From the gaming floor: Tricks and tips to improve your chances at winning at craps

The US Sun

25 January 2024

From the gaming floor: Tricks and tips to improve your chances at winning at craps

CRAPS is one of those quintessential casino games that, if you've ever been on a hot roll with a table full of people winning even a small amount of money, you're going to remember it.

Unlike blackjack or other games, craps is set up so that, generally speaking, when one player is doing well, all of them are doing well, so it forms a bond between players, especially on a hot table, that is hard to describe.

We are going to cover some craps tips and tricks that should help you improve your game, and who knows, if you hit a hot table, maybe even pick up a few dollars.

Craps strategy is a simple process of betting only those bets that have a low edge.

��‍�� How to get started when playing craps at an online casino

While you can't get all of the camaraderie and fellowship out of playing craps online, you do get much smaller minimum bets, better deposit bonuses and promotions offers, and often better rule sets. Plus, nobody is blowing cigar smoke in your face or stepping on your feet, so there are some definite tradeoffs.

Once you've got your online casino account set up and picked out the right dice table for your budget, you will be faced with a representation of an online craps table. All of the usual craps bets are included, though you may not be able to hop bet every single combination.

It's best to play around with it a bit in demo mode to get a sense of where all the bets are, how you place odds, and where the field bet goes. If I want to bet the don't pass, where is that bet at? Getting all this straight before betting any real money will be crucial to maintaining our original bankroll and not letting the casino make money off the learning curve.

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�� How to pick the right virtual craps table to play at

We are going to be first looking at casinos that count craps action towards deposit bonuses or refund cash back. So, we may need to open the T&Cs and quickly look through them.

Some of the major online casinos, including BetMGM, do not count craps play towards your initial deposit bonus or even their no-deposit bonus or count it at only 20%.

It's probably better to consider BetRivers who have a refund on the initial loss bonus on all casino games, and does not exclude craps players.

Since initial bonuses, along with ongoing redeposit bonuses, can really make a difference on the house edge over time and effects our crap strategy, it's essential that we only play craps where they will actually value and reward our play.

Bonus offers change from time to time, so please make sure to read the latest promo terms and conditions to check which games are excluded.

DraftKings comes out a bit better since they have both an Andrew Dice Clay and DraftKings branded craps game which offers 5x odds and a return to player of 99.73% when played correctly.

Since the best mathematical craps strategy is taking the pass and come bets with full odds, we will want tables that allow the highest odds bet possible.

�� What should you be aware of when playing craps online

Just because craps is often excluded from initial deposit bonuses doesn't mean that if you are a VIP player, you can't get great offers. It just means that you will need to contact the host department or your land-based casino host if you have one assigned.

Loss rebates of 10% on overall trip losses are still very common for online craps, along with other table games play.

The pass line bet paired with the maximum odds bet allowed will be the most mathematically sound. We will pair this with as many come bets with full odds as our craps betting strategy will allow with our bankroll.

As discussed, not only each online casino but often each craps table may allow different amounts of max odds

Some land-based casinos have 10x or even 20x odds, but it is extremely difficult to find much more than 5x in online casinos. As of 2024, you could find 5x odds DraftKings.

You will still earn rewards points for craps play, even if excluded for some promotions, though this rate may not be as high as you would receive if you were playing slots.

If you are headed to Las Vegas soon, maybe you could still play at BetMGM to earn some points for free meals or comped rooms at just under a 1% house advantage.

The new live dealer versions of craps use a mechanical throwing arm and a live stream to try and recreate some of the excitement of real craps. It's not quite there yet, but it can be a lot of fun.

Compare the $1 minimum to the $25 or more you might have to bet in a brick-and-mortar casino, and it looks like more of a great thing.

�� My top 5 craps strategy tips and tricks for players

Here are my top tricks and tricks for the craps table. These craps strategy tips are simple enough for anyone to follow. No iron cross strategy here.

1. Play the Pass Line bet

The pass line bet is 1.4% house edge, as is the come bet, which is the same bet, just made after the come out. When we take maximum odds, we cut that down considerably.

With 5x odds, the house edge is under 0.3%. Pass line bets are sometimes simply referred to as line bets or pass bets and are generally bet on the come-out roll.

Once a point has been established, you can take your odds bets. Then you can place come bets instead of place bets. Once they are moved onto a point, you can take odds bets on these as well.

2. Your best craps strategy

Craps games are notoriously volatile. This craps odds strategy of full odds bets on pass bets and then full odds on come bets does provide some downside protection by having a come bet that wins with a seven to offset some of our losses, but mainly it relies on catching a few numbers in each roll at least.

Sophisticated craps players may argue that, mathematically, the best craps betting strategy is the don't pass and laying odds. Still, we find the extra volatility with this craps betting strategy not to be worth the tiny advantage gained.

3. Play craps with casinos that give you credit

Online casinos can't seem to make up their minds about craps. Some offer initial bonus deposits. Some don't. Some count crap play for redeposits, some don't, and many change back and forth depending on their mood that month. It's frustrating.

Our advice is to contact customer service via live chat, see what they say, and let your feelings on the subject be known.

They can tell you what the rules are; you can screenshot them, and avoid all of the tedious diggings through the terms, only to be told later that they are no longer correct. Plus, you can tell them they still have an advantage on dice. It should be included in their promotions.

4. Avoid craps bets with a terrible house edge

Pass bets with full odds get you a great RTP, but some bets on the craps game will eat your lunch. The very popular field bet is over 5% house advantage. That's ten times worse than our best craps strategy.

Some of the center bets on the craps games have an even worse house edge. The Any Craps Bet is over 11% house advantage, and the Any Seven bet is over 17%. That's crazy high. Pass bets may only pay even money, but at least you can play for a while.

5. Watch your bankroll

It's easy to get carried away in the heat of the moment on a hot craps game, so money management and sticking to your craps betting strategy is critical.

Since we will need to take 5x odds for every pass bet we make and would like to play at least two come bets with full odds, we are looking at 18 units per come-out roll. Since we'd like to see at least come out rolls, we should consider 200 units for a session bankroll. This is where online casino play comes in handy.

With $15 to $25 minimum games almost everywhere in brick-and-mortar casinos, we would need thousands for our buy-in, but thanks to craps games as low as 25 cents at many online casinos, we could play for as low as $40.

Kevin Lentz

Kevin's journey in the world of casinos began as an advantage player, giving him a unique perspective on the industry. But he eventually earned three decades of experience in casino management and has successfully overseen diverse departments, including slots, table games, poker rooms, and sportsbooks within land-based casinos. Now, he channels his passion for all things related to blackjack, card counting, advantage play, and the dynamic realm of online casinos into his writing.