Craps Odds, Payouts & House Edge Guide

The house edge in craps varies more widely than in almost any other casino table game. The Pass Line sits at approx. 1.41%. The Odds bet carries exactly 0%. Proposition bets can exceed 16%. This reference guide covers every major bet type with its payout ratio, approximate house edge, and the key context you need to compare them.

Every craps payout is calculated from the 36 possible outcomes when two six-sided dice are rolled. The 7 has six combinations, making it the most likely single result. The 2 and 12 each have only one combination, making them the least likely. This probability distribution is why the house edge differs so significantly between bets. 

True odds reflect these probabilities directly. Payout odds are what the casino offers, which is slightly less than true odds. The gap between the two is the house edge. The one exception is the Odds bet, which pays exactly at true odds. 

The table below ranks all major craps bets from lowest to highest house edge. It is the fastest way to compare the relative value of each bet before reading the detailed sections below. 

The Odds bet is the only bet in craps that pays at true mathematical odds, giving the casino no edge whatsoever. It cannot be placed on its own. It must sit behind an existing Pass Line, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come bet. Understanding how it works, and how it reduces the combined house edge, is the most valuable piece of knowledge for any craps player.

Taking Odds (behind a Pass Line or Come bet). The Odds bet wins if the point is rolled before a 7. Payouts reflect the true probability of each point number:

Laying Odds (behind a Don't Pass or Don't Come bet). Lays more to win less, at the inverse of the taking odds payouts: 1:2 on 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5 or 9, 5:6 on 6 or 8. The zero house edge applies equally.

The effect of taking Odds on the combined house edge is significant. The more Odds you take relative to your Pass Line bet, the lower the combined edge on the full amount at risk.

Multi-roll bets remain active across multiple dice rolls and resolve when their specific condition is met. The following sections cover each bet in detail. 

Pass Line 

Payout: 1:1. House edge: approx. 1.41%. Placed before the come-out roll. Wins on a Natural (7 or 11), loses on Craps (2, 3, or 12), and wins if the point rolls before a 7 in the point phase. This is the foundation of almost every craps strategy because it enables Odds bets.

Don't Pass 

Payout: 1:1. House edge: approx. 1.36%. The inverse of the Pass Line. Wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12 on the come-out. In the point phase, it wins if 7 is rolled before the point. The push on 12 is the source of the house edge on this side.

Come Bet 

Payout: 1:1. House edge: approx. 1.41%. Placed after the point is established. The next roll becomes its personal come-out. Operates independently of the Pass Line point.

Taking Odds 

Payout: 2:1 / 3:2 / 6:5 (true odds). House edge: 0%. Placed behind a Pass or Come bet. Odds bets on Come bets are off by default during the come-out roll. Players who want them to remain active can tell the dealer 'Odds on Come bets are working'.

Don't Come Bet 

Payout: 1:1. House edge: approx. 1.36%. The inverse of the Come bet. Wins on 2 or 3 on the next roll, loses on 7 or 11, and pushes on 12. Once a number is established, wins if 7 rolls before that number.

Laying Odds 

Payout: 1:2 / 2:3 / 5:6 (true odds). House edge: 0%. Placed behind a Don't Pass or Don't Come bet.

Place 6 or 8 

Payout: 7:6. House edge: approx. 1.52%. The most favorable Place bets on the table. Bets must be placed in multiples of 6 to receive the correct 7:6 payout. A $5 Place bet on 6 pays only $5 (even money); a $6 bet pays $7. Place bets are off (inactive) on the come-out roll by default, but can be called on.

Place 5 or 9 

Payout: 7:5. House edge: approx. 4.00%. Less favourable than Place 6/8 but frequently used by players who want more numbers covered.

Place 4 or 10 

Payout: 9:5. House edge: approx. 6.67%. High house edge relative to other Place bets. The Buy bet (below) offers a better payout on 4 and 10 in some circumstances.

Field Bet

Payout: 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10, 11. Typically 2:1 on 2. Either 2:1 or 3:1 on 12, depending on the table. House edge: approx. 2.78% (when 12 pays 3:1) or approx. 5.56% (when 12 pays 2:1). The Field bet covers seven numbers out of eleven and loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8. Since 7 is the most frequently rolled number and 6 and 8 are the second and third most frequent, the Field bet loses on the four most common outcomes.

Buy bet (4 or 10) 

Payout: 2:1 minus a 5% commission. House edge: approx. 4.76% when commission is charged on placement. When the casino charges commission on wins only, the edge drops to approx. 1.67% on 4 and 10. This variation is significant. Always confirm the commission structure at the specific table before placing a Buy bet, as it materially changes the value of the wager.

Big 6 / Big 8 

Payout: 1:1 (even money). House edge: approx. 9.09%. This bet wins if 6 or 8 rolls before a 7, which is the same winning condition as Place 6 or Place 8. However, Place 6 and Place 8 pay 7:6 while Big 6/8 pays 1:1. The difference: on a $12 bet, Place 6 returns $14 while Big 6 returns $12. Place bets are always better value for the same result.

Hardways (4 or 10) 

Payout: 7:1. House edge: approx. 11.11%.

Wins only if 4 rolls as 2-2 or 10 rolls as 5-5, before a 7 or easy combination.

Same structure as Hardway 6/8, with a higher house edge due to fewer winning combinations.

Hardways (6 or 8) 

Payout: 9:1. House edge: approx. 9.09%. A Hardway 6 wins only if the dice show 3-3 before a 7 or an easy 6 (1-5 or 5-1). A Hardway 8 wins only on 4-4 before a 7 or an easy 8 (2-6 or 6-2). Multi-roll bets that require a specific pair combination.

Proposition bets resolve on the very next roll of the dice. They sit in the center of the table and are managed by the stickman. All proposition bets carry higher payouts than core bets, but also significantly higher house edges. The table below shows the full range.

Horn bet net payout example: The Horn bet is a 4-unit wager split equally across 2, 3, 11, and 12. On a $4 Horn bet, each number has $1 on it. If 12 rolls, the $1 unit on 12 wins at 30:1 (= $30 gross). The three losing units cost $3. Net profit: $27 on a $4 total bet. The 30:1 headline payout refers to the winning unit only, not the net return on the full bet.

The three tiers below group every craps bet by house edge level.

The following questions address the most common queries about craps odds and payouts.