Craps Buy Vs Place

PAYOFF ON THE PLACE BETS. Place bet on 4 or 10. Every $5 increment will pay $9; For example, if the bettor bets $10, the payout will be $18. The reason why the ‘buy’ is better is because if the place bet on the 4 or 10 is $20, then the payout will be $36; however, a buy bet of $20+1 will pay $40. WoO Craps page has the following: 6 and 8: Place bet always better. 5 and 9: Place bet always better, unless commission on Buy is on win only. 4 and 10: Buy bet always better. 'The place bets and buy bets differ from the pass line and come line, in that place bets and buy bets can be removed at any time, since, while they are multi-roll bets, their odds of winning do not change from roll to roll, whereas pass line bets and come line bets are a combination of different odds on their first roll and subsequent rolls.

This question comes up all the time. Which is a better bet in the game of Craps, a ‘Come Bet’ or a ‘Place Bet’?

Place bet vs come bet in a game of Craps For the first few years of playing craps, I was a come bettor. As I learned more about the game and how the payouts worked, I realized that the place bet was the far better bet. By Alan Krigman Solid citizens betting $20 or more on fours or 10s at craps 'Buy' rather than 'Place' the numbers. The benefit is that edge is less Buying than Placing, so earnings per dollar up for grabs are more. The reason is not that odds against winning change.

Both Come Bets and Place Bets play vital rolls within different strategies and based on the particular strategy you’re using, you could make the case that either is better than the other, and not be wrong.

But, if you take a closer look at the characteristics of both Come and Place bets individually, you may be very surprised by the answer.

If you’re like me, when I was learning to play craps, I was taught to remember two things;

  1. Always play a Pass Line Bet with 2 Come Bets and back them up with as much in Odds as you can, and
  2. To win, you have to lower the house edge as much as possible and Free Odds on the PL and Come Bets are the best way to do that

To this day, when a novice player walks up to the table, that’s what the dealer, and other novice players, tell them, “Place a Come Bet and back it up with odds. So, that’s what I did. Some days, when the table was hot, I’d walk away a pretty solid winner, but when the table was choppy or cold, I would usually lose and lose fast.

After playing craps for a while, you get to know who the pros are, and I started noticing that while some of them played the Pass Line, virtually none of them used Come Bets. They were Placing Bets instead and they were winning more often than I was. How could that be? I was taught the 2 most important keys to winning, or so I thought.

Adding to my confusion, was that when my Come Bet + Odds won for the same amount as their Place Bet, the dealer was delivering a lot more chips to me than them, until I realized that almost half the chips I was getting was from my bet coming down.

It was time to take a closer look at the real differences between Come Bets and Place Bets, and I was pretty astounded by what I found out.

Craps Secrets Tip: Use Place Bets instead of Come Bets unless they’re part of a larger overall strategy.

HOUSE EDGE

The first thing to do is to check the house edge on both Come Bets and Place Bets. The house edge is the casino advantage on the bet and what you can expect to happen in the long run. The chart below shows the difference between the two.

The clear winner here is Come Bets with Free Odds and at only 1.41% for the Come, the more you back in odds, the lower you can drive the house edge.

BUT… I soon realized, there’s a number of things that the house edge on these bets doesn’t take into account.

  • House edge is only calculated based on having won the bet. The Come + Odds has to win, before you can claim an advantage over Place Bets
  • Come Bets are contract bets meaning once it travels to the number, it stays there until a decision is made. You don’t have the option of taking it down if you feel a Seven is coming (Odds can come down). Place Bets, on the other hand, can be taken down or turned off at any time.
  • Come Bets are live during the Come-Out roll, Place Bets are not (unless you make them live). After hitting a point, if the shooter rolls a seven, your Come Bets lose.
  • AND… to take advantage of the lower house edge, the number has to hit twice. First to travel to the number, then to hit the number and win.

The house edge advantage of Come Bets over Place Bets is much more cloudy when you take these factors into consideration.

Craps

PAYOUTS

Let’s take a look at the payout differences between Come Bets and Place Bets. With a lower house edge, you would expect that Come Bets would clearly outperform Place Bets in this area. WELL, NOT SO FAST… Let’s take a look.

