How To Win Playing Craps At Casino
Plenty of gamblers claim that they’re winning craps players, but are they telling the truth? If you play craps like most gamblers, the math says that you can’t win in the long run. But there are some things that you might be able to do to help.
Here’s a list of six ways you can play craps that can help you win. Part of this article deals with things you need to know and art of it deals with things that you need to do when you play craps.
Even if you don’t figure out how to win, there’s little doubt that you’re going to learn how to improve your results when playing craps for real money.
Know the Craps Numbers of Importance
Craps is one of the only games in the casino where the player is in charge of the action with their own hand. You can literally grab the dice, give it a blow for good luck and roll it on down. In a single roll of the dice, there are a number of combinations in which a player can wager. How to play craps in casinoThe house edge is expressed as a percentage, and it’s an estimate of how much you should expect to lose in the long run on a game You how to play craps in casino do, however, need to understand how the game is played. Don’t start playing with the idea that you’ll soon know how to win at slots in Vegas – always start with free games. Study the pay table Every slot machine comes with its own unique pay table.
You only need to know two numbers when you play craps to make the best betting decisions. These two numbers are called the return to player and the
casino house edge.
- If the shooter rolls an 8 again before a 7 or an 11 is rolled, the passline bets win. How to win Craps at online casino. Craps at internet casino is one of the best online casino games from a player's perspective. If you make good bets (there are also a number of bets with huge house advantage) you'll have a decent chance walking away from the.
- How to play casino craps and winThe table layout makes the game seem a little confusing at first, but the rules how to play casino craps and win are easy to pick up with experience.
The craps return to player number is the percentage of a wager that you win back, on average, when you make the wager. The edge is the percentage that you lose, on average, on each wager.
The best craps bet options have the highest return percentage and the lowest edge, and the worst craps wagers are the ones that have the lowest return numbers and highest edge. As it turns out, you only need to know about a few wager options because most of them are terrible.
Here are the numbers for the best wagers at the craps table:
Bet | Return | Edge |
---|---|---|
Don’t Pass | 98.64% | 1.36% |
Pass | 98.59% | 1.41% |
Odds | 100% | 0% |
Place 6 or 8 | 98.48% | 1.52% |
Understand How Every Craps Result Is Derived
Before you make a bet at the craps table you need to understand how each possible result is derived. Craps results come from the total of two dice. Knowing that each die has 6 possible results, you can use this information to determine the likelihood of any result from 2 to 12.
The reason why rolling a 2 or 12 is hard is because there’s only one combination of the dice that produces either result. You have to roll a 1 on each die to roll a 2 or a 6 on each die to roll a 12. While there’s only one way to roll a 10 with a 5 on each die, you can also roll a 10 with a 4 on the first die and a 6 on the second or a 6 on the first and 4 on the second. This means there are three combinations to roll a 10, so a 10 is 3 times more likely than a 2 or a 12.
Here are the numbers for combinations that produce each total in craps:
- 1 combination produces either a 2 or a 12
- 2 combinations produce either a 3 or an 11
- 3 combinations produce either a 4 or a 10
- 4 combinations produce either a 5 or a 9
- 5 combinations produce either a 6 or an 8
- 6 combinations produce a 7
Gambling Odds Verses the Odds
Using the information in the last section you can determine the odds of particular totals coming up or particular combinations of the dice coming up. In total, there are 36 possible outcomes of rolling 2 dice.
The odds of a particular roll, like a 1 on each die, are 1 out of 36. The odds of rolling a 7 are 6 out of 36, or 1 out of 6.
You need to consider the odds when you decide which bets to make when you play craps.
For example, if you make a place bet on the 8, you win if an 8 is rolled before a 7, and lose when a 7 is rolled before an 8. The odds on this bet are 6 to 5, because there are 6 chances of rolling a 7 and 5 chances of rolling an 8.
This is only one type of odds. The other type, and it’s just as important if not more important, is the bet called the odds. You learned why the odds wager is so important in the first section. It has a 100% return and no edge for the casino.
The odds wager is an important tool that every smart craps gambler uses. Any bet you can make with a 100% return is a bet that you should make at every opportunity.
Do Bonuses and Casino Comps Help Craps Players?
Craps players can use bonuses in mobile and online casinos and earn casino comps for their play in live casinos. Both of these things look and sound good, but does either of them really help?
Craps bonus offers aren’t as clear cut. The question isn’t whether a craps bonus gives you a bigger bankroll to play with. This isn’t in question, because it does give you a bigger bankroll.
The question is if a craps bonus does anything that helps you win? A craps bonus doesn’t help you win because it doesn’t change the return or edge. You can use craps bonus offers for bankroll purposes, but don’t expect them to change your long term results at the craps table.
