Craps odds and house edge
The best bet in craps is the free odds behind a line bet: no house edge at all. Next come don’t pass (1.36%), pass (1.41%) and place 6 or 8 (1.52%). The worst are any 7 (16.67%), 2 or 12 (13.89%) and the horn (12.50%).
Every bet, best to worst
House edge per bet decided, with 3-4-5x odds, the field paying triple on 12 (unless noted) and buy and lay commission of 5% taken on wins.
| Bet | House edge | Per roll |
|---|---|---|
| Free odds (pass, come, don’t)Pays: 2:1 · 3:2 · 6:5 | 0.00%No edge | 0.00% |
| Don’t pass / don’t comePays: 1:1 | 1.36%Good | 0.40% |
| Pass line / comePays: 1:1 | 1.41%Good | 0.42% |
| Place 6 or 8Pays: 7:6 | 1.52%Good | 0.46% |
| Buy 4 or 10Pays: 2:1 minus 5% commission | 1.67%Good | 0.42% |
| Lay 4 or 10Pays: 1:2 minus 5% of the win | 1.67%Good | 0.42% |
| Place 6 or 8 to losePays: 4:5 | 1.82%Good | 0.56% |
| Lay 5 or 9Pays: 2:3 minus 5% of the win | 2.00%Fair | 0.56% |
| Buy 5 or 9Pays: 3:2 minus 5% commission | 2.00%Fair | 0.56% |
| Buy 6 or 8Pays: 6:5 minus 5% commission | 2.27%Fair | 0.69% |
| Lay 6 or 8Pays: 5:6 minus 5% of the win | 2.27%Fair | 0.69% |
| Place 5 or 9 to losePays: 5:8 | 2.50%Fair | 0.69% |
| Field, 12 pays triplePays: 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11; 2:1 on 2; 3:1 on 12 | 2.78%Fair | 2.78% |
| Place 4 or 10 to losePays: 5:11 | 3.03%Fair | 0.76% |
| Place 5 or 9Pays: 7:5 | 4.00%Fair | 1.11% |
| Field, 12 pays doublePays: 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11; 2:1 on 2; 2:1 on 12 | 5.56%Sucker bet | 5.56% |
| Place 4 or 10Pays: 9:5 | 6.67%Sucker bet | 1.67% |
| Hard 6 or hard 8Pays: 9:1 | 9.09%Sucker bet | 2.78% |
| Big 6 or big 8Pays: 1:1 | 9.09%Sucker bet | 2.78% |
| Hard 4 or hard 10Pays: 7:1 | 11.11%Sucker bet | 2.78% |
| 3 or 11Pays: 15:1 | 11.11%Sucker bet | 11.11% |
| Hop, two different numbersPays: 15:1 | 11.11%Sucker bet | 11.11% |
| Any crapsPays: 7:1 | 11.11%Sucker bet | 11.11% |
| C & EPays: 7:1 on 2, 3, 12 and 15:1 on 11, on half the bet | 11.11%Sucker bet | 11.11% |
| HornPays: 30:1 on 2 or 12, 15:1 on 3 or 11, on a quarter of the bet | 12.50%Sucker bet | 12.50% |
| 2 or 12Pays: 30:1 | 13.89%Sucker bet | 13.89% |
| Hop, a pairPays: 30:1 | 13.89%Sucker bet | 13.89% |
| Any 7Pays: 4:1 | 16.67%Sucker bet | 16.67% |
How odds lower the house edge
The pass line alone costs 1.41%, but the odds you add behind it cost nothing. Taking full odds spreads that same small cost over much more money, so the combined edge drops. This is the edge per chip wagered, flat bet and odds together, with full odds on every point.
| Odds allowed | Pass + odds | Don’t pass + odds |
|---|---|---|
| 1x | 0.848% | 0.682% |
| 2x | 0.606% | 0.455% |
| 3x | 0.471% | 0.341% |
| 3-4-5x | 0.374% | 0.273% |
| 5x | 0.326% | 0.227% |
| 10x | 0.184% | 0.124% |
| 20x | 0.099% | 0.065% |
| 100x | 0.021% | 0.014% |
Don’t players lay enough to win the same multiple: at 3-4-5x that’s 6 times the bet on every point.
Buy and lay: when the commission is paid
Buy and lay bets pay true odds minus a 5% commission. Taking it only when the bet wins is much cheaper than paying it up front.
| Bet | Commission on wins | Commission up front |
|---|---|---|
| Buy 4 or 10 | 1.67% | 4.76% |
| Buy 5 or 9 | 2.00% | 4.76% |
| Buy 6 or 8 | 2.27% | 4.76% |
| Lay 4 or 10 | 1.67% | 2.44% |
| Lay 5 or 9 | 2.00% | 3.23% |
| Lay 6 or 8 | 2.27% | 4.00% |
Field rules
The field pays even money on 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11. What it pays on 2 and 12 decides the house edge.
| 2 pays 2:1, 12 pays 2:1 | 5.56% |
|---|---|
| 2 pays 2:1, 12 pays 3:1 | 2.78% |
| 2 pays 3:1, 12 pays 3:1 | 0.00% |
How these numbers are calculated
Every number on this page is exact, not simulated. Each bet is followed roll by roll over the 36 equally likely rolls of two dice until it wins, loses or pushes.
House edge is the average loss divided by the amount bet, per bet decided. Pushes count as decisions, which is why don’t pass shows 1.36%; leaving pushes out, it’s 1.403%.
Per roll spreads the edge over the rolls a bet takes to be decided: a pass bet takes 3.38 rolls on average, so it costs 0.419% per roll.