, or a dice probability chart.

To save time, you can convert the payout odds from a fraction (or ratio) into a decimal and multiply the result by your desired wager. Here are a few examples for a $1 wager (usually the minimum bet at an online craps table):

• 1:1 = 1 / 1 = 1 X $1.00 = $1.00 total payout
• 7:6 = 7 / 6 = 1.16 X $1.00 = $1.16 total payout
• 7:5 = 7 / 5 = 1.4 X $1.00 = $1.40 total payout
• 9:5 = 9 / 5 = 1.8 X $1.00 = $1.80 total payout
• 2:1 = 2 / 1 = 2 X $1.00 = $2.00 total payout

Depending on where you play craps, you’ll likely get payouts rounded down to the nearest $0.01.

CRAPS ODDS PAYOUT CHART

Need to know what your bets will pay and how their true odds differ from their payout odds? Check out this craps odds payout chart:

CRAPS ODDS WITH DIFFERENT TYPES OF BETS

Making a craps Odds bet only becomes available after the shooter establishes the point. Once that happens, other bets will also become available, such as Place/Don’t Place, Buy/Lay, etc.

Of course, players can also choose between Multi Roll bets (that require multiple rolls to resolve the wager) and One Roll bets like Any Seven, Hardways, Horn Bet, Any Craps, and Field wagers.

Each of these bets has different odds and payouts, with some even requiring a 5% commission from a 5% fixed house edge.

TAKING THE ODDS VS LAYING THE ODDS

There are different ways to wager an Odds bet, which usually depends on the casino. For example, DraftKings Craps allows players to wager Odds on the Pass/Don’t Pass lines.

After rolling a point number, you can wager Odds on a Buy bet or another point from a Lay bet. An Odds bet also becomes available on a point number after rolling it and completing the Point roll.

The availability of an Odds bet for Buy or Lay wagers generally corresponds to the Pass Line/Don’t Pass. You can check the paytable of the craps game to learn about taking the odds vs. laying the odds.

At DraftKings Craps, they look like this:

• Pass Line Odds (5x max) - 4 or 10 (2:1), 5 or 9 (3:2), 6 or 8 (6:5)
• Don’t Pass Odds (6x max) - 4 or 10 (1:2), 5 or 9 (2:3), 6 or 8 (5:6)

Come and Don’t Come Odds match the corresponding Pass Line/Don’t Pass Odds. Buy and Lay bets require a 5% commission.

CRAPS BET

The craps bet is a One Roll wager on Any Craps (2, 3, or 12). Since there’s one possible combination for each of the three craps, the true odds of three out of 36 possible combinations is 12:1 or 7.7%.

However, the Any Craps probability doesn’t equal its 7:1 payout depicted on the table. With a house edge of 11.11%, that’s higher than wagering on four numbers in European (4 / 37) and American (4 / 38) versions of roulette, even though there’s an 8:1 payout. (There's an 11:1 payout in roulette for three numbers with a house edge that ranges from 7.89% to 8.10%.)

In other words, the casino garners an extra house edge of 3.41% for Any Craps compared to its true odds. Making a roulette bet on three numbers would offer you much better expected value from the payout odds and house edge!

PLACE BETS VS LAY BETS

Place/Don’t Place and Buy/Lay bets become available during the Point roll. You can wager a Place/Buy bet if you think the shooter will roll that number before getting a 7 and vice versa for a Don’t Place/Lay bet.

You’ll get 9:5 payout odds for Place 4 or 10 (6.67% house edge), 7:5 for 5 or 9 (4% house edge), and 7:6 for 6 or 8 (1.52% house edge). You may also get higher betting limits for Place 6 or 8 compared to 4, 5, 9, or 10.

For a fixed house edge of 5% to receive true odds from a 5% commission, Lay bets offer the following payouts:

• Lay 4 or 10 - 1:2
• Lay 5 or 9 - 2:3
• Lay 6 or 8 - 5:6

You may also get higher betting limits for Lay 5, 6, 8, and 9 compared to Lay 4 or 10. Buy bets require a 5% commission for a house edge of 5%, which reflects true odds.

ANY SEVEN

Any Seven is probably the most well-known One Roll bet in craps. There are six possible combinations to roll a 7 (the most in the game) for a probability of 16.67%. While that equals true odds of 5:1, the casino pays 4:1 for Any Seven.

With a reduced payout from the same house edge as the odds of rolling it, the casino hedges itself against a player using the Any Seven bet as a protective wager against rolling a 7 for the Pass/Come lines.

