Craps is a popular dice game that has been played for centuries, and it is often featured in casinos all around the world. The game involves betting on the outcome of a roll or a series of rolls of two dice. One of the most important concepts in craps is the house edge, which determines how much the casino can expect to profit from the game over time. Conversely, it also predicts the player’s possible win.
The Craps House Edge
In craps, the house edge refers to the statistical advantage that the casino has over the players. It is calculated as the percentage of each bet that the casino can expect to keep over the long term. The house edge is an important factor to consider when playing any casino game because it determines how much money the player can expect to lose over time.
The house edge in craps can vary depending on the type of bet being made. Some bets have a lower house edge than others, and some bets have a much higher house edge. For example, the Pass Line bet has a house edge of only 1.41%, while the Any Seven bet has a house edge of 16.67%.
Understanding the Odds in Craps
To understand the house edge in craps, it is important to understand the odds of each possible outcome. Craps is played with two dice, each of which has six sides. This means that there are 36 possible outcomes when the dice are rolled.
The most common bets in craps are based on the outcome of the first roll, known as the come-out roll. The come-out roll can result in one of three outcomes: a natural (rolling a 7 or 11), craps (rolling a 2, 3, or 12), or a point (rolling a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10).
To understand the house edge in craps, it is essential to understand the different types of bets that players can make. There are two main categories of bets in craps: “line” bets and “single roll” bets.
Line Bets
Line bets are the most common type of bet in craps, and they include the pass line bet and the don’t pass line bet. These bets are called “line” bets because they are placed on the line that runs around the edge of the craps table.
The pass line bet is the most popular bet in craps, and it has a house edge of 1.41%. To make a pass line bet, a player must place their chips on the “pass line” before the come-out roll. If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, the player wins. If the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12, the player loses. If the come-out roll is any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), that number becomes the “point.” The player must then roll the point again before rolling a 7 to win the bet.
The don’t pass line bet is the opposite of the pass line bet, and it has a house edge of 1.36%. To make a don’t pass line bet, a player must place their chips on the “don’t pass” bar before the come-out roll. If the come-out roll is a 2 or 3, the player wins. If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, the player loses. If the come-out roll is a 12, the bet is a tie (also known as a “push”). If the come-out roll is any other number, that number becomes the “point.” The player must then roll a 7 before rolling the point again to win the bet.
For single line bets in craps, such as the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line bets, the house edge is relatively low compared to other bets on the craps table. The Pass Line bet has a house edge of 1.41%, while the Don’t Pass Line bet has a slightly lower house edge of 1.36%.
This means that over the long run, for every $100 that a player bets on the Pass Line, the casino can expect to make a profit of $1.41, while for every $100 bet on the Don’t Pass Line, the casino can expect to make a profit of $1.36.
It’s important to note that the house edge for these bets is based on the assumption that the player is using optimal strategy and making the best possible decisions at every point in the game. If a player deviates from optimal strategy or makes mistakes, the house edge can increase significantly.
The Come Bet
The come bet is placed after the shooter has established a point number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) and is similar to a pass line bet. The player wins if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 and loses if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12. If any other number is rolled, that number becomes the come point, and the player wins if the shooter rolls that number again before rolling a 7.
The house edge for a come bet is 1.41%, which means that for every $100 bet, the casino expects to win an average of $1.41. For example, if a player places a $10 come bet and the shooter rolls a 6, the player wins $10 if the shooter rolls a 6 before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling a 6, the player loses the bet.
The don’t come bet is the opposite of the come bet and is placed after the shooter has established a point number. The player wins if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 and loses if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 12, the bet pushes. If any other number is rolled, that number becomes the don’t come point, and the player wins if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the don’t come point.
The house edge for a don’t come bet is 1.36%, which is slightly lower than the house edge for a come bet. For example, if a player places a $10 don’t come bet and the shooter rolls an 8, the player wins $10 if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling an 8. If the shooter rolls an 8 before rolling a 7, the player loses the bet.
It’s worth noting that the come and don’t come bets are not the only bets that players can make in craps. There are many other bets with different house edges, so it’s important for players to understand the odds of each bet before placing their money on the table.
Place Bets
In the game of craps, Place Bets are bets that are placed on specific numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) to be rolled before a 7 is rolled. The house edge for Place Bets varies depending on the number being bet on, and is calculated as the difference between the true odds of the bet and the payout odds offered by the casino.
Here are some examples of Place Bets and their corresponding house edges:
- Place bet on 4 or 10: The true odds of rolling a 4 or 10 are 2:1, meaning that for every three rolls, a 4 or 10 will be rolled once on average. However, the payout odds offered by the casino are typically 9:5, which means that a winning bet of $5 would receive a payout of $9 (including the original bet). This results in a house edge of 6.67%.
- Place bet on 5 or 9: The true odds of rolling a 5 or 9 are 3:2, meaning that for every five rolls, a 5 or 9 will be rolled once on average. The payout odds offered by the casino are typically 7:5, which means that a winning bet of $5 would receive a payout of $7 (including the original bet). This results in a house edge of 4%.
- Place bet on 6 or 8: The true odds of rolling a 6 or 8 are 6:5, meaning that for every 11 rolls, a 6 or 8 will be rolled once on average. The payout odds offered by the casino are typically 7:6, which means that a winning bet of $6 would receive a payout of $7 (including the original bet). This results in a house edge of 1.52%.
