Craps and the Casino's Advantage

Craps is a very fun game to play; it is the only game in a Casino that you can physically get into the action by “throwing” or “tossing” a pair of dice. This is the place in the Casino that you look over and everyone is screaming, yelling, and high fiving each other. But always remember that every game in the Casino has a mathematical advantage in favor of the Casino (this is called virgorish) and this is how they build those amazing hotels. So let’s get into exactly what advantage the Casino (The House) has over the player on any given roll

Below see the bet type, then what it pays to win, and lastly the Casino's Advantage in %

Pass Line pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 1.41%

Pass Line and 1 X odds pays Even Money plus odds, Casino's advantage 0.84%

Pass Line and 2 X odds pays Even Money plus odds, Casino's advantage 0.60%

Don’t Pass Line pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 1.40%

Don’t Pass Line and 1 X odds, Even Money plus odds, Casino's advantage 0.83%

Don’t Pass Line and 2 X odds, Even Money plus odds, Casino's advantage 0.59%

Come Line pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 1.41%

Don’t Come Line pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 1.40%

Place Bet on 4 or 10 pays 9-5, Casino's advantage 6.67%

Place Bet on 5 or 9 pays 7-5, Casino's advantage 4.00%

Place Bet on 6 or 8 pays 5-6, Casino's advantage 1.818%

Field (2-1 on 2 and 12) pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 5.56%

Field (3-1 on 12 and 2-1 on 2) pays Even Money, Casino's advantage 2.70%

Any Seven pays 4-1, Casino's advantage 16.67%

Any Craps pays 7-1, Casino's advantage 11.10%

Eleven pays 15-1, Casino's advantage 11.10%

Hard Way 4 or 10 pays 7-1, Casino's advantage 11.10%

Hard Way 6 or 8 pays 9-1, Casino's advantage 9.09%

So, as you can see, the Casino always has the edge. Don’t get me wrong, people do win money and that’s why we keep going back to Las Vegas, for the opportunity to win money (and have fun in the process). But don’t be crazy and think that you can beat the Casino over a period of time; you can have some streaks that you win money and that is a fun time. Be sure to ask the Pit Boss for some comps every once in a while, you will be surprised how easily they will give out a free buffet or show.

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The Martingale System

Ahh... the Martingale System.  Every serious gambler has thought about using it at one point or another.  This system is played with even payout games or bets.  You would want to play (I would never play this system and do not recommend it) preferably the lowest minimum table that you can find, but for this example we are going to use a $5 bet.  The idea is that you will keep doubling your bet until you win a game.  If you win a game, your bets will drop down to the original $5 bet.   Okay so here are a few situations that could unfold.

Scenario #1

You bet 1, $5 bet and you win!!  You are up $5 on the Casino

You bet 1, $5 bet and you win!! You are now up $10 on the Casino

Scenario #2

You bet 1, $5 unit and you lose.  You are now down $5 to the Casino

Now you double your bet to $10 on the next play, and you win!

You now have won the $5 that you lost the first hand and you have the extra $5 that you bet with the $10 bet.  Your net gain is $5, in this scenario.

Scenario #3

You bet 1, $5 unit (5 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $5

Next Roll

You bet 2, $5 units (10 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $15

Next Roll

You bet 4, $5 units (20 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $35

Next Roll

You bet 8, $5 units (40 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $75

Next Roll

You bet 16, $5 units (80 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $155

Next Roll

You bet 32, $5 units (160 dollars) and you lose.  You are now down $315

Now you have lost $315 and you want to place $320 on the table to recoup all of your losses, but not so fast you can’t bet, the Casino will not allow it.  Every floor game (Craps, Blackjack, Roulette ect….) has a maximum allowable bet on any given one hand, roll or throw.  Most $5 tables will have a maximum of $300 or $500.  The Casino’s do this because of the Martingale system.  So let’s say you flounder around a little bit and go to a higher maximum table.  So now you are at the $10 minimum table, but this table has a $1,000 maximum.

First Roll

You bet 32, $10 units (320 dollars) and you win!!!  You now have $5 whole dollars!

If you did not have a heart attack in the process of sitting on edge to try to get back all of your money, you are lucky.  Now in this last scenario you lost only 6 times in a row.  I have been to a roulette table and asked the dealer how many times they have personally seen a color repeat, she said 13 times.  In our little play game above, if you would have lost 13 times in a row, your 14^th bet would need to be $40,960, to win $5.  Not to mention, the Casino probably wouldn’t even let you make the wagers over a couple of thousand dollars.  They have the right to refuse any bet at any time and they know what you are doing.  They see these goons every day on their Casino floor. 

So you see this is absolutely a ludicrous betting system.  It should not be used unless you have an appetite for bankruptcy.

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The Different Kinds of Bets at the Craps Table

There are many, many bets that you can make at Craps.  Most all bets can be made at any time.  I am going to go over the different kinds of bets that you can make.

1)      Pass Line Bet

This bet is made before the table establishes a point and before the dice are thrown.  You can also place odds on your Pass Line Bet after the point is established.

2)      Come Line (Bar) Bet

This bet is made after the Point has been established for the Pass Line Bet.  Also, the Come Bet allows you to make additional working bets other than the pass line that are “for the shooter”.  You place odds on your Come Bets, after your point has been established.

3)      Don’t Pass (Bar)

The player is betting that a shooter will “crap” out (roll a #7) before making the established Pass Line Point.  This bet is made at the start of a shooters new series.  You can place odds on your Don't Pass Bet, after the Don't Pass Point is established

4)      Place Bets

Place Bets or “Buy Bets” are when you want to place money on a number.  You are gambling that the number you pick for a place bet will hit before the #7 is rolled.  These particular bets can be taken down at any time.

5)      Big 6 and Big 8

A player can wager money on this bet for a one time roll.  You are betting that a 6 or 8 will be rolled on the next roll. 

6)      The Field Bet

When you bet the field you are hoping that the shooter throws a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on the next roll.  This is also a one roll bet

7)      The Hard Way

The Hard Way is a bet which covers 4, 6, 8, 10, but to win the shooter has to throw a 2&2, 3&3, 4&4, or a 5&5 with the dice, before #7

8)      Any Seven

On this bet you are betting that #7 will come on the very next roll, this is a one roll bet

9)      C or E

This is also a one roll bet.  C, stands for Craps, & E, stands for #11

10)   Any Craps

A one roll bet, hoping for a 2, 3, or 12

11)   The Horn

 A combination of the three craps bets and the #11

For a explanation on the Casino’s advantage on the Craps table please visit Casino Advantages