Craps payouts tell you how much profit a winning bet earns, but they do not tell you whether the bet is good. A payout must be compared with true probability. Odds bets pay true odds. Most other bets pay less than fair value, which creates the house edge. High payouts can still be poor bets when the hit rate is tiny.
Quick Facts
- Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Come, and Don’t Come usually pay even money.
- Odds bets pay true odds: 2:1 on 4/10, 3:2 on 5/9, and 6:5 on 6/8.
- Place 6 and 8 commonly pay 7:6.
- Place 5 and 9 commonly pay 7:5.
- Place 4 and 10 commonly pay 9:5.
- Field payouts vary; 2 and 12 rules matter heavily.
- Center proposition payouts look large because the probabilities are small.
Plain Talk
A craps payout has two parts: your original bet and your profit.
If you bet $10 at even money and win, your profit is $10 and your original $10 stays yours. Some players hear “pays $10” and forget the original stake is returned. Others hear “pays 7 to 6” and make a bad unit size, causing awkward payouts or rounding down.
This page is about payouts. For the probability behind those payouts, read craps odds. For the cost created by short payouts, read craps house edge. The craps odds calculator is useful when a payout looks good but needs checking.
External benchmarks: the Massachusetts craps rules publish minimum payout odds for recognized wagers, the Wizard of Odds craps house-edge table compares payouts and edges, and the Wizard of Odds craps basics explains common bet payoffs for players.
How It Works
Use this chart as a starting point. Casino rules can vary, especially field, buy, lay, and side bets.
| Bet | Common win condition | Common payout | Beginner note |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pass Line | Come-out 7/11 or point before 7 | 1:1 | Low-edge core bet |
| Don’t Pass | 2/3 or 7 before point; 12 often pushes | 1:1 | Slightly lower edge than Pass |
| Come | Same logic as Pass after point is on | 1:1 | Travels to a number |
| Don’t Come | Same logic as Don’t Pass after point is on | 1:1 | Travels behind a number |
| Odds on 4/10 | Point 4/10 before 7 | 2:1 | True odds |
| Odds on 5/9 | Point 5/9 before 7 | 3:2 | True odds |
| Odds on 6/8 | Point 6/8 before 7 | 6:5 | True odds |
| Place 6/8 | Number before 7 | 7:6 | Use multiples of $6 |
| Place 5/9 | Number before 7 | 7:5 | Use multiples of $5 |
| Place 4/10 | Number before 7 | 9:5 | Usually weaker than buying under good rules |
| Field | Next roll selected totals | 1:1, with bonus on 2/12 | Rule-sensitive |
| Hard 6/8 | Pair before easy version or 7 | Often 9:1 | Higher edge |
| Hard 4/10 | Pair before easy version or 7 | Often 7:1 | Higher edge |
| Any Seven | Next roll is 7 | Often 4:1 | Very high edge |
| Any Craps | Next roll is 2, 3, or 12 | Often 7:1 | High edge |
Proper Units Matter
Some payouts need clean chip units.
| Bet | Clean unit | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Place 6/8 | $6, $12, $18, $24 | Pays 7:6 cleanly |
| Odds on 6/8 | $5 multiples often best | Pays 6:5 cleanly |
| Odds on 5/9 | Even amounts | Pays 3:2 cleanly |
| Place 5/9 | $5 multiples | Pays 7:5 cleanly |
| Place 4/10 | $5 multiples | Pays 9:5 cleanly |
A $10 Place 6 should not be your standard move because 7:6 on $10 creates a fractional payout. Dealers can handle many situations, but good players learn clean units.
True Odds vs Casino Payouts
| Number | Ways to roll number | Ways to roll 7 | True odds against the number | Fair right-side payout |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 or 10 | 3 | 6 | 2:1 | 2:1 |
| 5 or 9 | 4 | 6 | 3:2 | 3:2 |
| 6 or 8 | 5 | 6 | 6:5 | 6:5 |
Odds bets pay those fair ratios. Place bets usually pay slightly less, and that gap is the casino’s edge.
Craps Table Example
You have $12 on Place 6 and $15 on Place 5.
