A Beginner's Craps Strategy

Learning the Odds of Different Craps Betting Options

The probability of rolling a certain outcome varies. You expose your bankroll to a house edge of between 1.36% and 16.67% depending on the bet made.

Single-roll bets are considered sucker bets. Multi-roll bets are not favorable either. The betting options with the lowest casino advantage are typically the main bets:

• Pass bets - 1.41% house edge
• Come bets - 1.41% house edge
• Don't Come bets - 1.36% - 1.40% house edge
• Don't Pass bets- 1.36% - 1.40% house edge

These are bets you want to put your money on for the most part during your gaming session. Another thing worth mentioning is that the game features sessions where you can take free odds to improve the main bets.

The Place 6 or 8 bets are also decent wagers to take note of. Don't confuse them with the Big 6 or Big 8. The house edge attached to the Place number bets is 1.52%.

With that in mind, here is a beginner's Craps strategy to consider when starting rolling the dice.

Stay Away from Single Roll or Proposition Bets

You should avoid the following prop bets because they will drain your bankroll quickly. You'll need a bit of sheer luck to win and stay ahead when placing these bets.

• Any 7 (Big Red): This is the prop bet with the highest house margin at 16.67%. In Any 7 bet, you win if a dice combination of 7 (i.e., 2-5, 1-6, or 3-4) shows up on a roll.
• Any Craps: Even though the 7:1 payout for landing a 2, 3, or 12 is attractive, the bet is up against a casino advantage of 11.11%.
• Aces and Boxcars: If you're lucky to shoot a 2 or 12, you'll be rewarded awesomely with a 30:1 payout. Aces or Boxcars are the most lucrative bets, but landing the numbers is notably the most challenging dice roll you'll face on the Craps table. The house margin is 13.89%.
• Field bets: Shooters assume they are more likely to roll a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 than a 5, 6, 7, or 8. Unfortunately, the opposite is often true. The house edge runs from 2.78% to 5.56%. The bets pay 2:1 for 2 or 12 and 1:1 for other numbers.

Improve Your Bets with Free Odds

One of the perks of playing Craps is that you're given a chance to boost your potential winnings with a Free Odds bet. Take advantage of this bet, whether you're a beginner or a pro in Craps. You make the Free Odds bet behind another wager.

We mean wagers placed after a Come Out roll establishes a Point number. In other words, they come into play when you can access the main bets.

Most casinos usually allow shooters making Free Odds bets to match their initial bet amounts by multiples of 1x, 2x, or 3x. But don't be surprised to find some casinos allowing up to 100x.

It is best to stick to the minimum stake on your initial wager to minimize risk. Then, bet more when you are taking odds.

Why are they called Free Odds, you ask? Well, the casinos do not attach a house edge to the bets. While utilizing the Free Odds does not strip the casino of its edge, the strategy enables you to slash the house margin to even 0.02%.

Nevertheless, you are likely to benefit most when you have a substantial bankroll. That is because larger wagers lower the casino advantage more significantly.

Embrace Hedging in Your Wagers

You can water down the effects of a casino advantage with the previous Craps strategy. However, you cannot eliminate it. So, there's a risk of losing.

Some casino players prefer to take chances on the lower odds but win more frequently. This makes more sense, especially when playing Craps with a limited bankroll.

If that sounds like you, the hedging strategy is worth your consideration. It works even with the safest Craps betting options and some favorable prop or multi-roll wagers.

Here's how to go about it? You should make the Place 6 and Place 8 bets in conjunction with the Pass and Free Odds bets. After a dealer marks the Point for the next roll, you bet on 8 if the Point number is 6, and vice versa.

As for other Point numbers, you bet on both 6 and 8. Since you've backed your Pass bet with Free Odds, you'll not be bucking a somewhat risky casino edge. You're likely to lose less and win more.

Some players hedge their Pass and Come bets with Any 7, especially when the combination comes up more often, leading to lost bets. But Any 7 may stop rolling once you opt to hedge.

Considering this is a high-risk outcome, hedging can prove costly, as you'll keep repeating the number in several rounds.

Is there a Beginner's Craps Strategy for Risky Players?

We understand some players love to hit big when on the Craps table. And that can mean chasing the biggest odds. Even though opting for high-odds bets is not a good strategy, it can be your source of a perfect adrenaline rush.

You can wager on multiple single-roll bets paying at 30:1 and 15:1 and spread your bankroll to create a variance. Placing these bets to win big quickly requires a bankroll limited to a specific dice-rolling session.

Be disciplined to stop when you hit the spending limits. Otherwise, playing Craps can quickly turn from entertaining to a moment of distress.

If you land a couple of high-paying outcomes, quit while you are head. Don't push your luck. If you wish to continue playing, switch to another casino game you enjoy.

 To Conclude

We know that some of the above can sound horribly complicated. Take the time to read through it slowly. You can also find free games to play that will allow you to practice without risking any money. You’ll soon find that all of the strategy tips above become second nature and with a bit of luck, you’ll soon be enjoying your first Craps winnings.