Best Craps Side Bets and How to Play Them
In addition to standard craps table bets, various craps side bets can elevate your play, giving you more options and more chances to win big. If you play craps online or offline, make sure you know about all of these wagers.
What are Side Bets in Craps?
Craps side bets are non-traditional wagers that usually offer high payouts and require specific outcomes. The most popular side bets include:
Fire Bet Craps
If things are going your way and it seems that every roll is in your favor, it could be time to up the ante with the Fire bet craps[II2] wager.
The Fire bet is a wager on the shooter making at least four different Pass Line points before they seven out. The key word here is “different”. If they roll the same number four times in a row, it only counts as one. The more successive different numbers the shooter rolls, the more they win, with the biggest payouts offering a 999:1 return, giving a total return of $1,000 for a $1 wager.
The house edge is around 21-25%. The odds are shown below:
| Numbers in a Row | Average Payout | Average Odds |
| Four | 24:1 | 0.88% |
| Five | 249:1 | 0.164% |
| Six | 999:1 | 0.0162% |
Hop Bets Craps
There is no space on the table layout for a Hop bets craps[II3] wager. You must ask the dealer if you want to place this bet.
With this bet, you’re wagering that the dice will contain two specific numbers, known as “Easy Hops,” or that they will both have the same number, known as “Hard Hops.”
The names stem from the probabilities of these outcomes. If you bet that the dice will show 3 and 4, you have two ways to reach that outcome, as you win if the first die is 3 and the second die is 4, but also if the first die is 4 and the second die is 3. With a Hard Hop bet of 4s, you need both dice to land on 4.
| Bet | Average Payout | Average House Edge |
| Easy Hops | 15:1 | 11.1% |
| Hard Hops | 30:1 | 16.7% |
Horn Bet Craps
The Horn bet craps[II4] wager is found in the middle of the table with the proposition bets.
It’s a four-way split between the numbers 12, 11, 3, and 2, which means that if you bet $10, you will place $2.50 on each outcome. The Horn bet is a single roll bet, and the payouts and odds vary by number, with the 12 and 2 returning a 30:1 payout and the 11 and 3 offering 15:1.
If you place this bet in a land-based casino with a $5 chip, they may return $1 and split the other $4 between the four numbers. You can also ask for that other $1 to be placed on one of the numbers, thus doubling your bet for that specific outcome.
| Bet | Average Payout | Average House Edge |
| 12 and 2 | 30:1 | 13.9% |
| 11 and 3 | 15:1 | 11.1% |
Any 7 Bet Craps
The Any 7 bet craps[II5] wagers that the next roll will be a 7. It’s just one number, but it’s the most likely, as more variations of dice rolls can total 7 than any other number.
Bear in mind, though, that the house edge for the Any 7 bet is one of the highest in the game.
| Bet | Average Payout | Average House Edge |
| Any 7 | 4:1 | 16.67% |
Any Craps Bet
| Bet | Average Payout | Average House Edge |
| Any Craps | 7:1 | 11.1% |
Also known as the Three Way, as there are three winning numbers, the Any Craps bet[II6] pays for a 12, 3, or 2. These numbers are known as “craps,” and there is a 7:1 payout for landing them. However, the odds of actually doing so are 11.1%,
Understanding Craps Odds
The payouts for craps side bets can vary greatly, as can the odds. The odds of a particular bet landing are compared to the payout for that wager to create the house edge. For instance, if the payout is 1:1 (which means you get a $10 profit on a $10 bet) and there is a 50% chance, there is no house edge. But this is a casino game, so there is always an edge.
The promise of a big payout draws many inexperienced players, but in doing so, they often play right into the casino’s hands. Not only is the house edge high on many of these wagers, but the odds of them landing are slim, so you’d have to make the same bet many times to have a hope of landing it.
By then, you could have sacrificed most of your bankroll.
Craps Odds Chart
Not only can side bet odds vary considerably, but the same is true for standard craps wagers. See the craps odds chart below to get an idea of where you stand:
| The Bet | The Payout | The House Edge |
| Pass Line | 2:1 | 1.41% |
| Come Bet/Pass Line/Buy 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 4.76% |
| Come Bet/Pass Line/Buy 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 4.76% |
| Come Bet/Pass Line/Buy 6 or 8 | 5:6 | 4.76% |
| Don’t Pass | 2:1 | 1.36% |
| Don’t Come/Don’t Pass/Lay 4 or 10 | 2:1 | 2.44% |
| Don’t Come/Don’t Pass/Lay 5 or 9 | 3:2 | 3.23% |
| Don’t Come/Don’t Pass/Lay 6 or 8 | 5:6 | 4% |
| Place 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.7% |
| Play 5 or 9 | 7:6 | 1.52% |
| Field 2 or 12 | 2:1 | 5.5% |
| Field 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 | 1:1 | 5.5% |
| Any 7 | 4:1 | 16.9% |
| Hard Way | 7:1 | 11.1% |
| Any Craps | 7:1 | 11.1% |
| Easy Hops | 15:1 | 11.1% |
| Hard Hops | 30:1 | 16.7% |
| Craps 2 or 12 | 30:1 | 13.9% |
| Craps 3 or 11 | 15:1 | 11.1% |
| Big 6 or 8 | 1:1 | 9.09% |
| Horn 3 or 11 | 15:1 | 11.1% |
| Horn 2 or 12 | 30:1 | 13.9% |
| Fire Bet | 24:1 to 999:1 | 24.7% |
Tips for Playing Craps Side Bets Effectively
To get the most from craps side bets, remember the following:
- Always create a bankroll
- Learn the house edge and payout odds
- Don’t focus solely on the size of the potential payout
- Place some simple bets before trying more complicated wagers
- Get as many casino bonuses as you can before playing, including online welcome bonuses and loyalty programs
- Only wager what you can afford to lose
- Stick with bets that have a low house edge
Conclusion
Crap side bets are a great way to add an extra dimension to your gaming session, and with options like the Fire bet, you could turn a winning streak into the game’s biggest payout.
Always consider those house edges and odds. If you need more info on any specific side bets, check the links above and read our guides on each option.
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