There are several ways to bet on the outcome of craps. A single roll of the dice is called an ‘original bet’, but when the player wants to increase their odds of winning, they can either add another bet to their original bet, or increase the odds by doubling (or quadrupling) their initial bet. Another method is to use a line bet, where players can place multiple bets along the edge of the table and see the results accumulate throughout the entire night. These bets are placed using chips that sit across the center of the table and may be used to raise individual bets, or to ‘piggyback’ off of another bet and only pay out once all the rest of those bets have paid out.
There are several different kinds of bets available on a craps table. Some of the more common bets include:
1 – Original bets/single roll bets
This is the most common type of bet offered on the table. It covers a single roll of the dice, meaning that each bet placed is made equal to the amount that corresponds to the final point after the first roll. The amount that you bet depends on what your odds were before the game began — for instance, if you got five to one odds, you might put up $5 per chance to win $25.
After this first round, the dealer throws again until he makes a 7 coming up twice in a row. Then, the player wins the bet if his point matches his original bet. Players who don’t match the bet lose it. Since a person can bet any amount on this kind of bet, many people prefer to make smaller bets, rather than risk losing everything by going for a big payout.
2 – Pass Line Bets
These are similar to an original bet, except that, instead of betting on the exact point, you’re placing a bet on whether the point will go above or below some pre-set value. If the point comes up exactly on whatever number you chose, you’ll win the bet. Otherwise, you’ve lost. This is typically done when you have a good idea of how much money you think you could possibly win, so there aren’t immediate risks involved. You usually pick an amount you think you’d like to play for, and then you’re able to move the line further toward or away from your chosen number as the game goes on.
3 – Come bets
These bets are similar to pass lines, but instead of just giving yourself options for a specific number, you’re choosing a particular direction that the point will come up. So, if you bet that the point will come within 5 points of 10, you’re still making a pass line bet — because you’re saying that the number will be either higher or lower than its original position. However, you’re making sure to do so moving in one specific direction, versus having a general sense of how close it will be to the selected number.
4 – Natural Bets
For every natural nine in the dice roll, the player wins. Nine has become such a popular number since it’s been included in the rulebook, and naturally, everyone thinks they should be allowed to bet on that. While we wouldn’t recommend putting your entire bankroll into that bet, it does offer some fun possibilities if you want to try to maximize the returns your casino pays out. For instance, if you had three rolls that yielded no nines, then you would only need to wait through one of them. Once you get a 9, you would start collecting your payouts for the other two.
5 – Side Bets
These bets are slightly different from original bets because you’re not always getting paid off based on the actual outcome. Instead, you’re paying off based on whether something happens at the same time as your winning combination. For example, say you place a side bet of $10 on numbers 2 to 12. Now, let’s say that you roll a 7, 8, and 11, all hitting twice. Then, the dealer throws 12. The way that payout works is that if the dealer threw another 12, you’d win $55 (because the odds were 3:1).
6 – Parlays
Parlay betting gives players an opportunity to multiply their money by using groups of three or more bets to earn a better payoff. When betting parlays, we suggest waiting until you have several opportunities to make a wager before doing so. This is because you’ll be able to choose to combine multiple separate bets into one single bet, meaning you’ll be making more efficient use of your time and capital. As an example, say that you’re playing a game where the house edge is 5%. You put down $100, and you expect to stand to gain $150 after each round of play. Assuming that you’ve made each of your individual bets correctly, then you can figure out how much money you’d be able to build up over seven days.