The craps table is designed to look exciting everywhere. Flashy payouts, fun names, dealers calling out action in the center. But most of those bets exist for one reason: to take your money faster. Here are the 10 worst offenders, ranked by how much they cost you over time.
Any 7
The single worst bet on the entire table. You are betting that the next roll is a 7. Yes, 7 is the most likely number (6 out of 36 combinations), but the payout is only 4:1 when fair odds would be 5:1. The casino keeps one-sixth of everything wagered here. For every $100 you put on Any 7, the casino expects to keep $16.67.
Aces (Snake Eyes) & Boxcars (Midnight)
Betting on a specific pair (1-1 or 6-6). Each has only 1 way to appear out of 36. The payout is 30:1, but the true odds are 35:1. That gap is where 13.89% of your money goes. These bets hit rarely enough that the big payout feels thrilling, which is exactly how the casino wants you to feel.
Horn Bet
A single bet split four ways across 2, 3, 11, and 12. It sounds like you are covering lots of numbers, but you are actually betting on four of the least likely outcomes simultaneously. When one hits, the other three still lose. The combined edge grinds you down at 12.50%.
Any Craps / Yo (11) / Ace Deuce (3)
These proposition bets pay 7:1 or 15:1 depending on the specific bet, but all carry the same 11.11% edge. "Any Craps" (2, 3, or 12 on the next roll) is sometimes pitched as "insurance" for your Pass Line bet on the come-out. That insurance costs you more than it protects.
Hardways (Hard 4 & Hard 10)
Betting that the shooter rolls a specific pair (2+2 for Hard 4, or 5+5 for Hard 10) before rolling the number any other way or rolling a 7. Pays 7:1, but the true odds are 8:1. There is only one way to roll a Hard 4, but there are eight ways to lose.
C & E (Craps & Eleven)
A split bet between Any Craps and Yo (11). Covers five numbers (2, 3, 11, 12) across 36 combinations. It looks like broad coverage, but you are paying a heavy premium for that spread. When one side wins, the other side still loses.
Hardways (Hard 6 & Hard 8)
Slightly better than Hard 4/10 because there are more ways to roll 6 and 8 (meaning the bet resolves faster), but still a bad deal. Pays 9:1 when true odds are 10:1. The casino takes a little over 9 cents of every dollar.
Big 6 & Big 8
This is the most obviously bad bet on the table, and the reason is simple: the Place 6 and Place 8 bets cover the exact same outcome but pay 7:6 instead of even money. Big 6/8 pays 1:1. Same number, same dice, worse payout. There is no reason to ever make this bet. Place the 6 or 8 instead and cut the edge from 9.09% to 1.52%.
Place 4 & Place 10
Not terrible by proposition bet standards, but still nearly 5x worse than the Pass Line. The payout is 9:5 when true odds would be 2:1 (which is 10:5). That missing unit on every win is where the 6.67% edge lives. If you want action on 4 or 10, Buy bets with a 5% commission are a slightly better deal.
Field Bet (Standard: 2x on 12)
The Field is tricky because it wins on 7 of the 11 possible totals (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12). That makes it feel like it hits all the time. And it does hit often. But the numbers that are missing (5, 6, 7, 8) account for 20 of the 36 possible dice combinations. You are winning on the less common numbers and losing on the most common ones. At casinos that pay triple on the 12, the edge drops to 2.78%, which is more tolerable but still not great.
Pass Line + Free Odds
The Pass Line at 1.41% is already one of the best bets in the casino. Adding Free Odds behind it (which has a 0% house edge) brings the combined edge down to fractions of a percent. With 3-4-5x odds (the most common offer), your total edge is about 0.37%. That is less than basic strategy blackjack.
Place 6 or Place 8
If you want more numbers working, Place 6 and Place 8 are the only place bets worth making. Bet in multiples of $6 so the 7:6 payout works cleanly. At 1.52%, these are almost as good as the Pass Line itself.
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