Craps is a game where wagers are placed dependent on the outcome of the roll of two Dice. Each die has 6 sides marked with 1 through 6 dots to represent numbers. The face-up values of both rolled dice add together to form one number. There are 36 possible combinations of the dice with numbers ranging from 2 to 12. The number 7 as it turns out, can be rolled more ways than any other number. Therefore it should come as no surprise that the game in large part hinges on the number 7.
Take a moment to look at the table of Dice Combinations. Notice how the number 7 marks the center point of all the numbers, that it has the greatest number of combinations, and that the further away a number is from 7, the fewer combinations it has. Also notice how the table forms a symmetrical triangle with each set of numbers on opposite sides of the 7 (such as the 6/8 or 3/11) having equal numbers of combinations.
Any number of possible wagers can be devised using this table, and certainly no craps Layout could ever include them all. But by using the number 7 as the focal point and by basing bets and payoffs versus the 7, the symmetry of the dice combinations is put to use. Bets that do this are called the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come bets. They are in essence the heart of the craps game and among the best bets you can make in any casino since the House has only a very small Advantage on them. Place, Buy, and Lay bets as you’ll see also hinge on the 7 but give the House a larger advantage. There are some bets however, which are not hinged on the 7. They are One-Roll or Proposition bets. They give the House the largest advantage of all, and therefore are among the worst bets you can make. But regardless of the bet type, the game is a simple matter of comparing the number of possible winning and losing dice combinations. These are called the Odds.
For instance, let’s devise a bet where the number 8 versus the number 7, such that if an 8 is rolled the player wins, and if a 7 is rolled the player loses. Any other roll we’ll ignore. Looking at the Dice Combinations we see that there are 5 possible ways to roll a winning 8, and 6 possible ways to roll a losing 7. We call this the True Odds and we say they’re 5 to 6 (annotated as 5:6). Well you wouldn’t want to make a wager where you have more chances of losing than winning would you? Not unless you’re offered some higher payoff to compensate you for your greater risk. In a true system we do this by paying you what the Odds are against winning – in this case that means paying you 6 to 5 (6 won for every 5 bet). This keeps the system in balance. Thus, if we were to have a perfect distribution of 36 rolls of the Dice and we bet $5 on each roll, we would win $6 on 5 of the rolls (total $30) and lose $5 on 6 of the rolls (total $30).
But what are the chances of having a perfect distribution of rolls? In the short run – very small. And herein lies the only reason you would want to play craps at all – the hope that the distribution of rolls is unbalanced and favors your bets for the amount of time that you are playing. Note that time is the critical element here. For as time and the number of rolls increases, the actual ratios of numbers rolled will approach a perfect distribution.
Well, so what? In a true system your losses equal your wins, right? Right. But you don’t imagine that the House stays in business watching you break even do you? The true system has been altered! The House takes a Percentage or cut out of every bet on the table using a variety of different methods. In some instances you are simply paid Odds that are less than true. For example, if you make a straight wager on the number 8 (called a Place bet), instead of paying True Odds of 6 to 5 (or 1.2 to 1), the House pays Adjusted Odds of 7 to 6 (or 1.167 to 1), for a calculated 1.52% advantage. In other instances, the House pays True Odds but only after an up-front Commission (called Vig) has been paid. For example, you may Buy a Bet for a 5% Vig. In still other instances you must first make what’s called a Flat Bet bet that pays Even-Money before you may place what’s called an Odds bet that pays True Odds. Rest assured that the House has figured their percentage into each bet one way or another.
The interesting thing however, is that the House Percentage is not the same on all bets It can range from less than 1% to over 16% – a whopping difference! Granted, you can win or lose on any bet, but when you’re bucking the higher percentages it’s a lot tougher to win. So, if you’re going to stand any real chance of winning, it would behoove you to learn which bets have the lowest percentages and how to play them. Read on!
