Winning Craps Play

How to win at craps

There are two different ways to approach a craps table. One is to bet with the dice, hoping they will pass, that numbers will repeat, and that the come-out roll will feature a lot of 7s and 11s. A bettor who wants the dice to pass is known as a right bettor. Note that there is no moral interpretation of the term; it simply designates a player who is betting with the dice.

The odds are roughly the same whether you bet right or wrong. You have an equal chance of winning, but remember, casino craps is a negative game, and only luck and correct and smart play will make you a winner. If you make foolish bets, that is, bets in which the house has a big edge over you, there's hardly any chance to walk away a winner from a casino craps table.

Right Bettors - Correct Play

A right player should only make bets which give the house its minimum edge. Therefore, the best and most conservative method of play is to make a passline wager, and if a point is established, to take the maximum odds allowed on that point. If uncertain about how much you can wager as an odds bet, ask the dealer.

Then, if the player wants to have a little more action, he can make a come bet or two come bets, also taking the maximum free-odds.

Betting this way, a lucky or hot roll of the dice can win a bit of money, and the player is only giving the house 0.8% in a single odds game and 0.6% in a double odds game.

This kind of gambler will be known as a tough player, because he's making only the best bets, and giving the house very little in the way of an edge. If lady luck shines down upon him, he can make a good bit of change with this method.

For the more aggressive bettor, after making a pass-line and one or two come bets, all with maximum free-odds, he can then cover the 6 or 8 if they're not already bet, by making place wagers on these numbers. Here the player will be giving the casino a bigger edge, 1.52%. But if the dice pass and some long rolls develop, the gambler betting this way can make a lot of money.

But don't under any circumstances make any other bet, no matter how tempting the payoffs may be. The house edge is just too great, and will wear down your bankroll in no time flat. Craps is a fast game, and a game in which you can lose your money fast. So be careful and bet smart, in the manner suggested.

Wrong Bettors-Correct Play

The wrong bettor should make a don't pass bet and then lay single odds against the point. Even though double odds will slightly reduce the house edge from 0.8% to 0.6%, a series of repeated points and the player's bankroll will quickly disappear.

Then the wrong bettor should make one, and if he's more aggressive, two don't come wagers, lay single odds against the come points, and stop. Those are the only bets a wrong bettor should make.