The craps table can be intimidating for new players with all of the different types of wagers available. A perfect example of a bet that tends to be daunting for inexperienced players is the craps field bet. Let’s get acquainted with the field bet in craps, dispel any misconceptions, and learn some field bet strategies that you can use at the top online craps casinos.
What Is a Field Bet in Craps?
A field bet in craps is a wager on the shooter (person or machine) rolling a 2,3,4,9,10,11 or 12. Any of these numbers wins on a field bet with each payout depending on the likelihood of the number being rolled.
Craps Field Bet Payout Chart
| Number Rolled | Chance of Being Rolled | Payout Based on Your Wager |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1/36 | 2:1 |
| 3 | 1/16 | 1:1 |
| 4 | 1/12 | 1:1 |
| 5,6,7 or 8 | 5/9 | Lose your Bet |
| 9 | 1/9 | 1:1 |
| 10 | 1/12 | 1:1 |
| 11 | 1/16 | 1:1 |
| 12 | 1/36 | 2:1 |
| All Winning Numbers | 4/9 | 1:1 or 2:1 |
So you can see pretty quickly, the field bet in craps has less than a 50% chance of paying out, but it does offer double your money on two and twelve.
Another way to put this is in total combinations of dice, the craps field odds pays out on sixteen of the thirty six possible dice combinations rolled on any given turn.
Is the Field Bet in Craps a Good Bet?
Many seasoned players will tell you that the field bet in craps is a suckers bet because of something called House Edge. Craps bets with the lowest house edge include the come bet and odds bets.
The house edge is a gambler’s way of determining the casino’s advantage of winning their wager. If the odds are tilted toward the casino, they have a house edge.
House Edge In Craps Bets
| Craps Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Field Bet Craps | 5.5% |
| Don’t Pass Odds 4/10 | 2.4% |
| Pass Line Bet | 1.4% |
| Place Bet 4 or 10 | 6.7% |
While this is just a sampling of the many bets in craps, you can see that craps field bets offer a lower craps house edge than the majority of common craps bets. The 4/10 place bet pays out 2:1, so even bets with similar house edge have better payouts. Don’t give up hope on the field bet, because if you know how to use it, this craps wager can work to your advantage!
Casinos with 3:1 Craps Field Bet Odds
At some online craps casinos, the 2 and 12 rolls, and sometimes other rolls, have a boost in odds for promotional purposes. This can reduce the house edge to 2.78% even without the awesome craps field bet strategy we are about to show you.
Field Bet Craps Strategy: The Iron Cross
The Craps field bet is best used in something called the Iron Cross. This craps strategy couples a field bet with place bets on the losing numbers. Place Bets are craps bets on a single number coming up before the shooter craps out. In short, the craps Iron Cross strategy reduces the losing numbers to just the roll of a seven.
Iron Cross Odds Table
| Iron Cross Winning Numbers | Payout |
|---|---|
| Place Bet 5 | 3:2 |
| Place Bet 6 | 5:6 |
| Place bet 8 | 5:6 |
| Field Bet 3,4,5,9,10 | 1:1 |
| Field Bet 2, 12 | 2:1 |
With the craps Iron Cross strategy, your probability of losing is only 16.67% and the house edge is reduced to 2.37%. Coupled with the 3:1 odds boost, this is often a better edge than a place bet.
Playing The Craps Field Bet at Online Casinos
The field bet in craps is an underrated tool. It can keep you in the game longer, especially with the craps Iron Cross strategy. Its 2:1 payout on 2 and 12 is a great way to break up the monotony of place betting every come out. It also pays to know some craps dice rolling techniques, even at an online casino.
Our favorite safe online casino to play craps at is Bovada. This gambling site has a wide range of casino games to play, but they do a great job with their craps experience.
Bovada clearly lays out the odds, shares details of the different buttons, has smooth graphics, and a user interface that makes playing craps online a wonderful experience.
Furthermore, gamblers can take advantage of the site’s $3,000 welcome bonus for first time members. Current members can also take advantage of exciting reload bonuses as well.