Take a moment to look at the table of Dice Combinations. Notice how the number 7 marks the center point of all the numbers, that it has the greatest number of combinations, and that the further away a number is from 7, the fewer combinations it has. Also notice how the table forms a symmetrical triangle with each set of numbers on opposite sides of the 7 (such as the 6/8 or 3/11) having equal numbers of combinations.
Any number of possible wagers can be devised using this table, and certainly no craps Layout could ever include them all. But by using the number 7 as the focal point and by basing bets and payoffs versus the 7, the symmetry of the dice combinations is put to use. Bets that do this are called the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come bets. They are in essence the heart of the craps game and among the best bets you can make in any casino since the House has only a very small Advantage on them. Place, Buy, and Lay bets as you’ll see also hinge on the 7 but give the House a larger advantage. There are some bets however, which are not hinged on the 7. They are One-Roll or Proposition bets. They give the House the largest advantage of all, and therefore are among the worst bets you can make. But regardless of the bet type, the game is a simple matter of comparing the number of possible winning and losing dice combinations. These are called the Odds.
For instance, let’s devise a bet where the number 8 versus the number 7, such that if an 8 is rolled the player wins, and if a 7 is rolled the player loses. Any other roll we’ll ignore. Looking at the Dice Combinations we see that there are 5 possible ways to roll a winning 8, and 6 possible ways to roll a losing 7. We call this the True Odds and we say they’re 5 to 6 (annotated as 5:6). Well you wouldn’t want to make a wager where you have more chances of losing than winning would you? Not unless you’re offered some higher payoff to compensate you for your greater risk. In a true system we do this by paying you what the Odds are against winning – in this case that means paying you 6 to 5 (6 won for every 5 bet). This keeps the system in balance. Thus, if we were to have a perfect distribution of 36 rolls of the Dice and we bet $5 on each roll, we would win $6 on 5 of the rolls (total $30) and lose $5 on 6 of the rolls (total $30).
But what are the chances of having a perfect distribution of rolls? In the short run – very small. And herein lies the only reason you would want to play craps at all – the hope that the distribution of rolls is unbalanced and favors your bets for the amount of time that you are playing. Note that time is the critical element here. For as time and the number of rolls increases, the actual ratios of numbers rolled will approach a perfect distribution.
Well, so what? In a true system your losses equal your wins, right? Right. But you don’t imagine that the House stays in business watching you break even do you? The true system has been altered! The House takes a Percentage or cut out of every bet on the table using a variety of different methods. In some instances you are simply paid Odds that are less than true. For example, if you make a straight wager on the number 8 (called a Place bet), instead of paying True Odds of 6 to 5 (or 1.2 to 1), the House pays Adjusted Odds of 7 to 6 (or 1.167 to 1), for a calculated 1.52% advantage. In other instances, the House pays True Odds but only after an up-front Commission (called Vig) has been paid. For example, you may Buy a Bet for a 5% Vig. In still other instances you must first make what’s called a Flat Bet bet that pays Even-Money before you may place what’s called an Odds bet that pays True Odds. Rest assured that the House has figured their percentage into each bet one way or another.
The interesting thing however, is that the House Percentage is not the same on all bets It can range from less than 1% to over 16% – a whopping difference! Granted, you can win or lose on any bet, but when you’re bucking the higher percentages it’s a lot tougher to win. So, if you’re going to stand any real chance of winning, it would behoove you to learn which bets have the lowest percentages and how to play them. Read on!
Another thing that really makes WinCraps enjoyable for me is how it manages to stay interesting even after playing it multiple times. Many games feel repetitive after a while, but here, the experience still feels fresh because of the small details and different ways you can approach the gameplay. As you continue playing, you naturally start improving and understanding the mechanics better, which makes everything feel more rewarding. I also appreciate the balance the game maintains—it’s not too difficult, but it’s not too easy either. You can play it casually for a short break or spend longer sessions without getting bored. That flexibility is one of the biggest reasons why I keep coming back to WinCraps. Overall, it’s the kind of game that doesn’t just entertain you for a moment, but actually gives you a consistently enjoyable experience every time you play.
