Every Craps Bet Explained
Ah, the hops bet. It’s the stuff that dreams and big fish stories are made of.
A single hop on an easy number and suddenly that little $10 bet is $150. Parlay that $160 into another bet, hit that parlay, and what was originally $10 is now $2400.
Some nights, this dream becomes a reality.
That’s why players love the hop bets. It’s one of the few ways where a player can take $100 and leave with $5000.
The Odds is like a side bet in craps made after a point is thrown. It pays if the point is thrown before a seven. The odds on the Odds are exactly fair, which zero house edge. To be specific, the Odds pays 2 to 1 on points of 4 and 10, 3 to 2 on a 5 and 9, and 6 to 5 on a 6 and 8. Craps is a much easier game to learn than most people think. The basic premise is simple: you are betting on the outcome of the roll of two dice. The only thing that makes the game confusing is all the different types of bets you can place. 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).
Some nights, the hops are just…hopping.
WHAT IS A HOP BET?
The simple explanation
For those who are not aware, first, an explanation of the hop bets.
In craps, a hop bet is a one roll bet where the player bets on what they think will appear on the next roll.
Hop bets are always one roll bets.
The rest of this article will go into the technical and detailed explanation of the hop bet. If you want the simple explanation, just skip to the bottom to the TL;DR part.
The technical and unsettled explanation of a hop bet
The technical definition of a hop bet is more debated.
There are some who would argue that, by definition, a hop bet must have either one combination (the hard hop) or two combinations (the easy hop).
For example, is the Big Red (Any 7) or the Any Craps bet considered a hop bet? There are those who would argue that those bets are not hop bets because there are six combinations to win the Big Red bet and four combinations to win the Any Craps bet, those are not hop bets.
Having said the above about the Big Red or Any Craps, if the player threw out $3 and said ‘hopping the sevens’, the dealer or stick would mark the ‘five two’, ‘thirty four’, and ‘sixty one’ combination (those are the most commonly used terms for each combination, as I have never heard the ‘sixty one’ referred to as the ‘sixteen’).
All Craps Bets Explained
Typically, a hop bet will pay in the neighborhood of either 30 to 1 for hard hops and 15 to 1 for easy hops.
The Hard Hop
An example of one combination is any number where both dice must match exactly, such as ‘hopping hard 8’. If you are hopping hard 8, that means on the next roll, the dice must come up 4 + 4. This can be referred to as ‘hopping forty-four’ or ‘hopping hard 8’.
The payoff for a ‘hard hop’ is usually 30-1, although, this can vary from casino to casino.
Note that hopping a hard 8 is not the same as betting hard 8. When a player throws out a chip and says ‘hard 8’, the dealer will make the hard ways 8 bet, which pays 9-1. The hardways bet is a multi-roll bet and pays 9-1.
Advice:to avoid confusion, when players want to hop, my advice is to always say the word, ‘hopping’ in front of the bet. It would be very disappointing if your intention was to hop a hard 8, but you ended up winning a hard 8 bet instead.
A real-life story…a few months ago, I was standing next to a newbie craps player and he asked me how to bet the 8 that paid 30-1, as he had seen another player win $300 on a $10 bet. I knew he meant that he wanted to hop the hard 8, so I told him, to throw out his $10 and say, ‘hopping hard 8’. He threw out the chip and said, ‘hard 8’. I immediately tried to correct him and told him to say, ‘hopping hard 8’. He was confused but I told him, ‘if you want 30-1, you have to say, hopping hard 8’.
He hopped the hard 8 and a roll later, won $300. The ‘hard 8’ would have paid $90 (with the caveat that it’s a multi-roll bet).
Oh…I have this on a Real Craps Game video that will appear in the future.
The Easy Hop
An example of two combinations is any number where both dice can be different, such as hopping easy 8. There are two ways to hop and easy 8: 2+6 and 6+2 and also 3+5 and 5+3.
