Best Odds In Casino Craps
Many people will be visiting a casino this summer, whether on a trip to Vegas, on a cruise ship, or just at a local casino during a 'staycation.'
Casinos can be intimidating and their games a little confusing, but here's a tip: The best bet on the craps table has no house edge, and it isn't shown anywhere on the layout. There's no mention of 'odds' on the table. You must have a Pass or Don't Pass bet to take odds on, but then you're on your own.
- Normally in craps, the largest house odds bet you can do is 3x. This is a very typical limit at local casino craps tables and with online casinos. This is what makes Las Vegas craps so special and it improves your strategy. An even better strategy is the Don't Pass bet with the free odds.
- The game of craps has a reputation for offering some of the best odds of all casino games. Unless you play perfect Basic Strategy at blackjack or perhaps count cards, you can't beat the Pass Line (or Don't Pass Line) with odds for a friendly bet at the casino.
- The free odds bet is the best bet on the craps table - and the best bet in the casino, for that matter. This is the bet that's placed behind your Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come bet.
- The best bet in the casino is when you lay odds in craps. The article suggests betting $10 on the pass line. Sure, the house edge will be 1.4%.
But before you go, you may want to know which games give you the best chance of winning.
So we went behind the scene at two casinos, and spoke with the game managers, to find out which games give you an edge.
Table Games Your Best Bet
Jay Bean, a Caesar's floor manager, agreed to sit down with us and talk about the games with the best odds.
He said many people don't realize that table games have much better odds than slots. They are intimidated by thoughts of card sharks taking their money, with images of an intense Texas Hold 'Em tournament in their minds, and so they stick with the safe games: the slots.
But they are doing themselves a disservice, he said.
Bean's advice? After you've spent some time on the slot machines, move on to the Blackjack table, and start by just observing.
1. Blackjack
Blackjack has the best odds of winning, with a house edge of just 1 percent in most casinos, Bean said.
Plus, you are playing against only the dealer, not hooded poker champions.
Best Odds In Casino Craps
'Blackjack is one of our easiest games to play,' Bean said. 'You're just looking for a number that beats the dealer's number without going over 21.'
If you're a novice, Bean said to sit down during a less busy time, such as the afternoon, and the dealer will walk you through the game.
But the same is not true with poker: You should practice the game with your friends first, at home, Bean said, until you are comfortable with it. Bean said novices are best off passing on the poker tables, where yes, the competition can be tough.
You can find out more information about the game of blackjack at the following link:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/blackjack/
2. Craps
So from the Blackjack table, he suggests moving on to the dice game Craps, the game with the second best odds, also nearly 50-50.
The Craps table can be a bit intimidating for the beginner with all the boxes on the table, Bean admitted. But it's really not tough, and it has one of your best chances of winning. In the end, all you are really doing is betting on a dice roll.
For more information on craps, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/craps/
3. Roulette
Bean said your next stop should be the Roulette wheel. It's simple, and pays fairly well.
'So you bet on your favorite numbers,' Bean said. 'The dealer spins, and if your number comes in you win.'
If you stick to betting on just Reds or Blacks, you have nearly a 50-50 chance of walking away a winner. If it lands on red when you choose red, you will double your bet, Bean explained.
While it may seem you have an even chance of winning by simply choosing a color, there is one catch that gives the house its edge: the extra green 0 and 00 position on the wheel. It's on all American roulette wheels.
Or, if you feel lucky, play just one number. It's hard to win, but if you do it pays out 36 to 1.
For more information on roulette, visit:
http://wizardofodds.com/games/roulette/
Worst Odds
Your worst odds? The casinos, understandably, did not want to talk about games with poor odds.
So we turned to Forbes Magazine, which in a report about Best Bets at the Casino, said two popular games -- the Wheel of Fortune and the ever-popular slot machines -- have the lowest odds of winning, with a house edge of 10 percent or more.
The Experts Agree
Professor of Analytics Michael Magazine has crunched the numbers, and agreed that blackjack is the best way to go home with money in your pockets. He said if you take a little time to learn the game, you have the best odds of winning.
'You are somewhere between 44 percent to 48 percent in every single hand of winning,' he said, noting that no other casino game gives you odds that good.
But Magazine cautioned that he's not promoting gambling, because he said even games with the best odds still favor the house.
'Play it long enough and you will lose. In the long term the house doesn't lose,' Magazine said.
If You Love The Slots....
Finally, if you really enjoy playing the slots, here is some good information to know, from state casino reports we examined.
With slots, the more money you put in per bet, the higher your chance of winning. If you put the max in a penny machine, which is usually around 50 cents, you have much better odds than if you put in 2 cents.
In addition, penny slots have the lowest odds, with $1 and $5 slots paying much better.
Always gamble responsibly, and don't waste your money.
__________________________
You can learn more about specific odds of slots machines in each state that has casino gambling by visiting the American Casino Guide.
Don't Waste Your Money is a registered trademark of the EW Scripps Co.
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Casinos can be intimidating and their games a little confusing, but here's a tip: The best bet on the craps table has no house edge, and it isn't shown anywhere on the layout. There's no mention of 'odds' on the table. You must have a Pass or Don't Pass bet to take odds on, but then you're on your own. If you don't know about odds, you'll miss the best bet in the casino.
Best Odds In A Casino Craps
If you know how to play craps, you know that new shooters have to place a wager on the Pass or Don't Pass line. Once that new point of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is made, they can just keep shooting. The odds bet, the one that has zero house edge, isn't mandatory; it's optional.
The Pass Line always pays even money, but the real beauty of the Odds wager is that you are paid the true odds of the point rolling. To make the wager, simply place chips behind your original Pass Line bet on the craps layout. This wager can at least equal your Pass Line bet, so if you have an original wager of $10, put another $10 behind it to take odds. The amount you should wager depends on the point number.
Best Craps Odds Casino In Vegas
If the point is 4, 5, 9, or 10, match your bet. If the point is 6 or 8, bet $6 in odds for every $5 you have on the Pass Line. When the shooter makes their point, you'll get a much bigger payoff.
Pass Line Odds Payoffs
If the point is:
- 4 or 10, you are paid 2 to 1 on your Odds wager.
- 5 or 9, you are paid 3 to 2 on your Odds wager.
- 6 or 8. you are paid 6 to 5 on your Odds wager.
Most casinos allow you to take double odds on you Pass Line bet. That means if you put $5 on the Pass Line, you could make an odds bet of $10.
Your Pass Line bet has a house edge of 1.41 percent. The Odds bet has no house edge, so by taking it you lower the house edge on your overall wagers. A Pass Line bet with single odds has a house edge of 0.85 percent and with double odds, the house edge drops to 0.61 percent.
Over the last few years, many casinos have allowed players to take larger odds bets. Some casinos compete with each other to see who can offer the highest odds, up to 100 times odds. Although this sounds great, it is impractical for average players to wager this much unless they have a very big bankroll.
3-4-5 Times Odds
To make things quick and easy for everyone, from the players to the dealers to the Box Men, many casinos have incorporated a simplified odds system in which they allow odds of only 3, 4, or 5 times a Pass Line wager. With this system, players are allowed to take three, four, or five times odds, depending on the point number. You can get odds on Come Bets too.
If the point is::
- 4 or 10 you can take 3 times odds.
- 5 or 9, you can take 4 times odds.
- 6 or 8, you can take 5 times odds.