Craps can provide some of the best odds of winning among casino games, especially when placing bets with low house edges. Bets like pass plus odds or don’t pass plus free odds can have a house edge of tenths of a percent. Even without betting the odds, the house edge on bets like don’t pass or don’t come (1.4%), pass or come (1.41%), or placing 6 or 8 (1.52%) are still relatively favorable compared to other games.
When strategizing in craps, it’s important to focus on these low-edge bets for the best chance of winning. It’s best to avoid one-roll bets with high house edges, such as any 7 (16.67%) or any craps (11.11%), as well as multi-roll hardway bets (9.09% on hard 6 or 8, 11.11% on hard 4 or 10) and place bets on 4 or 10 (6.67%) and 5 or 9 (4%).
It’s also important to be wary of combination bets, like the Iron Cross, and hedge bets, such as combining place 6 and 8 with any 7. While they may seem tempting, the house edge of any combination is a weighted average of its component bets, and the high-house edge portions of combinations can ultimately hurt your chances of winning.
The most appropriate wagering system for you will depend on your personality and budget. For instance, if you are uncomfortable being the only player betting against the shooter, then the don’t pass and don’t come bets may not be suitable for you, despite their low edge. Additionally, if your bankroll is limited, you should avoid systems that require multiple odds wagers, as a single roll of the dice could deplete a significant portion of your funds.
Regardless of your temperament or budget, the best way to increase your chances of winning at craps is to focus on bets with the lowest house edges. This applies whether you are playing craps in-person in South Africa or online. It’s wise to avoid high-house edge bets such as any 7 (16.67%), any craps (11.11%), multi-roll hardway bets (9.09% on hard 6 or 8, 11.11% on hard 4 or 10), and certain place bets (6.67% on 4 or 10, and 4% on 5 or 9). Instead, concentrate on low-edge bets like pass or come (1.41%), don’t pass or don’t come (1.4%), and placing 6 or 8 (1.52%). By following these strategies, you can maximize your chances of winning at craps, whether you play in-person or online.
Although it may not be the most popular strategy, combining don’t pass and don’t come bets with laying the odds can give you the lowest house edge among common craps wagers. When you lay odds, you are paid at true odds, which means there is no house edge on that portion of the bet. The house edge for don’t pass or don’t come with lay odds is a weighted average of the 1.4% edge on the don’t bet and the zero edge on the odds. By using 3x, 4x, or 5x odds, the house edge on this combination drops to as low as 0.2%.
The key to this strategy is to keep your don’t pass and don’t come bets to a minimum and put the remainder of your usual-sized wager into laying the odds. This way, you are exposing the least amount of money to the house edge on the don’ts while saving most of your bet for the no-edge odds. To have more numbers working, you can follow up a don’t pass bet with a don’t come bet, backing both with available odds.
For short-bankrolled players, there is nothing wrong with just betting don’t pass, laying the odds, and stopping there. The house edge remains the same regardless of how many numbers you have working. It’s always important to avoid overbetting your bankroll, even if you prefer more action on the table. If the shooter sevens out, all your don’t pass and don’t come bets win. However, if the shooter makes any of the pass or come points, then you lose on that specific bet, and you can follow up with a don’t bet to increase your working numbers back to three.
Combining don’t pass and don’t come bets with laying the odds is a strategy that can give you the lowest house edge among common craps wagers. By laying odds, you are paid at true odds, which means there is no house edge on that part of the bet. The house edge for don’t pass or don’t come with lay odds is a weighted average of the 1.4% edge on the don’t bet and the zero edge on the odds. Using 3x, 4x, or 5x odds can bring the house edge on this combination down to as low as 0.2%.
The key to this strategy is to limit your don’t pass and don’t come bets and place most of your usual-sized wager into laying the odds. This minimizes the amount of money you expose to the house edge on the don’t bets while allowing you to save most of your bet for the no-edge odds. To work with more numbers, you can follow up a don’t pass bet with a don’t come bet and support both with available odds.
Short-bankrolled players can stick with betting don’t pass, laying the odds, and stopping there. The house edge remains the same regardless of the number of working numbers. It’s always essential to avoid overbetting your bankroll, even if you want more action on the table. If the shooter sevens out, all your don’t pass and don’t come bets win. However, if the shooter makes any of the pass or come points, you lose on that particular bet, and you can follow up with a don’t bet to increase your working numbers back to three.
Placing bets on 6 and 8 after a pass line bet is another popular craps strategy. These bets have a house edge of 1.52%, which is not quite as good as some other common bets, but still better than many other options in the game. Unlike pass and come bets, place bets don’t have a comeout roll and thus require fewer rolls to be decided.
Place bets cannot be backed with free odds, and if the shooter rolls your number before a 7, you win. Players often choose 6 and 8 because they are the most commonly rolled numbers after 7. Unlike other good bets, such as 4 and 10, which have less commonly rolled points, there are five ways to make 6 or 8 compared to only three ways to make 4 or 10, and four ways to make 5 or 9.
To use this strategy, start with a pass line bet, and when the shooter establishes a point, decide whether to back it with odds. Then, make place bets on 6 and 8, or on both if the point is neither. Be sure to place your bets in multiples of R6 as winners on place bets are paid at 7-6 odds.
This system is popular among players with modest bankrolls as it requires less upfront money than three working numbers all backed with odds. A R5 pass line bet and R6 each on 6 and 8 would give you a total wager of R17, whereas a pass line bet, two come bets, and odds bets of 3x, 4x, or 5x with a total maximum outlay of R85 and a minimum of R65 would be needed for the other system.
While the house edges of 1.41% on pass and 1.52% on placing 6 and 8 aren’t as strong as the 0.37% on pass, come, and 3x, 4x, 5x odds, this strategy requires less money on the table.
Placing bets on 6 and 8 is a craps strategy that some players prefer, choosing to rely on the most commonly rolled non-7 numbers and skipping the pass and come bets entirely. If you make minimum bets on both, this can be an inexpensive system. The house edge for this strategy is 1.52 percent.
One low-roller craps strategy is to bet on pass and come, or don’t pass and don’t come, without adding odds. This system can put you on multiple numbers and add some excitement to the game. However, without the odds, you cannot reduce the house edge below the standard 1.4% on don’t pass and don’t come, or 1.4% on pass and come.
To use this strategy, keep all your bets at the table minimum, and if you feel tempted to raise your wagers, consider putting the extra money into odds instead. For short-bankrolled players who cannot afford to bet more than the table minimum, this strategy can be a viable low-cost and low-edge option.
