Craps Payout Odds: True Odds and House Edge

Payout odds tell you what you'll actually walk away with when your bet hits. Pass Line Odds pay 2:1 on 4 or 10, 3:2 on 5 or 9, and 6:5 on 6 or 8. Every other bet on the layout has its own ratio.

The catch is that payout odds and true mathematical odds aren't always the same thing. That gap is where the house edge lives, and knowing the difference separates players who understand the game from those just throwing chips. We're showing you true odds, payout ratios, and house edge for every major bet. You'll see what each wager really costs over the long run.

What are the craps payout odds?

Payout odds are just what the casino hands you when your bet wins. Pass Line and Come Odds change based on which point you're working. If it's 4 or 10, you get 2:1. On 5 or 9, it's 3:2. And 6 or 8 pays 6:5. Those ratios control what you get paid, but they don't always match the real math behind rolling each number.

The distinction here matters more than most players realize. Payout odds are what the casino actually hands you when you win. True odds show what the dice actually do when you break down the probability. The gap between payout odds and true odds is where the casino makes its profit.

• Payout odds: The ratio casinos use to calculate your winnings
• True odds: The actual mathematical probability of a specific outcome

Know the difference, and you'll spot which bets are fair and which ones just bleed your stack.

The math behind true odds

Two dice only produce so many combinations. Each roll gives you one of 36 possible combos. Some totals land way more than others. This isn't luck. It's just math, and it controls every payout you see.

36 dice combinations

Roll two six-sided dice, and you get exactly 36 ways things can land. Seven shows up six different ways (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, plus their reverses). That's why it's the most common number. Snake eyes and boxcars? Only one way to make each.

That's why 7 is the number everything else revolves around. The game isn't designed around arbitrary rules; it's built on which numbers are mathematically most likely to appear.

True odds for each point number

Point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) all have different chances of showing before you seven out. The fewer ways to make a number, the harder it is to hit.

• 4 and 10: Only 3 ways to roll each, compared to 6 ways to roll 7. True odds are 2:1 against.
• 5 and 9: 4 ways to roll each. True odds are 3:2 against.
• 6 and 8: 5 ways to roll each. True odds are 6:5 against.

These ratios are your starting point for judging any bet. When a payout matches true odds, the casino's not taking a cut. When it doesn't, the casino keeps the difference.

True odds vs payout odds

True odds are just the raw math. Say you're on a point of 4. True odds against you are 2:1. A fair payout would be 2:1 straight up. But payout odds? That's what the casino actually pays, and it's usually a bit worse than true odds.

Take a Place bet on 4 as an example. True odds say it pays 2:1, but the casino pays 9:5 instead at table games like craps. Looks tiny on one bet. Over hundreds of rolls, that gap becomes the house's profit margin.

The one exception worth knowing about is the Odds bet. Drop an Odds bet behind your Pass Line and the casino pays you at true odds. No edge at all. It's the only bet in the entire casino where the math is completely fair to the player.

House edge on every craps bet

House edge is the casino's cut, shown as a percentage. It's how much they expect to keep from each bet long-term. Different craps bets carry wildly different edges, ranging from nearly zero to over 16%. Knowing where each bet falls on that spectrum changes how you approach the table.

Pass line and come bets

Pass Line and Come bets run about a 1.41% house edge. On the come-out, 7 or 11 wins. Craps (2, 3, 12) loses. Any other number sets your point. Hit it again before a 7 and you win.

Rules are simple. Edge is low. That's why most experienced players start here.

Don't pass and don't come bets

Betting "against the shooter" drops the house edge slightly to 1.36%. With Don't Pass, you're rooting for 7 to appear before the point repeats. The trade-off is social rather than mathematical: some players consider betting against the shooter bad etiquette, though the dice don't care about table politics.

Place bets

Place bets let you pick numbers right away. No waiting for a point. Which number you pick changes the edge big time:

Placing 6 or 8 is a decent value. The edge sits pretty close to the Pass Line numbers. Placing 4 or 10 costs considerably more over time.

Field bets

The Field hits on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. One roll settles it. Most numbers pay even. The 2 usually pays 2:1, and 12 pays either 2:1 or 3:1 based on where you're playing. Edge runs anywhere from 2.78% to 5.56%, depending on the bonus payouts.

