Craps Betting Strategy

The object of any casino game is to win money, actually to win the most money in the shortest amount of time. When playing Craps you can win lots of money in little time or you can lose a lot of money in that same little time depending on your betting strategies. There are certain betting strategies that new, inexperienced players should use and other strategies that should only be used by higher rollers and more experienced players.

For the new Craps players, I would suggest using the a couple different strategies that limit the amount of money you have on the table. Some players choose only to bet on the pass line bets. This does minimize your money in play but it also can take a long time before you actually make some money.

When I started playing Craps I had the help of a dealer at a casino who gave me some pointers. The most important bet, he told me, was the pass bet. And when you place a pass bet and a point is rolled, make sure you put odds behind that pass bet. Once a point is rolled, you should decide whether you want to play any of the field numbers.

As a new player I would advise only placing bets on the numbers across the top of the table. Trying to place prop bets or other bets can get confusing and cause you to lose more money than you realize.

If you have a decent bankroll with which to bet, I would suggest doing an ‘across’ bet after the point is set. This means you are betting on each of those numbers on the top of the Craps layout. I bet the minimum on each. For example, if you are playing at a $5 table you would either place $26 or $27 across; the smaller amount is wager if the point is the 6 or the 8. Betting this way ensures that you have all the numbers covered that aren’t single roll bets. In order to come out even before the point is made the shooter must roll a minimum of three of your covered numbers.

Another good Craps betting strategy for new players is to play the Pass bet and only play the 6 and 8. This really minimizes the amount of money on the table. If I choose this betting strategy I will not make any other bets until I have made back the amount of money I have in play. Once I have made back that money I am essentially playing with house money. I don’t mind losing the casinos money when I’m wagering. Using this strategy is kind of like the tortoise from ‘The tortoise and the hare’. You are continuing to make money, but the pace is slow and steady.

If you are a more seasoned Craps player you may have a certain betting style already established. Many players will always place a C&E bet on each new shooter. This is somewhat of a superstitious bet. Other bets that more experienced players do is pressing bets. When you press a bet, you are taking the money you have already won on a roll and increase your bet 100%. Continuing to increase your bets this way can lead to some big payouts, and little risk of losing your money, especially if you wait to press until the 2^nd or 3^rd time the number is rolled.

Some players will watch tables and only go to ‘cold’ tables where they will start making ‘don’t pass’ bets. This bet is against the shooter and most times the players making these bets are not well liked by the rest of the players at the table. Occasionally ‘don’t pass’ bettors are run off of tables by angry players who think the bettor has jinxed the table.

A Craps betting strategy where you can make a good deal of money is by betting just on the ‘hardways’. By placing a single $1 chip on a hard 8, you win and parlay the bet to $10. Hit that hard 8 again and parlay your bet to $100 and if you hit the hard again you have won another $1000 all off that single $1 bet. Now if the shooter ‘seven outs’ you lose any prop bets on the table as well as all other bets , but the don’t bets.

The best way to develop a strategy that works for you is to play lots of Craps. The more you play the more you know what types of bets you like.