Top Craps Strategies: A Quick Guide For Everyone 

Hazard, Pig, Midnight — what a strange set of words, isn’t it? Although seemingly unrelated, those are the names of different games played with the simplest devices, commonly known worldwide as dice. One more dice game that is extremely popular is Craps. It is pretty simple and is also overwhelmingly fun, tracing its roots back to the eighteenth century — a game just can’t be called dull if it was played not just by your granddad but by the granddad of his granddad! 

As the centuries went by, Craps had turned into a full-scale casino game, so, in our digital age, it is good to know how to bet, choose the right place to play, and so on. The possible Craps strategies are also numerous. Thus, let’s get to know it better.

Overview

Though probably existing from much earlier times, the game of “Craps” was first mentioned in 1788 in England, where it was the slightly more complicated variant of the more popular (widely known since medieval times, by the way) dice game called “Hazard.” Brought by the English crusaders to their homeland, that simple and wholesomely entertaining game was played by generations afterward, remaining unchanged. 

Then it changed a bit, took a new name, and spread out into the British colonies. So it remained popular in the North American colonies, which had transformed into the United States of America. It changed and became very popular in Louisiana among local landowners. Of course, over the years, it became popular across the whole country among all social classes, eventually reached the casinos, and is being played worldwide today, easily accessible in online casinos to anyone willing to try their luck making bets online.

Joining the Game

When it comes to playing Craps, there are always three things: a pair of dice, a Craps table, and playing chips (or tokens). Players make their bets, putting their chips on the layout. 

A boxman keeps the chips bank and exchanges the chips of different denominations at the table. Base dealers pay bets to winners and collect the chips from the rest of the players. A stickman announces every roll result and tosses the dice upon the Craps table with a special stick. All the employees above supervise the game course and, if the situation requires, warn the players to avoid making mistakes. 

Behind the casino walls, the so-called “Street Craps” is played wherever the players like, and Craps bets are made in cash (or with whatever else is valuable). The rules are simple: every player makes a bet and makes the first roll (“come out roll”) of two dice to see the results. Well, that’s what it seems, yet there’s more to learn about the game. 

A player who throws the dice — the shooter — places their bet on the “Pass” and the “Don’t Pass” line. He takes a pair of dice then and begins a round of the game. The game consists of multiple rounds in which “Pass”/” Don’t Pass” Craps bets are put on each round’s outcome. The shooter throws the dice — thus making a “come out roll” — and if the dice roll makes up 2, 3, or 12, it is called “craps,” and all the players who placed their bets on the Pass line lose (the ones who made their bets on the Don’t Pass line win in that case, respectively). The shooter may roll again if only he doesn’t play Sevens Out: in that case, the Pass line wins, and the Don’t Pass line loses — so winning come-out rolls are 7 or 11. 

The rest of the possible come-out numbers are called “point” numbers, and if the shooter rolls 8 (for example), this makes a point to win if the next roll is 8 again. If the player rolls 7 instead, the Pass line loses, and the dice pass clockwise to the next shooter for the next round. Different Craps strategies exist, and which one of them is the best Craps strategy we will uncover a bit later.

The rolls in Craps have their unique names — what a surprise, isn’t it?

1+1 — Snake Eyes 1+2 — Ace Deuce 1+3 — Easy Four 1+4, 2+3 — Fever Five 1+5, 2+4 — Easy Six 1+6, 2+5, 3+4 — Seven Out 2+2 — Hard Four 2+6, 3+5 — Easy Eight

3+3 — Hard Six 3+6, 4+5 — Nine 4+4 — Hard Eight 4+6 — Easy Ten 5+5 — Hard Ten 5+6 — Yo 6+6 — Midnight

Craps Odds Strategy: Explaining The Details of Craps Betting System

Everyone who plays Craps wants to win. It is obvious. So, to avoid losing money in such a fun game, it is essential to understand how Craps betting works and which Craps betting system is the best. 

Dice game betting may seem random and chaotic initially, but with just the right amount of thought, it gets easier to win and lay odds right. Two kinds of Craps bets that are generally most popular are Pass line bets and Don’t Pass bets. 

The Pass line bets are risky and rough — like Russian roulette, but with 5 bullets out of six. The shooter throws dice, hoping to Seven out or to double a point. In the case of the initial Pass line bet, both outcomes are pretty hard to achieve, but that is what the playing is — the chase is better than the catch. “But not for everyone,” you might add. Sure. So a Don’t Pass bet is for those who prefer cash over risk. This kind of bet is a no-contract, so a player can reduce or even take the bet down completely at any time. But honestly speaking, it is nearly as risky as the Pass line one. 

Still, people win more often, betting on Don’t pass rather than on the Pass line, trying their luck calculating the odds since when 12 is rolled, it is a push instead of undetermined and unpredictable results. That’s why it is sometimes referred to as unfair. 