If you’re still learning hop bets, I know what you’re thinking. I said there are two ways to hop, but I just listed four combinations. That’s because the 2+6 and 6+2 counts as one bet, and the 3+5 and 5+3 counts as another bet. In craps parlance, the player can just combine the two numbers and refer to them as ‘twenty-six’ or ‘sixty-two’. Since the casino does not require the player to specify which individual die will have which number, the terms ‘ twenty-six’ and ‘sixty-two’ refer to the exact same thing.
Similarly, ‘thirty-five’ and ‘fifty-three’ refer to the latter easy 8 combination.
Note that if the player wants to bet an easy hop, the player must specify which easy hop he or she wants to bet. For example, there are two versions of the easy 8: the ‘twenty-six’ combination and the ‘thirty-five’ combination. So if the player wants to bet an easy 8, the player must specify which easy 8 the player wants.
The payoff for an easy hop bet is usually 15-1, although, this, too, can vary from casino to casino.
What numbers can be hopped?
The craps player can hop bet any number: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Some craps tables have areas marked specifically for hop bets, while some tables do not.
How to hop a number
To hop a number, simply toss out your bet to either the dealer or the stick person and say what combination you want to hop.
My advice is that if you want to hop, say the word, ‘hopping’ or ‘hop’ along with your bet. Otherwise, the dealer or stick person may mark another bet.
You may hop more than one combination. For example, if you threw out $3 and said ‘hopping all the sixes’, the dealer will mark the ‘twenty-four’, ‘fifty one’, and ‘thirty-three’ combinations. If one of those combinations roll, the payout will be dependent upon whether the easy or hard 6 rolled. If the easy 6 rolled, then the payout will be 15-1; whereas if the hard 6 rolled, the payout will be 30-1.
Note that if you win the hop bet, the dealer will pay and automatically leave your hop bet up for the next roll. If you do not want to automatically leave the bet up, you may request that the hop bet be taken down; in which case the dealer will return the hop bet to you.
Also, if you make multiple hops bets – such as the aforementioned $3 hopping all the sixes – on the payout, almost every casino will deduct, from your payout, the amount that it would cost to leave up your multiple bets. For example, if you bet $3 ‘hopping all the sixes’, and the next roll was a winning 5 + 1 roll, you would be entitled to a $15 payout. However, the dealer will only send you $13 because $2 will be taken away to pay for the losing ‘forty-two’ and ‘thirty-three’ combination.
Similarly, if the winning roll is 3 + 3, you would be entitled to $30, but the dealer will send you $28, after deducting $2 to pay for the ‘forty-two’ and ‘fifty-one’ on the next roll.
If you do not want the dealer to deduct the amount and pay for the next roll, just tell the dealer to not deduct the amount. An easy way to say it would be to say, ‘bring my hops down’ (said just like that).
This is an important nuance for bankroll management reasons.
TL;DR
A hop bet is a one roll bet that typically pays 15-1 or 30-1, depending on what the player is betting. Easy hops typically pay 15-1 are hops that have two winning combinations; while hard hops typically pay 30-1 and have one winning combination.
I say ‘typically’ because some casinos will pay 16-1 and 31-1. Note that 16 for 1 and 31 for 1 are the same as 15-1 and 30-1.
To make a hop bet, gently throw your chip to the stick person or dealer and say ‘hopping’ along with what you think will appear. If you make the bet early enough and before the dice are sent out, the dealer or stick will help the player by clarifying which hop the player wants.
That’s the hop bet in a nutshell.
If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.
Posted in: Casino, Craps, Gambling
Craps are a classic game that represents the true essence of casino entertainment. When a player throws dice across the table surrounded by other bettors hoping for their number to be rolled, there is no doubt that craps are one of the most exciting casino games. Moreover, the house has a really small edge in this game.Although Craps are among the most popular and most often played gambling games, craps rules can often seem quite complicated to new players and many people can’t make heads or tails of them. Before you go and bet your hard-earned cash in the casino for the first time, try the game without any risk in a free online version using virtual currency. That way you can at least make sure that you really understand the rules. If you lose there, it doesn’t affect your finances.
Knowing the craps rules definitely pays off. Some bets have the lowest house edge by far of all table games.
