Craps Strategy: Which Bets Win and Which Ones Bleed You

Craps looks chaotic, but the math is simple: a handful of bets carry a house edge under 1.5%, and the rest range from mediocre to outright terrible. Master the good bets, ignore the loud ones the dealers push, and craps becomes one of the best games on the floor.

Craps at a Glance

Objective	Bet on the outcome of a roll of two dice
Best bet	Pass/Don’t Pass backed with max Odds (Odds = 0% edge)
House edge range	1.36% on the smartest bets to 16.67% on the worst
Worst bet	Any Seven — a 16.67% edge, the table’s biggest trap

How the Game Works

A round starts with a “come-out roll.” You bet the Pass Line before it. If the shooter rolls 7 or 11, Pass wins even money; 2, 3, or 12 and it loses. Any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) becomes “the point.” From there the shooter keeps rolling until they either hit the point again (Pass wins) or roll a 7 first (Pass loses). The Don’t Pass bet is almost the mirror image, and carries a slightly lower edge.

The Single Most Important Bet: Odds

Once a point is set, you can put an additional Odds bet behind your Pass Line wager. This is the only bet in the entire casino paid at true mathematical odds — a 0% house edge. You can’t make it on its own; it rides behind a line bet. The practical rule: make the minimum Pass Line bet, then take the maximum Odds your bankroll allows. Doing so drags your overall edge toward zero.

Every Bet, Ranked by House Edge

This is the heart of craps strategy. Sort the table by house edge and a clear pattern appears: stay in the green and blue rows, treat yellow as occasional fun, and never touch the red. Tap any column header to sort.

Craps Bets, Ranked by House Edge

Every bet on the table, from the smartest to the ones that quietly drain your chips. Tap a column to sort.

Bet ↕	Pays ↕	House edge ▲	Verdict ↕

Smart (under 2%) Playable (2–5%) Costly (5–10%) Avoid (over 10%)

How edge is measured: figures are house edge per bet resolved, the standard for comparing craps bets. The Odds bet has zero edge but can only be added behind a Pass, Don’t Pass, Come, or Don’t Come bet — always take the max your bankroll allows.

For entertainment and education. Gambling involves risk — never wager more than you can afford to lose.

The Smart Bets (Make These)

Pass / Come (1.41%) and Don’t Pass / Don’t Come (1.36%) — your foundation. Come and Don’t Come work exactly like Pass and Don’t Pass but start on any roll, letting you cover more numbers at the same low edge.
Odds (0%) — always take the maximum behind your line bets.
Place 6 or 8 (1.52%) — the only Place bet worth making regularly.

The Traps (Avoid These)

Any Seven (16.67%) — the worst bet on the table, full stop.
Hardways (9–11%) and proposition bets in the center — high payouts, brutal edges.
Big 6 / Big 8 (9.09%) — a sucker version of Place 6/8. Same win condition, far worse payout. Always Place the 6 and 8 instead.

Common Variations

Crapless Craps — you can’t lose on the come-out, but the trade-off raises the Pass edge dramatically (over 5%). Avoid.
Bubble craps — an electronic single-player version with the same bets and edges, often at lower minimums.

Tips That Actually Help

Find a table offering high odds multiples (3-4-5x or better) — more Odds means a lower combined edge.
Ignore “systems” sold online. No betting pattern changes the house edge of the underlying bets.
Set a bankroll before you walk up, and decide your walk-away point in advance.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the best bet in craps?

A Pass Line or Don’t Pass bet backed with the maximum Odds. The Odds portion has a 0% house edge, pulling your overall edge well below 1%.

Is Don’t Pass really better than Pass?

Mathematically yes — 1.36% versus 1.41% — but the difference is tiny. Many players prefer Pass simply because betting with the table is more social.

Can dice control beat craps?

There’s no scientific evidence that controlled throwing reliably changes outcomes on a regulation table. Treat any product promising it with heavy skepticism.

Play responsibly. Gambling should be entertainment, not income. If it stops being fun, set limits or take a break — in the US, call or text 1-800-GAMBLER for confidential support.