The Craps House Edge
Craps contains a long list of bets that players can utilize during a game. Some of these bets are concluded after a single roll, others may take several to reach their eventual conclusion. Like most casino games, Craps comes with a certain house edge for any given player action. Whether that be one bet or another, the house edge can be explained as a ratio of a player’s expected losses against their initial wager.
Many gambling experts are at odds when it comes to incorporating pushes, or rolls without an outcome, into the house edge. These rolls don’t really have any effect on the outcome of the game, as the shooter just picks up the dice and continues throwing until an actionable result takes place. You may find house odds calculated in differing percentages and this may be the key factor as to why that may be. There are several ways to read these calculations, the three most prominent being:
- Per bet made (with pushes).
- Per bet concluded (without pushes).
- Per roll (house edge per bet concluded / by the average number of rolls).
If you are looking to measure the strength of a wager, the per roll figure will be the metric by which you’ll base your decision.
Craps Bet Odds
There are so many combinations of Craps Rolls, it is difficult to combine them all in one resource for players to utilize as they play. However, we’ve gone so far as to create a resource including the most common bets for beginners and advanced players, with true odds, payout and house edge for you to consider. First, an understanding of the permutations for roll outcomes is appropriate:
| Dice Roll | Possible Dice Combinations |
| 2 | 1–1 |
| 3 | 1–2, 2–1 |
| 4 | 1–3, 2–2, 3–1 |
| 5 | 1–4, 2–3, 3–2, 4–1 |
| 6 | 1–5, 2–4, 3–3, 4–2, 5–1 |
| 7 | 1–6, 2–5, 3–4, 4–3, 5–2, 6–1 |
| 8 | 2–6, 3–5, 4–4, 5–3, 6–2 |
| 9 | 3–6, 4–5, 5–4, 6–3 |
| 10 | 4–6, 5–5, 6–4 |
| 11 | 5–6, 6–5 |
| 12 | 6–6 |
This should give a very high-level view of which numbers and dice combinations are more likely to result during any given roll. You can find much more detailed data regarding a given wager, its odds, its payout, the house edge, and the resolution of the bet in the table below.
| Bet | Odds | House Edge | |
| Pass / Come | 251:244 | 1.41% | |
| Don’t Pass / Don’t Come (Bar-12 or Bar-2) | 976:949 | 1.36% | |
| Pass Odds / Come Odds | Same as paid | 0 | |
| Don’t Pass Odds / Don’t Come Odds | Same as paid | 0 | |
| Yo (11) | 17:1 | 11.11% | |
| 3 | 17:1 | 11.11% | |
| 2 | 35:1 | 13.89% | |
| 12 | 35:1 | 13.89% | |
| Hi-Lo (2 or 12) | 17:1 | 11.11% | |
| Craps (2, 3, or 12) | 8:1 | 11.11% | |
| C & E (the combined bet) | 5:1 | 11.11% | |
| Any 7 | 5:1 | 16.67% | |
| Field | 5:4 | 5.56% (2.78% if 12 pays 3:1) | |
| Horn (the combined bet) | 5:1 | 0.125 | |
| Whirl/World (the combined bet) | 2:1 | 13.33% | |
| Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 8:1 | 11.11% | |
| Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 10:1 | 9.09% | |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 6:5 | 9.09% | |
| Place 4 / Place 10 | 2:1 | 6.67% | |
| Place 5 / Place 9 | 3:2 | 4.00% | |
| Place 6 / Place 8 | 6:5 | 1.52% | |
| Buy 4 / Buy 10 | 2:1 | 4.76% (1.67% if commission taken only on win) | |
| Buy 5 / Buy 9 | 2:1 | 4.76% (1.96% if commission taken only on win) | |
| Buy 6 / Buy 8 | 6:5 | 4.76% (2.22% if commission taken only on win) | |
| Lay 4 / Lay 10 | 1:2 | 2.44% (1.67% if commission taken only on win) | |
| Lay 5 / Lay 9 | 2:3 | 3.23% (2% if commission taken only on win) | |
| Lay 6 / Lay 8 | 5:6 | 4.00% (2.27% if commission taken only on win) |
Craps Payouts
When it comes to the payout of individual bets in a game of Craps, the general return to players remains the same in standard versions of the game. However, there are several varieties of dice game that incorporate unique bets and mechanics that influence the overall payout structure. Below is a breakdown of the payout for most standard bets in a game of Bank Craps.
| Bet | Payout | |
| Pass / Come | 1:1 | |
| Don’t Pass / Don’t Come (Bar-12 or Bar-2) | 1:1 | |
| Pass Odds / Come Odds | 2:1 on 4,10 | |
| 3:2 on 5,9 | ||
| 6:5 on 6,8 | ||
| Don’t Pass Odds / Don’t Come Odds | 1:2 against 4,10; | |
| 2:3 against 5,9; | ||
| 5:6 against 6,8 | ||
| Yo (11) | 15:1 | |
| 3 | 15:1 | |
| 2 | 30:1 | |
| 12 | 30:1 | |
| Hi-Lo (2 or 12) | 15:1 | |
| Craps (2, 3, or 12) | 7:1 | |
| C & E (the combined bet) | 3:1 on 2,3,12 | |
| 7:1 on 11 | ||
| Any 7 | 4:1 | |
| Field | 1:1 on 3,4,9,10,11; | |
| 2:1 on 2,12 | ||
| Horn (the combined bet) | 27:4 on 2,12; | |
| 3:1 on 3,11 | ||
| Whirl/World (the combined bet) | 26:5 on 2,12; | |
| 11:5 on 3,11; | ||
| 0:1 (push) on 7 | ||
| Hard 4 / Hard 10 | 7:1 | |
| Hard 6 / Hard 8 | 9:1 | |
| Big 6 / Big 8 | 1:1 | |
| Place 4 / Place 10 | 9:5 | |
| Place 5 / Place 9 | 7:5 | |
| Place 6 / Place 8 | 7:6 | |
| Buy 4 / Buy 10 | 2:1 -5% commission charged by casino | |
| Buy 5 / Buy 9 | 3:2 -5% commission charged by casino | |
| Buy 6 / Buy 8 | 6:5 -5% commission charged by casino | |
| Lay 4 / Lay 10 | 1:2 -5% of intended win | |
| Lay 5 / Lay 9 | 2:3 -5% of intended win | |
| Lay 6 / Lay 8 | 5:6 -5% intended win |
This is by no means an exhaustive list of betting scenarios and associated data when it comes to Craps. There are many standalone and combinations bets to be considered as well as prop bets. Use this information to make an informed decision before placing a wager, then check out our Craps how to play, rules, and betting strategy resources. When you’re ready, we’ll set you up with an online casino that offers Craps games along with worthwhile promotions to give you even more playing power at the tables.
