Casino Games, Table Games

The Best Craps Strategies to Keep You Rolling

Craps might look chaotic, but underneath the dice-flinging fiasco is a surprisingly strategic game. And if you know where to place your bets, you can stretch your budget and avoid the traps that gobble up your bankroll.

The best craps betting strategies focus on three things: sticking with bets that carry the lowest house edge, using odds bets to your advantage, and finding a rhythm that fits.

Consider this guide your cheatsheet for the best way to play craps.

Craps Odds Explained

A depiction of dice rolls and their number of ways to appear is shown in rows on a light blue background.

Craps is played with two dice. Some dice rolls are more likely than others. For instance, a 7 shows up more than any other number. So when you bet on 7, it hits more often, but the casino pays you less. If you bet on something rare, like a 2 or 12, it doesn’t show up as much, so the casino offers a bigger payout.

This is the number of ways to roll each total:

2 or 12: 1 way
3 or 11: 2 ways
4 or 10: 3 ways
5 or 9: 4 ways
6 or 8: 5 ways
7: 6 ways

More ways = more likely = smaller payout. Fewer ways = harder to hit = bigger payout.

A winning craps strategy lives in the land where fair or close-to-fair chances of winning exist alongside fair or close-to-fair payouts.

The best casino bonuses work similarly. You pick the best bonus to give you an edge before you enter the game of craps. At Cafe Casino, that’s the referral bonus. Refer a friend to sign up and play, and receive a cash bonus for each one who joins.

Basics On How To Play Craps

Dice float an open laptop showing a game of craps. White text above it says, “How to Play.”

At its core, craps is a game of rolling two dice and betting on what numbers will appear. It’s a hit at both land and online casinos, but you can easily play craps at home, too.

The game starts with the come-out roll, or in other words, the first roll. If the shooter (the dice roller) rolls a 7 or 11, Pass Line bets win. If they roll a 2, 3, or 12, those bets lose. Any other number becomes the “point,” and now the goal is to roll that same number again before rolling a 7.

5 Craps Strategies

A good craps strategy keeps the house edge low. The best craps strategy does so while also keeping your bankroll in check and your fun meter high. Generally speaking, stick to one plan and avoid flashy wagers that are mostly there for show (we see you, hard hop bets).

Let’s take a stroll through some of the most popular craps strategies, shall we?

Pass Line And Come Bets

All hail the pass line and come bets! These are the best bets for your craps strategy if you’re a beginner, but it’s no slouch for seasoned players, either.

The pass line is the most basic bet in craps. You win on a 7 or 11 during the come-out roll and lose on 2, 3, or 12. Anything else becomes the point, and now you’re hoping that same number hits again before a 7 does.

Once the point is set, you can add a come bet. The next roll becomes the come bet’s “come-out roll.” If it’s a 7 or 11, you win. If it’s 2, 3, or 12, you lose. Any other number becomes the come point, and now you’re hoping that number rolls again before a 7.

Both bets have a low house edge of around 1.41%. You could play all day with these simple bets and coast with even money payouts (1:1).

6 8 Craps Strategy

Once you get the basics down, you’ll want to add something spicier without being too risky. We’re trying to have fun here, not start an elimination diet mid-Thanksgiving. In that case, try the 6 8 craps strategy.

This craps strategy is built around one simple fact: 6 and 8 are the next most common numbers after 7. So instead of waiting for a come bet to land on them, you put “place bets” directly on the 6 and 8. That means you’re betting those numbers will roll before a 7 does.

Place bets on 6 or 8 come with a house edge of around 1.52% and pay 7:6 when they hit. It’s one of the best value plays you can make.

PRO TIP: Bet in multiples of $6 to get a rounded 7:6 payout.

Dark Side Strategy

If cheering for the table isn’t your thing and you’re more of the rogue type who goes against the grain and puts ketchup on pizza (shaaame!), you can always root for the 7 instead.

The Dark Side strategy means betting against the shooter with Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets. You win if the shooter rolls a 7 before hitting the point, the exact opposite of Pass Line and Come bets, which is what most of the table bets on.

It might not win you any high-fives, but it is the best way to play craps mathematically…as long as you don’t mind dagger stares.

The house edge for the Dark Side Strategy is 1.36%, which is slightly lower than 1.41% for the regular Pass Line/Come bet.

Iron Cross Craps Strategy

The Iron Cross Strategy banks on a philosophy along the lines of, “If I cover almost everything, nothing bad can happen, right?” Don’t be so sure.

This craps strategy is built on setting Place bets on 5, 6, and 8, then tossing a Field bet on top to scoop up 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. That covers every number except 7, which just so happens to be the most common roll.

When it works, it feels like you’re printing money a little at a time. But when 7 shows up (and it will), you lose all your bets at once. The house edge comes out to anywhere from 3% to 5%. Not great.

Still, it’s a fun one to try every now and then when you’re feeling daring and the skydiving school is already closed for the day. Just don’t get too comfortable. The 7 is always watching.

3-Point Molly

The 3-Point Molly is a good craps strategy if you appreciate consistency and the comfort of always having a plan.

It starts with a Pass Line bet. Once a point is established, you back it with full Odds, then place a Come bet. When that Come bet lands on its own number, you back that with full Odds and place one more Come bet, again backing it when it lands. Now you have three numbers working, each supported with Odds bets, hence the name.

As for the “Molly” part, no one really knows who Molly is, but judging by the steady, sensible nature of the strategy, we’ll say she’s your coworker who uses spreadsheets to keep track of Bumble dates. Sure, let’s roll with it.

The 3-Point Molly is one of the most balanced strategies in craps. All in all, the house edge comes out to about 0.4%, depending on how much you’re able to back your bets with odds.

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Ultimately, the best craps strategy is the one that keeps the house edge low and leaves room for fun. Whether you stick with the Pass Line, experiment with the 6 8 strategy, or fully embrace the Dark Side, bankroll management is always the most important. Put these craps strategies into action at Cafe Casino, and in the wise words of Limp Bizkit, keep rollin’, rollin’, rollin’.