For our example, we’ll use a $10 minimum table and use the payouts for the box number (5). The place bet on the (5) carries a 4.00% house edge vs. the Come Bet at 1.41% + Free Odds. Should be easy, right?

You’re probably as surprised as I was at the results since everything I had been told was to key on Free Odds, Come Bets and House Edge. This also explains why the pros that were using Place Bets instead of Come Bets were winning significantly more than I was.

The payout is where Place Bets take a clear lead over Come Bets in a number of ways even though Free Odds are supposed to give you the biggest payouts.

  • On the first hit of the number, the Come Bet travels to the number and needs to be hit again before there is any payout. The Place Bet on the (9) pays out $14 on the first hit.
  • Even when you add 4 times Odds to your Come Bet, the Place Bet still pays out more on the second hit.
    • This is due to the Come Bet itself that is only paid out at 1 to 1, so while the Odds pay out at a higher rate, it needs to make up the lesser payout on the original Come Bet
  • When you get to 5 times Odds or a total of $60 in bets, the Come Bet beats the Place Bet by $1, BUT… you still haven’t made up the $14 win on the first hit.
  • It takes almost 20X Odds before your Come Bet pays out more that the Place Bet including the 1st hit on the number. In our example, that would mean putting $200 behind your $10 come bet to outpace a Place Bet.
    • While you can still find casinos that offer 100X Odds, most have moved to 3/4/5X Odds and some at 10X, which keeps your Come Bets producing less than Place Bets on the craps tables.

Based on the findings above, unless you’re at a casino that offers at least 20X Odds AND have the bankroll to support $200+ bets, you’re significantly better off using Place Bets to win at the casino.

When I made the switch to Place Bets, I became a lot more consistent at leaving the casino with their money in my pockets rather than the other way around.

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BEST OF LUCK AT THE CASINOS!!!

Understanding the Craps odds and bets that you can place is vital to ensuring you don’t lose all your money or embarrass yourself in a live game.

You might hear people shouting all types of lingo and vernacular terms such as “Horn Bets” or “Lay 10” which often confuse or put off even the biggest casino degenerates.

Thankfully, the rules of Craps are actually quite simple even if it takes time to learn the jargon. Make sure to read all information on this page, before You play craps for money.

We can predict the odds of any particular number coming up on a roll and why the craps rules are made how you will see.

For example: the odds for you to roll a 4 on your next roll are 11 to 1.

You can figure this out by taking the number of ways a four can be made with two dice (with a one and a three, a pair of twos, or a three and a 1) compared to the number of combinations that two dice can make, which is 36.

So we have a 3 in 36 chance, or 1 in 12 chance that a 4 will come up on any given roll. To express these odds as ‘against’, you would say the odds against rolling a four are 11 to 1 (think of it as 11 non 4’s to one 4 for a total of 12 rolls). The calculation we’ve just done determines the ‘true odds’ of rolling a 4.

As many of you may know, the casino doesn’t like to pay back its players with ‘true odds’, it prefers to alter them.

Craps Buy Vs Place

Craps rules, like so many other casino game rules, pay back odds which guarantee the house a profit in the long run. Say for instance you were to place a bet on ‘any sevens’, meaning you’re betting that the next roll will be a seven.

The odds against hitting a seven on the next roll are 5 to 1 (you can calculate that out the same way we did for 4), which means that if you bet one dollar and win, you deserve to win 5 bucks, but the casinos only pay you 4.

Most bets in most games at the casino have been altered in this way. In fact, this is exactly the phenomenon that gives the casino a house edge in many situations.

We’ve covered all the major types of bets and odds you receive here.

Understanding Craps Odds

For instance, odds can be related either as 2-1 or 2 to 1, where a 1 credit bet returns 2 credits. In other words, 2 to 1 odds returns the original 1 credit bet and a 1 credit profit.

The Best Craps Bets

The best bets in craps are the pass line bet, taking the odds, the don’t pass bar, the come bet, and placing the 6 or the 8. Let’s look at each:

Pass Line

This is the most basic and popular of bets when playing Craps. It has one of the lowest house edges (1.41%) and it is very simple to place. Betting on the pass line bet or betting “with the dice” is the most common bet in craps and you will see many players or shooters choosing it.