Does Doubling Up Work in Craps?
A gambling trick or system that’s been around for years is to double the size of your bet after a loss. These wagers are traditionally made on bets that pay even money or 1 to 1.
For example, you make a $20 bet on the pass line and when you win you get your $20 back and a $20 win. If you lose, your next bet is $40. You keep doubling your bet after a loss, and when you win you go back to making a $20 wager.
This sounds like the perfect craps system, and that’s why some gamblers try it. This usually gives you some profits in the short term, but it always ends in disaster. You always run into a string of losses that destroys your bankroll, and even if you don’t, the table has a maximum bet amount that stops you from making huge wagers.
You simply can’t make a profit playing craps using the double up strategy.
See if Dice Control Is Real or Not
I’m going to be 100% up front with you before I talk about dice control. I don’t believe that it works. I believe that if you could make it work it can change the return of craps. But I’ve never found proven evidence that it works, just a lot of yelling and claims that aren’t backed by facts.
The basics of dice control are simple. You set the dice the same way every time, hold them using a particular grip, and throw them exactly the same on every roll. By doing this you can supposedly control the results of your rolls.
If you can control the results of your rolls you can make a lot of money playing craps. Even if you can only control the outcomes of a small percentage of your craps rolls you can erase the casino edge.
This is why I recommend finding out if dice control is real or not. Do your own research and try the techniques out. I’m happy to be proven wrong, but I’m not holding my breath.
Win More Playing Casino Craps
You only need to know two important numbers when you think about craps strategy. When you know the edge and return for every bet option you know exactly what you need to do and what you need to avoid.
It’s also important to understand how craps results are derived. Most people don’t really understand how dice works and how the odds work. Speaking of odds, there are 2 different types of odds in craps and you need to know the difference.
Bonuses and comps can help, but they don’t do much. Doubling up can help in the short term, but is deadly over the long run.
Craps is my favorite game in the casino, and if you learn how to play, it will be one of your favorites, too. I’ve written multiple posts explaining how to play.
In this post, I want to do something a little different.
I want to offer you the best tips for playing craps WELL.
If you want to do well at the craps table, these are the only 11 tips you’ll ever need.
1 – Stick With the Pass, Come, and Free Odds Bets
Win Every Time At Craps
The pass line bet is the basic bet when playing craps for real money. It’s a bet that the shooter will roll a 7 or an 11 on his come-out roll, or that the shooter will roll a point number and subsequently hit that point number again before rolling a 7. The pass line bet loses if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll.
The come bet is just like the pass bet, but it treats a roll after the come-out roll as if it were a new come-out roll.
And the free odds bet is only available if you’ve made a pass or come bet, and the shooter has set a point. The odds bet pays off at the true odds of rolling the point again before rolling a 7.
If you stick with those bets, you’ll be playing the most exciting game in the casino and facing terrific odds. These bets make craps almost as attractive a game as blackjack.
2 – Most of the Bets at the Craps Table Offer Lousy Odds
One of the great things about craps is that it’s easy to learn how to make the best bets and avoid the lousy ones. That’s because the only good bets at the table are these:
- Pass
- Don’t pass
- Come
- Don’t come
- Free odds
- Place 6
- Place 8
You literally have dozens of bets to choose from at the craps table, but the house edge on the bets listed above are all less than 1.5%.
3 – Here’s What You Should Do If You’re a Beginner
If you’re a beginner craps player, stick with the pass line bet. Don’t start making a lot of come bets until you’re comfortable with what’s happening with the pass line bet.
It might be a good idea to take one of the free casino game classes where they’ll teach you how to play.
Once you’re comfortable with the pass line bet, expand your repertoire by making occasional come bets, too.
Try not to have more than two or three numbers working at one time. Any more than that, and you might be devastated by a big loss you’re not expecting.
4 – Understand the House Edge in Craps
The house edge represents the difference between the odds of winning and the payout odds for the game. Craps, like every other casino game, pays out less than the odds of winning. The difference is where the casino makes its profit.
The house edge is expressed as a percentage, and it’s an estimate of how much you should expect to lose in the long run on a game.
In the case of craps, the house edge for the pass and come bets is the same – 1.41%.
The house edge for the don’t pass and don’t come bets is 1.36%.
The great thing is the house edge for the free odds bet. It’s called “free” odds because it carries no house edge. The payout for this bet is the same as the odds of winning it.
By taking or laying odds on top of your pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bets, you’re effectively reducing the house edge for the game even further.
5 – Pick Your Wins Up From the Table
It’s your responsibility to pick up any money you win from the table. If you just leave those chips on the table, they’re considered new bets, and they stay in action.
