Master Craps Strategy: Expert Tips for Betting Systems
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Want to play craps like a pro? Learn about different strategies, from conservative to aggressive approaches, and see which one works best for you. Our guide will teach you the best craps bets to increase your chances of beating the house. We’ll cover everything from basic strategy like the “pass”and “don’t pass bets” to more advanced tactics like taking advantage of free odds, all below:
- Optimize Your Craps Strategy
- What Is the Safest Bet in Craps?
- Single-Roll Bets: Why You Should Avoid Them
- Free Odds Deliver Craps’ Best Strategy
- The Don’t Pass Strategy Explained
- Final Craps Tips
Optimize Your Craps Strategy
What separates dice from other casino games like Roulette or BlackJack is that each bet offers different odds and accompanying house edges. It is crucial to know the odds before tailoring your best strategy for craps. As a rule of thumb, remember that your chances of winning a wager are always lower when you’re betting on higher dice odds.
Dice maths for newbies
- There are 6 ways to roll a 7-valued combination
- You have 5 possible combinations that end up in a 6 or 8
- To get a 5 or 9, there are 4 possible combinations
- You only have 3 ways to roll a 4 or 10
Based on the above reasoning, shooting a 7 is the most likely event, while getting a 4 or 10-valued combination is the least likely. We look up our selection of UK craps casinos in-depth to ensure you get fair games vetted by independent testers. Odds for the various dice bets shall be displayed in the relevant game FAQs or Instructions tabs.
Best Craps Bets
- Don’t Pass bet – 1.36% house edge
- Don’t Come bet – 1.36% house edge
- Pass bet – 1.41% house edge
- Come bet – 1.41% house edge
What Is the Safest Bet in Craps?
Expert UK players know the Don’t Pass bet is the fundamental dice bet. It is arguably the safest wager you can make in the game. The lower house edge ensures better chances to win compared to other bets. Our experts suggest checking a short guide to craps payouts for more specific examples of how the house edge, odds, and payouts are linked in the game of craps.
Single-Roll Bets: Why You Should Avoid Them

Bets to Avoid in Your Craps Strategy
| Bet | Description | House edge |
|---|---|---|
| Any 7 | The combined value of both dice will be 7 | 16.67% |
| Betting on 12 | Landing a combination that results in 12. | 13.89% |
| Betting on 2 | The shooter’s next toss will land 2. | 13.89% |
| Whirl World | To win, you must land a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 | 13.33% |
| Horn Bet | Rolling 2, 3, 11, or 12 wins the bet | 12.5% |
| Betting on 3 | Wagering on a 3 being rolled | 11.11% |
| Hi-Lo (2 or 12) | You only in with a 2 or 12 | 11.11% |
Free Odds Deliver Craps’ Best Strategy
The best strategy is playing with free odds, which can drastically reduce the house edge. But it requires a significant bankroll on your part since the payouts are 1:1. UK Players must first make a Pass/Don’t Pass bet or a Come/Don’t Come bet to benefit from a Free Odds bet. 
- 6 & 8 – 6:5
- 5 & 9 – 3:2
- 4 & 10 – 2:1
Free Odds come at zero house edge That’s why betting on them will be limited by almost any casino. However, such limits vary across gambling platforms. Once the point gets established, you can wager on the Free Odds side bet. You will be allowed to place your initial Pass/Come up to a certain casino-imposed multiplier. Free Odds example
- Your initial Pass/Come (or Don’t) wager is called the flat stake.
- After your wager, you become eligible for asking for a 5x, 10x or more Free Odds bet.
- Suppose your flat stake was £10 and the max Free Odds multiplier per casino is 10x.
- In that case, you’re allowed to bet up to £10×10= £100 on your Free Odds bet.
- Now, let’s say the shooter hits a 5 after your Pass Line bet.
- The point becomes 5.
- You place the maximum stake your Free Odds, feeling the shooter can repeat the outcome.
- Should your intuition be correct, you’re paid out at true odds for the respective number.
- Since you bet £100 at 3:2 odds (or 2.5 in decimal), you’ll get back £250 (including your stake).
Beginner vs Advanced Craps Strategies: Choosing Your Approach
The main thing that gamblers appreciate about Craps is the accessibility of the game, as it’s suited for any type of wagerer, no matter of your skill level. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve already established a great skill at the game or you’re just getting started – the most important part remains selecting a reliable strategy that can make all the difference between a profitable session and a losing round.
A Strong Start: Essential Strategies for Beginners
The best thing new players can do is focus on mastering the most basic strategies before indulging in more complex ones. One can begin with Pass Line wagers, since they have only a 1.41% house edge. Such wagers are easy to make and don’t require making complex decisions beforehand.
Once one gets more comfortable with the Craps gameplay, they can add single odds (1x) betting their Pass Line wager to reduce the house edge even more. For one’s first sessions, it’s better to stick to these two betting strategies for at least 10-20 rounds.
As for the gambling budget, we recommend sticking to no more than 5% of the entirety of their gambling budget for a specific month. Beginners should try to stay away from centre table options entirely, since their 11-16% house edges can easily affect one’s budget.
Elevating Your Game: Advanced Player Techniques
Experienced gamblers are able to use several Craps strategies to get better table coverage and maintain reasonable house edge options as well. Our expert team recommends that experienced gamblers try to combine the 3-Point Molly system with the Pass Line and two Combo wagers. When players are advanced, they can also master using maximum bets. As long as the table offers 10x odds, advanced players can use them to easily drive the house edge under 0.5%.
Advanced players can also try to implement regression betting patterns. They can start with £30 on 6 and 8, and after they receive their first hit, they can easily regress to £12 each and keep the rest of the funds
Experienced players can leverage multiple simultaneous strategies to maximise table coverage whilst maintaining acceptable house edges. The 3-Point Molly system, combining Pass Line with two Come bets, keeps you active on multiple numbers without excessive risk exposure. Advanced players should also master laying maximum odds – if the table offers 10x odds, use them to drive the house edge below 0.5%.
Still, no matter how advanced you are, you need to track your results with care, as successful rounds require understanding your own personal loss patterns and learn how to overcome them by focusing on your winning systems.
The Don’t Pass Strategy Explained

