Craps Odds

Knowing the odds in craps is one of the first steps to becoming a great craps player.  You might say, “I’m not a math person so how can I figure out these odds?”  Well, it’s not as hard as it may seem.  Let’s take a look at craps odds in a little more detail.  So first off, there are 36 possible outcomes on one roll of two, six-sided dice.  So lets start with a 2.  There is only one possible way you can roll a two (rolling a 1 on each dice).  So this makes the odds of rolling a 2 at 1 out of 36 or 35/1.  The odds of rolling a 3 are a little greater as there are two possible ways to accomplish this.  You could roll a 1 and a 2.  Or a 2 and a 1.  So this makes the chances of getting a 3 at 1 in 18 or 17/1 odds.  How did we calculate those odds?  Simple.  You just divide 36 by how many combinations are possible for that number.

We could go on and on but I think you get the point.  To make things easier on you we have provided a chart to show you the odds of rolling every number 2 through 12.

Dice Total – Odds
2 – 35/1
3 – 17/1
4 – 11/1
5 – 8/1
6 – 6.2/1
7 – 5/1
8 – 6.2/1
9 – 8/1
10 – 11/1
11 – 17/1
12 – 35/1

These odds listed here are the “true odds”.  Now the house (casino or online casino) won’t pay out based on true odds because they wouldn’t make money.  They always have an edge.  For example, lets say a casino pays 10/1 that a 4 is rolled yet the true odds are 11/1.  The house has that slight edge which enables them to make the profit they need to operate.

So why are we talking about all of these true odds, probabilities and combinations.  Because it is a VERY good idea to understand what craps bets have a higher house edge than others.  Knowing the odds behind the numbers helps you pick which bet to make and in the long run, helps you make money playing craps.

Lets look at one more example of how we can actually decrease the edge the casino has over us.  Let’s say you have a pass line bet out and the shooter rolls a point on the come out roll.  Now you have the option to make an “odds bet” at some multiple of your pass line bet.  What is great about “odds bets” is that they have no house edge.  They pay exactly at true odds.  So combining this with your pass line bet will lower the house edge on your total bet.  Make sense?  Take a quick look at this chart to show you how the house edge decreases the larger multiple “odds bet” you make.

Odds Bet, Combined House edge on pass line and odds bet
1x = .848% house edge
2x = .606% house edge
3x = .471% house edge
100x = .021% house edge

Now it might be unrealistic to bet 100x with an odds bet – but it illustrates the point that this significantly lowers any house edge.  In the end, the house WILL have an edge every time so if you go on a nice run and get up big, you may want to consider walking away with the money as the law of averages will go towards the house in the long run.