Craps Basics and Strategy
Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line
The two craps bets with the smallest house advantage are the pass line and the don’t pass line bets. Therefore, making these types of bets is the best way to reduce the house advantage and improve your odds. In fact, if you do it right you can practically eliminate the house advantage – something you should keep in mind to improve your odds considerably.
Betting on Multiples
Much like roulette, when playing craps you’re not limited to betting on a single number. Of course you can bet on just one number if you like, but many people believe that the best craps strategy (to maximise your enjoyment and winning potential), is to spread your money across several combinations. Then, even if one of your bets loses another may win, which not only hedges your losses, but also creates a far more exciting game.
Knowing Your Craps Odds
When learning craps basics it is essential that you understand the concept of odds. Together, the two dice can create a combination of any number between 2 and 12. Certain numbers, however, are more likely to come up than others.
For example any combination with the term “hard” in front of it is called that for a reason; it’s unlikely to be thrown. Let’s take a hard eight for example (when both dice show identical values, in this case two 4’s). There is a one in ten chance of a hard 8 being rolled, while there is a four in ten chance of a normal 8 being rolled.
But it’s not just hard rolls to consider. There’s also the fact that numbers like 2 only have one way in which they can be rolled.
Don’t Overspend!
“Do not overspend” is quite possibly the single most important piece of advice anyone can be given when playing any game of chance (and playing craps is no exception). In general, it is a good idea to decide how much money you will play with before you start, and stick to that amount. It is also a good idea to decide how much money you would be happy winning before you start playing. That way, if you reach your goal, you can happily take your money, and walk away significantly better off than you were before.