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Craps Strategy

So now you know the rules and you know the kinds of bets you can make and when you can make them. But how do you use this information to win at craps? You need a craps strategy and you need to know the possible outcome of each throw of the dice.

The key to winning at craps is understanding the dice. Craps is played with two dice with sides numbered 1 to six. The opposite faces of each die always add up to seven. One is opposite to six; two is opposite to five, etc.

With six numbers on each die, you have 36 possible combinations of the dice. Craps is based on how often each number appears when the dice are thrown. The following chart shows all possible 36 combinations of a set of two dice.

Number	Combinations	Ways to make
2	1+1	1
3	2+1, 1+2	2
4	3+1, 1+3, 2+2	3
5	4+1, 1+4, 3+2, 2+3	4
6	5+1, 1+5, 4+2, 2+4, 3+3	5
7	6+1, 1+6, 5+2, 2+5, 4+3, 3+4	6
8	6+2, 2+6, 3+5, 5+3, 4+4	5
9	6+3, 3+6, 5+4, 4+5	4
10	6+4, 4+6, 5+5	3
11	6+5, 5+6	2
12	6+6	1
	Total:	36

Out of all the combinations, the number to appear the most is seven, then 6 and 8 and so on. The rules of craps are based on the most popular number, seven and how the other numbers appear relative to it. If a shooter will roll a seven six times in 36 rolls and a six appears 5 times, the odds of a shooter rolling a six before a seven appears in 5:6. If you bet on such a roll and win, you are paid according to these odds. You don’t have to memorize all these odds, just ask the dealers and they’ll tell you what the pay out will be for any bet.

There is very little you can do to influence the outcome of a game of craps. Therefore, most craps players employ a betting strategy. The best thing to do is to ride the results of the game and change the betting when needed - bet more when you win and less when you lose.

Find a betting pattern you like and stick to it. Try making bets with high odds and don’t plan to win every throw of the dice. If you do this and manage your money properly you could come away a winner.

A basic craps strategy consists of knowing the difference between good and bad bets. A good craps player knows what bets to avoid. Most bets on a craps table are sucker bets and should be avoided. The following table shows the best bets. The table shows double odds for bets that are taking or giving odds. The house advantage reduces even more if they offer more than double odds. The bet approaches even odds on bets approaching 100x. You’ll find the best online craps odds at casinos that use Playtech software which offers triple odds rather than the more common double odds

A good basic craps strategy can be formed using the above table and following these rules:

A Pass Line bet has a house advantage of 1.41%, if you make this bet before a shooter rolls the come out roll. A player may make a Pass Line wager after a come out roll is rolled, but the advantage of the house would be higher - do not do this. Also, don’t ever increase your bet on the Pass Line after a come out roll. Remember you can’t decrease or remove a Pass Line wager after a point has been rolled by the shooter.

After a point is rolled you may remove a Don’t Pass Line bet. However, do not do this. After your Don’t Pass Line bet makes it past a come out roll, your odds of winning have increased. Also, don’t decrease a Don’t Pass Line bet after the point has been rolled.

Make sure you don’t bet more than you have in your bankroll. Play craps at tables that offer the highest odds there is. You’ll usually find double odds. Only play this if you have a big enough bankroll. The house advantage is reduced at 100x odds to almost zero, but you’d have to risk a big pile of cash to get this. Follow these craps strategy tips and you’re sure to clean up.