Every Craps Bet

The craps payout chart below shows various payout statistics such as what kind of craps bets, true odds, payout odds and the total house edge after everything has been calculated through. Note that these payout odds in the chart listed below are not the same in every casino or on all craps tables. The pairing 5 and 9 has Place odds of 7:5, which means for every $5 you bet and win, you win $7. Therefore, the bet multiple for Place betting the 5 and 9 is $5. The pairing 6 and 8 has Place odds of 7:6, which means for every $6 you bet and win, you win $7. Therefore, the bet multiple for Place betting the 6 and 8 is $6.

One thing is for certain when playing craps: Due to the house edge on every bet in the casino, the longer your play the same strategy, the more certain you will eventually lose to the casino.

Every bet, every strategy and every system is subject to the house edge that favors the casino. The casinos have made sure of that. That’s how they amass their fortunes. If you’re playing one single strategy, there will be times the dice are rolling in your favor and you’re racking up the winnings, and there will be times when you’re losing and depleting your bankroll.

In the long run, as you continue to play one strategy, those wins and losses will start to average out to the house edge of that strategy, which obviously will always lead to the casino winning and you losing. So, even if you’re ahead, the longer you play an individual strategy, the more you ensure the casino takes your money.

Unless you’re an advanced player with the ability to influence the dice, the only way to change that certainty, and give yourself a real opportunity to beat the casino in the long run, is to alter your strategy to fit the current trends on the table.

To win at craps, you need to maximize your ‘DO’ bets when the table is ‘warm’ and ‘hot’, switch to and maximize your ‘DON’T’ bets when the table is ‘cold’, and limit your risk and protect your bankroll when the craps table is ‘choppy’.

We’ve all seen the person who walks up to the craps table, buys in for $5,000 and immediately starts playing $640 across with quarters on each of the hardways without spending even a minute to assess the current trend on the table. Well, in 15 minutes and $2,500 in loses later, they’re scratching their head wondering what happened.

Regardless of whether you’re playing $5 & $6 bets on a limited bankroll or buying in for $5,000, YOU DON’T WANT TO BE THAT GUY! You want to play SMART to win, and playing smart means betting according to the table trend.

There will be those (typically the ‘Math’ gurus) that will immediately jump in and tell you that identifying a craps table trend is impossible because, ‘Each roll of the dice is independent of the prior rolls, and any number can roll at any time, based on the probabilities of each individual roll’.

Technically, they’re correct. You can’t predict the next roll of the dice or when a table, or shooter, will turn ‘hot’ or ‘cold’, and you can’t predict when it will end, but we’ve all been there, and you certainly know when you’re in the middle of a ‘hot’ or ‘cold’ table run or a shooter is having a ‘massive’ roll.

Being able to identify current conditions and trends early, and matching your betting strategy to those trends, is your best bet at leaving with the casino’s money. It’s not easy, but if you know what to look for, the more you play, the better you’ll get at assessing current conditions at the tables and seeing trends start to develop.

WHAT TO LOOK FOR

You’re looking for a ‘warm’ to ‘hot’ table or a ‘cold’ table. That’s where the money is and your observations need to start when you walk into the casino and approach the craps tables.

How many players are at the table?

• Most players play the ‘Do’ side of betting. If you see two tables with the same minimums and one is full and the other is empty, it’s not hard to figure out that the full table is warm to hot and the empty table is cold. It doesn’t mean that either table will continue on those trends, but you can be pretty confident that’s the current trend.

What’s the mood at the tables?

• You want to assess what the general enthusiasm is at each of the tables. People that are winning are smiling, there’s more chatter at the table, it’s louder, and there’s typically more energy on the hotter tables. If you’re looking at a quiet table, no one is smiling, the dealers are the only one’s socializing, the players keep looking up and over at the other tables, then you’re likely looking at a cold or choppy table.

Who’s reaching down into the craps table?

• Even if you can’t get into a position to see into the table, look to see who is reaching down into it. Is it the players picking up their winnings from each of the rolls, or is it the dealers sweeping the bets off the tables because another seven rolled? Again, another tell tale sign of what the current trend is at the tables.

How much money is on the table in bets?

• A great indication of whether a table is hot or cold is the amount of money that’s on the table relevant to the number of players at the table. If the table is warm to hot, you’ll see lots of money on place bets, heavy odds money, and you usually see plenty of money on the hardways and even on bonus bets like the ‘All Tall’ and ‘All Small’. Cold tables typically see little money on tables as players pull back on their betting or their remaining bankrolls don’t afford them bigger bets.

How much money is on the rail in front of the players?