The shooter rolls 6. Your $12 Place 6 pays $14 because 7:6 means $7 profit for each $6 bet.
Then the shooter rolls 5. Your $15 Place 5 pays $21 because 7:5 means $7 profit for each $5 bet.
Then the shooter establishes a point of 9 and you take $20 odds behind a $10 Pass Line bet. The 9 repeats. Your $10 Pass Line pays $10, and your $20 odds pays $30 because odds on 5/9 pay 3:2.
Three wins. Three payout systems. One table.
From the Casino Side:
Craps payouts are a major source of dealer skill and dealer error. A strong base dealer knows units, odds, presses, caps, change-making, and player position tracking without freezing the game.
The boxman watches whether the payout is correct and whether the dealer is paying the right player. The stickman controls center action and calls results. The floor may become involved when a player disputes a payout after the dice result has already been booked.
Clean payout procedure protects both sides. The casino wants speed, but it also wants the game paid correctly. A table with sloppy payouts becomes a surveillance problem, a bankroll problem, and a customer-service problem.
Common Mistakes
- Judging a bet by payout size instead of probability.
- Forgetting that “to 1” means profit, not including the returned stake.
- Using bad units for 6:5, 7:6, or 3:2 payouts.
- Confusing place-bet payouts with odds-bet payouts.
- Assuming every casino uses the same field payout.
- Thinking a 30:1 payout must be generous.
- Pressing after wins without knowing the new expected exposure.
Hard Truth
A big payout printed on the felt is not generosity. It is usually a warning label with better marketing.
FAQ
Do craps payouts include my original bet?
Usually payout ratios describe profit. Your winning stake is also returned unless the bet is a contract-style wager that remains up or is handled differently by table procedure.
Why does Place 6 pay 7:6?
Because there are 5 ways to roll 6 and 6 ways to roll 7. A true fair payout would be 6:5 for odds, but the place bet pays 7:6, creating a small house edge.
What does 3:2 mean?
It means you win $3 profit for every $2 bet. A $20 odds bet on 5 or 9 pays $30 profit.
What does 2:1 mean?
It means you win $2 profit for every $1 bet. A $10 odds bet on 4 or 10 pays $20 profit.
Are hardway payouts fair?
No. Hardways pay less than true probability deserves, and they lose to both the easy version of the number and a 7.
Why do field payouts vary?
Casinos may pay double or triple on 2 or 12 depending on house rules. That difference changes the house edge.
Should I memorize every payout?
No. Learn the core payouts first: even money, odds, place 6/8, place 5/9, place 4/10, field, and the common props.
Deeper Insight
Payouts are where casino games hide their price.
The dice probability is fixed. A 7 has 6 combinations. A 6 has 5 combinations. A 12 has 1 combination. The casino cannot change that on a fair table. What it can change is the payout.
If the true probability says a bet should pay 35:1 but the layout pays 30:1, the missing 5 units are not a mistake. They are the business model.
This is why the most important comparison is not “win or lose.” It is “true odds versus paid odds.” Odds bets are special because they pay the true ratio. Most other bets are discounted.
Formula / Calculation
True Odds Payout = Losing Combinations / Winning Combinations
Expected Value = (Probability of Win × Net Win) - (Probability of Loss × Stake)
House Edge = -Player EV / Initial StakeExample for a one-roll Any Seven bet paying 4:1:
P(win) = 6 / 36
P(loss) = 30 / 36
EV = (6/36 × $4) - (30/36 × $1)
EV = $0.6667 - $0.8333 = -$0.1666
House edge = 16.67%Formula Explanation in Plain English
A payout is fair only if it matches the chance of winning. Any Seven hits more often than most proposition bets, but it still loses 30 ways out of 36. A 4:1 payout is not enough to cover that risk, so the casino keeps a large edge.
Related Reading
Use Craps Odds to connect each payout to probability. Use Craps Odds Chart for a larger reference table. Compare the payout gap with craps house edge and the house edge calculator. For session cost, test total action with the expected loss calculator. If a high payout tempts you, read why low house edge does not mean safe and remember that high-edge bets are worse, not better.