Craps rules
Craps is a game that can be simple or complicated – depending on how you want to bet. Craps is a table game played by several players. One of them (the one who throws the dice) is called the “Shooter”. Very simply put: When playing craps, the shooter throws the dice and all other players bet on numbers that may or may not be rolled. Players place their bets before the shooter throws the dice.
The game starts with the Shooter (one of the table players) betting at least the minimum of the table on one of the bets:
- Pass Line
- Don’t Pass Line
Every Craps Bet Explained Games
The player then receives from Stickman (casino employee) several dice (usually five) from which he/she chooses two to play with. The remaining dice are taken back by the casino worker and are not used in this game anymore.
The game is played in rounds and each player has the right to throw dice. But if you do not feel like it, you can deny and pass this honour to another player.
Each round has two phases:
- Come Out
- Point
Come Out Phase
At the start of the round, the Shooter shoot one or more Come Out rolls. If the number 2, 3 or 12 falls on this first throw (called Craps and the player continues no longer), the round ends and players lose their Pass Line bets. If the Shooter hits 7 or 11 (Natural), all Pass Line bets win.
If neither happens. The Shooter continues to throw another Come Out roll until one of the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 numbers are played.
Point Phase
After that, this number becomes Point. The dealer then visibly marks this number and continues phase two. When Point number reappears, all Pass Line bets win. If the Shooter throw Seven-out, the pass line bets lose and the round ends.
The new round then begins with the new Shooter. The new shooter is then the first player on the left hand of the previous thrower. The game then goes clockwise.
A player who approaches the table should always check first the phase at which the game is. If there is no number marked, the table is in the Come Out phase. If there is the token on the table, the point is already set and most casinos allow to make Pass Line bets. All Proposition Bets can be bet in any phase of the round.
Between each bet is the part when the dealer pays wins and collects lost bets. Stickman oversees the entire game, the table and decides when the Shooter can play.
Craps Rules – All Craps Bets
As you can on the picture below, there are many types of bets in craps. But don’t worry, we will discuss them all in a very easy way.
Come Out Bets
Pass Line
As mentioned above, these bets win if the sum of 7 or 11 is rolled in the come-out roll, and they lose out if the sum of 2, 3, or 12 is rolled in the come-out roll. If another sum is rolled, it will become the Point. The Pass Line bet wins if the following shooter’s throws reach a Point number before reaching the sum of 7, and loses if the sum of 7 appears before the Point is reached.
Possible win: 1:1.
Don’t Pass Line
This is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. The Don’t Pass Line bet wins if the sum of 2 or 3 is rolled in the come-out roll and loses if come-out yields a sum of 7 or 11. If the come-out roll reaches a total of 12, such bet is called “Push” and the player gets his money back. If a number other than 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12 is rolled, it becomes the Point. Don’t Pass Line bets win if the shooter rolls a total of 7 before reaching the Point and lose if the opposite occurs. It is important to know that Don’t Pass Line bets can be reduced or even removed before the shooter’s the second throw.
Possible win: 1:1.
“Come” bets
Come bets are almost the same as the Pass Line bets. Consider them Pass Line bets that are repeated in the same game round. The players place the Come bets after establishing the Point in the come-out roll. Just like the Pass Line bets, Come bets win if the shooter rolls 7 or 11 and lose if the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number is established as the Point for Come (“Come Point”). Come bets win if the shooter rolls the Come Point again before rolling the sum of 7, and lose if the opposite occurs. Come bets cannot be reduced or removed.
Possible win: 1:1.
“Don’t Come” bets
It must be clear by now that Don’t Come bets are almost the same as Don’t Pass Line bets. These bets are also placed after the come-out roll. Once the Point is set, Don’t Come bets win if the shooter rolls 2 or 3, lose if he rolls 7 or 11, and Push if he rolls 12. If a sum of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled, it becomes the new Come Point. Don’t Come wins if the shooter rolls 7 before the Come Point, and loses if the opposite occurs. Don’t Come bets, just like Don’t Pass Line bets, can be reduced or even removed.
Possible win: 1:1.
