Every payout on the table — line bets, odds, place bets and the field — plus a ranking of which bets are worth making. One page, sized to keep in a pocket.
| Bet | Wins | Loses | Pays |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | 7 or 11 on come-out; then the point before a 7 | 2, 3, 12 on come-out; then 7 before the point | 1:1 |
| Don't Pass | 2 or 3 on come-out; then 7 before the point | 7 or 11 on come-out; then the point | 1:1 |
| Come | Same as Pass, started after the point | Same as Pass | 1:1 |
| 12 on come-out | Don't Pass pushes — the house keeps its edge here | Push | |
| Point | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pass / Come odds | 2:1 | 3:2 | 6:5 | 6:5 | 3:2 | 2:1 |
| Don't / lay odds | 1:2 | 2:3 | 5:6 | 5:6 | 2:3 | 1:2 |
| Number | 4 | 5 | 6 | 8 | 9 | 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pays | 9:5 | 7:5 | 7:6 | 7:6 | 7:5 | 9:5 |
| Roll | 2 | 3 | 4 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pays | 2:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 1:1 | 3:1 |
| Loses on | 5, 6, 7, 8 | ||||||
Craps looks chaotic because a dozen bets are settled at once, but almost all of the money should sit on two of them. This chart lists every payout our table pays, and ranks the bets by house edge so you can see which are worth making.
A round starts with the come-out roll. 7 or 11 wins the pass line immediately. 2, 3 or 12 loses it — this is "craps". Anything else becomes the point, and from then on the shooter is trying to roll that number again before rolling a 7.
Once a point is established you can back your pass line bet with odds, placed behind the line. It pays true odds — 2:1 on 4 and 10, 3:2 on 5 and 9, 6:5 on 6 and 8 — which means the house has no mathematical edge on that portion of your money.
This is genuinely unusual. Every other bet on every other table game carries an edge. Taking maximum odds is the single best habit in craps, because it dilutes the ~1.4% edge on your line bet across a larger total wager.
Pass line or don't pass, backed with as much odds as the table allows. Come bets work the same way and let you have several numbers working at once. Place bets on 6 and 8 are acceptable at about 1.5%.
Everything in the centre of the table — any seven, hardways, the horn — runs between 9% and 17%. Those are the loud bets the table cheers for, and they are the ones that empty a bankroll fastest.
Don't pass carries a marginally lower edge, because a 12 on the come-out pushes rather than wins. The gap is small enough that it rarely matters, and you are betting against the table, which some players dislike. Either is a fine choice; both are far better than anything in the middle.
What is the best bet in craps? Odds — it pays true odds with no house edge. You can only place it after a point is set, and only as a backing to a line bet.
What does the field pay? Even money on 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11; 2:1 on the 2; 3:1 on the 12. It loses on 5, 6, 7 and 8 — which are the most common rolls, which is why the edge is about 5.6%.