• To further confirm what you’ve observed so far, take a look at the rail in front of each of the players. Are they loaded with lots of green and black chips, or are there only small handfuls of red and white chips. If people are winning those rails load up pretty quickly. On the other hand, the rails empty quickly when the table is cold.

Ask, Ask, Ask

• Lastly, don’t ignore the obvious. When you walk up to the table, ask the players to your right and left ‘how the table’s been’. Most will be honest but don’t forget, they’re seeing it from their perspective. If they’re placing ‘Do’ bets on a cold table, it’s going horribly for them, but if they’re playing the ‘Don’ts’, that same table has been great.

Craps Secrets Tip – When you buy in, throw a chip on the table and say ‘Any point for the table’, then try to get the dealer to confirm your observations. Ask ‘How long has the table been hot (or cold)?’. All dealers appreciate the tip and they’ll usually give you the scoop. And… the dealer will place your tip on the hottest number at the table.

While none of this is a guarantee, when you start stacking up one clue after another from the above, you’re going to right much more often than your wrong.

No trend lasts forever, and the trend you identified will certainly change. You need to remain diligent and observant to ensure you identify the change earlier than later. (If in doubt, just stop betting temporarily until you know where the table is heading.)

TRACKING THE TABLE

One of best ways to identify subsequent trend changes earlier is to track the table. Tracking keeps you diligent and aware without having to commit everything to memory. Whatever tracking system you use the key is to keep it as simple as possible so you can focus on your betting. There are many tracking methods out there, but I’ll walk you through what I track and how.

Simple Tracking Method

The tracking system I use is simple and only tracks repeating number and rolls between 7s. To execute this system you need to use 2 rail sections at the craps tables. The rail directly in front of me is for my bankroll, and the section immediately to my right is my tracking rail.

You use both slots on the rail to track

• Rolls Between 7s
  • The slot closest to the table is used to track the number of rolls between 7s.
  • Stand 1 white chip for every non-7 roll and start creating a row from left to right
  • When a ‘seven’ rolls, place a red chip next to the last white chip placed
  • Track a total of 20 to 24 rolls, about 3 to 4 shooters, then start pulling chips from the left side of the row
  • More than 2 ‘sevens’ within 12 rolls is a cold trend, less than 2 ‘sevens’ within 12 rolls is a warm to trend
  • What you’re looking for is to identify changes to the current trend and this should help you see that clearly

• Repeating Numbers
  • With a little overlap, you can fit 6 chips lying flat in the slot
  • From left to right, they represent the box numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10)
  • When any box number is rolled, place a white chip in the spot for that number
    • You can use a red chip to designate hardways if you play them
  • Your looking for the hot numbers, numbers that are repeating
  • Track a total of 20 to 24 rolls, and then start over

After getting some practice tracking the craps tables, you’ll be amazed at how in tune you can become with the trends that are happening. Does it always work? No, but it works well enough that once you start tracking the table and maximizing your winnings, you may never go back to blind betting again.

The goal of everything we’ve discussed around assessing craps tables and identifying trends, is to ensure we’re using the right betting strategy at the right time, to take as much from the casino as possible.

Let The Trend Guide The Strategy

Contrary to popular belief, you should never walk into a casino committed to play one particular strategy. That’s the fastest way ensure financial ruin of your bankroll. Instead, you should walk into the casino with a repertoire (or toolbox) of strategies to use dependent on the trends at the table you’re playing at.

You need at least 2 to 3 ‘Right Side’ strategies to use when tables are ‘Hot’, 1 to 2 ‘Don’t Side’ strategies to use when tables are ‘Cold’, and at least 1 conservative, low money strategy to use (if you bet at all) to use when tables are ‘Choppy’.

You can find plenty of ‘Do’ and ‘Don’t’ strategies online, or you can check out the post on Winning At The Craps Tables.

EXAMPLE

Here’s an example of a recent visit I made to my local casino.

I walked into the casino with my ‘toolbox’ of strategies and made my way to the craps tables. There were two $10 minimum tables open, both with about 8 or so people playing at each.

One table stood out as no one at the table seemed happy, two players were looking over at the other table trying to decide if they should move to that table. Those were my first indications that this was a ‘cold’ table.

Reminder: You can make money on HOT tables and you can make money on COLD tables.

So I walked up to what looked like the ‘cold’ table and continued to assess the table.

• Very little money on the table aside from Pass Line bets.
• The rails in front of the players were light, with one player holding his last 12 chips in his hands
• One player in the corner playing the ‘Don’t’ side… His rail was loaded with chips

That was enough for me, I started playing one of my ‘Don’t’ strategies and immediately started tracking the table.

