Why Craps Has the Best Odds in the Casino
Craps is the only casino game that offers a bet with zero house edge — the Odds bet. When a player places an Odds bet behind their Pass Line wager after a point is established, the casino pays true mathematical odds with no house advantage whatsoever. Combined with the Pass Line bet at 1.41% house edge, taking full odds produces the lowest combined house edge of any casino game available to a player without card counting or advantage play.
The craps table looks intimidating. Dozens of betting options, a complex layout, dealers calling out results in rapid succession — it is easy to understand why casual players walk past it. But the core game is straightforward and the strategy is simple: stick to Pass Line and Odds, ignore most of the rest of the table, and you are playing one of the best mathematical games in the building.
How Craps Works — The Basics
Craps is played with two standard six-sided dice. One player at the table is the Shooter and rolls both dice. Before the first roll of a new round — called the Come-Out roll — players place their bets. The Come-Out roll establishes the game state for the round.
The Come-Out Roll
Natural (7 or 11): Pass Line bets win immediately. Round ends.
Craps (2, 3 or 12): Pass Line bets lose immediately. Round ends.
Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10): That number becomes the Point. The shooter keeps rolling until they hit the Point (Pass Line wins) or roll a 7 (Pass Line loses — called sevening out).
That is the entire framework. Everything else on the craps table is built around this simple structure. Pass Line bettors are rooting for the shooter to establish a point and then hit it before rolling a 7. Don't Pass bettors are rooting for the opposite.
The Pass Line Bet — Where to Start
The Pass Line is the foundation of craps. It wins on Come-Out naturals (7 or 11), loses on Come-Out craps (2, 3 or 12), and then wins if the Point is repeated before a 7. The house edge is 1.41% — a reasonable bet by any casino standard. Every new craps player should start here and understand it completely before placing any other bet.
The Don't Pass Bet
Don't Pass is the mirror of Pass Line. It loses on Come-Out naturals, wins on 2 or 3 (12 is a push — the Bar 12 rule that preserves the house edge), and then wins if a 7 appears before the Point is repeated. The house edge is 1.36% — slightly better than Pass Line. Don't Pass bettors are betting against the shooter, which can create social friction at the table since most players are betting Pass Line. Mathematically it is the better bet.
The Odds Bet — Zero House Edge
Once a Point is established, Pass Line bettors may place an additional Odds bet directly behind their Pass Line chips. This bet has no house edge — it pays exactly the true probability of the outcome. It is the only bet in any casino that carries zero house advantage.
Odds bets pay based on the Point number because different numbers have different probabilities of being rolled before a 7:
| Point Number | Ways to Roll Point | Ways to Roll 7 | True Odds | Odds Bet Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
4 or 10 |
3 ways | 6 ways | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 | 0.00% |
5 or 9 |
4 ways | 6 ways | 3 to 2 | 3 to 2 | 0.00% |
6 or 8 |
5 ways | 6 ways | 6 to 5 | 6 to 5 | 0.00% |
The casino limits how much you can place on the Odds bet. Common limits are 2x, 3x-4x-5x (the standard in most Las Vegas casinos — 3x on 4 and 10, 4x on 5 and 9, 5x on 6 and 8) and some downtown casinos offer 10x or even 100x odds. The higher the odds multiple allowed the lower the combined house edge on your total Pass Line plus Odds wager.
Taking full 3-4-5x odds reduces the combined Pass Line house edge from 1.41% to 0.37%. This is the single most powerful move available to any craps player. You are not reducing the house edge on the Pass Line bet itself — you are diluting it by adding a zero-edge bet alongside it. The more you bet on Odds relative to Pass Line, the closer your blended edge gets to zero.
Come and Don't Come Bets
The Come bet works identically to the Pass Line bet but is placed after a Point is already established. A Come bet treats the next roll as its own personal Come-Out roll — a 7 or 11 wins immediately, 2 or 3 or 12 loses immediately, any other number becomes that bet's personal point. The Come bet then wins if its point repeats before a 7. House edge: 1.41% — identical to Pass Line. Come bets allow players to have action on multiple numbers simultaneously.
Come bets can also take Odds once a Come point is established. The house edge on Come plus Odds follows the same math as Pass Line plus Odds.
Don't Come mirrors Don't Pass in the same way — 1.36% house edge, bets against the number.
Place Bets — Action on Specific Numbers
Place bets allow players to bet directly on a specific number — 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — without waiting for a Come-Out roll. The bet wins if that number is rolled before a 7. Place bets are popular because they give instant action on any number at any time. The house edge depends on which number is placed:
| Place Bet | Pays | True Odds | House Edge | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Place 6 or 8 |
7 to 6 | 6 to 5 | 1.52% | Very good |
Place 5 or 9 |
7 to 5 | 3 to 2 | 4.00% | Acceptable |
Place 4 or 10 |
9 to 5 | 2 to 1 | 6.67% | Avoid — buy instead |
The 6 and 8 Place bets at 1.52% house edge are among the best non-Odds bets on the craps table. Many experienced players run a Pass Line with Odds strategy alongside Place 6 and Place 8 for maximum coverage on the most likely winning numbers.