Field bets settle right away, so they're easy to follow. They're not the sharpest play available, but they're far from the worst.

Proposition bets and hardways

Center-table bets offer the biggest payouts and the worst odds. Any Seven pays 4:1 but carries a 16.67% house edge. Hardways (doubles like 4-4 or 5-5) pay 7:1 to 9:1. Edge sits around 9% to 11%.

Proposition bets exist for entertainment, not long-term play. Treat them as occasional fun rather than a core approach.

How odds bets work

The Odds bet is the best-kept secret in casino gaming. It pays true odds with zero house edge. You just have to set a point first on Pass, Don't Pass, Come, or Don't Come. Think of it as a bonus bet that rewards you for putting money on a base wager first.

Taking odds on pass and come

After your Pass Line bet establishes a point, you can "take odds" by placing additional chips directly behind your original wager. Point hits before the 7? You collect true odds on the whole Odds stack.

Here's an example. You bet $10 on the Pass Line with $20 Odds on a point of 4. Point hits and you get $10 (even money on Pass) plus $40 (2:1 true odds on the Odds bet). The Odds piece has no house edge at all.

Laying odds on don't pass

Don't Pass players can "lay odds" against the point. Since you're betting that 7 appears first, you risk more to win less. On a point of 4, you'd lay $40 to win $20.

Math still pays true odds. You're just betting the other side.

What 3-4-5x odds mean

Most tables cap how much Odds you can back your Pass Line bet. A "3-4-5x odds" table allows different multipliers based on the point number:

• 3x your bet on points of 4 or 10
• 4x your bet on points of 5 or 9
• 5x your bet on points of 6 or 8

Higher multipliers shrink the house edge on everything you're betting. A Pass Line bet with full 3-4-5x odds drops the overall edge to around 0.37%, which is among the lowest in any casino game.

Complete craps payout chart

Best and worst craps bets ranked by odds

Not all bets deserve equal attention. From sharpest to worst:

Best value:

• Odds bet: Zero house edge, the only truly fair bet in the casino
• Don't Pass/Don't Come: Lowest standard edge at 1.36%
• Pass Line/Come: Classic bets with 1.41% edge
• Place 6 or 8: Reasonable 1.52% edge for direct number betting

Worst value:

• Any Seven: Tempting 4:1 payout hides a brutal 16.67% edge
• Big 6/Big 8: Pays even money when Place 6/8 pays 7:6 for the same outcome
• Hardways: Exciting to hit, expensive to chase

Hop bets: Single-roll longshots with double-digit edges

How to calculate your craps payout

Payout ratios are easy once you get the format. A 3:2 ratio means every $2 you bet pays you $3. First number is what you win. Second number is what you bet.

• 2:1 payout: Bet $10, win $20
• 3:2 payout: Bet $10, win $15
• 6:5 payout: Bet $10, win $12
• 7:6 payout: Bet $6, win $7 (this is why Place 6/8 bets work best in $6 increments)

On Odds bets, just multiply what you wagered by the true odds for that point. Drop $30 on Odds when the point is 5 and you get $45 back (3:2 true odds).

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FAQs about craps payout odds

Is craps a 50/50 game?

Not quite. Pass Line comes close, winning about 49.3% of the time. But the house edge gives the casino a small edge over thousands of rolls. Nothing on the craps table gives you perfectly even odds.

What does a horn bet pay in craps?

Horn bets split your money evenly across 2, 3, 11, and 12. Hit 2 or 12 and you usually get 30:1 on that piece, minus what you lost on the other numbers. Land 3 or 11 and you get 15:1 on that quarter. Only one number wins each roll, and the edge runs over 12%.

Does craps or blackjack have better odds?

Both games have decent edges if you play smart. Craps Odds bets have zero house advantage, while blackjack basic strategy keeps the edge around 0.5%. Big difference is blackjack rewards skill. Craps is pure dice probability.

What is the simplest craps betting strategy?

Stick to Pass Line bets with maximum Odds behind them. That combo gets you one of the best edges in the casino (about 0.37% with full 3-4-5x odds) and keeps things simple.

How do craps payout odds work at online casinos?

Online craps pays the same as physical tables. Crypto casinos usually include provably fair tech. It uses cryptographic hashing so you can verify each roll was actually random.