Both kinds of bets above pay even money (1:1). There’s a way to increase the possible profits by making a free odds bet with Pass line or Don’t pass bet. A free odds bet has literally zero house edge. This kind of bet is being paid for with true odds. That’s why Free Odds bet has zero house advantage. The bet it is made in conjunction with still lets the casino get its share, anyway. But the chance to get extra money with less casino advantage is still very good to have. When one of your bets wins — two bets win together! Free odds bets, don’t forget it. It is also possible to bet on Pass line odds or Don’t Pass line odds. Especially risky bets are Come bets: in simple words, it is a bet on the number that will come from the next roll, no matter what round it is. Come, bets are the most dangerous of all. Feels awesome to win this way, probably. Don’t be hasty to bet max odds — take your time just to play and learn.

Intermediate Best Craps Betting Strategies

No matter what is the best Craps betting strategy you like, and no matter how easy it seems to raise funds at the Craps table, it is inevitable for any sane person to set a winning goal and leave the game before getting bankrupt. It is very serious, all jokes aside. 

Playing dice casino games may be immersive and fun, yet luck is a harsh mistress — it is essential to know when to thank her for the assistance and have some rest with all the money won (or still present, at least). Just choose the Craps strategy you like, set a winning goal of 20%-30% of the bankroll you have at the beginning of the game, and call it a day when you have won just that exact amount. 

If you want to bet for the first time, the winning goal should be lower than 20%. Just get some experience before bankrupting Vegas big time, mind. That will help. Look at our guide to the Craps betting strategies for beginners (if you dare).  

Doing it Right

What every new player has to do is determine the way to play Craps. So the direction is obvious — minimizing the house edge and increasing the payout odds:

• Odds Betting Craps strategy: As explained before, those are pretty simple and don’t require superior math skills. Still risky, though, so be careful. Pass bets and Don’t Pass bets are meant to be made against the shooter. The odds of them getting a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 before Sevening Out are moderately fair, so the house edge there is virtually nonexistent. Sadly, the payout odds are not very high, although it’s probably the right Craps strategy, to begin with.
• Press Betting Craps strategy: this kind of Craps strategy is about pressing bets on the Place bet results and taking the cash afterward when the bet works out four times or so. The player exploits payout odds a little, making a bet on the exact number, and if that number rolls out, the player keeps the cash he got and pushes the bet higher afterward. When betting this way, the amount of money won multiplies, and after a few cycles, the player pulls his cash. Sounds pretty smart. But the odds bets are called odds bets for a reason, and landing a number you like more than three times in a row takes work. Especially if the shooter will Seven Out, it is not the best Craps strategy, but it works.
• Progression Betting Craps strategy: this betting strategy has a lower house edge (in most cases) and thus remains one of the most popular. The 6/8 variant is the most common since it has extremely good odds. It requires the player to bet $6 on 6 and 8. If one of these numbers rolls out, the same bet is made again, and if the bet loses, it is made again anyway and is even increased — take that, Vegas, no mercy for you! Seriously speaking, this is a good way to empty your wallet in no time, so this Craps strategy is only alright if you have enough cash to throw around with no remorse. Well, better try your luck in charity first, then — kindness attracts luck, people say.

For Fun and Profit

There are free online Craps Games to place bet with in-game currencies that allow you to have some practice before making real bets. Not as fun as playing for real, but safe for your money and lets you think out how the playing is done. It is, in fact, better to play different Craps games and learn, maybe even build your own Craps strategy, rather than just read and consume the abstract information — even from us, we’re great and everything, that’s a given, but practice makes perfect, don’t forget that. Just look for the site you like and try your luck safely. 

Advanced Best Craps Betting Strategies

If you have enough experience in dice games to place bets with real money, you already have the betting strategy that has made you rich. Whoever you might be, the following info is useful if you like playing Craps. Time to choose the best Craps strategy — 3 Point Molly or Iron Cross. 

Iron Cross Craps strategy

This one will make you hate number 7. Also, you will feel rather comfortable with the rest — this strategy revolves around betting on every number except for 7. It commonly helps, so we are obliged to dive into the details. Iron Cross strategy is sometimes called the “Field Bet strategy.” Good to know, sure. 

Craps players use this strategy after the Point has been set, making bets on every number except 7. For example, the player might bet $15 on 4, 5, 6, and on the Field, having a total bet of $60 and being almost sure to win on any roll if it will not be 7. People say the house edge is pretty low in that case, though the house edge in this kind of Craps strategy is not magically reduced anyway — placing a bet on 6 will mean a house edge of 0.46%, lower than what Iron Cross can offer. 

Either way, this kind of Craps strategy is a good way to bet if you want to win over and over again. Don’t forget about the black magic of the number 7! It is the most frequent roll-out number in dice games. Statistically speaking.

3 Point Molly Craps strategy 

Point Molly is good for players with thick wallets. 3 Point Molly Craps’ strategy is rather aggressive and means that players should simultaneously put maximum odds on different bets, with low house edges ensuring the odds of landing are good. Even if some bets don’t work, the numerous small wins will surely cover the losses. 