PASS LINE BET VS DON'T PASS LINE BET

The Pass Line/Don’t Pass are the two most common bets in craps. While the Pass Line has a house edge of 1.41%, the Don’t Pass wager offers a house advantage of 1.36%. Both lines provide even money or 1:1 payouts.

To start a craps game, you must pick the Pass Line/Don’t Pass for your initial wager. There’s a 22.22% probability of winning a Pass Line bet during the Come Out roll (7 or 11 = 6 possible combinations + 2 possible combinations = 8 / 36 = 0.2222 X 100 = 22.22%).

Combined with the Come bet, winning the Pass Line breaks down to an overall probability of 244/495 = 0.4929 or 49.29%. Conversely, you'll receive a 50.70% probability of losing the Pass Line/Come for a combined house edge of 1.41%.

When betting against the shooter, there’s a 3 out of 36 chance of winning the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come lines or 8.33% and 2.78% probability of a tie (for the first roll). The overall probability of winning the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come lines (betting that the shooter sevens out before rolling the point number or there's a tie) is about 47.92% versus a 49.29% probability of losing for a difference of around 1.36%.

BIG SIX AND EIGHT BET

Next to the Field bets, you’ll see a spot for the "Big 6 and 8." These are 1:1 Multi Roll wagers that must get resolved before rolling a 7, each with a house edge of 9.09%. (However, there’s an actual probability of 13.89% for rolling either a 6 or 8.)

Players should also consider the 7:6 payout from Place 6 or Place 8, each offering a casino advantage of 1.52%. (Buy 6 and Buy 8 pay 6:5 with a 5% house edge and 5% commission for true odds.)

Here are the potential payouts for Big 6 and 8 compared to Place/Buy 6 or 8 from a $10 wager:

• Big 6 and 8: $10 return (9.09% casino advantage with a probability of 13.89%)
• Place 6 or 8: $11.60 return (1.52% house edge)
• Buy 6 or 8: $11.40 return (true odds from a 5% commission)

FIELD BET

We’ve discussed the Field bet options, including seven numbers (3, 4, 5, 9, 10, 11, and 12) and their payouts. Something to remember—the max probability in craps of 16.67% comes from the six different combinations of rolling a 7.

Compare that to the 11 possible outcomes from the seven numbers of Field bets for a 30.55% probability of winning. However, there’s a 2.78% casino advantage spread across payouts of 1:1 (for 3, 4, 9, 10), 2:1 (for a 2), and 3:1 (for a 12).

Something else to consider—you’ll get 30:1 payout odds for either 2 or 12 as a One Roll bet. In other words, you can use a Field bet to your advantage with a smaller bankroll or take some risk by wagering on 2 or 12 or even on 3 or 11 for payout odds of 16:1.

Since we just discussed the actual probability of rolling a Big 6 or 8 is 13.89%, you’ll get that as a casino advantage from a One Roll wager on 2 or 12. Instead of even money (or 2:1 or 3:1) from Field bets, we recommend mixing up your bets by playing the Field, the Big 6 or 8, and embracing Horn Bet options.

HARDWAY BET

There’s a spot on the craps table for All Hardways (akin to a Horn Bet), which divides a wager into four separate bets. Options include pairs of twos and fives (7:1) and pairs of threes and fours (9:1). You can also wager an individual bet on any of those for the following casino advantages:

• Hardway 6 (3+3) / Hardway 8 (4+4): 9.09%
• Hardway 4 (2+2) / Hardway 10 (5+5): 11.11%

These Multi Roll bets offer plenty of value, especially versus a Big 6 and 8. For example, the Hardway 6/Hardway 8 offers the same casino advantage as the Big 6 and 8, while providing a 9x better payout.

Watch for when these bets are ON and OFF as they correspond to the Come Out/Point rolls. They’ll lose once the shooter sevens out or rolls an “easy way” 4, 6, 8, or 10.

A HISTORY OF CRAPS

Craps may have its origins in the 12th century when Franco-Syrian historian Sir William of Tyre invented it. He named the game Hazard after a castle he saw besieged during the Crusades. Other possible origins of craps may derive from Roman soldiers using the bones of pig knuckles as dice and their shields as tables, which made the game easy to play outside (street craps).

Still, others believe it may have come from a dice game brought to Europe by Arab merchants in the 12th century since the game's name translated to “dice” in Arabic.

Either way, an English game called Hazard became popular in the modern-day regions of France and the U.K. in the 17th century. The game might have spread to America from Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville (a French aristocrat) to New Orleans in the early 19th century.

