Single-Roll Bets

The pass line, the come bet, the odds bet, wrong betting bets, placing numbers, buying and laying numbers, the big 6 and big 8, and the hardways are all multi-roll bets—they may require more than one roll of the dice to decide a winner. In contrast, single-roll bets are all decided on a single roll of the dice and last only one roll. Most single-roll bets are made near the center of the craps layout with the assistance of the stickman. Though this guide explains each of the single-roll bets you can make in craps—and it can be exciting to make these bets because they offer big payouts—the simple fact is that no single-roll bet is worth making. They’re among the worst bets on the layout.

The field is a wager that the next roll of the dice will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. You win the field bet if any of these numbers should appear, and you lose otherwise. To play the field, place your chips on the area of the layout that reads, “Field.”

If the next roll of the dice is a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11, the field pays even money. If the next roll is a 2 or 12, most casinos pay double, so a $5.00 wager would win $10.00. The house edge on the field is 5.56%.

Some casinos replace the 9 with a 5 as one of the field numbers. This makes no difference and doesn’t affect the house edge for field bets. A few casinos pay triple on either the 2 or the 12. This variation reduces the house edge to 2.78%.

To make any of the following single-roll bets, place your chips on the table and announce the bet you want to make. The stickman will then move the chips to the appropriate area in the center of the table.

Any 7 is a bet that the next roll will be a 7. To make this bet, tell the stickman “Any seven” and place your chips on the table. If this bet wins, it pays off at 4 to 1, so a $5.00 bet would win $20.00. The house edge for an any 7 bet is a staggering 16.67%, making it the worst bet in craps.

Any craps is a wager that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. To make this bet, tell the stickman “Any craps” and place your chips on the table. It pays off at 7 to 1, so a $5.00 wager would win $35.00. The house edge for any craps is 11.11%.

These bets are wagers that the next roll will be a 2 or 12. Each is a separate bet—you may bet either the 2 or the 12. To make the bet, tell the stickman “Two” or “Twelve” as appropriate, and place your chips on the table. In either case, winning bets are paid at 30 to 1, and the house edge is 13.89%.

These separate wagers are similar to the 2 and 12 bets, but win if the next roll is a 3 or 11. To make this bet, tell the stickman “Three” or “Eleven” as appropriate, and place your chips on the table. Winning 3 and 11 bets are paid at 15 to 1 and have a house edge of 11.11%.

The horn is a single wager that combines the 2, 3, 11, and 12 bets. To make this bet, tell the stickman “Bet the horn,” and place your chips on the table. If the next roll is a 2 or 12, the horn pays off at 30 to 1. If the next roll is a 3 or 11, the horn pays off at 15 to 1. The overall house edge on the horn is 12.50%.

The world bet is similar to the horn, but it includes any 7 in addition to the 2, 3, 11, and 12 bets. To make this bet, tell the stickman “Bet the world” and place your chips on the table. If the next roll is a 2 or 12, the world pays off at 30 to 1. If the next roll is a 3 or 11, the world pays off at 15 to 1. If the next roll is any 7, the world pays off at 4 to 1. The overall house edge on the world is 13.33%.

A hop bet is a wager that the next roll of the dice will be a particular combination, such as 2-3. You win if the next roll is the desired combination, and you lose otherwise. Most craps layouts don’t have an area for hop bets, so these bets are made verbally. You make a hop bet by telling the dealer which combination you want to bet, then placing the desired amount of chips on the table. For example, “Hop the three-five!” will place a wager that a 3-5 will be the next roll of the dice.

Most hop bets are paid at 15 to 1. Hop bets on doubles, such as “Hop the two-two!,” are paid at 30 to 1. The house edge on the 15 to 1 hop bets is 11.11%. On the 30 to 1 bets, the house edge is 13.89%.

C&E, which stands for “craps and eleven,” is identical to the horn bet. You win if the next roll is a 2, 3, 11, or 12, and you lose otherwise. C&E bets are placed in the small circles near the center of the layout.

The house edge for C&E is 12.50%, just like the horn bet.

Casinos occasionally introduce their own, unique bets. If you encounter a new or unusual bet not described in this guide, it’s almost certainly a bad bet. Rarely does the casino create new wagers in the best interest of the players.