- Maths reviewed by Josh Miller
- Tested by Diana Westfield
Craps has the best bet and nearly the worst bet in the casino on the same table. The pass line keeps 1.41%. Any 7 keeps 16.67%, almost twelve times as much. The craps house edge chart below ranks every common bet, and the free CasinoCalcs calculator above works out the combined edge when you back the pass line with odds at 1x, 3-4-5x, 10x or anything else.
Craps house edge chart
| Bet | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Odds (take or lay) | True odds | 0% |
| Don’t pass / don’t come | 1 to 1 (12 pushes) | 1.36% |
| Pass line / come | 1 to 1 | 1.41% |
| Place 6 or 8 | 7 to 6 | 1.52% |
| Lay 4 or 10 (5% on the win) | 1 to 2 | 1.67% |
| Buy 4 or 10 (5% on the win) | 2 to 1 | 1.67% |
| Lay 5 or 9 (5% on the win) | 2 to 3 | 2.00% |
| Lay 6 or 8 (5% on the win) | 5 to 6 | 2.27% |
| Field (12 pays triple) | 1 to 1, 2 and 12 more | 2.78% |
| Place 5 or 9 | 7 to 5 | 4.00% |
| Field (2 and 12 pay double) | 1 to 1, 2 and 12 double | 5.56% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9 to 5 | 6.67% |
| Big 6 or big 8 | 1 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 6 or hard 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Any craps, 3 or 11 (15 to 1), C&E | 7 to 1 / 15 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Hard 4 or hard 10 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Horn | Varies | 12.50% |
| 2 or 12 (30 to 1) | 30 to 1 | 13.89% |
| Any 7 | 4 to 1 | 16.67% |
Pass line with odds: the combined edge
| Odds allowed | Pass + odds | Don’t pass + lay |
|---|---|---|
| None | 1.41% | 1.36% |
| 1x | 0.85% | 0.82% |
| 2x | 0.61% | 0.58% |
| 3-4-5x (lay 6x) | 0.37% | 0.27% |
| 5x | 0.33% | 0.31% |
| 10x | 0.18% | 0.18% |
| 100x | 0.02% | 0.02% |
The odds bet is the only bet in the casino with no edge at all, so adding it dilutes the 1.41% across more money. Here’s the catch people miss: your average loss per pass line bet doesn’t move. £10 on the pass line costs about 14p a decision with or without £50 of odds behind it. Odds make the game cheaper per pound wagered, not per hour. They also make it swing a lot harder.
Craps RTP and variance
RTP is just 100% minus the house edge: 98.59% on the pass line, 99.63% with 3-4-5x odds, 83.33% on any 7. Variance is the other half of the picture. A pass line bet alone has a standard deviation of about 1 unit per decision. Load up with 5x odds and the swings grow several times over while the average loss stays at 1.41% of the flat bet. That’s fine if the bankroll can take it, and a quick way to go broke if it can’t.
For payouts on every bet, see the craps payout chart. For the chance of each number, the craps odds chart. And to roll a few thousand times without risking anything, the craps simulator.
Playing on an electronic table? The Bubble Craps calculator has the house edge of every bet on the machine and its cost per hour.
Even the best craps bets lose a little every hour. BeGambleAware.org is free and confidential if you need it.