Buy Bets — Better Than Place on 4 and 10
Buy bets pay true odds on any number but charge a 5% commission on the bet. On 4 and 10, Buy bets produce a 1.67% house edge — significantly better than the 6.67% on Place 4 and Place 10. When betting on 4 or 10 specifically, always Buy rather than Place if the table allows it. On 5, 9, 6 and 8 the Place bet is slightly better than the Buy bet due to the commission structure.
Field Bets
The Field bet wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 and loses on 5, 6, 7 or 8. It pays even money on most numbers with 2 paying double and 12 paying triple on most tables. The house edge is 2.78% when 12 pays 3 to 1, or 5.56% when 12 pays only 2 to 1. The Field bet is a one-roll bet that resolves on the next dice throw regardless of point. It looks appealing because it covers seven numbers but the six losing numbers (5, 6, 7, 7, 8, 8 — weighted by combinations) come up often enough to maintain the house edge.
Hardways
A Hardway bet wins when the specified number is rolled as a pair — Hard 4 is two 2s, Hard 6 is two 3s, Hard 8 is two 4s, Hard 10 is two 5s. The bet loses if the number is rolled any other way or if a 7 appears. Hardways are multi-roll bets that stay active until they win or lose.
| Hardway Bet | Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|---|
Hard 4 or Hard 10 |
7 to 1 | 11.11% |
Hard 6 or Hard 8 |
9 to 1 | 9.09% |
Hardways carry significant house edges and are best avoided by players focused on value. They exist for the excitement of hitting a specific combination — a legitimate form of entertainment if you accept the cost.
Proposition Bets — The Worst Bets on the Table
Proposition bets are one-roll bets placed in the center of the craps layout. They resolve on the very next throw. They offer the highest payouts and the worst house edges on the entire table. The stickman will call out proposition bet opportunities frequently — the reason is that they generate the most revenue for the casino per dollar wagered.
| Proposition Bet | Wins On | Pays | House Edge |
|---|---|---|---|
Any Seven |
Any 7 | 4 to 1 | 16.67% |
Any Craps |
2, 3 or 12 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
Craps 2 (Snake Eyes) |
2 only | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
Craps 12 (Boxcars) |
12 only | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
Craps 3 |
3 only | 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
Yo (11) |
11 only | 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
Horn Bet |
2, 3, 11 or 12 | Varies | 12.50% |
The stickman pushing proposition bets is not helping you. Proposition bets carry house edges between 11% and 17% — eight to twelve times higher than the Pass Line bet. They are the casino's highest-margin products. Politely declining and sticking to Pass Line and Odds is always the right move.
Complete Craps Bet Reference
| Bet | House Edge | Type | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
Pass Line + 3-4-5x Odds |
0.37% | Multi-roll | Best in casino |
Don't Pass + Laying Odds |
0.27% | Multi-roll | Best in casino |
Odds Bet (behind Pass) |
0.00% | Multi-roll | Only zero-edge bet |
Pass Line (no odds) |
1.41% | Multi-roll | Very good |
Don't Pass (no odds) |
1.36% | Multi-roll | Very good |
Come / Don't Come |
1.41% / 1.36% | Multi-roll | Very good |
Place 6 or 8 |
1.52% | Multi-roll | Good |
Place 5 or 9 |
4.00% | Multi-roll | Acceptable |
Buy 4 or 10 |
1.67% | Multi-roll | Good |
Field Bet (12 pays 3:1) |
2.78% | One-roll | Acceptable |
Place 4 or 10 |
6.67% | Multi-roll | Buy instead |
Hard 6 or Hard 8 |
9.09% | Multi-roll | Avoid |
Hard 4 or Hard 10 |
11.11% | Multi-roll | Avoid |
Any Craps |
11.11% | One-roll | Avoid |
Yo (11) |
11.11% | One-roll | Avoid |
Any Seven |
16.67% | One-roll | Never bet |
All figures calculated from exact dice probability. Two dice produce 36 equally likely outcomes. All house edge calculations use exact probability ratios.
The Simple Craps Strategy
The entire craps strategy that maximizes your mathematical position fits in three sentences:
1. Bet Pass Line and always take the maximum Odds the table allows when a Point is established.
2. If you want action on more numbers, add Place 6 and Place 8 — they have the best house edges of any Place bet.
3. Ignore proposition bets, Hardways and Any Seven regardless of what the stickman suggests.
That is it. Three rules cover everything a craps player needs to minimize the house edge and maximize time at the table with their bankroll intact.
The Bottom Line
Craps offers the best mathematical bets in any casino for players willing to learn the basics. The Pass Line at 1.41% is solid. Adding maximum Odds brings the blended edge to 0.37% — essentially the lowest house edge available without card counting. Place 6 and 8 at 1.52% provide excellent additional coverage. Everything else on the table ranges from acceptable to mathematically terrible.
The table's complexity is mostly illusion. Most of the betting options exist to extract money from players who do not know the numbers. Knowing them — and sticking to the four or five good bets — makes craps one of the best-value games on the casino floor.