If you’re on a winning streak, that’s cool. You’ll just win that much more money. In fact, win three or four times in a row by letting your winnings ride can net you a lot of cash fast.
But if you’re a more conservative player, pick the chips you’ve won up off the table after you win.
6 – Ignore Dealers at the Craps Table That Recommend a Bet
One of the dealers at the craps table is comparable to the ringmaster in a circus. He’s the stickman, and part of his job is to sell you on the idea of making bets in the middle of the table.
The house edge on those bets is terrible, and when I say terrible, I mean over 9%.
Would you rather lose an average of 9% on each bet or an average of 1.5% on each bet?
It’s the difference between losing $15/hour and losing $90/hour.
7 – Don’t Use Betting Systems at the Craps Table
Any game with bets that offer even money payouts is ripe for betting system players. Craps is no exception. In fact, you’ll have no trouble finding a Martingale or Paroli system player at the craps table.
These two systems work in precisely the opposite way, but both systems also don’t do anything to help you win the game. A negative expectation bet is a negative expectation, no matter what.
How To Win Playing Craps At Casino Near Me
The Martingale System and the Paroli System are examples of positive and negative progression systems. You raise and lower the size of your bets based on whether you won or lose previous bets.
Here’s an example of the Martingale in action at the craps table:
You bet $5 on the pass line, and you lose when the shooter 7s out. Now you bet $10 on the pass line, and if you win, you’ve won back your $5 loss along with a $5 profit.
But if you lose, you have to bet $20 on your next bet, and so on.
Eventually, you’ll run into a losing streak that’s so long that it will be impossible to place the next bet in your progression.
With the Paroli System, you’ll let your winnings ride until you’ve had a specific, arbitrary number of wins in a row.
For example, you might set a goal of winning 3 times in a row. You bet $5 on pass, win, and bet $10 on the 2nd round, and win again. Now you bet $20. If you win all 3 bets, you’ve won $35 over 3 rounds of the game.
But this approach doesn’t work, either, in the long run.
8 – Don’t Try to Become a Craps Professional
Contrary to what you might read and what some people might tell you, it’s not possible to get an edge at craps in the long run. Without being able to get a mathematical edge, you can’t possibly play craps for a living.
Even the odds bets, which have no house edge, can only be made when you’ve made an initial bet with a negative expectation.
On top of the negative expectation, you have a highly volatile game. Just because the house edge on the odds bets is 0% doesn’t mean those bets pay off often. They still lose most of the time.
It’s just that, theoretically, in the long run, you’ll win as much money as you lose on such bets.
If you want to be a professional gambler, learn to count cards in blackjack, or handicap sports with a high degree of accuracy, or play poker at a pro-level.
But stay away from craps if you want to gamble professionally.
9 – Skip Don’t Pass and Don’t Come Bets If You’re New
You might think that don’t pass and don’t come are the best bets at the craps table. And since the house edge for these bets is 1.36% instead of 1.41%, that’s true.
But that doesn’t mean you should place these bets.
In fact, if you’re new, I suggest avoiding them.
Here’s why:
Most of the other players are betting with the shooter. It’s fun to root for a shooter to win, and it’s fun to have a sense of teamwork and camaraderie at the craps table.
If you’re betting against everyone at the table, you’ll probably have less fun.
Unless you just have one of those personalities.
10 – Take as Big an Odds Bet as Possible While Still Being Comfortable
Let’s say you’re at a craps table where the minimum bet is $5 and the maximum bet is $500. And the maximum amount of odds this casino will let you take is 2X your bet.
Don’t bet $15 on the pass line and ignore the odds bet.
And don’t bet $15 on the pass line and then put $30 on the odds bet.
In one case, you’re letting the house have a more significant edge than you need to.
In the other case, you’re putting more money into action on a single roll of the dice than you’re comfortable with.
Neither of these situations is good.
11 – Free Casino Classes Are Great – Except for the Strategy Advice
How To Win At Craps
Craps, more than most casino games, is a good one to learn via the free casino classes that most gambling halls offer during their slow periods. You can get an excellent feel for how the game plays and how the betting works. Most real money online casinos will also allow you to play for free and practice before you’re ready for the real thing.
Just ignore any strategy advice that live casino dealers offer. Sometimes the dealers don’t know anything about the math behind the game and give what they think is good advice. Other times, the dealers are just rooting for you to lose.
Conclusion
With a basic understanding of how to play craps, you can have more fun in the casino than most. And you’ll stand a good chance of having some big winning sessions.
It’s just as important to play smart at the craps table as it is at any other casino game.
Learn How To Play Craps
Thinking about these 11 craps tips will keep you on the side of the gambling angels.