Getting to grips with craps is not quite as difficult as most newcomers expect. Truly mastering the Best Craps Strategies takes time, but the basics of craps are actually relatively simple.
Whether new to craps or looking to take your game to the next level, practicing online comes highly recommended. Online gambling sites like Casino Genie make it easy and enjoyable to learn how the whole thing works and put your skills to the test
All with stakes you're comfortable with – play for pennies or bet the farm!
But when it comes to maximizing your chances of pocketing a prize, which are the kinds of strategies you should be focusing on? More importantly, are there any craps strategies that can more or less guarantee success?
A Game of Pure Chance
Unfortunately, the answer to the latter question is no – there isn't a strategy on earth that can guarantee wins at any casino game – including live or online craps. Even with all the skill and experience in the world, there's nothing you can do to consistently predict the outcome with any real accuracy.
Precisely why it's called gambling – the element of chance is what makes the whole thing enjoyable.
This is something that must be acknowledged and accepted by anyone planning on gambling online. You can neither control nor predict the outcome, so you need to be realistic with your expectations. Not to mention, how much you can comfortably afford to put on the line.
Nevertheless, this doesn't mean there aren't ways and means by which you can at least slightly tip the odds in your favor. Rather than a strategy to guarantee wins at the craps table, it's more about making the right decisions and playing within your own risk appetite.
Craps Strategy – The Best Bets
For the most part, the best strategy of all when playing craps is to make Pass/Don't Pass and Come/Don't Come bets. The reason is that if you stick to these bets exclusively, the house edge is reduced to a mere 1.41%. It's even possible to reduce the house edge slightly more (down to 1.36%) if you lay or take odds.
After this, the Place 6, Place 8 and occasionally Field 2 or 12 are the next safest bets to go with. As the house edge is relatively low, you'll be technically more likely to win than with any other bets. Or at least, you'll less likely find yourself on a losing streak.
Get to Know the Odds
Ensuring you make the right decisions means familiarizing yourself with the odds attached to the various different types of bets. The following summary may appear confusing at first, but nonetheless illustrates how there are only a few types of bets that are genuinely worth bothering with:
- Don't pass line / don't come bet = 1.36% house edge
- Pass line / come bet = 1.41% house edge
- Place 6 / Place 8 = 1.52% house edge
- Lay 4 / Lay 10 = 2.44% house edge
- Lay 5 / Lay 9 = 3.23% house edge
- Place 5 / Place 9 = 4.0% house edge
- Lay 6 / Lay 8 = 4.0% house edge
- Buy 4 / Buy 10 = 4.76% house edge
- Buy 5 / Buy 9 = 4.76% house edge
- Buy 6 / Buy 8 = 4.76% house edge
- Field = 5.56% house edge
- Place 4 / Place 10 = 6.67% house edge
- Hard 6 / Hard 8 = 9.09% house edge
- Big 6 / Big 8 = 9.09% house edge
- Yo (11) = 11.11% house edge
- 3 = 11.11% house edge
- 2 or 12 (Hi-Lo) = 11.11% house edge
- Craps (2, 3, or 12) = 11.11% house edge
- Hard 4 / Hard 10 = 11.11% house edge
- Horn = 12.5% house edge
- Whirl World = 13.33% house edge
- 2 = 13.89% house edge
- 12 = 13.89% house edge
- Any 7 = 16.67% house edge
The higher the house edge, the lower your chance of winning – sticking with the top half of the table therefore is the way to go.
Don't be Tempted by Proposition Bets
Last but not least, it's always tempting to say ‘to hell with it' and go for a potentially lucrative one-roll wager. The problem is that in the vast majority of instances, you're almost guaranteed to lose.
With proposition bets, the house edge is disproportionately high. Which means that even when prizes on offer are as generous as 30 to 1, they're typically not worth bothering with. Approach the following proposition bets with caution, or avoid them altogether:
- Any Craps
- Any 7
- Any Eleven
- Craps Eleven
- Any 2 or 12
- Any 3
That is, unless you've a pretty substantial bankroll and can stomach the prospect of losing a lot of money with a single roll of the dice.
