How to Win at Craps – Tips and Tricks to Win

You can easily find craps tables at any casino – just follow the noise and the screams! There is probably no other casino game that brings so much excitement and setbacks than craps. Like with any betting activity, you absolutely cannot have the edge over the house by playing this game. However, you can maximize the fun you get from it and reduce the setbacks by using a betting strategy. You’ve come to the right place here to begin. 

Choose the Safest Bets

Always Go for the Safest Bets Available on the Table

If you have a lot of capital and can afford to lose a lot of money to feel the excitement of landing some big wins, then you can probably place high risk and high payoff bets as you wish. If not, it would be a good idea to place only the safest bets, those with a lower house edge. By doing this, you lower your risk, and while it is true that the house will always have some mathematical advantage, it will be as low as it can be.

Place Pass Bets

While there are many bets, you can place them in a game of craps, and luckily the safest bets are quite easy to understand. The simplest and most basic bet in the game is the Pass bet (also called the Pass line). It is also one of the safest bets, with a house edge of just 1.41%. Pass bets are even money bets, which means that if you bet € 10, you will win € 10.

If the result of the come-out roll (the first roll) is a seven or an 11 and you have placed the Pass bet, you win. On the other hand, if this result is a 2, a three or a 12, you lose your bet. Any other number rolled will qualify as a point and the thrower will continue to roll the dice. If the number 7 is rolled before this point is rolled again, you lose, but if the opposite occurs, you will pocket a gain.

Do not place Pass bets after the come-out roll. This is admittedly allowed, but the value of the bet therefore decreases.

If you Want to Have the Lowest Possible House Edge, Adopt Don’t Pass Bets

The latter is almost the reverse of the pass bet. You get a win with a 2 or 3 rolled on the come-out roll, while getting 7 or 11 results in a loss and 12 in a tie. If a point is established, you win when a seven is rolled before that point is rolled again, and you lose if it is the point that comes first. The Don’t Pass bet can be considered one of the safest bets on the craps table, as it comes with a house edge of just 1.36%.

Note, however, that most players will generally place Pass bets. Therefore, if you place Don’t Pass bets, you will win when they lose and vice versa. It can create a certain dynamic of you versus the rest of the world around the table, which some will appreciate and some will not.

Like Pass bets, Don’t Pass bets pay in even money.

Maximize the Winnings you Get with Odds Betting

The latter is somewhat exceptional in that they are truly fair. Indeed, the house has no advantage on these bets. However, Odds bets cannot be placed after other bets, so if you place them, the house will still have some edge, even if reduced, over your total bet. Odds bets often have a maximum bet amount which is a multiple of your Pass bet or your Don’t pass bet (this can be two times, three-five increase times, 5 times, etc.). If you place the maximum Odds bet every time you make a Pass or Don’t Pass bet, you fiveincrease your odds of winning while reducing the house edge on your total bet.

Placing an Odds bet after a Pass bet amounts to betting that the point will be obtained before a 7. The Odds bet pays 2 to 1 if the point is a four or a 10, 3 to 2 if it is a five or a 9 and 6 against 5 for a six or an 8.

Placing an Odds bet after a Don’t Pass bet is called laying the odds or the associated odds and is the opposite of the Odds bet. So here you are betting that a seven will be rolled before the point. If you do it against a 4 or 10, you win 1 to 2; for a 5 or 9, the payout is 2 to 3, and you get paid 5 to 6 for a 6 or 8.

Also, Consider Placing Come and Don’t Come Bets

Come and Don’t Come bets are much the same as Pass and Don’t Pass bets. The exception here is that they can be placed at any time during the game except during the come-out roll. In other words, the roll that follows the come bet is considered the come-out roll for that bet. The conditions for winning with a Come or Don’t Come bet are the same as for Pass and Don’t Pass bets. The odds for both bets are mathematically the same.

Avoid Risky Bets that Come with High House Advantages

Some bets have a higher house edge and should be avoided by sophisticated bettors. Just place these bets if you want to have fun and have the excitement of risking large sums on one unlikely move. Put bets and proposition bets, in particular, have very high house advantages, so avoid placing them if you are going to make a profit.

Put bets are essentially Pass bets that skip the come-out roll. In other words, you won’t win if a 7 or 11 is rolled on the come-out roll and so on. Since most of the value of the Pass bet resides in the come-out roll, the house advantage of Put bets can increase to 33.3%. However, one of the mitigating factors is that Odds bets can be associated with Put bets, reducing the house advantage on the overall bet.

Proposition bets, or prop bets, are essentially bets placed on the next roll of the dice. You bet on a specific number, and if it appears on the next roll, you win. Prop bets are very risky and therefore grant very high payouts. However, their house edge is also huge (5-17% depending on the number chosen), which makes these bets not an effective way to make money.

