Why Craps Deserves Your Attention
Craps has the best odds in any casino. That statement surprises people who walk past the craps table because it looks complicated. Fourteen types of bets. Players shouting. Dice bouncing off padded walls. The chaos hides a simple truth: two of the bets on that table give you a better return than almost any slot, blackjack hand, or roulette spin.
The pass line bet carries a 1.41% house edge (98.59% RTP). The odds bet behind it carries a 0% house edge (100% RTP). No other casino game lets you place a bet with zero mathematical disadvantage.
This guide teaches you the rules from scratch, walks through every bet worth making, and shows you the exact math behind each wager.
The Basic Flow of a Craps Round
A craps round has two phases: the come-out roll and the point phase.
Come-Out Roll
The shooter (the person throwing the dice) starts a new round. You place your bet on the pass line before this roll. Three outcomes are possible:
You win on the come-out roll if the dice land on 7 or 11. The pass line pays even money (1:1). Roll $10, win $10.
You lose on the come-out roll if the dice land on 2, 3, or 12. This is called "crapping out." Your pass line bet is gone.
A point is set if the dice land on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The dealer places a white puck on that number. Now the game enters the point phase.
Point Phase
The shooter keeps rolling. Two things can happen:
The shooter rolls the point number again before rolling a 7. Your pass line bet wins. Even money.
The shooter rolls a 7 before hitting the point number. Your pass line bet loses. This is called a "seven-out." The round ends and the dice pass to the next shooter.
That is the entire structure. Every other bet on the table is a variation built on top of this framework.
The Bets That Give You the Best Odds
Craps has over a dozen bet types. Four of them deserve your money. The rest are traps.
Pass Line — 1.41% House Edge (98.59% RTP)
The foundation bet. You place it before the come-out roll. It wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and otherwise establishes a point that the shooter tries to hit again.
The 1.41% house edge means you lose $1.41 for every $100 wagered over time. Compare that to American roulette at 5.26% or a typical slot at 4-6%. The pass line is three to four times more efficient with your bankroll.
Don't Pass — 1.36% House Edge (98.64% RTP)
The reverse of the pass line. You bet against the shooter. It wins on 2 or 3 during the come-out, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12. During the point phase, you win if a 7 comes before the point number.
The don't pass is slightly better math than the pass line (1.36% vs 1.41%). Some players avoid it because betting against the shooter feels antisocial at a physical table. Online, nobody cares. Use it if you want the marginally better edge.
Odds Bet — 0% House Edge (100% RTP)
This is the bet that makes craps unique in all of casino gaming. After a point is established, you can place an additional bet directly behind your pass line wager. This bet pays at true mathematical odds with zero house advantage.
The payouts vary by point number:
| Point Number | True Odds | Payout |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | $20 wins $40 |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | $20 wins $30 |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | $25 wins $30 |
Casinos limit how much you can bet on odds relative to your pass line bet. Common limits are 3x-4x-5x (meaning 3x odds on 4/10, 4x odds on 5/9, 5x odds on 6/8) or 10x odds. Some casinos offer 100x odds.
With 3x-4x-5x odds behind a pass line bet, the combined house edge drops to 0.374%. With 10x odds, it falls to 0.184%. With 100x odds, it drops to 0.021%.
The strategy is straightforward: bet the table minimum on the pass line (where the house edge exists) and put as much as the casino allows into the odds bet (where the house edge is zero). This is the single most player-friendly bet combination in any casino.
Come Bet — 1.41% House Edge (98.59% RTP)
A come bet works like a pass line bet but you place it after a point has been established. It gives you a second bet running alongside your pass line wager, with its own point number. You can back it with odds too.
Experienced players use come bets to have multiple numbers working simultaneously. If the table is rolling, you collect on whichever number hits. The house edge stays at 1.41% on the flat bet, and odds behind come bets carry the same 0% edge.
The Combined RTP: How Close to 100% Can You Get?
The magic of craps math happens when you combine the flat bet with maximum odds:
| Odds Multiple | Combined House Edge | Combined RTP |
|---|---|---|
| No odds (flat only) | 1.41% | 98.59% |
| 1x odds | 0.85% | 99.15% |
| 2x odds | 0.61% | 99.39% |
| 3x-4x-5x odds | 0.37% | 99.63% |
| 5x odds | 0.33% | 99.67% |
| 10x odds | 0.18% | 99.82% |
| 20x odds | 0.10% | 99.90% |
| 100x odds | 0.02% | 99.98% |
At 10x odds, craps returns 99.82% of what you wager. That beats every slot on the market, including Book of 99 and Mega Joker at their advertised 99% RTP. At 100x odds, you are playing at 99.98% RTP. The casino keeps two cents per hundred dollars wagered.
No other casino game offers this. Blackjack with perfect basic strategy sits around 99.5%. Baccarat banker bet is 98.94%. French roulette with la partage is 98.65%. Craps with max odds beats them all.
