Quick answer: A craps table looks chaotic but hides one of the best bets in any casino. The pass line carries a 1.41% house edge, and backing it with a free odds bet — the only wager in the building paid at true odds with no edge at all — drags the combined figure under 0.4%. Almost everything in the middle of the table runs between 9% and 17%.
How a Round Actually Works
One player, the shooter, rolls two dice. Every round starts with a come-out roll:
- 7 or 11 — the pass line wins immediately.
- 2, 3 or 12 — “craps”, and the pass line loses immediately.
- 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 — that number becomes the point.
Once a point is set, the shooter keeps rolling with one question outstanding: does the point come up again before a 7? Point first and the pass line wins. Seven first — a seven-out — and it loses, the dice pass to the next player, and a new come-out begins.
That is the entire game. Everything else printed on the felt is an optional side bet layered on top of it.
The Bets Worth Making
| Bet | House edge | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| Free odds (behind the line) | 0.00% | Paid at true odds. The only zero-edge bet on the floor. |
| Don’t pass / don’t come | 1.36% | Betting against the shooter. Marginally the best line bet. |
| Pass line / come | 1.41% | The standard bet, and the one the table is built around. |
| Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% | The best of the place bets by a wide margin. |
Four bets. That is the whole list worth playing, and three of them sit within a fifth of a percentage point of each other.
The Odds Bet: Craps’ Genuine Anomaly
Once a point is established you may place an additional wager behind your pass line bet. This is the free odds bet, and it is paid at the true mathematical odds of the point repeating before a 7:
- Point of 4 or 10 — pays 2:1
- Point of 5 or 9 — pays 3:2
- Point of 6 or 8 — pays 6:5
No house edge is built into those payouts. That means the odds bet cannot be beaten by the casino in the long run — and because it dilutes the 1.41% you are paying on the line bet across a larger total stake, it lowers your effective cost per peso wagered:
| Pass line plus… | Combined house edge |
|---|---|
| No odds | 1.41% |
| 1× odds | 0.85% |
| 2× odds | 0.61% |
| 3-4-5× odds | 0.37% |
A 0.37% house edge is better than any bet in roulette and better than most blackjack played without a strategy chart. It is worth understanding that this reduces the edge per amount wagered — you are risking more money to do it, so size the odds bet against your bankroll rather than against the table maximum.
The Bets to Leave Alone
| Bet | House edge |
|---|---|
| Place 5 or 9 | 4.00% |
| Field (12 pays 2:1) | 5.56% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 6.67% |
| Hard 6 or hard 8 | 9.09% |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 9.09% |
| Any craps | 11.11% |
| Hard 4 or hard 10 | 11.11% |
| Any seven | 16.67% |
The proposition bets in the centre of the table are the loudest and the worst. Any seven costs roughly forty-five times what a pass line bet backed by odds costs, for the same money at risk.
If you enjoy comparing edges across games, our guides to roulette bet types and blackjack basic strategy cover the two other table games where the choice of bet changes the maths this sharply.
Want to try the pass line for yourself?
Frequently Asked Questions
Is don’t pass really the better bet?
Mathematically yes — 1.36% against 1.41%. The gap is five hundredths of a percent, which is immaterial for a casual session. It exists because a 12 on the come-out is a push for don’t pass rather than a win, which stops the bet from being a perfect mirror of the pass line.
Do I have to roll the dice?
No. You can decline and the dice move on. Nothing about the odds changes based on who is shooting, and in an online or live dealer game the question does not arise at all.
Can a shooter influence the dice?
There is no evidence that dice control works under casino conditions, and it is impossible by construction in an RNG or live-streamed game. Treat every roll as independent, because it is.
Why does the table get loud when a 7 rolls?
Because most players are on the pass line, so a seven-out means the majority lose at once. It is also why a don’t pass bettor wins quietly — you are betting against everyone else at the table, which is socially awkward and mathematically fine.
What is the minimum I need to play properly?
Enough to cover the line bet plus the odds behind it. If the table minimum stretches you before you have added odds, drop to a lower-limit table — taking odds is the entire reason craps is a good bet, and skipping it leaves you paying nearly four times the edge.
Final Thoughts
Craps rewards ignoring most of what is in front of you. Stand on the pass line or don’t pass, take the maximum odds your bankroll comfortably allows, add place 6 and 8 if you want more action, and leave the centre of the table alone entirely. Do that and you are playing one of the lowest-edge games available anywhere.
A 0.37% edge is still an edge, and it still points in one direction over time. Set your session budget before you sit down and stop when it is spent. If betting has stopped feeling like entertainment, use the deposit limit and self-exclusion tools your operator provides. 21+ only.