Bad Craps Bets

Despite what some people believe the craps table really does have some of the best bets in the casino, but it also has some of the worst bets in the casino. Is this article will look at some of those bad bets.

In almost all cases, the worst bets will present the player the largest betting area. The stickman will act like a shady salesman, and try to sell these longshot bets. Informed players will be able to understand why it is best to avoid these bets. Most of the bad bets are resolved in a single roll of the dice. This is one good reason why they are known as “sucker” bets.

Prop Bets

“Proposition Bets” represent the bulk of the bad bets at the craps table. These bets offer a big payday and there for can be exciting to play. However the actual payoff does not reflect the true odds. These bets are heavily advertised on the craps layout, and are found in a large box in front of the stickman.

Whenever one of these bets hits, and they will hit, a good stickman will make a big stir about the huge payoff, trying to lure bets from other less informed craps players.

The payoffs on these bets range from four-to-one all the way up to 30-to-one, but the house edge runs from 9.1 percent to 16.7 percent. In most cases, you can find better odds at the slot machines.

Unfortunately the worst bet at the table is also the one that sounds plausible. The “any seven” bet is a bet that pays off at four to one if the shooter rolls a 7 on the next roll. Now the plausible part of this bet is that there are more ways to make a seven (six ways), than any other number. However the payoff does not reflect the many other numbers that can be rolled, so the any seven bet carries a hefty 16.7 percent house edge. The true odds on a seven are five-to-one.

Other wagers to be avoided are on the two and twelve, or the three and the eleven. The bet on the two and twelve is marginally worse that the bet on the three or eleven, giving the house 13.9 percent advantage. The payoff for these bets are 30 to one but the true odds are 35-to-one. That costs the $5 bettor $25, even though the craps initiate would be thrilled with a $150 win.

True odds on the three and eleven prop bet is 17 to 1, but the house only pays 15-to-one, gaining an 11.1 percent edge.
The “any craps” bet seems like fun. After all, it’s the name of the game, and the two, three and twelve are house numbers on the come out roll because it beats all the pass line bettors. But the odds are prohibitive. Any craps bettors are giving the house a large 11.11 percent edge.

Some right bettors use the Any Craps bet like insurance on their come out bets. If for instance a bettor places $15 on the come out a $2 on the any Craps bet and the shooter happens to roll a Two, three or twelve, the pass line bet is lost but the Any Craps bet is paid at 7 to 1 which means the bettor losses only $1.

As logical as this sounds you should resist this reasoning. Making the two bets does not reduce the house edge, it just exposes more of your money and speeding up your downfall.

Hardways bets are another tempting wager, especially if the point, established on the come-out roll, is one of these numbers. By making a number the “hardway”, the player rolls a pair of any number. A hard six (two threes) or hard eight (two fours) pays nine-to-one, but carries a house edge of 9.1 percent. The hard four or ten pays seven-to-one, giving away 11.11 percent. Betting the hardways is a hard way to win.

Big Field Bets

One of the most popular bets for inexperienced craps players is the field bet. Once again, it seems like a good bet. There are even books saying that this bet is the place to start for new craps players. The betting area for field bets occupies a large chunk of the craps layout at each end of the table. A player, for the table minimum, can wager that the two, three, four, nine, ten, eleven or twelve will appear on the next roll. Only a five, six, seven or eight will defeat that bet. The bet pays even money.

Even though the field numbers winners seem to be more numerous than the losers, if we take a closer look we find that this is simply not true. There are 16 ways to roll the numbers that make up the field bet, but there are 20 ways to roll the five, six, seven and eight, so the player is giving the house a 5.56 percent advantage. Looks can be deceiving in craps.

Another well advertised bet at most dice games is the big six or eight. Because the six and eight are rolled so frequently, players mistakenly believe it is a good bet. By placing this bet, the player is wagering that a six or eight will appear before a seven is rolled.

The big six or eight is the same bet as a place bet on the six or eight, but the payoff is considerably worse. By placing the six or eight, the player receives a seven-to-six payoff, but a winning wager on the big six or eight only gets even money. A casino advantage of 9.09 percent means the player will lose $1 for every $11 wagered. By placing the six or eight, players are dramatically reducing the casino’s edge to only 1.5 percent, meaning a player loses $1 for every $66 bet. But you won’t see that advertised anywhere. Only the most knowledgeable players realize they can get the best bets at the craps tables, while avoiding the “sucker” bets.

Dice Bets to Avoid