Bets You Should Skip
The craps table has bets that look exciting but carry house edges that would embarrass a slot machine.
| Bet | House Edge | RTP | Verdict |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | 1.41% | 98.59% | Best bet |
| Don't Pass | 1.36% | 98.64% | Best bet |
| Odds | 0% | 100% | Best bet |
| Come / Don't Come | 1.41% / 1.36% | 98.59% / 98.64% | Good |
| Place 6 or 8 | 1.52% | 98.48% | Acceptable |
| Place 5 or 9 | 4.00% | 96.00% | Poor |
| Place 4 or 10 | 6.67% | 93.33% | Avoid |
| Field Bet | 5.56% | 94.44% | Avoid |
| Any 7 | 16.67% | 83.33% | Never |
| Hardways (6, 8) | 9.09% | 90.91% | Never |
| Hardways (4, 10) | 11.11% | 88.89% | Never |
| Any Craps | 11.11% | 88.89% | Never |
| Hop Bets | 11.1-13.9% | 86-89% | Never |
The centre of the craps table is a graveyard for bankrolls. Every proposition bet (any craps, hardways, hop bets, any 7) carries a double-digit house edge. The "Any 7" bet takes 16.67% of your money on every wager. For comparison, the worst slot on your average casino floor has a 6-8% house edge.
Stick to the edges of the table layout. Pass, don't pass, come, don't come, and odds. That is where the math favours you.
Playing Craps Online vs. In a Casino
Online craps removes the intimidation factor that keeps many players away from the game. At a physical table, fifteen people shouting while you fumble with chip placement feels overwhelming. Online, you learn at your own speed.
Practical differences:
Speed. Online rounds take 10-15 seconds. Physical tables take 2-3 minutes with all bets settled. You'll get more rolls per hour online, which means variance smooths out faster and the RTP becomes more relevant to your session.
Odds limits. Many online casinos offer higher odds multiples than physical casinos. Some offer 10x or even 100x odds, which lets you push the combined RTP closer to 100%.
Table minimums. Online craps often lets you play from $0.50 or $1 per hand. Physical tables start at $10-25 in most casinos. Lower minimums let you play more rounds with the same bankroll.
Live dealer craps. Several providers now stream live craps with real dice and real dealers. You get the atmosphere of a physical table with the convenience of playing from your couch. Look for Evolution and Pragmatic Play Live as the main providers.
A Simple Strategy for New Players
Your first craps session needs one rule: bet the pass line, back it with maximum odds, and ignore everything else on the table.
Here is a concrete example with a $5 table minimum and 3x-4x-5x odds:
- Place $5 on the pass line before the come-out roll.
- If the come-out lands on 7 or 11, collect $5 profit. If it lands on 2, 3, or 12, lose $5. Either way, start over.
- If a point is set (say the point is 8), place $25 in odds behind your pass line bet (5x odds on 6 or 8).
- Wait for the point to hit or a 7 to appear.
- If the point hits, collect $5 from the pass line plus $30 from the odds (6:5 payout on 8). Total profit: $35.
- If a 7 comes first, lose the $30 total.
Your total exposure per round is $30 ($5 flat + $25 odds), but the house only has an edge on the $5 portion. The $25 in odds is a mathematically fair bet. Your combined house edge on this setup is 0.37%.
Once you are comfortable, add a come bet with odds for a second number working. Two numbers covered with maximum odds gives you more frequent wins while keeping the same low house edge.
How Craps Compares to High-RTP Slots
Players who read our highest RTP slots guide know that the best slots return 96-99% of wagers. Craps with odds bets beats nearly all of them:
| Game | RTP |
|---|---|
| Craps (pass + 10x odds) | 99.82% |
| Mega Joker (max bet) | 99.00% |
| Book of 99 | 99.00% |
| 1429 Uncharted Seas | 98.50% |
| Blood Suckers | 98.00% |
| Craps (pass line only, no odds) | 98.59% |
| Fruit Million | 97.30% |
| Gates of Olympus | 96.50% |
Craps with moderate odds already outperforms every slot in our catalog. The trade-off: slots offer bigger single-spin wins (5,000x-21,000x) while craps returns are steadier. Both have their place depending on what kind of session you want.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is online craps fair?
Licensed online casinos use certified random number generators (RNGs) to simulate dice rolls. The probabilities match physical dice exactly. Regulated casinos publish their RNG audit results.
What is the best craps bet for beginners?
The pass line backed with maximum odds. One bet to learn, one bet to add behind it, and you are playing at 99%+ RTP from your first session.
Can you play craps for free online?
Most online casinos offer demo mode craps where you play with virtual chips. Use it to learn the bet placement and round flow before wagering real money.
Is the don't pass bet better than the pass line?
The don't pass has a slightly lower house edge (1.36% vs 1.41%). The difference is $0.50 per $100 wagered. Both are excellent bets.
Do craps strategies guarantee wins?
No strategy changes the house edge. The Martingale system, regression systems, and dice-setting claims do not alter the underlying math. Your only real decision is which bets to make. Choosing the pass line with odds is the optimal strategy because it minimises the house edge.
Start Playing
Craps intimidates new players because the table looks like an exam sheet. In practice, you need two bets: pass line and odds. Everything else is optional.
The casinos in our reviews section offer both RNG craps and live dealer craps. Start with the free demo to get the round flow down, then switch to real money when you are comfortable with bet placement.
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Craps is a game of chance. No betting strategy changes the house edge. Set a budget before you play and stop when you reach it. If gambling stops being fun, contact the Responsible Gambling Council or call ConnexOntario at 1-866-531-2600.