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Craps strategy involves understanding the odds of the many individual bets available at a craps table. Like no other game (with the possible exception of roulette), craps offers a veritable multitude of bets. The player can choose one (the “Pass” bet) or more…or all, if he or she wishes, though it is not recommended…
The fundamental bets on a craps table are the “Pass” and “Don’t Pass” bets, one of which must be chosen by the shooter before rolling the dice. The “Pass” bet is one of the best bets that can be made, and therefore makes one of the best elements of craps strategies. “Don’t Pass” is not as good, but still better than the majority of bets.
The single best bet one can make is the “odds bet”. Taking the odds brings you even with the house; it also happens to be the only bet that you can make that isn’t spelled out on the craps table (coincidence?). This option is available after you’ve already made a “Pass”, “Don’t Pass”, “Come” or “Don’t Come” bet, but the best option is to take the odds after a “Pass” bet.
You might think that there would be an equal chance for the numbers, but remember that you are using two dice instead of one; there are some numbers that can be made in several different combinations, some only a few, and some that can only be made with one. This means that the odds look more like a bell curve than a straight line…and that you are far more likely to get a 7 than a 12 (or a 8 than a 3, and so on…)
Though when it gets right down to it, betting on any one number is about the worst bet you can make (once again, exactly as it is in roulette).