Sevens were rolling every 3 to 4 rolls with an occasional 5 and not a lot of repeat numbers showing either. It stayed that way for about 25 minutes which was more than enough for me to start trading green chips for black chips and obviously I was happy.

No trend lasts forever and all of sudden, the count jumped to 7 rolls and the 8 repeated 3 times during the roll and the point was made. Not sure if I was seeing an anomaly after losing that bet, I sat the next roller out. He had 6 rolls before a 7 and repeated the 5 twice and no craps numbers during his roll.

Nothing is a guarantee, but I came off my ‘Don’t’ strategy and switched to one of my ‘Do’ strategies. Next roller was mediocre and I was just under break even for his roll so I decided to try one more ‘Do’ bet before deciding the table might be choppy.

Thank goodness I did, because the table went immediately HOT and the next 3 rollers had monster rolls. After the 3^rd hot roller, there was a Point-7 Out, so I colored up and left with much more than my original win goal for the night.

Does it always work out as perfect as that? Obviously NOT, but more than enough to make up for the times it doesn’t. Also, by having a toolbox of strategies for hot, cold and choppy tables, you’re well positioned to take advantage of the opportunities presented to you.

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Please visit us at BlackChipClub.com

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In the meantime…

BEST OF LUCK AT THE CASINOS!!!

The game of craps is one of the most diverse and versatile that you will find on the casino floor. You can often guess the craps table simply by the sheer number of spectators, which often outnumber the players themselves. Indeed, craps is one of the most popular casino games out there and one of its advantages are the multiple betting options at your disposal. This allows you to experience craps in several different ways since each bet type offers its own unique payout ratios and odds.

In this guide, we would like to bring to your attention the so-called Buy bets that you can place. Below, you will find detailed explanations about the bets themselves, the house edge and odds, as well as, our recommendation regarding this bet type.

Buy Bets Explained

The term ‘Buy bets’ refers to a number of betting options on the craps table which bear a slight resemblance to the place bets, which we cover in a different article. However, where the two bet types differ makes all the difference. The main difference between place and Buy bets lies in the amount of money that you receive at the end of the roll. A typical place bet will feature house odds very close to the true odds, with a small difference. On the other hand, Buy bets pay the true casino odds with no house edge. But there is a twist. For every winning Buy bet, you have to pay a commission of 5% on the amount wagered.

This is referred to as ‘vig’ or ‘vigorish’ in the world of casino gambling. Essentially, but bets are called such since you are paying for the privilege of receiving a true odds payout. While that might sound somewhat contradictory it is the way of things and Buy bets are by far the best wagers featured at the craps table, where odds are concerned.

At land-based casinos, you announce that you wish to place a Buy bet. You place your chips where the stickman tells you to, after which they will pull them closer and place a ‘Buy’ marker on them. Once the bet is concluded and you have won it, the stickman will give you your winnings and ask for the house commission. Typically, most casinos do not have chip denominations worth less than a dollar, so it will be rounded to the nearest whole number. Therefore, you are expecting to pay a minimum of $1 in commission. At online casinos, the process is much more streamlined since the software handles everything for you and all you have to do is sit back and enjoy the game.

As far as what the Buy bets in particular are, you will have multiple numbers to bet on. Specifically, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, though betting on certain numbers will pay more than on others. Much like place bets, Buy bets are ‘standing bets’ and as such, they are not automatically lost on the first roll of the dice. Buy bets can remain on the table until the bet is won or until a roll has a total of 7. Keep in that Buy bets can have a minimum value, though this is more dependant on the establishment or the software provider – in the case of online casinos – more than anything else.

Buying the 4 and the 10

Buying the 4 and/or the 10 is the most worthwhile Buy bet on the craps table, both in terms of odds and payout. Whenever you make such a wager, you are betting on whether or not the next roll of the dice will result in a 4 or a 10. A winning 10 or 4 Buy bet will pay even money (2:1), whereas a place bet on the same numbers will pay 9:5. As a result, Buy bets are the way to go when wagering on these numbers.

Buying the 5 and the 9

Buy bets on 5 and 9 come with the same odds of winning of 3:2 and the payout odds are the same. Generally speaking, this is the middle of the road wager where Buy bets are concerned, worse than 4 and 10, but better than 6 and 8. As far as how worthwhile this bet is, one has to look at how the casino applies the commission. If it is charged only on winning bets, then this bet is worth it. We will go more into that later.

Buying the 6 and the 8

The 6 and 8 Buy bets are the third and final Buy bet type that you will find on the craps table. As it happens, this bet is the one that gets the short end of the stick in terms of odds and payouts. Unlike the previous two, the 6/8 Buy pays only 6:5, meaning that for every $10 that you wager, you stand to win $12 before the commission is charged. As far as its Place equivalent is concerned, the 6/8 Buy features worse odds and a lower payout ratio in all circumstances.

