Playing Bad Bets At Craps

This section is devoted to an understanding of what can only be called bad bets. These are bets that give the house a better edge, which turns out to be legitimate in the long run. Therefore you should not set up a strategy that includes playing these bets. Still there is a purpose for such bets in that they add to the variety of bets available and tend to make the game more interesting.

Playing The Field Bet

Although this bet gives the appearance of being a good place to put your money, it should be realized that casinos love to encourage you to place bets that you shouldn't. When you place a field bet you're betting that the next roll will be one of the following: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. The problem arises in that the bet is only on the next roll and during a session there may be many rolls. So while there are many bets that are available that last the enter session or at least a part of it, this one is only good for the next roll. While the bet may pay even money on the main numbers, it might pay double if a 2 or 12 is thrown. There are even casinos that will pay three to one for the roll of a 2 or twelve. Rarely will they pay such odds for both. Make sure you know what the table you are playing at pays for such rolls.

Playing The Lay Bet

When you play the lay bet you are bearing against the dice. This means that the bet wins when the shooter’s pass line bet loses. One of the superstitions prevalent among craps players is that when you play against the dice it is unluckly for all those who are playing with the dice. Although this is not really true it is steal a good idea out of respect for the other patrons of the casino to not place such a bet. This lay bet can be placed on the following numbers: the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. This bet wins if a 7 is rolled prior to your number. To make sure that they will still make money, the casino charges a vig. or a commission which playing the seven. This is because the seven is the number most likely to be rolled. The vig. is placed on winning bets and usually comes to 5%. When you place a lay bet on a 4 or a 10 you will usually receive a payback of 1:2. If you bet on a nine or a five your will get 2:3 odds. The 6 or 8 bet pays out at odds of 5:6. If it weren’t for the charging of the vig. this bet migh be considered as a good bet.

Placing Proposition Bets

Toward the center of the table there stands in a area that is slightly separate, a section which allows many different types of bets. These are termed proposition bets. They represent some of the most interesting wagers that are made available on the table. You will see a picture of the dice relating to each of the bets being offered. The actual dice total is shown or the required combination of dice required to win. There is for example, a square that is labeled 9-to-1 alongside a picture of dice showing two 3s. What this means is if you throw a six by throwing the combination of dice shown as a three and a three, and do this before a seven is thrown, or a combination totaling six that is anything other than a pair of 3s, you will win 9 times what you have bet. this is called six the hard way. It is an example of a hardway bet, a very popular proposition bet.

Here are some of the more common proposition bets and their odds:

• Yo 11 – betting that the next roll will come out a 11.
• Any Craps – betting that the next roll will come out a 2, a 3, or a 12.
• Any Seven – a bet that the following roll will come out any seven.
• Midnight - a bet that the following roll will come out a 12.
• Horn Bet - a bet that the following roll will come out split in four ways forming a 2, a 3, a 11 or a 12.
• Hardways - a bet that the following roll will come out what is termed a 'hard total', and that it will occur before either a 'soft total' or a seven is rolled. To hit a hard six you need to get six by throwing a pair of 3s. To get a soft six you can throw either a 4 and a 2, or you can throw a 5 and a 1. The term hardway refers to a bet that is won by throwing the hard total of the number you have bet on, and this before a soft total or any 7 is thrown. The hardway bet is only available on the numbers 4, 6, 8, and 10.

Placing a Buy Bet

You can place this bet on the same set of numbers as a place bet and it is very similar. This number that you ‘buy’ must come up before a 7 is thrown. The thing is that the odds one another buy bet are better so the casino places a 5% vig. on the winnings. As a result some think that this bet is altogether bad while others see it as good. Actually placing a buy bet is better than placing a bet on a 4 or a 10. However, for any other number the place bet is better.