Sounds serious, and that’s for a reason. 3 Point Molly is for those who are truly eager to win. The player bets on the probability of the shooter to Seven Out or roll out 11. The Pass bet is made — on the Pass line. Afterward, when the point is set, the player bets maximum odds on that point and makes a Come bet. 

At that moment of the game, the player has multiple bets simultaneously — on the Passline, the Point and Come, and some other number. If the shooter rolls out anything other than 7, 11, or the Point, it becomes a special second Point to which the Come bet is moved. The best max odds are added, and one more Come bet is placed. If the shooter gets a number that is not a 7, 11, or any of two new “special” Points, he makes a third “special” Point of that number and places a bet at max odds on that number. If the shooter rolls out the number of other bets, the player takes his winnings and makes a Come bet on the next round. 

If some new number is rolled out, the Come bet moves to that number, so the player has three different number bets during the game. Complicated, obviously, but rather fun, immersive, and profitable. 3 Point Molly is probably the best Craps strategy ever.

A Friendly Reminder

Don’t get fooled by the pretentious courage of other players — most of the people playing Craps make “wild bets,” just trying their luck with their sanity temporarily switched off. Most online casinos love when people just “play for fun,” but there’s no fun when you lose. In most other games, including dice games (and Craps, of course), you have to win or at least have a good time with no financial losses. So, tactical thinking is not some sort of Hollywood movie fiction. Strategies like Iron Cross and 3 Point Molly are really useful. 

The odds in a game of Craps are pretty much good compared to the other casino games. It is virtually impossible to beat the Don’t Pass line or Pass line wager with true friendly odds if you play against a casino. 

Nobody can predict the outcome because the dice land randomly. As a rule, if 3-4-5 Line bets taking odds are offered, the house edge is surely lower than 1%. There are some interesting schemes, of course, like the Colonel’s Craps system, for example, but those schemes just rearrange the possible wagers — the house edge stays on, no matter what the players are hoping for and what are their best Craps strategies. 

To win in the Craps game, you have to make your best bets with the lowest possible house edge and wait for some fortune-favored shooter with the best strategy to press your bets for as long as they win. No cards or billiard balls are clanging merrily as you steadily build your trustworthy tactics. In the game of Craps, you just try your luck against the odds that favor your opponent. 

Of all thirty-six dice combinations, only three make 7 in the result. The chances of rolling out 7 aren’t that big, yet most people bet exactly on this number. The second popular number is 12, which also appears very rarely on the Craps table (and the average house edge on this number is terrifyingly high — around 14%). The bankrolls are draining incredibly fast when people play Craps. So, we strictly recommend you to bet on numbers with a house edge lower than 5% (Pass Line wagers, for example). That will be safe enough. 

Don’t try to leave the table minimum far behind — playing safe means playing slow. Place your wagers across half the place positions and use the 3 Point Molly strategy. Avoid making Proposition bets — also called One Roll bets. They have a very high casino advantage. Also, laying odds might be a wise move. 

The only way to reduce the house edge — it applies to most casino games — is to outsmart your own will to make a wild bet (especially if it’s the initial bet). Here’s the list for everyone who wants to have a profitable Craps betting strategy and avoid falling into a losing streak, from the lowest house edge on a pass line bet to the highest:

• Pass Line bet — 1.41% — low house edge
• Don’t Pass bet/Come bet — 1.40% — lower house edge
• Pass bet 2x odds — 0.85% — lowest house edge
• Don’t Pass Line wager/Come bet 2x odds — 0.83% — lowest 
• Place 6+8 — 1.52% — low house edge
• Place 5+9 — 4% — moderate house edge
• Place 4+10 — 6.67% — high house edge
• Buy 6/Buy 8 — 4.76% — moderate house edge
• Buy 5/Buy 9 — 4.76% — moderate house edge
• Buy 4/Buy 10 — 4.76% — moderate house edge
• Lay 6/Lay 8 — 4% — moderate house edge
• Lay 5/Lay 9 — 3.23% — moderate house edge
• Lay 4/Lay 10 — 2.44% — low house edge
• Field bet — 5.56% — moderate 
• Any Craps — 11% — high house edge
• Hardway 6/Hardway 8 — 9% — high 
• Hardway 4/Hardway 10 — 11% — high 
• Yo or 3 — 11% — high 
• Midnight or Snake Eyes — 13.90% — high
• Any 7 — 16.70% — highest 

The sole exception to the presented rule is the tie situation. To calculate everything when you play Craps with tie options, divide the return you expect by the bets resolved. Take your initial wager and the probability significative that bets resolved. 

Final Words

Craps is among the most popular casino games worldwide! If you want an entertaining and beneficial time while also winning more money than you had before, it is just what you need. We have explained how to play safe, place the right bets, what the best Craps strategy is, what the others are, etc. 

Profitable bets are the best money management tool! Yet, remember that Craps betting systems are 100% random, and it might be challenging to sustain positive results with one craps bet. Knowing what pass line bet and other bets are and having found true odds, you can be the best craps player. May Lady Fortuna help you during the next session!