Craps strategy
No craps strategy removes the house edge, but you can choose the bets that cost you the least.
Bets ranked by house edge
| 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.
Lower edge means you lose less on average per dollar bet. From cheapest to most expensive:
- Pass + ten times odds – 0.18%
- Pass + three-four-five times odds – 0.37%
- Don't Pass – 1.36%
- Pass Line – 1.41%
- Place six or eight – 1.52%
- Field (twelve pays triple) – 2.78%
- Any Seven – 16.67%
How free odds lower the overall edge
Example: one chip on Pass, and the point is six. You add up to five chips of odds behind it, paid at true odds of 6 to 5.
The odds bet has no house edge, so the edge on all your money in play drops:
- Pass alone – 1.41%
- Pass + three-four-five times odds (three times on four and ten, four times on five and nine, five times on six and eight) – 0.37%
- Pass + ten times odds – 0.18%
Keep the Pass bet small and put more money in odds to lower the edge on your total bet.
Place six and eight – skip the center
Place six or eight pays 7 to 6 with an edge of 1.52% – close to the Pass Line.
The center of the table holds the most expensive bets: Any Seven 16.67%, Horn 12.50%, Hard four 11.11%. See all of them on the prop bets page.
Systems do not change the math
Iron Cross = Field + Place five, six and eight. Each bet keeps its own edge: Field 2.78%, Place five 4.00%, Place six and eight 1.52%.
Progressions that raise bets after losses work the same as in roulette – see the Martingale test. Bigger bets only mean bigger average losses.
Pick a fixed bet size and keep it – changing bet sizes changes risk, not the house edge.
Limits and session time
The edge applies to every bet, so more rolls mean a bigger expected loss. Craps moves fast – a Pass bet takes about 3.38 rolls to decide.
Odds lower the edge but put more money on the table per roll.
Set a loss limit and a time limit before the first roll and stop when you reach either one.
Questions
What is the best craps strategy?
Bet Pass or Don't Pass and add as much free odds as you can afford, and use Place six and eight if you want more action. This keeps the house edge as low as 0.37% with three-four-five times odds, but it never removes it.
How do you win at craps?
No strategy wins over time, because every bet except free odds has a house edge. You can win in a short session by luck, but the edge tends to win as the total amount bet grows.
What is the best mathematical craps strategy?
Pass Line plus the maximum odds allowed gives the lowest edge on your total bet, for example 0.18% with ten times odds. Don't Pass with odds is about the same.
Does the Iron Cross work in craps?
No. It combines the Field at 2.78% with Place bets, and each part keeps its own house edge, so the combined bet still loses on average.
Which craps bets should I avoid?
Avoid the center bets such as Any Seven at 16.67%, Horn at 12.50% and the hardways. They pay big but cost much more than Pass or Place six and eight.