Craps Bets Explained — Complete Bet Reference with House Edges
Every craps bet explained: pass line, don't pass, come and don't come, free odds, place bets, field bet, big 6/8, and proposition bets — with house edge for each.
The craps layout is covered in bet options, and not all of them deserve your money. This reference covers every major bet at the craps table, what it pays, and what the house edge is — so you can make informed decisions rather than just throwing chips at whatever the dealer points to.
Pass line — house edge 1.41%
The pass line is where most new players start, and for good reason. You place this bet before the come-out roll. It wins on a natural (7 or 11), loses on craps (2, 3, 12), and wins if the established point is rolled again before a 7. It pays even money (1:1). Once the point is established, you cannot remove a pass line bet — it is locked in until the round ends.
Don’t pass — house edge 1.36%
The don’t pass is the mirror image of the pass line. It loses on 7 or 11, wins on 2 or 3, and pushes on 12. After a point is established, it wins if a 7 comes before the point. The house edge is slightly lower than the pass line because the 12 push (rather than a full loss) tilts the math fractionally in the player’s favour. Don’t pass bets can be removed after the point is established — unlike pass line bets — because at that point the don’t pass actually has a mathematical edge over the casino.
Come bet — house edge 1.41%
The come bet is placed after the point is established and works exactly like a new pass line bet using the next roll as a personal come-out. It wins on 7 or 11, loses on 2, 3, or 12, and travels to a number on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Once on a number, it wins if that number repeats before a 7. Pays 1:1.
Don’t come bet — house edge 1.36%
The don’t come is the come bet equivalent of don’t pass. It loses on 7 or 11, wins on 2 or 3, pushes on 12, and after travelling to a number, wins if a 7 comes first. Slightly lower house edge than the come bet for the same reason as don’t pass.
Odds bets (free odds) — house edge 0%
The odds bet is the single best bet in any casino. After a point is established and you have a pass line, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bet, you can place an additional odds bet behind your original wager. This bet pays at true mathematical odds — no house edge at all:
| Point number | Odds payout (pass/come) | Odds payout (don’t pass/don’t come) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 1:2 |
| 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 2:3 |
| 6 or 8 | 6:5 | 5:6 |
Casinos limit the size of odds bets relative to your original bet — commonly 2x, 3x–4x–5x, or up to 100x at some properties. Taking maximum odds on a pass line bet brings the combined house edge (on the total amount wagered) down to well under 1%. This is why odds bets are the cornerstone of any sensible craps strategy.
Place bets — house edge varies
A place bet lets you wager directly on a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) winning before a 7, without waiting for the come-out roll. They can be placed or removed at any time during the point phase.
| Number | Payout | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| 6 or 8 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.00% |
| 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
Place bets on 6 and 8 are among the better bets at the table. Place bets on 4 and 10 are a poor substitute for taking odds on a pass/come bet at those numbers.
Field bet — house edge 2.78% to 5.56%
The field bet is a one-roll bet that wins if the next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, and loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8. Most field bets pay 2:1 on 2 and 2:1 on 12, with even money on the other numbers. Some tables pay 3:1 on 12, which reduces the house edge to 2.78%. Tables that pay only 2:1 on both 2 and 12 carry a 5.56% edge. The field bet is superficially appealing because seven numbers win and only four lose, but the four losing numbers are also the most frequently rolled numbers, which is why the house still has an edge.
Big 6 and Big 8 — house edge 9.09%
The big 6 and big 8 are bets that 6 or 8, respectively, will be rolled before a 7. They pay even money. This is the same result you can achieve with a place bet on 6 or 8, but place bets pay 7:6 instead of 1:1. The big 6 and big 8 are a significantly worse deal than place bets on the same numbers, and most modern casinos have removed them from the layout.
Proposition bets — house edge 9.09% to 16.67%
Proposition bets are one-roll or hardway bets in the centre of the layout. They pay large amounts but carry enormous house edges:
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Any craps (2, 3, or 12) | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Any seven | 4:1 | 16.67% |
| Aces (2) | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Boxcars (12) | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| Ace-deuce (3) | 15:1 | 11.11% |
| Yo (11) | 15:1 | 11.11% |
| Hard 4 | 7:1 | 11.11% |
| Hard 6 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 8 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 10 | 7:1 | 11.11% |
Hardways are bets that a number will be rolled as a pair (hard 6 = 3+3, hard 8 = 4+4) before it is rolled easy (any other combination) or before a 7. The large house edges on all proposition bets mean the casino keeps a substantial portion of every dollar wagered on them over the long run. These bets are best avoided entirely.
Now that you know every bet on the table and what each one costs, see Craps Strategy to understand which bets deserve your money and how to structure a session around them. For the underlying rules that make these bets work, see Craps Rules. Play craps online to see how these bets play out at the table.