A pass line bet requires you to place chips on the “Pass Line” section of the table. If the shooter’s come out roll is a 7 or 11, you win even money (1:1). However, if the come out roll is 2,3 or 12 (craps) you lose.

If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) it’s called the point. The shooter continues to throw the dice until he/she roles a 7 or the Point. If the point is rolled first, you win even money. If the 7 is rolled first you lose your bet.

Interestingly, in a game of Crapless Craps, the ability to lose a Pass Line bet to craps on a come out roll is removed – hence the name “crapless” craps. This improves your odds of winning by removing the house edge and increasing your expected value.

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Don’t Pass Line

You can also bet on the “Don’t Pass” line, which is basically when you are betting or laying the shooter on his first roll. This is simply the opposite of the pass line bet and is also known as betting against the dice.

To make this bet place your chips in the narrower section just beyond the pass line labelled don’t pass.

If the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 (Craps) than you win straight away (1:1 even money). If a 7 or 11 is rolled before the Point is scored you lose. A 12 is considered a Push (draw) and normally you can relinquish this bet.

If any other number is rolled (4,5,6,7,8,9 or 10) this is established on the point number. After this happens you’ll win your money back if a 7 is rolled before the Point number, and lose if a 7 comes first.

Taking the Odds

After the point has been established, you can make an additional bet known as Taking the Odds or Pass Odds. You are betting on the Point number being rolled before a 7. The pay out odds are normally displayed on the Casino craps table.

The odds vary for different numbers based on the likelihood of them being rolled.

Normally, the payouts are as follows:

  • 4 pays 2:1
  • 5 pays 3:2
  • 6 pays 8 pays 6:5
  • 9 pays 3:2
  • 10 pays 2:1

The odds bet is the best bet you can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Free odds bets are paid back at true odds, so when you’re making these bets the casino has no house edge whatsoever, it’s an even game!

Come Bet

This is similar to a Pass Line bet, but it is made after the point has been established (dealer button is ON). The next roll then becomes the Come Out roll for your bet and establishes your Point. The payout depends on the Point:

  • 7 or 11 pays 1:1 (also known as a Natural)
  • 2, 3, or 12 you lose your money (also known as Craps)
  • If neither of the above is rolled then (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) becomes the point for your bet. If a 7 comes before your point is rolled again you lose. If your point is won however your payout depends on the Point.

Come Bet Payouts:

NumberPayout
42:1
53:2
66:5
86:5
93:2
102:1

Taking the Odds

This is similar to the Come Bet and has the same odds above (Come Odds). You can place this bet only after the point has been established. If the 7 is rolled before the point, you lose.

Laying the Odds

Opposite of Taking the Odds. This is a Don’t Pass Line bet which can be made only after the point has been established. If a 7 is rolled before the point, you win.

Laying the Odds Payout:

NumberPayout
41:2
52:3
65:6
85:6
92:3
101:2

Don’t Come Bet

Oppose of Come Bet. This is similar to a Don’t Pass Line bet, but it is made after the Come Out roll. To make this bet all you need to do is to put your chips in the area labeled “Don’t Come” on the layout. You lose on a 7 or 11, and win on a 2 or 3. 12 is a “stand-off.”

Here you win if 7 rolls before your “come-point” is repeated, and lose if the “come-point” is made before a 7 is rolled.

Place Bets

You can bet on specific point numbers. If your number is rolled before a 7, you win. If a 7 comes before your point number, you lose. You’re paid out according to the table below.

Place Bets Payout:

NumberPayout
49:5
57:5
67:6
87:6
97:5
109:5

Placing the 6 or 8

When you make a place bet you bet that one of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be hit before a 7 is hit. You can make a place bet any time by throwing your chips on the table while telling the dealer ‘I want to place the 6’ or whatever number you want to place your bet for.

So, if the number you bet on is rolled before a 7 you win and you are paid as follows: 4 or 10 placed – 9:5 odds, 5 or 9 placed – 7:5 odds, 6 or 8 placed – 7:6 odds.

