Field Bets  Come/Don't Come Bets   Place/Buy/Lay Bets   Big 6 or Big 8  

Proposition Bets   Final Tips and Remarks   Return to Craps -1

In addition to the Pass and Don't Pass bets, there are many other bets you can make in craps.  Here again is the craps layout which you can refer to as you read about these additional bets.

Field Bets

To make a field bet, place chips in the box below, which is located between the Come Bar and the Pass Line.

The next roll of the dice will determine the outcome of the bet.  If the shooter rolls a 2 or 12, you typically get paid 2 to 1.  If a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 come up, you get paid even money.  If any other number comes up (5 through 8), you lose the bet.  The odds of winning this bet are 16 to 20 or 4:5 against you.  Field Bets are One Roll Bets.  They either win or lose on each roll of the dice.

Come / Don't Come Bets

These bets are very similar to the Pass / Don't Pass bets, except for the time at which they are made.  You will recall that Pass / Don't Pass bets are made BEFORE the Come Oout roll.  Come and Don't Come bets are placed AFTER a Come Out roll (i.e. after the Point has been established).  That is the only real difference.  In just about all other respects, a Come bet is like a Pass Line bet, and a Don't Come bet is like a Don't Pass bet.

Come Bets

To make a Come bet, you place chips in the large box labeled "COME" after the shooter has made a point.  One of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you immediately win even money (1:1).

• The next roll will be 2, 3, or 12, in which case you lose.

• The roll will be a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 which then becomes Point for your Come bet.  Your chips are then moved into the numbered box that corresponds to your point.  You win the bet if the point repeats before a seven.  If a seven shows up first, you lose the bet.

This one or series of five bets are made when and only when a point has been established and the shooter is attempting to re-roll the point number.  The only time you should bet a Come Bet is if you are choosing to take full advantage of the Odds Bet (see preceding page).  If you are unwilling to bet the Odds Bet, then take advantage of Place Bets.

Don't Come Bets

Much the same as the Don't Pass Bet is the opposite of the Pass Line Bet, the Don't Come Bet is the opposite of the Come Bet.  

You can make a Don't Come Bet after the shooter makes a point by placing your bet in the small "Don't Come" box located at either the top left or top right corners of the table.  One of the following will occur:

• The next roll will be a 2 or 3, in which case you win even money.

• The next roll will be a 7 or 11, in which case you lose.

• The next roll will be a 12, in which cash you push, neither winning nor losing.

• Any other number becomes the point for your Don't Come Bet, and your chips are placed in the box above the number of your point.  If a seven occurs before the point repeats, you win even money. Otherwise, you lose the bet.

Betting Odds on Come / Don't Come Bets

You may bet odds on your Come and Don't Come bets, and doing so is definitely to your advantage.  Odds bets on Come / Don't Come wagers work the same way as odds bets made on Pass / Don't Pass wagers.  They pay off at true odds if you win.   

There is, however, one small difference.  For a Come wager, free odds are "off," or not working during the Come-Out roll.  So if you have an Odds bet on a Come wager with 5 as the point, and the shooter shoots a Come-Out roll of 5, you would only be paid on your original Come Bet, but not on your additional Odds Bet.  On the other hand, if the shooter rolls a 7 on a Come-Out roll while you have a bet on a Come wager with Odds, you would lose only your Come Bet . . . the Odds Bet will be returned to you.

Odds bets made on Don't Come wagers are always working, even during the Come-Out roll.  If you have an Odds Bet on a Don't Come wager, and the shooter rolls a 7 on the Come-Out, you win both the Don't Come Bet and the Odds Bet. 

Place Bets

Place bets are very straightforward.  They are simple bets made on one of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.  You can make these bets by chips on the layout and notifying your dealer that you are "Placing a number" or a set of numbers.  You are allowed to make place bets at any time, and you win if the shooter rolls your number before a seven.  Much like the Odds on a Come Bet, the Place bet is Off or neutral during the Come-Out Roll.  Should you choose to, you may tell the dealer to consider your bets "Working" during the Come-Out to remove the neutrality.

