- Maths reviewed by Josh Miller
- Tested by Diana Westfield
A craps press chart answers the question you have about two seconds to answer at the table: the 6 just rolled, the dealer’s asking what you want to do, and you need to know what your bet becomes and what comes back. Put in the number and your bet, pick collect, half press, full press or power press, and the CasinoCalcs calculator gives the win, the new bet and the money for your rack, rounded to the units the dealer will actually pay.
Craps press chart for place bets
| Bet | Wins | Full press to | Rack | Half press to | Rack |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| $6 on 6 or 8 | $7 | $12 | $1 | $6 (no change) | $7 |
| $12 on 6 or 8 | $14 | $24 | $2 | $18 | $8 |
| $18 on 6 or 8 | $21 | $36 | $3 | $24 | $15 |
| $30 on 6 or 8 | $35 | $60 | $5 | $42 | $23 |
| $5 on 5 or 9 | $7 | $10 | $2 | $5 (no change) | $7 |
| $10 on 5 or 9 | $14 | $20 | $4 | $15 | $9 |
| $25 on 5 or 9 | $35 | $50 | $10 | $40 | $20 |
| $5 on 4 or 10 | $9 | $10 | $4 | $5 (no change) | $9 |
| $10 on 4 or 10 | $18 | $20 | $8 | $15 | $13 |
| $25 on 4 or 10 | $45 | $50 | $20 | $45 | $25 |
Half press here means about half the win, rounded down to a full $6 or $5 unit. Some dealers round the other way if you ask; just say the amount.
How a press run plays out
Start with $6 on the 6 and full-press every hit. After the first 6 you have $12 up and $1 back. Then $24 and $2 back, then $48 and $4, then $96 and $8. Four hits in a row and you’ve taken $15 off the table, which feels great until you notice $96 of your money is now sitting there waiting for a seven. The chance of a 6 before a 7 is 5 in 11 each time, so four in a row comes up about 4% of the time.
That’s the trade in every press system. Collect and you bank every win but your bet never grows. Press and the one big run pays well, but most runs end at the first or second seven with the winnings back in the dealer’s rack. Plenty of players settle on a middle path: collect the first hit so the original bet is paid for, then half press after that. None of these changes the edge; they only change how lumpy the results are.
Press and collect, and why units matter
“Press and collect” usually means taking the odd chips and pressing the rest, which is what the power press option does. On the 6 and 8 the units matter: a $15 bet on the 6 is paid $17 at most tables, $14 for the $12 part and even money on the extra $3, so you’re paying more edge for nothing. Keep 6 and 8 in multiples of $6 and the others in $5 and every chip earns the full price. For the payouts of every bet on the layout, see the craps payout chart, and for what each one costs, the craps house edge chart.
Pressing grows the money on the layout fast. Decide your stopping point first. BeGambleAware.org has free help if you need it.