Craps Table Layout Odds
Table Odds, Minimums, and Maximums explained
Table Odds
Once you make a flat bet (pass, don’t pass, come, don’t come) and a point has beenset, you can place a wager on the Free Odds bet. The amounta casino lets you put on the Free Odds varies from casino to casino, and is calledthe Table Odds. It’s always a multiple of your flat bet (e.g., 1x, 2x, 5x, 10x,etc.) Table Odds are almost always posted on casino craps tables with signs. Asof this writing THE RIO, THE PARIS and SUNCOAST are the only casinos in Las Vegasnoted by this author that do not post Table Odds signs on their craps tables. Youmay even have to ask the dealers what table minimums and maximums are. At each ofthese casinos Table Odds are 3X on 4 and 10, 4X on 5 and 9 and 5X on 6 and 8 ineach of these casinos. (More on the Free Odds bet.)
Minimum
The Minimum means the minimum bet for a Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Field, or Big 6 and/or8 bet. Minimums usually do not apply to proposition bets (in the middle of the table).For example on a $5 minimum table you can probably bet $1 units on most prop bets– but you shouldn’t since prop bets carry a high house edge.
Maximum
- In crapless craps, however, the house still has an edge of 0.38% (5% minus 5.38%). Compared to the difference in pass line bets, the additional place bets on a crapless craps layout are even more heavily tilted to the house. Placing the 3 or 11 carries a house edge between 6.25 percent and 10 percent depending on the casino.
- The house edge for this bet is 4.76%. Although the odds are lower than the other medium odds options, this is still a good choice for players who want craps payouts larger than 1/1. Place Bet - 5 or 9. With only a 4% house edge while paying out at 7/5, the Place Bet - 5 or 9 is a good option for adventurous players.
- A standard craps table layout comprises two sections: Side section (there are two identical side sections, one on each end of the table),. Each side section is manned by a dealer. The center section is manned by the stickman. Because the two side sections are identical, it doesn’t matter which end you play, except for personal preference (e.g., if one end has several chain smokers, then you.
The 6 and/or 8 Exception Rule. You can exceed table limits in most casinoswhen placing odds on the 6 and/or 8. For example in a casino that posts a $4,000Maximum on Free Odds you can probably wager $5,000 on Free Odds on the 6 and/or8. Don’t Pass Ass Backwards. All proposition bets in thecenter of the table layout range from 9.09% to 16.67% in favor of the house. Thisis where your money is thrown away. As for the Hardways, the house edge there iseither 9.09% or 11.1% — both worse than most slot machines.
The Maximum means the largest bet that you are allowed to make on the Pass Line,Don’t Pass, Field or Big 6 and/or 8. It’s also the largest bet allowed to be bookedfor Place Bets, and also usually the maximum payout allowed for proposition bets(in the middle of the table).
Maximum is a deceptive term because it doesn’t apply to the Free Odds bets. Forexample, on a table that offers 2X Table Odds and which has a $1,000 maximum, youcould make a $1,000 Flat Bet on the Pass Line and add another $2,000 behind it forOdds once your point is established, for a total of $3,000. Similarly, on a $1,000table with 5X odds you could make a $1,000 flat Bet on the Pass Line and add another$5,000 behind it for Odds, for a total of $6,000.
Some Casinos place a limit on the Free Odds bet which is posted on their signage.
Policy and limits on maximum bets is usually established by the Boxman.
It is possible to exceed what a player might consider maximum by making anotherwager, even on the same number (point). For example, on a $500 maximum table with2X odds it would be possible to bet $500 on the Pass Line, $1,000 odds on a pointof 4, and then Place or “Buy” the 4 for $500. There is no rule against doing thisas you are simply making a Place Bet in addition to your Pass Line bet. If you doso, the boxman and floorpeople might frown on this a bit but you should hold yourground that the limit applies to individual wagers. Placing the point is a commonoccurrence on tables with 2x odds where a player might have a very low bet on thePass Line with odds and is confident that they will make the Point. This, in essence,is a way for a player to exceed the 2x odds limit (or any low odds table limit)when on a hot roll. Needless to say that this is a subtlety of the game that thehouse will not readily advertise, even in those casinos where they actually schedulecraps training sessions for customers. And very few dealers would be prepared tooffer you the advice to Press your wager(s) in this manner. If you find any dealerswho can help you win in this manner when you are on a hot roll you should treatthem like gold.