Place bets must be made in increments of (see below) and have the following payoffs:

Buy Bets

A Buy Bet is the same as a Place Bet in all respects except for the payoff.  You pay a 5% commission (the "Vig" or "Vigorish") on a Buy Bet up front.  In return, the house pays you true odds if you win.  Traditionally, the 4 and the 10 are the best bets for Buying.  And stick to Place Bets until your minimum bet is $20 per bet.

At true odds, you get the following payoffs:

Lay Bets

A lay bet is a bet made on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.  It is a bet against the dice, which means you win if a seven comes up before the number you selected.  The house pays you true odds if you win a lay bet, however, you must pay a 5% commission (the Vig) when you are paid on your winnings.  The payoffs are as follows:

The Big Six or Big Eight

Place chips in the box marked "Big 6" or "Big 8," and you will win even money if the number you select comes up before a 7.  This is the absolute worst bet for a player on the craps table.  For example, should you put $6 on the Big 6 and another $6 on a Place Bet on the number Six, and a six come up, the Big 6 pays $6, the Place Bet on Six pays $7.  I don't think I need to say anymore on this subject.

Proposition Bets (Props)

There are several different proposition bets you can make.  These bets are monitored and placed by the croupier or stick on the craps table.  Get his attention and toss your bet to him while informing this dealer what bet you are placing.  These bets are generally 20% of the table minimum bet (example - on a $5 minimum table, you may make a $1 Proposition Bet).

With the exception of the Hardways, all Proposition Bets are One Roll Bets.  They either win or lose on each roll of the dice (remember Field Bets?).

Seven  or "Big Red"- You win this bet if a seven comes up on the next roll.  It pays 5 for 1.

The Hardways - These are bets that a certain number, either a 4, 6, 8, or 10, will come up in the exact way they are shown on the layout (i.e. 2/2, 3/3, 4/4 or 5/5).   If these numbers come up any other way, the Hardway bet loses.  In other words, the number you choose must be rolled the "hard way" before the "easy way." An example of a hard way would be rolling a 6 with a 3 and a 3.  An example of an easy way would be rolling a 6 with a 1 and a 5, or a 2 and a 4.  The payoffs on Hardway Bets depend on the number you select.  On a Hard 4 and 10, the payoff is 8 for 1.  Oh Hard 6 and 8, the payoff is 10 for 1.

2 ("Snake Eyes"), 3 ("Ace and a Deuce"), 11 ("Yo") and 12 ("Boxcars") - There are separate boxes that show dice adding up to each of these numbers.  Depending upon the casino and the tables layout, the 2 and 12 payoff at 30 for 1 or 30 to 1 and 3 and 11 payoff at 15 for 1 or 15 to 1.  The difference is a "To" layout pays off your winning and you can get your bet back.  On a "For" layout, the house keeps your original bet.

Any Craps - A "craps" is defined as either a 2, 3, or 12.  By betting on "Any Craps", you win if one of these numbers comes up on the next roll.  This bet pays 8 for 1.

C & E (Craps and Eleven) - Betting on C&E wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11 or 12 on the next roll.  It pays different odds depending on the number rolled.  On a 2, 3 or a 12, payoff is 3.5 times your bet.  On an 11, payoff is 6.5 or 7 times your bet (again the difference between a "To" and a "For" table).

Horn Bets - Like the C&E, the Horn Bet wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11 or 12 on the next roll.  On a 2 or a 12, payoff is 2.75 to 3 times your bet.  On a 3 or 11, payoff is 6.5 or 6.75 times your bet (one again the table layout difference).

Final Tips and Remarks

There may be slight variations in payouts depending on where you play.  On the whole, Props are not wise bets since they give the house a big advantage.  However, they do have appeal to many beginning players because they are easy to make, and offer big payoffs when they hit.

The best way to play craps is to stick to the Pass / Don't Pass and Come / Don't Come bets.  You should always take Odds Bets on both types of wagers.  Place bets made on 6 or 8 also give you relatively favorable odds.