Craps bets explained
When each craps bet wins, what it pays and its house edge, from the best bets to the worst.
Pass Line and Don't Pass
- Pass Line – on the come-out roll, wins on seven or eleven and loses on two, three or twelve. Any other total becomes the point. After that, the point before a seven wins, and a seven first loses (seven-out). Pays even money. House edge: 1.41%.
- Don't Pass – the opposite bet. On the come-out, wins on two or three, loses on seven or eleven, and twelve is a push (tie). After the point is set, a seven first wins. House edge: 1.36%.
See the full craps rules.
Come and Don't Come
A Come bet is a Pass Line bet you make after the point is set, so the next roll is its own come-out. Example: the point is five, you bet Come, and the dice show eight, so your Come bet now needs an eight before a seven.
A Don't Come bet works like Don't Pass, made after the point is set. Come has the same edge as Pass (1.41%), and Don't Come has the same edge as Don't Pass (1.36%).
Use Come bets when you want more numbers working without paying a higher edge than the Pass Line.
The Odds bet (free odds)
- When: after a point is set, you place it behind a Pass, Don't Pass, Come or Don't Come bet.
- House edge: none, because it pays true odds.
- Point six or eight: pays 6 to 5. There are 5 ways to roll a six and 6 ways to roll a seven.
- Point five or nine: pays 3 to 2.
- Point four or ten: pays 2 to 1.
Place vs Buy (and Lay)
- Place – you pick four, five, six, eight, nine or ten, and you win if that number rolls before a seven. It pays less than true odds: Place six or eight pays 7 to 6, Place five or nine pays 7 to 5, Place four or ten pays 9 to 5. Place bets are off on the come-out by default.
- Buy – the same bet, but it pays true odds (Buy four pays 2 to 1) and the table takes a commission from the win.
- Lay – the opposite of Buy: you win if a seven rolls before your number. Lay four edge: 1.67%.
- House edges: on six or eight – Place 1.52% vs Buy 2.27%; on five or nine – Place 4.00% vs Buy 2.00%; on four or ten – Place 6.67% vs Buy 1.67%
Pick the lower edge for each number: Place the six and eight, and Buy the four, five, nine and ten.
Big Six/Eight, Field and Hardways
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Pass line / Come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
| Don't pass / Don't come | 1 to 1, bar 12 | 1.40% |
| Odds (any point) | true odds | 0.00% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
| Buy 4 or 10 | 2 to 1, 5% on win | 1.67% |
| Lay 4 or 10 | 1 to 2, 5% on win | 1.67% |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Field (12 pays 3 to 1) | 1 to 1, 2 to 1 on 2 | 2.78% |
| Field (12 pays 2 to 1) | 1 to 1, 2 to 1 on 2 and 12 | 5.56% |
| Hard 6 or 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 4 or 10 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Any craps | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Yo (11) / Ace-deuce (3) | 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Aces (2) / Twelve | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| Horn | 2/12: 30 to 1, 3/11: 15 to 1 | 12.50% |
| Any 7 | 4 to 1 | 16.67% |
House edge per bet decided (pushes not counted), exact math from the dice.
- Big Six / Big Eight – wins if a six (or an eight) rolls before a seven, and pays even money. It has the same chance to win as Place six but pays less: edge 9.09% vs 1.52%.
- Field – a one-roll bet. Wins on two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven or twelve and loses on five, six, seven or eight. Pays even money, double on two and triple on twelve, for an edge of 2.78%. If the table pays double on twelve, the edge is 5.56%.
- Hardways – Hard Six wins if two threes roll before a seven or an easy six (any other way to make six). The edge on Hard Six or Eight is 9.09% and on Hard Four or Ten it is 11.11%. Hardways are off on the come-out by default.
- Center bets (Any Seven, Any Craps, Yo, Horn) – see craps prop bets.
Best and worst craps bets
- Odds – no house edge
- Don't Pass / Don't Come – 1.36%
- Pass Line / Come – 1.41%
- Place six or eight – 1.52%
- Buy four or ten – 1.67%
- Field (triple on twelve) – 2.78%
- Place four or ten – 6.67%
- Big Six / Big Eight – 9.09%
- Hard Four or Ten – 11.11%
A lower edge means you lose less on average, not that you win, because over many rolls the house edge comes out ahead.
Questions
What is a pass line bet in craps?
It is the main craps bet. On the come-out roll it wins on seven or eleven and loses on two, three or twelve. Any other total becomes the point, which must roll again before a seven. It pays even money with a house edge of 1.41%.
What is a come bet in craps?
A Come bet is a Pass Line bet made after the point is set. The next roll acts as its own come-out, and it has the same house edge of 1.41%.
What is a don't come bet in craps?
It is a Don't Pass bet made after the point is set. On its first roll it wins on two or three, loses on seven or eleven, and pushes on twelve. After that it wins if a seven comes before its number, with a house edge of 1.36%.
Is place or buy better in craps?
On six and eight, Place is better (1.52% vs 2.27%). On four and ten, Buy is better (1.67% vs 6.67%), and on five and nine Buy is also lower (2.00% vs 4.00%).
What is the best bet in craps?
The Odds bet behind Pass, Don't Pass, Come or Don't Come has no house edge because it pays true odds. You can only make it on top of a main bet that has an edge, so the house still comes out ahead over time.