How to Play Craps - Easy Craps Betting
This article is part 2 of an article on the craps gambling page. Read that page first if you're a beginner.
Craps Betting
So if the shooter doesn't roll craps, and the shooter doesn't roll a 7 or an 11, he's rolled a point number. When he rolls a point number, you should put another small bet behind your original bet. (Roughly twice the original amount would be an appropriate amount to bet.) This extra bet is called a free-odds bet or just an odds bet.
Your original bet (the pass line bet you made) gets paid out as even money if you win. Your odds bet, on the other hand, gets paid out as a true-odds money. So even though you have to put extra money up for this wager, it's a great bet, because the house edge on this bet is exactly 0. (Any time the house pays out money in a true odds fashion, the house edge is exactly 0. Almost all casino game bets pay out at less than their true odds, which is why a casino is a profitable business to run.)
This bet isn't even shown on the layout of the craps table. That's because it's such a great bet for the player, and not such a good bet for the casino.
Free-Odds Bet Payouts
| Pass-line point | House Odds | Payout |
| 4 or 10 | 2 to 1 | 2 to 1 |
| 5 or 9 | 3 to 2 | 3 to 2 |
| 6 or 8 | 6 to 5 | 6 to 5 |
Playing a pass-line bet and then a free-odds bet if the shooter makes a point is a strategy for playing craps that you can use for your entire time at the craps table with a significant amount of success. It's even more fun when you get to be a shooter, because then you have a lot of other players rooting for your success.
Anyway, to sum it up, bet the pass line. Add odds bets when the shooter rolls a point. You didn't know becoming a craps player was going to be that easy did you?
Actually there are over 120 different kinds of craps bets that you can make, and there will be additional tutorials covering those bets on this site. But if you're a beginning player, the strategy outlined on this page and the home page will get you in on the action really quick, and you should be able to tread water without losing all your money playing craps.