Craps is a dice game and one of the most popular games at casinos all around the world, due its many intricacies and exciting gameplay. Bets are made on the outcome of a roll, or series of rolls, of a pair of dice, with players wagering against the bank.

The game derived from an ancient European dice game called Hazard, of which the origins are still unclear and some historians claim it was created during the Crusades. For centuries, Hazard was played in Europe and in the Middle East, and it was even mentioned in The Canterbury Tales, a classic collection of stories written by Geoffrey Chaucer in the 14^th century. Hazard was brought from Europe to New Orleans by the 19^thcentury, where it eventually developed into Craps. Traditionally played on the streets, Craps became very popular at casinos in the 1950s, when its rules became fairer with the creation of the “Don’t Pass” bets, and World War II soldiers, who played the game during their service, returned to the United States with a newfound love for it.

Playing Craps at a land-based casino can be a bit intimidating, as there’s a lot of action happening, with many croupiers and players involved. So, when online casinos began offering Craps tables with screen guides and other visual aids, the game became very popular across the globe. However, Craps is not a simple game and it can be very confusing for novice players, due its many different bets and outcomes. At USGamblingSites.com, punters can find many guides and strategies to get a better understanding of the game, as well as the best online casinos that offer Craps tables.

Apart from standard wagers like the “Pass” and “Don’t Pass” bets, and the “Come” and “Don’t Come” bets, there are several alternative wagers that offer great odds and can be very exciting to play. In Craps, the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 are known as the place numbers, and these are the base for the alternative bets we’re covering in this article.

 

“Place” and “Place to Lose” bets

 

 

You can bet on any place number on any roll, whether it’s a come out roll or with a point established. A “Place” bet is a wager that wins if your chosen place number comes up on the next roll, and loses if a seven comes up. Any other outcome results in a tie, or push, and players don’t win or lose anything. “Place” bets have different payouts and house advantages than standard bets: a place bet on 6 or 8 pays 7:6 with a 0.46% house edge, betting on 5 or 9 results in a 7:5 payout with a 1.11% house advantage, and a wager on 4 or 10 pays 9:5 with a 1.67% house edge.

A “Place to Lose” bet is almost the same as the “Place” bet, except the conditions are reversed – it wins if the next roll results in a 7, loses if the chosen place number comes out, and pushes on any other outcome. The odds are different as well: a place to lose bet against 6 or 8 pays 4:5 with a 0.56% house advantage, a wager against 5 or 9 results in a 5:8 payout with a 0.69% house edge, and a bet against 4 or 10 pays 5:11 with a 0.76% house edge.

 

“Buy” and “Lay” bets

 

 

In the second phase of a Craps game, when a point has already been established, you get a chance to play with an even money odds bet if you made a pass line bet in the first stage. With the “Buy” bet, you can make the exact same wager as in the first phase, with the same odds and payouts, but with a 5% commission. The “Buy” wager conditions are the same as the “Place” bets, and you’ll win if the chosen place number comes out, lose if a seven comes and push on the other numbers. The house edge for a 6 or 8 buy bet is 1.46%, for 5 or 9 the house edge is 1.32%, and 1.19% for a 4 or 10 buy bet.

The “Lay” bet is just like a “Place to Lose” bet, with the same odds as if you were playing the “Don’t Pass” bet, but, again, with a 5% commission. Also like the “Buy” bet, this wager requires a “Don’t Pass” in the first phase. Laying against a 6 or 8 has a house edge of 1.22%, against a 5 or 9 the house advantage is 0.9%, and 0.61% for a 4 or 10 “Lay” bet.

 

 

Tags: Craps, craps alternative bets

This entry was posted on Tuesday, April 20th, 2021 at 6:37 am and is filed under Craps. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.