Bets after the Point
Odds
Odds are a side bet in craps that you can only place if the Point is established. The win will be paid out if the Point is rolled before the sum of 7. Chances of Odds are completely equal, the house edge is therefore zero. To clarify, Odds have the following payouts:
- 2 to 1 at point 4 and 10
- 3 to 2 at point
- 6 to 5 at point 6 and 8
If we want to place the Odds after a Pass Line bet, we place the chips of the Odds bet behind the Pass Line bet, outside the marked area for Pass Line closer to us.
Because Odds bets are absolutely free of house edge, you can always bet only as much as your original Pass bet. Most casinos allow players to bet for example “3-4-5x Odds”. This means that the player can bet three times the bet if Point is 4 or 10, four times the bet if it’s 5 or 9 and five times if it’s 6 or 8.
But some casinos may offer more, like 5x, 10x, 20x, or 100x Odds for all points. So if you see a 10x Odds offer in a casino, that means you can place Odds in the amount of ten times the original bet.
Place Bets
In craps, the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are known as Place numbers and the player can bet on any of these numbers. If this number is rolled before 7, the player wins. Place bets are something like Odds, but they can only be placed if you have placed a No Pass Line bet and their payouts are not so profitable. To be precise:
- Place the bet on 6 and 8 pays 8 to 7
- Place the bet on 5 and 9 pays 7 to 5
- Place the bet on 4 and 10 pays 9 to 5
Field Bets
Craps rules allow to place bets only for one roll. These are called Field Bets and Proposition bets. In Field Bets you win when a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 strike. Field Bets are paid out in the following proportions:
- 2 is paid 2: 1
- 12 is 3: 1
- All other numbers are paid as straight bets, ie with a payout ratio of 1: 1.
Big Six, Big Eight Bets
You can bet these bets at any time during the game and win if the number 6 or 8 hit before number 7. Both bets are paid at 1: 1.
Proposition Bets
Proposition bets can be placed at any time. Almost all of them (besides the Hardways bet) are only for one roll.
Any Craps
- Wins when 2, 3, or 12 are rolled. The payout ratio is 8: 1.
Any Seven
- Wins when thrown 7. The payout ratio is 5: 1.
Eleven
- Wins when thrown 11. The payout ratio is 16: 1.
Ace Duece
- Wins when thrown 3. The Payout ratio is 16: 1.
Aces or Boxcars
- Wins when thrown 2 or 12. The payout ratio is 30: 1.
Horn Bet
- It works like a bet on numbers 2, 3, 11 and 12. Wins if one of these numbers falls. The payout is by the number that fits. The other three losers are losing.
Hardways
The player wins if the sum of pairs 4 (2-2), 6 (3-3), 8 (4-4) and 10 (5-5), is thrown before 7. The payout ratio is
- hard 4 and 10 – 8: 1
- hard 6 and 8 – 10: 1
Even the craps rules may seem to be really confusing, it should discourage you to try this game. You can always try craps for free online and practice craps rules without any risk or money loss. You also do not need to bet all the possible bets. Many advanced players only use the bets with the lowest house edge.
House Edge of the Craps Bets
Every Craps Bet Explained Bet
| Bet | House edge |
| Pass/Come | 1,41 % |
| Don´t Pass/Don´t Come | 1,40 % |
| Field bet (2:1 on 12) | 5,56 % |
| Field bet (3:1 on 12) | 2,78 % |
| Any Craps | 11,11 % |
| Big 6, 8 | 9,09 % |
| Hard 4, 10 | 11,11 % |
| Hard 6, 8 | 9,09 % |
| Place bet (on win) 6, 8 | 1,52 % |
| Place bet (on win) 5, 9 | 4 % |
| Place bet (on win) 4, 10 | 6,67 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 6, 8 | 1,82 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 5, 9 | 2,50 % |
| Place bet (on loss) 4, 10 | 3,03 % |
| Proposition bet on 2, 12 | 13,89 % |
| Proposition bet on 3, 11 | 11,11 % |
| Proposition bet on 7 | 16,67 % |