Choosing Craps Games Wisely

You have to Realize that in Casinos the House will Always have the Advantage

The idea that it is possible to win with any type of bet is a false premise. While it is quite possible that you will walk away from the craps table with more money than you had when you arrived, it is imperative that you understand that this title, like any other casino game, has a built-in home advantage. This implies that the payout structure is mathematically designed to get casinos to make money over the long term. In short, if you play long enough, even if you have ups and downs, you will always end up losing money to the casino.

Therefore, you should never crap play crap with money you cannot afford to lose. Always consider the worst-case scenario before heading to a craps table.

Look for Tables Located Downtown

In the gambling mecca of Las Vegas, the casinos located on the famous boulevard known as the Strip are renowned for their glamour and sparkle, while those located in the less upscale city center have a reputation for attracting gamblers by offering slightly improved odds in the form of more favourable payment systems. Nowadays, in craps, the terms downtown table and strip table no longer necessarily refer to the place where these tables are offered but rather to the payment system used. If you have the possibility, opt for a table that uses the downtown payment system to have a minimal advantage, certainly, but not negligible.

There are several tiny differences between downtown and strip tables. For example, on a downtown table, a $ 3 bet on 6 or 8 will pay $ 3.5, while on a stripped table, the house reduces this amount and only pays out $ 3. Likewise, prop bets on 2, 3, 11 and 12 have slightly higher payouts on downtown tables (30 vs. 1 for 2 and 12, 15 vs. 1 for 3 and 11) compared to strip tables.

Look for Games with Experienced Dice Throwers

Dice control is a technique that allows the dice to be rolled in such a way as to allow (at least in theory) the thrower to influence the roll’s outcome in some way. The usefulness of this technique is debated among seasoned gamblers. In general, it is estimated that if the control of the dice does give an advantage to the thrower, this advantage is very weak and can only be noticed after thousands of throws. However, if you can manage to find a table where there is a pitcher who has mastered the technique, it certainly won’t hurt to call his bets.

If you are going to use this method, it would be a good idea to place low-risk bets by following the pitcher. This implies that if the pitcher is betting on the pass line, you should too. If he places a Don’t Pass bet, you should do the same and so on with the Come bets. Usually, you will have to stick with these low-risk bets. Do not follow the pitcher when placing high-risk bets. No dice-rolling skill can negate the low odds of winning such bets.

As Long as it’s Legal, Try Other Variations of Craps

Street craps is an informal, improvised version of the game and can be played virtually anywhere with just a few dice and volunteers. The main advantage here is that there is no house to take advantage of the betting. Instead, it is up to the players to hedge the bets by betting against each other.

Also, since street craps are usually played without a real craps table, the betting system is often simplified and somewhat improvised. Depending on the version, you might be able to make your prop bets and secure payouts. This means that if you are a seasoned bettor, street craps can be more lucrative than playing in casinos.

However, keep in mind that betting outside the confines of a regulated establishment can often be considered a crime. Before looking to play street craps, be sure to check your local laws to be sure you are not violating them.

Apply General Betting Strategies

Make a Budget

Many bettors spend a lot more money than they originally intended. Avoid this happening to you by setting a strict and inflexible budget for your betting session. Set aside a certain amount of money that you can afford to lose over the course of a day. Use your capital and just it to fund your craps games. Use the money wisely by placing smart bets rather than risking it all in one roll of the dice. By doing this, you ensure that you will have money throughout the day and that you do not have to make another withdrawal to continue playing.

You can easily make a good budget if you have a healthy attitude towards betting in general. Think of your betting session as a kind of entertainment rather than a way to make money. This way, you will be satisfied even if you lose money, while any money you earn will be a little extra fun.

Set Limits on Your Winnings and Losses

Knowing when to stop betting is crucial. No matter how much you might have won, if you gamble forever, you will end up losing all of your money to the house. To avoid this kind of abuse, set strict and firm limits. Once you get past them, stop betting for the day. For example, you could decide to quit as soon as you have lost or gained 50% of your starting capital. Thus, if you reach your win limit, you will avoid losing any winnings received for betting too long. Likewise, you will save the remaining money for the next session if you hit your loss limit.

Leave the Game When you Have the Advantage

As mentioned above, if you play for long enough, the casino will eventually get your money. Given this, it makes sense to withdraw your winnings when you have a profit. Resist the temptation that hits every bettor and pushes them to want to boost their winnings by playing just one more time. Indeed, countless gains have been wasted in this way.

Don’t Get Too Caught Up in the Excitement of it All

Above all, the best tool a craps player can use is their rational, calm mind. The flood of excitement accompanies a series of wins but tries to resist it can easily get carried away. If you’re at a table where there is a lot of heckling, just making a few good throws can make you feel like you’re a celebrity, but your present odds are always the same no matter how lucky you may have had in previous throws. Always stick to your betting plan and budget.

Beyond all this, have fun. Craps can be one of the funniest and most exciting casino games, especially if you win.