Craps Table Layout With Odds
The 6 and/or 8 Exception Rule. You can exceed table limits in most casinoswhen placing odds on the 6 and/or 8. For example in a casino that posts a $4,000Maximum on Free Odds you can probably wager $5,000 on Free Odds on the 6 and/or8.
Craps Table Layout Odds For Free
Don’t Pass Ass Backwards. When laying Free Odds on the Don’t Pass bet, youhave to and are allowed to lay as much as double table maximum in order to win tablemaximum.
Craps Table Layout For Sale
Crapless Craps You may have run across it at the Stratosphere in Vegas.Or was on some backwater boat in Mississippi?Or maybe it was at that Indian casino you visited on vacation.It’s called Crapless Craps.Many players like this game, yet after thirty years on the market, Crapless Craps is still difficult to find.Why?Primarily because it is a proprietary game, which means casinos must pay a licensing fee to use the layout.But there’s also a certain amount of player - and casino - reluctance to accept the game.Part of this comes out of confusion over the payout schedules - still another set of numbers for dealers and players to learn.Then there’s the vig – substantially higher than at the traditional game.Nevertheless, Crapless Craps can be a profitable game for the skilled dice setter who plays the “best bets”, then arranges his dice accordingly. The basic Crapless Craps game is quite similar to traditional banker’s craps, however it does have a few unique variations.First off, there’s the addition of four new point numbers.The 2, 3, 11, and 12 are point numbers in this game.Since it is “crapless,” you cannot lose on the come out roll.But you don’t automatically win on the eleven either, so the only way to win on the come out is by throwing the seven.Traditionally, the best set for throwing the seven is the hard 10 set with the 3/4 on the side.But we’ll get into this more later. At first glance the Crapless idea looks good.You’re giving up one natural, the 11,to avoid three losers, the 2, 3, or 12.Remember, though, that the probability of hitting a point of 2 or 12 is only 1/7, and the probability of hitting a point of 3 or 11 is only 1/4.In fact, giving up that sure winner on the eleven for a shot at winning on the 2, 3, and 12 boosts the house edge on the pass line to a whopping 5.382%.Placing single odds will reduce the vig to 2.936%.Double odds reduces it further to 2.081%.But it is not until you get to 5X odds that the vig gets halfway respectable – down to 1.042%.However, most of these games offer nothing better than double odds.Therefore, the pass line bet should be avoided unless you are shooting the dice. Let’s take a look at the true odds aspect of these “new” point numbers at Crapless Craps.The true odds of any point rolling are based on the number of ways that point can be rolled in relationship to the number of ways the seven can be rolled.Imaging you have $5 on the line and the shooter establishes the twelve as his point.You place full double odds behind the line bet and have a total of $15 in action.What would be the correct pay off if the shooter made the point?There is one combination of the dice that adds up to twelve.The six-six.But there are six combinations that add up to seven.They are one-six, two-five, three-four, four-three, five-two, and six-one.Therefore, the correct true odds on the twelve are six to one.In our example, if the shooter made his point we would be paid $5 for our line bet, and $60 for our $10 free odds bet, for a total payoff of $65. TRUE ODDS PAY-OFF FOR CRAPLESS CRAPS
As you can see from the above chart, if the three or eleven is established as the point, the correct true odds payoff is three to one.Using the same example as above, a five dollar line bet with double odds would pay a total of $35, five for the line bet and thirty for the free odds bet.The rest of the numbers pay the same as in a traditional game.Sounds good, right?But remember, the elimination of the eleven as a natural increases the vig in this game.A pass line or come bet with double odds carries a toll of2.081% compared to 0.60% in the traditional game.Again, the line bet should be avoided until it’s your time to shoot the dice.Still, you should know the correct pay-off for those times when you are shooting the dice.This will also come into play with your buy bets - which we will get into later. Now let’s take a look at place betting for Crapless Craps.Obviously, the traditional 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 bets are played – and