John H. Winn, a dice manufacturer credited with inventing a version of casino or table craps in 1910, modified the game by adding the Don’t Pass wager. That version spread up the Mississippi River on gambling boats, eventually reaching Las Vegas in the early 1930s.

CRAPS ODDS TIPS

Understanding odds and probability is essential to shooting craps. When you start, there’s a 22.22% chance of rolling a 7 or 11 against an 11.12% chance of landing a 2, 3, or 12 on the Come Out. Compare that to an estimated 2 in 3 chances of rolling a point number, and you can understand why betting for the shooter is more favorable at online and land-based casinos.

Winning craps comes from studying payout charts and learning how to find the best odds for your bankroll. Here are a few tips for developing a craps strategy that suits your playing style:

• Practice via free demo play versions to get acclimated to how crap works.
• Choose a chip denomination that wagers around 1% to 5% of your bankroll (i.e., stay under $1 to $5 for a $100 bankroll, $10 to $50 for $1,000, $20 to $100 for $2,000, etc.).
• Pay attention to betting limits on the table.
• Find the best value for your bets on every roll.
• Develop a strategy and stick to it!

We recommend playing either the Pass Line/Don’t Pass and going from there. For example, you can add Odds to your Pass Line bet once you’ve rolled your point number. Use your best judgment to follow that up with a Come wager and add a Place/Buy bet to the point numbers.

You can use an Any Seven (or Seven) wager as a hedge to get 4:1 if you’ve gone without sevening out for a few rolls. Also, remember that previous results don’t determine future outcomes (avoid the gambler’s fallacy).

Don’t forget to have fun! Set limits for playing sessions and losses; if you stop having fun, take a break. We also recommend avoiding the use of alcohol when gambling online or in person to stay clear-headed and remain in check of your emotions.

CRAPS ODDS FAQS

You're not done learning about craps odds just yet. We’ve got some FAQs for you to consider below.

WHAT ARE THE BEST ODDS FOR CRAPS?

The best odds for craps start with the Pass Line/Don’t Pass wagers. Overall, the Pass Line has a 1.41% casino advantage, while the Don’t Pass Bar offers a slightly lower edge of 1.36%. However, you can reduce the house edge to zero by adding Odds bets to the Pass/Don’t Pass, Come/Don’t Come, and Buy/Lay wagers.

WHAT ARE TRUE ODDS IN CRAPS?

True odds refer to the probability of an individual outcome measured against the total possible combinations. For example, there are six possible winning combinations out of 36 for rolling a 7, offering the highest probability in craps of 16.67% (6 / 36 = 0.1666 or 16.67%). While that equates to 5 to 1 (5:1) for true odds, the casino only pays four to 1 (4:1) for a One Roll bet on Seven.

WHAT IS THE 3/4/5 RULE IN CRAPS?

The 3/4/5 rule in craps refers to adding an Odds bet to a Pass Line wager. The betting limits allow up to 3x for the point numbers 4 and 10, up to 4x for 5 and 9, and up to 5x for 6 and 8. (DraftKings Craps offers up to 5x and 6x for Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come Odds.)

DOES CRAPS OR BLACKJACK HAVE BETTER ODDS?

Using the basic strategy in blackjack helps reduce the casino advantage from around 2% to 0.50% (less than one percent). Depending on the casino and bets you choose, you may get an overall house edge of 0.27% at DraftKings Craps by wagering full odds on the Don’t Pass Bar. First Person Craps from Evolution Gaming provides a casino advantage of 0.83% from Don’t Pass/Don’t Come Odds. In comparison, the game’s overall return-to-player (RTP) ranges between 83.33% and 99.17% (for a casino advantage of 0.83% to 16.67%).

HOW CAN YOU INCREASE YOUR CRAPS ODDS?

To increase your craps odds, you can wager Odds bets on Pass/Don’t Pass, Come/Don’t Come, and Buy/Lay bets. Placing Odds wagers, whenever available, helps reduce the casino advantage to 0%. However, those bets must be attached to previous wagers.

WHAT IS THE MOST EFFICIENT CRAPS STRATEGY?

Valuable strategies in craps include betting the Pass Line for a low casino advantage of 1.41% or Don’t Pass at 1.36%. Both options offer even money (1:1) payouts. Other craps strategies include taking the odds (betting for the shooter) or laying the odds (betting against the shooter). Place bets on 6 and 8 are also excellent ways to get favorable odds from a low casino advantage with decent returns.