Unlike some casino games, there is no way to effectively swing the game of craps in your favour by the way you play. This is because the craps boils down to the throw of the dice. However, there are many things that you can do in order to swing the odds in your favour and to minimize your losses.
There is no sure way to win at craps, but following these few basic tips will help you greatly.
Manage your bankroll effectively
You should set yourself realistic goals before you play. Very few players have made their fortunes playing craps. This is the sort of game that you play to increase your bankroll over a period of time.
You should also refrain from gambling beyond your means and especially so if you are gambling on credit. In fact, it is not advisable to gamble on credit at all.
Learn the game first
Many new craps players fall short when they play the game without knowing how the game functions. This results in rash bets and ultimately quick losses. These mistakes are then repeated in the hope of winning the lost money back.
Playing craps for free online will help smooth out the basic playing mistakes so that when you do play for real money you will know how the game flows and when you should bet on which betting area.
Play the odds
Like in any casino game, it is all about playing the odds. In craps, there are two bets that offer you both ease of play and decent odds. These two bets are the pass line and don't pass line bets. The reason these bets have the edge over other bets on the craps table is because they have extra betting options in terms of extra odds.
The basic pass line bet holds a 1.41% edge for the house. However, if you take a 20X odds bet this reduces the house edge to 0.099%. As you can see, the higher the odds you take, the better you chances of diminishing the house edge.
Here is a basic table which outlines the differences in house edge.
| Odds |
Pass line |
Don't pass line |
| 0 |
1.41% |
1.36% |
| 1 |
0.848% |
0.682% |
| 2 |
0.606% |
0.455% |
| 3 |
0.471% |
0.341% |
| 5 |
0.326% |
0.227% |
| 10 |
0.184% |
0.124% |
| 20 |
0.099% |
0.065% |
| 100 |
0.021% |
0.014% |
Playing the don't pass line odds offers even better chances than the pass line odds.
Learn from others
You should only look at playing the more complex bets once you are completely comfortable with how the game functions. A good way to do this is to start off by playing the easier bets like pass line bets and at the same time watch how other players at the table place their bets. In this way you are learning the basics while at the same time you are gaining invaluable craps experience in how the more complex bets work.