Let’s look at an example
- You wager £5 on a Don’t Pass line.
- The point number is 10.
- You lay it with 2x odds, with a 1:2 payout.
- The shooter lands a 7 before 10.
- You win £5 from the original bet, plus the payout for the odds, which at 2x odds against 10 is £10.
- In total, you win £10 after betting £15.
It’s crucial to remember that this is a hypothetical case, and the success of the Don’t Pass strategy can vary depending on the circumstances.
Take the Safe Route and Hedge Your Bets – Here’s How the Pros Do It

Hedging with Craps Don’t Pass Strategy
- Let’s assume you bet £10 on Don’t Pass.
- The shooter lands 6 as the Point.
- You then make a £15 Odds bet, wagering a total of £25 against the shooter’s point.
- Hoping to protect your £25 bet, you hedge with a £4 bet on a Hard 6, at a payout of 9:1.
- In this instance, that equals £36.
- If you lose your £25 against the shooter’s Point, you still get £11 – the difference between the £25 lost and the £36 won.
- But the £4 Hard bet works only if the shooter lands 3 and 3 on the dice.
- Other combinations resulting in a 6 means you lose your entire stake.
- However, if the shooter does not shoot the Point again, you only lose the £4 hedge bet.
This is only an informative example. UK players are solely responsible for the wagers they make and the possible consequences. Playing dice with a cool head and always abiding by the best responsible gambling practices‘is imperative. Think You’ve Mastered the Basics? Test Your Skills With These Expert Craps Tactics If you want to make the best craps bets, Casino Alpha experts recommend alternative concepts for craps strategies. Having an all-inclusive view of your available betting options will prove helpful in real-life betting situations.
Craps Odds Strategy

The catch is in the small payout odds
- 4 or 10 return at 1:2 odds
- 5 or 9 payout at 2:3
- 6 or 8 pay at 5:6
Press Strategy

6/8 System

3 Point Molly

Iron Cross Craps Strategy

- The point is established
- You now wager £15 on Place 5
- You put another £20 on Place 6
- The next bet is £15 on the Field, and £20 on Place 8.
The total wager in this craps Iron Cross strategy example is £70. It may return varying amounts depending on the Odds sheet. The only exception is if 7 lands, in which case the wager is lost.
Final Craps Tips
If you’ve made it this far, you now have a solid grasp of craps strategy from top to bottom. You’ve learned about the best bets to make, worst bets to avoid, and how to leverage things like free odds and hedging to optimize your play. While craps may seem chaotic to new players, it actually offers some of the best odds in the casino when you stick to the fundamentals outlined here. Just remember:
- Avoid single roll proposition bets
- Take full advantage of free odds to reduce the house edge
- Use simple strategies like the Don’t Pass to bet with the house
- Manage your bankroll and betting limits carefully
Of course, nothing can substitute for actual time at the tables. Play online craps for free to practice before risking real money. And have fun! Smart craps play keeps the house advantage low and your enjoyment of this classic dice game high.








