You Can Bet On It!

In the previous article, I wrote about the best bets, which are the pass line with full odds, come with full odds (two maximum), place six and eight, don't pass and don't come. The house advantage for any of these wagers is 1.5 percent or less.

Considering that, you can play craps in the purest sense of the word at under 1 percent if you just wager on the pass line and find a place that offers 100-times odds. Ten-times odds are more readily available. Double odds are the most common around town.

The worst of the worst bets at the craps table is the any seven. The true odds payoff is five-to-one, but the house pays only four-to-one. This doesn't sound like a big deal but the truth of the matter is that the casino's advantage is a whopping 16.7 percent! Common sense dictates that if you are playing a game that offers wagers at under 1.5 percent, it doesn't make any sense to place a wager at such negative expectations. There are probably many explanations for this. The most obvious is probably the lack of knowledge or a total ignorance of the game. Another bad bet at the craps table is the 11. This bet is that the very next roll will be an 11. Usually, players bet this on the come out roll. Traditionally, the dealer will shout out, "Yo, 11, any craps"… The 11 pays off at 15-to-one, the correct odds are 17-to-one. The house advantage is 11.1 percentage.

The any craps wager pays off at seven-to-one, correct odds are eight-to-one. The house advantage is 11.1 percent. Big payoffs are no bargain at the dice table. Two aces or two sixes pay 30-to-one-sounds great doesn't it? Actually, the correct odds are 35-to-one, the house advantage is 13.89 percent. The odds on the hardways do no favors for the player. Hard six and eight pay off at nine-to-one, the correct odds are 10-to-one. The house advantage is 9.1 percent. The hard four and 10 are worse. The payoff is seven-to-one, correct odds are eight-to-one, the house advantage is 11.1 percent.

Please note that there are different odds available at different casinos. Also be aware that if you are thinking of playing propositions, (hardways, seven, 11, etc. the odds that pay eight-to-one, are one chip more than eight for one). If you are new to the game, take a FREE class offered at many of the casinos around town. They usually take a half-hour, and are well worth your time. Also, ask the dealer questions if the table isn't too busy. The more that you know about this game, the more exciting it will be for you.

Also, the potential to take advantage of a great roll will need a degree of knowledge. For a FREE wallet-size card that will help you play craps, send a self-addressed, stamped envelope to: Larry Grossman, 4535 W. Sahara Ave., Suite 105, Las Vegas, NV 89102.

"Death and dice level all distinctions." -Samuel Foote
"All life is six-to-five against." -Damon Runyon

As always… good luck!