Buy Bets Odds and House Edge

As mentioned previously, Buy bets are some of the most favorable in craps where odds are concerned. Unlike many of the other betting options, Buy wagers pay true odds, meaning that you receive a payment equal to the probability of winning the bet. This is the best possible ratio that you can get at any casino game. Though there is also the commission to consider, so in this point, we will discuss everything you need to know about the mathematical aspect of Buy bets.

Above, we stated that the commission is charged on Buy bets but what we did not mention was that land-based casinos choose to implement on their own discretion. Certain establishments charge commission on the bet regardless of the outcome, a few even charge it on the end sum, while there are even some that choose to forgo it on particular bets. However, it is becoming common practice to apply the commission only on the initial bet and only if it wins. We will use the last metric for the purposes of this guide, as it is the common form of commission that you will experience.

For comparison, the Place bet equivalent would feature a payout of 9/5 and on a $10 bet, our net balance would be $18. While a $1 difference may not seem to much too you, this is because we are dealing with smaller numbers. As soon as you start placing higher bets, the difference will be much more pronounced. In terms of casino advantage, the Place 4/10 bet has a 6.67% house edge, much higher than the Buy bet with its mere 1.67%.

The 5/9 Buy bet is where things start to become interesting. This bet has a payout ratio of 3:2 and still comes with a 5% on winning bets. So for a $100 bet, we stand to win $150 without the commission. When it is applied, we pay $5 to the casino and come out with a net balance of $145. This translates into 1.96% casino advantage as long as the commission is charged only on wins. The 5/9 Place bet, on the other hand, offers a payout of 7:5, which is somewhat lower than its Buy counterpart. For a winning $100 Place bet on 5/9, we will have a net balance of $140. As a result, the house edge of the Place bet is 4%. What you should take from this is that the Buy 5/9 bet is worthwhile if the casino charges the commission only on winning bets and in all other cases, you should take the Place option instead.

Finally, the 6/8 Buy bet comes with a payout ratio of 6:5. So if we take a $100 Buy bet on 6 and 8 and we win, then we will bring in $120 before the commission. After the commission is charged, we will be left with a net balance of $115. This makes for a house edge of 2.22%, provided that the commission is only charged on winning bets. For comparison, the 6/8 Place bet has a payout ratio of 7/6, so a $100 Place bet would bring in $116, resulting in a house edge of 1.52%. This makes the Place 6/8 bet more worthwhile than the Buy 6/8 counterpart. The odds shift even further in the favor of the Place bet, if the casino charges commission on all Buy wagers, regardless of the outcome.

Are Buy Bets Worth It?

Buy bets are certainly some of the better ones that you can place on the craps table. You have several different options when it comes to choosing, though you should always keep the commission in mind. While the idea of Buy bets are sold to the public as offering true odds, this is only half-way true. The vig will take a small percentage of your winnings and it, in turn, serves as the house edge in this sense. Even after the commission is charged, however, the difference is not too big.

Additionally, the commission also makes serves to disincentivize small-scale betting. A 5% vigorish does not sound too much, and it really is not, but once you factor in that the minimum commission stands at $1.00 you will have a different outlook. Since land-based casinos do not offer chips in lower denominations than $1, the commission is rounded up to the nearest full number. Moreover, the commission has to be paid, so by default, it is $1. This means that for bets of $50 and lower, the commission will always be $1.

Another thing you also need to take into account is that certain Buy bets have higher house edge values than particular Place bets. Namely, the Place 6/8 will always have a lower casino advantage than the Buy 6/8, albeit the difference is small. The Buy 5/9 will have worse odds than the Place 5/9, IF the commission is charged on all bets, rather than only on winning ones. However, the Buy 4/10 will always be a better choice than the Place 4/10, with a difference of ~2-4%, depending on how commission is charged.

Of course, you should do your research and look over the other possible betting options available at the craps table. On our website, we have guides for every aspect of craps that you need to concern yourself with, so be sure to check out the other craps bets.

Conclusion

Every Craps Bet You Can Make

Overall, the Buy bets at craps are some of the simplest out there. This game really lends itself to all kinds of players and the variety of betting options makes it worth the trouble. As far as the Buy bets are concerned, they certainly have their uses. Based on our descriptions above, you should now understand that certain bets are more appropriate than others, taking into account payout ratios and house edge values. Therefore, you need to carefully consider where you will place your stack of chips. Truth be told, you can do a lot worse than Buy bets and even if you do not play at the best possible way, you should not see much in the way of consequences.