How to Win at Craps in 5 Minutes

Craps evolved from the English dice game Hazard, which was mentioned as far back as Geoffrey Chaucer's 14th century masterpiece, The Canterbury Tales. The rules have changed substantially in the intervening centuries, but the ultimate goal of winning money has remained the same. In this post, I won't just tell you how to win at craps. I'll show you how to do it in less than five minutes.

Sound like a bold claim?

So many players are intimidated by the modern craps table.

But I stand by my statement.

Once you understand the rules and know about the various betting options, you'll come to realize that there's nothing to be scared of.

And once your fear is gone, you can start concentrating on more important things--like winning money.

In fairness, I should also mention that there are plenty more craps tips and strategies where these came from. If you want to get serious about winning at craps, I suggest learning as many of these as possible and practicing every chance you get.

Don't forget that most online casino software has a free version available to players, so there's no excuse for not honing your skills.

Know the Betting Options

If you want to be successful at craps, you first need to know the various betting options. You have plenty to choose from. This can often be overwhelming for some beginning players.

The following list includes the most common bets for craps, as the majority of these are resolved with a single roll of the dice:

Know the Combinations

The payout odds are determined by the frequency in which certain dice combinations appear. By learning which numbers are most likely to get rolled, you can make the most informed betting decisions possible.

The numbers least likely to turn up are 2 and 12, as there's only one possible combination for each. They're closely followed by 3 and 11, as each of these only has two possibilities apiece.

IIf you want to maximize your chances of winning, the numbers to concentrate on are 6, 7, and 8. While the 6 and 8 each have five possible combinations, the 7 is most common with six combinations. The latter explains why most rolls of 7 results in a loss, although experienced bettors realize that a 7 can also result in a win if you make the right wager.

The Best Bet in the Casino

If you want to take advantage of the best wager in most casinos, then you'll need to learn about "Pass Odds." Here's how it works: If the shooter establishes a point on their come-out roll, pass line players are allowed to take odds by wagering a multiple of the pass line bet. This bet wins if the point is rolled before a 7, and it pays the following true odds: 2:1 for a 4 or 10, 3:2 for a 5 or 9, and 6:5 for a 6 or 8.

Taking the odds comes with a 0% house edge, so the player is usually limited to how much he can wager compared to his Pass bet. Casinos vary in the maximum odds offered on this bet, with some going as high as 100x. The most common, however, is "3-4-5X odds," which means the player can bet up to three times his Pass bet on a point of 4 or 10, four times after a 5 or 9, or five times after a 6 or 8.

IIf you want to win in a hurry while playing craps, this is the wager to pick. It's routinely referred to by experts as the best bet in the casino, and the 0% house edge is the rare case where the player is on equal footing with the house.

Place the 6

If you want an even more straightforward system for winning money at craps in less than five minutes, try this step-by-step strategy:

1. Approach the craps table.

2. Place your chips on the layout and tell the dealer that you want to "Place the 6." The bet can be any size you want, of course, but I suggest $6 as a good starting point (although that's admittedly an arbitrary choice).

3. Once the bet has been registered, you'll win if the shooter rolls a 6 before a 7. When this happens, you'll get back $7 on a $6 wager.

4. Mission accomplished. You've managed to win at craps in 5 minutes or less.

Conclusion

Armed with this information and a few basic tips, you can walk into any casino in the world and quickly become a winner at craps. While your chances are bound to fluctuate over the long haul, it's a great feeling to come in and establish yourself as a force to be reckoned with.

Craps is an intriguing game with over 100 total betting possibilities, which is why I suggest studying up on it as much as possible. While luck can sometimes work in your favor, the ultimate path to sustained success is practice, research, and lots of repetition. For hardcore players, I also suggest looking into dice control, a controversial practice that claims to allow you to consistently influence the outcome of any roll at real-life casinos.