Craps Strategy Guide

How to Begin Developing Your Craps Winning Strategy

As in anything in life, if you want to develop a winning strategy, you must first understand the basics of craps. While the game itself is very simple to understand, since there is often a whole slew of new and unfamiliar terminology, it can feel as if it is complicated and this often turns people off. So the first step is to familiarize yourself with a game, its language and its basic odds. That, in and of itself, is strategy. My winning craps strategy is simple.

Looking at the Best Wagers in a Game of Craps

The next thing a player should do to improve his chances of winning a craps game is to look at the best wagers vis-à-vis the house edge. You want to go for the pass line bet which is the best bet vis-à-vis the come out roll since the house edge is a mere 1.41%. The reason this is so good is comparative to other bets which tend to offer considerably worse odds than this. So for those who want to play it safe (especially beginner craps players) this is definitely the best bet. Another good wager is the don’t pass bet which has an even better house edge of 1.36% but the disadvantage of this (also a good point for improving strategy) is that most other players won’t be too happy as this is a wager that goes against them. So for a good, safe, beginner’s bet with a low risk, the strategy is the pass line bet. Utilize the Don’t Pass bet if you feel the table has gone cold.

The Odds Bet in a Game of Craps

Another good bet to take (perhaps for one who has been playing the game a little bit longer or for one who just wants a change and to take a slightly higher risk), is the odds bet. Players can make bets after the come out roll has been determined that are multiples of the pass line bet. Be aware however, that this multiple will be different depending on what casino you play in so read the fine print first. What is great about placing the odds wager is that the house a zero edge on it so if you win, you’re really getting fair money. This is definitely a strategic move worth taking into consideration. In addition, taking what you might win from the odds bet and putting it with the pretty low 1.41% house edge on the come out roll will significantly reduce one’s overall disadvantage. I always bet the pass line odds no matter what.

Bets in the Craps Game to Avoid

Another good point for improving winning strategy in a game of craps, is the bets one should always try to avoid. These are just common-sense pieces of advice: such as to avoid the ones which have really bad odds. The big-six and big-eights are examples of this (these go up to over 9%). Only a fool (or someone with a lot of money who just wants to have fun) would place those bets – not someone who really wants to win. As well, hard 4 and hard 10 bets have even worse odds and these too, should be avoided.

My Winning Strategy

I’ve won using this simple strategy in Las Vegas, the Bahamas, and online.

Step 1:

Pass line bet

Step 2:

After the come out roll, I place my pass line odds bet and a Come bet.

Step 3:

When my come bet makes it into the 6 or 8 box I lay odds on those bets.

Step 4:

Once bankroll grows and table gets hot, I start placing bets in the 6 and 8.

Step 5:

If bankroll grows beyond certain limits I start placing bets in the 5,6,8,9,10 boxes, but remember to TAKE the bets down for new come out rolls.

Step 6:

Toke your boxmen regularly as they will be working hard for all your bets – they will also remind you to place odds when you forget.

Conclusion

At the end of the day, like all gambling games, craps is very much based on luck. There are certain strategies (listed above) mainly based on what type of bets to make vis-à-vis house edge, but ultimately craps is the most entertaining (imho) table game in the casino.