Craps Odds FAQ
Some of the most crucial questions for craps players who want to know how to maximize their bets and make their bankroll stretch as far as it can go relate to the craps odds and probabilities each bet faces. Odds in craps are about winning and losing, the roll of the dice and how much each bet will pay out if it is a winning bet.
What are the odds of the dice roll being a certain number?
In general, with a pair of standard six-sided dice, there are thirty-six numeric combinations that are possible outcomes of the dice roll. The variation on how many ways that numeric combination can be formed sets its probability. Thus, a two only has one two-dice combination to form it, two 1s. Likewise, a twelve can only be rolled by two sixes. That makes a 1 in 36 chance of rolling a 12, which is listed as 35 to 1 in odds.
What number has the greatest possibility of being rolled?
In terms of mathematical probability, a seven has the highest frequency of being rolled because it has the greatest number of combinations that add up to seven. There are six ways the shooter can roll a seven with two dice. Seven’s odds of showing are 6 in 36, or 1 in 6, giving it odds of 5 to 1.
So, if seven is rolled most often, isn’t an “any 7″ a great bet to place money on?
There are 36 total possible dice outcome combinations for every roll. One in every six of those rolls will mathematically be a seven. From the flip side of the odds though, that means five rolls out of every six rolls will be something other than a seven. If I’m betting on six rolls, I have five chances to hit something that isn’t a seven but only one chance to hit a seven. This is why other bets on a craps table are much more profitable than an “any seven” bet. They fall within that “other five” list of options.
What are the best bets on the “other five” results of six rolls?
There are three good ways to place consistent money-making bets on what isn’t a seven. First, a pass line bet states that on his come out roll, the shooter will roll one of the other highly likely to be rolled (high probability) numbers besides a seven for a point. Those numbers are four, five, six, eight, nine and ten.
Second, a come bet states the same bet as the pass bet only after the come out roll establishes a point. The come bet asserts that since one roll already made one of those six numbers, that number can be rolled again before the seven appears.
The third good bet is a place bet on one (or more) of those individual numbers. The best odds among place bets are on hitting a six or an eight. All three of these bets are even money, which means they’ll payout an amount equal to your bet.
Why do these “better bets” not pay out as well?
There are a few ways to look at this. First, the payout odds for any of these are lower than the payout rate for a seven, or for the craps bets on 2, 3 and 12, because they are more likely, as a group, to occur. The less rare it is, the less it’s “worth” in betting values.
However, consider the fact that the even money payouts on pass, come and six/eight place bets will occur much more often than other payouts. Even the 3 to 2 odds on five/nine and 2 to 1 odds on four/ten place bets won’t happen as often. The highest payouts match the event LEAST likely to occur. Those are better bets for the casino, but not for the player.
Even money payouts may not sound as good as other payouts, but they will make you money on a much more regular basis than waiting for the big 30 to 1 payout. Ultimately, you can make more money on regular, even money bets.
What is the difference between casino odds and true odds?
True odds are the mathematical probabilities of a certain number or combination occurring on a given dice roll. In order to make a profit, casinos base their payout odds on a portion of the true odds. Thus, the true odds of rolling a 3 or 11 are 17 to 1. The casino pays a player at 15 to 1, less than true odds, on a 3 or 11 bet.
The difference between the true odds and the casino odds is called the house advantage or house edge. House edge is stated as a percentage for every betting combination. The lower the house edge, the closer a bet is to true odds.
Can players make any craps bets with true odds?
The only bets that have an almost zero house edge are free odds bets. These are bets placed after the come out roll as additional bets to the pass/don’t pass or come/don’t come bets to multiply the player’s potential earnings on those bets.
What are the highest payout odds on any craps bet?
The highest payout odds at most casinos are 30 to 1, which is found on the single roll bet for certain individual numbers, primarily two or twelve. These have the lowest probability of being rolled, thus if a bettor accurately places money on their next roll occurrence, the odds pay very well. The true odds of s shooter rolling a two or twelve are actually 35 to 1, so the house makes a profit on its 13.89% advantage over the bettor.
If the payout odds on a bet are high, is it a good bet to make?
You always have to check the house edge of a bet to tell if it’s truly a good bet. The highest payout bets on a craps table are the center proposition bets. As a group, they pay anywhere from four times the original bet to thirty times the original bet if that bet wins. However, the subtle downside is that proposition bets have the highest house edges on the table also.
The higher the house edge on a bet, the more advantage the casino has toward winning. The lower the house edge, thus the closer to true odds, the more likely the player’s advantage will win. So, unless you’re the casino, no, those high payout bets are terrible bets for a player to make.
What are my overall odds of winning at craps?
For the average player, you will lose at craps more often than you win. Your chance to break even as a player is only 0.67%. At low money ranges, a player has the best odds of winning, but those are less than one-third. To win between one and twenty-five dollars, you have 28.64% odds of winning, but 30.06% odds of losing. The percentages of winning and losing drop with higher dollar amounts.