paid exactly the same as in a standard game.The vig on these bets is no different than what you are used to.The major difference in this game comes with the placing of the “extreme outside” numbers, the 2, 3, 11, and 12.The pay off odds for place bets on these numbers is as follows: EXTREME OUTSIDE PLACE BET ODDS As with the five and nine – you must bet an even amount of money to get a correct pay off on the extreme outside numbers.On a five dollar table the minimum correct bet on the two or twelve would be six dollars.For a correct pay off on the three and eleven you would place eight dollars.Placing an incorrect amount will result in a reduced payoff, which increases the already considerable vig.The11:2 payoff on the 2 and 12 yields a house edge of7.143%.The 3 and 11 run a close second with an edge of6.250%.That is why most veteran players “buy” the extreme outside just as they would the four and ten. A Buy bet is similar to a Place bet except that you pay a 5% commission up-front in exchange for receiving a true payoff if it wins. The commission is based on the amount wagered. For example, if you wanted to make a $20 Buy bet on the number 11, you'd put down $21 in the Come area and tell the dealer 'Buy the 11'. He or she will move $20 to the number 11 point box and place a BUY button on top it. The extra $1 (5% of $20) is the vig for the house. The result is that you'll win $60 (3:1) instead of $55 (11:4) for a place bet in the same amount.If your bet wins and you want to keep it up, you'll have to pay the dealer another $1 commission. The vig is returned if you remove the bet before it wins or loses. Let’s review the best bets in Crapless Craps.Number one on the list is placing the six and eight - with a vig of 1.51%.Next on the list is the pass line with double odds - which carries a vig of 2.08%.Last of all is pushing the house for a better buy on the extreme outside numbers - which can get the vig as low as 2.56%.Now let’s move on to the basic Crapless dice setting and betting strategy. A strategy for players with less bankroll to work with might be to place the extreme outside numbers for $6 and $8 each, then buy them out of the payoff on the first hit.However, the vig on this bet is substantially higher than on the buy bet.Whenever possible, it is best to pay the additional $12 plus the commission for a correct payoff.Remember, too, that money management is the cornerstone of any good betting strategy.With that in mind, plan to incorporate at least one regression move in your play, with an eye toward locking up a small win or minimizing potential losses.But any good strategy should focus on signature numbers for the dice arrangement to be used. Since the game is “crapless,” on the come-out roll you want your best shot at hitting a seven – or establishing a point of 2, 3, 6, 8, 11 or 12.The recommended arrangement for these numbers is the hard-ten set – the 5-5 up, the 6-6 and 1-1 facing up and down table, the 3-4 on the sides.When rolled on axis, four out of sixteen possible combinations of the dice add up to seven, four combinations yield the six or eight, while six out of sixteen combinations add up to an extreme outside number.That’s one way to make the two or twelve, and two ways to make the three or eleven.If you score a seven on the come-out roll – great.If you get up on any of our favored points – that’s great, too.You’ll want to play maximum free odds behind your line bet in order to reduce the vig and take advantage of the huge potential payoffs on these numbers.But once the point is established you should change your set for the balance of your roll. Assuming you are successful in establishing one of your preferred points, the correct dice set is one you are all familiar with by now - the crossed-sixes.In this arrangement, one die has the 3-4 on the sides, and the other has the 5-2 on the sides.Rolled on axis, this set reduces the number of combinations that add up to seven from four to two.You have one way each to make the two, three, eleven and twelve, plus two ways each to make the six and eight.That’s a total of eight ways to win versus two ways to lose on the seven. So next time you’re at Sam’s Town in Tunica, The Isle of Capri in Kansas City, or yes, even the Stratosphere in Vegas – step up to the old Crapless game, wait for the dice, put five on the line and give it a whirl.With a little luck and a lot of skill – it might be the most fun you’ve ever had shooting dice. Copyright 2001 by Stephen Haltom - all rights reserved. |