Definition
Craps
Also known as Dice, Shooting Dice, Seven-Eleven
By Abhinav VasudevanReviewed Editorial policy
In short
Craps is a dice game with an unusually wide range of bets, from a 1.41% house edge on the pass line to nearly 17% on some proposition bets. It also contains the only zero-edge bet in a casino.
Craps has a reputation for complexity that is mostly about the table layout rather than the game. The core bet is simple, and it is one of the best in the casino. Almost everything else printed on the felt is worse.
The basic sequence
A shooter rolls two dice. The first roll is the come out roll:
- 7 or 11 → pass line bets win immediately
- 2, 3 or 12 → pass line bets lose (“craps”)
- Any other number → that becomes the point
Once a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling. Making the point again before rolling a 7 wins pass line bets; rolling a 7 first loses them (“seven out”) and the dice pass to the next shooter.
The good bets
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Odds bet (behind pass/come) | 0.00% |
| Pass line | 1.41% |
| Come | 1.41% |
| Don’t pass / Don’t come | 1.36% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% |
The odds bet
This is the reason craps is worth knowing. After a point is established, you can place an additional odds bet behind your pass line wager, and it pays true odds with zero house edge.
It is the only bet on a casino floor with no margin. It exists only because you cannot place it without first making a pass line bet, which does carry an edge, so the casino’s overall take is diluted rather than eliminated.
Tables advertise how much odds they allow. 3x, 5x, 10x, or “3-4-5x”. Taking maximum odds lowers your blended house edge substantially:
| Odds taken | Blended edge |
|---|---|
| None | 1.41% |
| 1x | 0.85% |
| 2x | 0.61% |
| 5x | 0.33% |
| 10x | 0.18% |
The bad bets
The centre of the table is where the money is made:
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Field | 2.78–5.56% |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 9.09% |
| Hard 8 | 9.09% |
| Any craps | 11.1% |
| Any seven | 16.9% |
Any seven is the worst standard bet in a casino. The proposition bets sit in the middle of the layout, called loudly by the stickman, and they are where recreational money goes.
The practical strategy is narrow and effective: pass line, maximum odds, and ignore everything else.
Common questions
What is the best bet in craps?
The odds bet placed behind a pass line wager, which pays true odds with zero house edge. It is the only bet on a casino floor with no margin, and you can only reach it by first making a pass line bet.
What is the worst bet in craps?
Any seven, at about 16.9%. The proposition bets in the middle of the table, called loudly by the stickman, are where the money is made. Field, Big 6 and hard ways all carry several times the pass line edge.