House edge is a measure of the probability of the house winning a bet. Let’s look closely at the craps betting odds for each bet, how to bet with the house edge in mind, and the odds on craps tables that can net you more money playing at online craps sites.
What is the House Edge in Craps?
The house edge in craps is the varying percentage that each bet has to take your money. You can change the house edge based on a spread of bets, but each bet also has an individual house edge. The edge doesn’t change based on previous rolls of the dice, and it doesn’t change based on the bets of the other players at the table.
How is House Edge Displayed?
Usually, you’ll see house edges as a percentage. A house edge of 1.5% means that the house has a 51.5% chance of winning. The “Edge” is the percentage over 50/50 that the house has to win. Sometimes house edge is displayed in the percentage it has to win altogether, 51.41 for Pass and Come bets for example.
House Edge is The Probability of a Casino Beating You
There is no singular bet that has better than a 47% chance of winning in craps. The higher the house edge, the higher the multiple of payout. This means that the more likely the casino is to beat you, the higher you are paid out assuming you win. The casino wants to beat you, so it sets up a game so that there are many enticing opportunities to win, showing you the return on your gamble, but not the house edge.
What is the House Edge of Each Craps Bet?
| Craps Bet | House Edge |
|---|---|
| Odds Bet | 0% |
| Pass Line, Come Bet | 1.41% |
| Don’t Pass, Don’t Come | 1.4% |
| Place Bets on 6&8 | 1.52% |
| Lay 4 or 10 | 2.44% |
| Lay 5 or 9 | 3.23% |
| Place Bets on 5&9 | 4% |
| Lay 6 or 8 | 4% |
| Any Buy Bet | 4.76% |
| Field Bet | 5.56% |
| Place Bets on 4&10 | 6.6% |
| Yo (11) or 3 | 11.10% |
| AnyCraps | 11.14% |
| Any 7 | 16% |
Note that buy bets are balanced because of their return and vig tax.
How Is House Edge Calculated?
The house edge is calculated using dice probability. These dice probabilities and their outcomes are real and mathematically accurate. The probability of rolling a specific number is reset every time you roll, unaffected by the last roll. If you rolled dice a near infinite number of times, you’d see a balanced number of rolls, but this isn’t useful in predicting outcomes of a single night of craps.
There are 36 dice combinations with varying likelihoods.
Image from Dark Horse Gambling
What Games Have a Better House Edge Than Craps Odds?
The average Baccarat bet is only a 1.24% house edge. Depending on your understanding of the game, some Black Jack hands have as low as a .28% house edge, but this is very difficult to understand. There are no bets in the casino, slot machine or otherwise that have a 0% house edge other than the Odds bet. This is the only coin flip in the casino that you can buy.
How Do You Beat House Edge In Craps?
Basically, look to the house edge table and find what you’re comfortable with. Something we’ve recommended time and again is to focus on the odds bet, and the house edge table supports that advice. There are calculations of house edge for entire strategies, but there is some argument as to how accurate those calculations are. To beat the house, stick to the odds bet. If you’re going big on a yo, know the risks.
Using the House Edge to Play Online Craps
Now that you have the house edge table, try going online and playing a couple games. Below you’ll see online gambling sites with craps tables available to you, with healthy first time bonuses. Note the house edge of your bet, so you know just how big of a risk you’re taking on each game.
