Of the many different types of gambling games available at casinos, craps is one that involves pure chance where the outcome is entirely dependent on the roll of the dice and the “laws of probability”.
There is no generally no skill involved in throwing the dice, despite what you may read on the internet, so there is therefore generally no strategy employed in this regard. The skill comes with the players knowledge and understanding of odds, and ability to choose the right strategy when it comes to placing bets.
The Basic Strategies
The Pass Line Bet With Odds – The “pass line” bet is a common and popular place to start, as it has a low house edge of 1.41%. The house edge can then be further decreased with each “odds” bet placed.
The Come Bet With Odds – The “come” bet has exactly the same house edge of 1.41%. The house edge can also be further decreased with each “odds” bet placed. The only difference is that this betting opportunity comes at a different stage in the betting sequence.
Don’t Pass With Odds – Effectively the opposite of “pass line”, this bet has an even lower house edge of 1.36%, and you will be betting against the shooter. A good strategy hear is to place to table minimums on “don’t pass” and then reach your total wager by placing the rest on “odds”.
Don’t Come With Odds – As above, the “don’t come” bet has a house edge of 1.36%, and the same strategy can be applied to the betting.
Note: The downside of these bets is that the total wagers can get rather large, so remember to keep an eye on your bankroll.
The Advanced Strategies
There are a large number of advanced craps strategies available on the internet to learn, though it is highly recommended that you only move onto these once you have a solid grip on the basics.
An example of, perhaps, the most famous and common of advanced craps techniques is to place bets on the pass line, the numbers 5, 6, and 8, and a three-way bet to cover the craps.
This technique effectively places bets on each single outcome of the dice, and therefore guarantees at least one win. However, the downside is that the loss of the other bets might not make this strategy worthwhile in the long run.
It is therefore recommended that you study each and every technique thoroughly and be well aware of its advantages and disadvantages before attempting to utilise it.
The Odds and Payout
The different bets in craps each have different odds, and therefore payout, and also differ further based which roll is taking place.
It is recommended that you know what each payout is before making bets, as it also directly correlates to the odds of the wanted result occurring.
Furthermore, especially when playing online craps, because the casinos may differ, it is worthwhile checking and comparing the paytables of different casinos to insure you are playing one with the best possible payout.