As you can see the best for you is to place a bet on 6 or 8, because these bets have the best odds and also they have a good chance of hitting.

If you get the feeling like you want to place the 4 or 10, you should buy them instead, because although there is a Vig (a fee for winning bets) on these numbers, the edge comes out in your favor, however slightly.

However, the pass line bet is still the best one with the best odds and in the long run you should stick with it.

Although you can technically place a place bet at any time, it is impossible for it to come into effect until the shooters point is set, therefore it is more acceptable to ask for this bet after the come out roll is over.

Craps table

Bets with Poor Craps Odds

Big 6/Big 8 Bet

This is a Bet on a Big 6 or Big 8, put down after the point has been established. If a 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7, you win (1:1). This is a bet that you should not play because you can Place a bet on 6 or 8 and receive better odds.

Craps Odds Betting

Field Bets

Kind of what the name suggests, field bets are open to everyone who bets on the next number rolled. To place one you simple throw your chips into the table (as little chips as possible) and tell the stick man what you want. The payout for field bets:

  • 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11 all payout 1:1
  • 2 pays 2:1
  • 12 pays out either 2:1 or 3:1 (depending on the casino)

Proposition Bets

Placed before any throw. The house edge on all of these bets are over 11%. Therefore, you should not bet these very often or you should hedge your bets when you do so.

You can bet on any number as follows:

  • Betting on the next throwbeing a 2, 3 or 12 (Craps)
  • Any Seven: Betting on the next throw being a 7
  • Eleven: Betting on the next throw being an 11
  • Horn Bet: Betting on the next number being a 2, 3, 11, or 12. The payout is determined by the number rolled

Proposition bets are those placed in the middle of the table layout, and those bets never have a good house edge. You should make these bets only for fun and to make your game more exciting.

So, here they are:

  • With the “any seven” bet you’re betting the shooter will hit a 7 on the next roll. It has a horrible house edge of 16.67%. Never make this bet.
  • With the “snake eyes” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a two on the next roll.
  • With the “yo eleven” bet you’re betting the shooter will hit an 11 on the next roll.
  • With the “any craps” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 2, 3, or 12 on the next roll. It holds a house edge of over 11%
  • With the “any three” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 3 on the next roll.
  • With the “midnight” bet you’re betting the shooter will throw a 12 on the next roll.
  • With the “horn” bet you’re combining the snake eyes, 3, yo 11, and midnight bets.

Hardway Bets

Best Way To Play Craps And Win

A Hardway Bet is also made regarding the outcome of the next die throw. A Hardway roll occurs when doubles are thrown with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10.

For example: rolling a pair of threes would produce a “hard 6”. An Easy roll is produced when the same outcome is achieved, but without rolling doubles.

For the previous example, rolling a 4 and a 2 would produce an “easy 6”. For a Hardway Bet to win, the shooter must roll a double with an outcome of 4, 6, 8 or 10. The wager loses if either a 7 or any Easy number is rolled.

The Lay Bet

The lay bet is almost similar with the don’t pass and don’t come bets, because with this bet your are playing against the dice. You can make this bet at any time in the game and it can be placed on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. A lay bet wins when 7 rolls before the number.

7 is more likely to come up than any other number so the casino requires you to wager more than you could win. This bet also requires a commission of 5% on average. If the bet is on 4 or 10 you get 1:2 odds, on 5 or 9 2:3 odds, on six or 8 5:6 odds.

The Buy Bet

When you choose this bet it means that you will buy numbers instead of placing them.

The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 can all be bought but there are only two numbers that really make buy bets worthwhile and those numbers are 4 and 10 because they pay off better than the other numbers. You win if the buy number comes up before a 7 is rolled.

Best Strategy For Playing Craps

The odds are higher for a buy bet. 2:1 on a 4 or 10 buy, 3:2 for a 5 or 9, or 6:5 for a 6 or 8. Player pays 5% “vigorish” to get true odds on all numbers.

Play Craps For Free

Depending on how much you bet, buying a bet can make you more money in the end even after accounting for the ‘vig’. The odds are only in your favor on a buy bet for a 4 or 10, so stick with the place bet on any others.

Buying A Number In Craps

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