Overall, the house edge for Place Bets in craps can be significant, especially for bets on 4 or 10. Players should be aware of the odds and payouts offered by the casino and consider placing other types of bets with lower house edges, such as Pass Line or Come bets.
Field Bet House Edge
A Field Bet is a one-roll bet that can be placed on the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. The Field Bet wins if one of these numbers is rolled on the next roll, and it loses if any other number is rolled. The payout for a winning Field Bet is typically even money (1:1) for the numbers 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, and either 2:1 or 3:1 for the numbers 2 and 12, depending on the casino.
The house edge for the Field Bet is relatively high compared to other bets in craps, due to the fact that it has a lower probability of winning. The exact house edge for the Field Bet depends on the payout for the numbers 2 and 12. For example, if the payout for 2 and 12 is 2:1, then the house edge is around 5.5%. If the payout for 2 and 12 is 3:1, then the house edge is around 2.8%.
To see how the house edge works in practice, let’s take an example. Suppose you place a $10 Field Bet with a 2:1 payout for the numbers 2 and 12. If a 2 or 12 is rolled, you win $20 (2 x $10), and if any other number is rolled, you lose your $10 bet. The probability of winning on a Field Bet is 16/36, or approximately 44.4%. Therefore, over the long run, you can expect to win about 44.4% of the time and lose about 55.6% of the time. If you make 100 bets of $10 each on the Field Bet, you can expect to win around 44 times and lose around 56 times. Your total winnings would be $880 (44 x $20), and your total losses would be $560 (56 x $10), resulting in a net loss of $280. This represents the house edge of around 5.5% ($280 / $5,000 total bets).
Any Seven
In craps, the “Any Seven” bet is a type of proposition bet that wins if the next roll is a 7. The house edge for the Any Seven bet is relatively high compared to other bets on the craps table, meaning that over the long run, the casino is expected to make more money from players who make this bet than from players who make other bets.
The house edge for the Any Seven bet is 16.67%. This means that for every $100 a player bets on the Any Seven bet, they can expect to lose $16.67 on average over the long run.
For example, let’s say a player makes ten $10 Any Seven bets in a row. According to the house edge of 16.67%, the player can expect to lose an average of $1.67 on each bet, for a total expected loss of $16.70 over the ten bets. Of course, in reality, the outcome of each individual bet is determined by chance, and the player could win or lose more or less than the expected amount on any given bet.
It’s worth noting that while the Any Seven bet has a high house edge, it also has a relatively low minimum bet requirement, typically around $1. This means that some players may choose to make small Any Seven bets as a form of entertainment or as a way to participate in the craps game without risking too much money. However, for players looking to maximize their chances of winning, it’s generally recommended to stick to bets with lower house edges, such as the Pass Line bet or the Come bet.
Hardways
A “Hardways” bet is a type of wager on the outcome of the roll of two dice. Specifically, it’s a bet that a particular number (4, 6, 8, or 10) will be rolled as a “hardway,” which means that both dice will show the same number (e.g., two 2s for a hard 4). The Hardways bet pays out at relatively high odds, but the house has a significant edge on this bet, meaning that over time, the casino is likely to profit from it.
The exact house edge for the Hardways bet depends on the particular number being bet on. Here are the details:
- Hard 4 or Hard 10: The Hardways bet on either of these numbers pays out at odds of 7 to 1, but the true odds of rolling a hard 4 or 10 are only 8 to 1. This gives the house an edge of 11.11% on these bets.
- Hard 6 or Hard 8: The Hardways bet on either of these numbers pays out at odds of 9 to 1, but the true odds of rolling a hard 6 or 8 are only 10 to 1. This gives the house an edge of 9.09% on these bets.
Here are a couple of examples to illustrate how the Hardways bet works:
- Example 1: You place a Hardways bet on the number 6. The shooter rolls a 3 and a 3, so you win your bet at odds of 9 to 1. If you had bet $10, you would receive a payout of $90 (your original $10 bet plus $80 in winnings). However, the true odds of rolling a hard 6 are only 10 to 1, so the house has an edge of 9.09% on your bet.
- Example 2: You place a Hardways bet on the number 10. The shooter rolls a 5 and a 5, so you win your bet at odds of 7 to 1. If you had bet $10, you would receive a payout of $70 (your original $10 bet plus $60 in winnings). However, the true odds of rolling a hard 10 are only 8 to 1, so the house has an edge of 11.11% on your bet.
In both cases, the payout for a winning Hardways bet is relatively high, but the house edge is also significant, making this type of bet a risky proposition for players.
Recap
the house edge in craps is an important factor to consider when playing the game. With a house edge of around 1.4% on the pass line bet and over 10% on some of the proposition bets, players should be aware of the potential risks and rewards when placing their wagers.
While there is no guaranteed way to beat the house edge in craps, there are strategies that players can employ to improve their chances of winning. These include sticking to the low house edge bets and avoiding the high-risk proposition bets, as well as setting strict limits on their betting and bankroll management.
Overall, the house edge in craps serves as a reminder that casinos are in the business of making money, and that players should approach gambling as a form of entertainment rather than a reliable source of income. By keeping this in mind and playing responsibly, players can enjoy the excitement and thrill of craps without risking more than they can afford to lose.