Craps Probability FAQ

As with most casino games, Craps is a game of chance. However, this doesn’t mean that you can’t maximize your chances of a having a profitable session. In order to do this, you’ll need to know the probabilities of various bets. Compared to many casino games, Craps offers an enormous amount of bets to players. Choosing the bets with best payrates and the lowest house edge will allow you to maximize your odds of walking away from the table with your wallet intact.

What are the odds and house edge of the various pass and come bets in Craps?

A Pass / Come bet is one of the most common bets in Craps, and has actual odds of 251:244, a payout of 1:1, and a house edge of 1.41%. While the Don’t Pass / Don’t Come bet is often frowned upon by Craps players, it has even better Craps probability. The actual odds of this bet are 976:949, a payout of 1:1, and a house edge of 1.36%. A Pass Odds / Come Odds bet has actual odds and a payout of 2:1 on 10 or 4, 3:2 on 9 or 5, and 6:5 on 8 or 6. Don’t Pass Odds / Don’t Come Odds bets have actual odds and payouts of 1:2 against 10 or 4, 2:3 against 9 or 5, and 5:6 against 8 or 6. Both of these types of bets have a 0% house edge; however, you must make a Pass Line bet first.

What are the odds of the various service bets in Craps?

Service bets are bets on specific numbers or results. You must ask the dealer to lay down these bets for you. Betting on Yo, or 11, has actual odds of 17:1, a payout of 15:1, and an 11.11% house edge. Betting on 3 has identical Craps probability. Betting on 2 or betting on 12 has actual odds of 35:1, a 30:1 payout ratio, and a 13.89% house edge. Betting on Hi-Lo has actual odds of 17:1, a payout of 15:1, and a house edge of 11.11%. Betting on Craps has actual odds of 8:1, a payout of 7:1, and a house edge of 11.11%. Betting on C and E has actual odds of 5:1, with a payout of 3:1 on craps and 7:1 on 11, and a house edge of 11.11%. Betting on Any 7 has actual odds of 5:1, a payout of 4:1, and a 16.67% house edge.

What are the odds of other bets I can make in Craps?

Betting on the Field has actual odds of 5:4, a payout of 1:1 on 11, 10, 9, 4, and 3, a 2:1 payout on 12 and 2, and a 5.56% house edge. Betting on The Horn has actual odds of 5:1, a payout of 27:4 on 12 or 2, a payout of 3:1 on 11 or 3, and a 12.5% house edge. Betting on World has actual odds of 2:1, payouts of 26:5 on 12 or 2, 11:5 on 11 or 3, and a house edge of 13.33%. Place 5 / Place 9 and Place 6 / Place 8 have some of the better house edges of the more unusual Craps bets. The former has actual odds of 3:2, payouts of 7:5, and a 4% house edge. The latter has actual odds of 6:5, payouts of 7:6, and a 1.52% house edge.

Are there any bets in Craps that require me to pay a commission?

Yes, some of the Buy bets and Lay bets force you to pay a 5% commission on each bet you place. It’s advisable to make these bets a multiple of $20 so that the commission amount will be a whole dollar figure. Buy bets and Lay bets with odds dollar amounts will have their commission rounded up to the next dollar. All of these bets have identical actual odds and payouts (+ 5% commission). Buy 4 / Buy 10 has odds of 2:1 with a 4.76% house edge. Buy 5 / Buy 9 has 3:2 odds, with a 4.76% house edge. Buy 6 / Buy 8 has 6:5 odds with a 4.76% house edge.

Lay 4 / Lay 10 has 1:2 odds and a 2.44% house edge. Lay 5 / Lay 9 has a odds of 2:3 and a 3.23% house edge. Lay 6 / Lay 8 has odds of 5:6 and a 4% house edge.

What are my odds of having a winning or losing session of Craps?

As with most all casino games, your odds of losing money in a given session are slightly greater than your odds of winning. Your odds of breaking even are around .67%. Your odds of winning $1 to $25 are 28.64%, while your odds of losing the same amount are around 30.06%. The odds of winning between $26 and $50 are 14.43%, while your odds of losing that range of money are about 16.36%. You have a 3.9% chance of winning, and a 4.64% chance of losing between $51 and $75. The odds of winning $76 to $100 are around .56%, and losing that amount has a .65% probability. The odds of winning or losing more than $100 are both around .042%. These figures are based on 1,000,000 simulated sessions with 100 come out rolls each.

Can I print out this Craps Probability FAQ and bring it with me to the casino?

This depends on the casino. Most casinos frown on players who bring probability “cheat sheets” to the casino with them. Some may even consider it actual cheating. The best solution is to learn the bets that have the smallest house edge, such as Pass / Come and Don’t Pass / Don’t Come, and wager on those exclusively. Quite simply, this is the best way to preserve your bankroll in the long run while playing craps. While proposition bets such as Yo, 2, or 12 have potentially massive payouts, they’re saddled with very large house edges and poor odds that significantly reduce your chances of making long-term money.