Craps payouts are written as a ratio, X:Y, meaning you win X for every Y you bet. The Pass Line pays even money at 1:1. A place bet on the 6 or 8 pays 7:6. An odds bet on a 4 or 10 point pays true odds, matching the true odds exactly.
Once you can read the ratio, the whole table opens up. The number on the left is your winnings, the number on the right is your stake. Here’s how each bet pays, with worked examples so the math stops being a mystery.
How to read a payout ratio
X:Y means “win X, for every Y wagered.” Your original bet stays and comes back too.
Take 7:6 on a place 6. Bet the matching amount and if you win, you collect the payout plus your stake back. Even money (1:1) means you win exactly what you bet: put down 10, get 10 in winnings plus your 10 back, so 20 total in your hand.
The ratio isn’t a house-edge figure. Two bets can share a payout ratio and have very different edges depending on how likely they are to win. The payout is just the exchange rate. The edge comes from how that rate compares to the true odds.
The line bets
Pass Line and Come. Both pay even money, 1:1. Bet 10, win 10. Edges of 1.41% and 1.41%.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come. Also even money, 1:1, with the come-out 12 pushing. Edges of 1.36% and 1.36%.
Even money is why these are the workhorse bets. Small, steady, and cheap to make.
Odds payouts (the true-odds bet)
The odds bet pays differently depending on the point, because it pays the real probability.
- Point of 4 or 10: pays true odds
- Point of 5 or 9: pays 3:2
- Point of 6 or 8: pays 6:5
These aren’t round numbers, which is why odds bets are usually made in amounts that divide cleanly. On a 6 point paying 6:5, you’d bet in multiples of 5 so the payout lands evenly. The edge on all of it is 0%.
Worked example. Point is 10. You have 10 on the Pass Line and 20 in odds behind it. The point hits. The Pass Line pays 1:1, so 10. The odds pay true odds on your 20. Add your stakes back and you’re collecting a healthy stack, most of it from the odds portion that cost the house nothing.
Place bet payouts
Place bets pay different ratios by number:
- Place 6 or 8: 7:6
- Place 5 or 9: 7:5
- Place 4 or 10: 9:5
Because 6 or 8 pays 7:6, you place them in multiples of 6 to get a clean payout. Bet 6, win the 7:6 amount. The edges rise as the payout gets bigger: 1.52%, 4.00%, and 6.67% respectively.
Buy bets are place bets on the 4 or 10 that pay true odds instead, for a small commission. That swaps the 6.67% place edge for the lower buy edge of 1.67%.
Field and even-money side bets
The Field pays 1:1 on most of its numbers, with the 2 and 12 usually paying more (often 2:1 or 3:1, posted on the felt). Overall edge 5.56%. Big 6 and Big 8 pay even money, 1:1, which is exactly why they’re a poor bet, since placing the 6 or 8 pays the better 7:6 for the same wager. Edge 9.09%.
Proposition payouts
The center bets pay big, which is the bait. The payout looks great until you compare it to how rarely the bet wins.
- Hardways: 9:1 or 7:1
- Any Craps: 7:1
- Yo (eleven): 15:1
- Snake eyes (2): 30:1
- Boxcars (12): 30:1
- Any Seven: 4:1
- Horn: 2 & 12 pay 30:1, 3 & 11 pay 15:1 (on the winning quarter)
- Hop bet: 15:1 easy hop, 30:1 hard hop
- C and E: 3:1 on craps, 7:1 on eleven (on the winning half)
Worked example on why big payouts mislead. Any Seven pays 4:1, which sounds exciting. But a 7 has only a 1-in-6 chance on a single roll, and the payout is set well below that true value. The result is a 16.67% edge, the worst on the table. A big number on the felt is not a good deal. It’s a warning label.
See the payouts in action
Reading ratios is one thing. Watching chips actually stack up is another. In the free game here, make a bet, win it, and see exactly how the 7:6 or true odds translates into chips returned. Doing it a few times fixes the ratios in your head better than any table ever will, and it costs nothing.
Frequently asked questions
What does a craps payout like 7:6 mean?
It means you win 7 for every 6 you bet, plus your original 6 back. A place bet on the 6 or 8 pays 7:6, so you’d wager in multiples of 6 to collect a clean amount. The left number is winnings, the right number is the stake unit.
What does the Pass Line pay in craps?
The Pass Line pays even money, or 1:1. Bet 10 and you win 10, plus your 10 back, for 20 total. Its house edge is 1.41%. Backing it with an odds bet adds a true-odds payout on top, which varies by the point number.
How much does an odds bet pay?
The odds bet pays true odds, which change by point. A 4 or 10 point pays true odds, a 5 or 9 pays 3:2, and a 6 or 8 pays 6:5. Because it pays exact probability, its house edge is 0%, making it the best-value payout on the table.
Why is a place bet on 6 better than Big 6?
Both bet that a 6 rolls before a 7, but a place 6 pays 7:6 while Big 6 pays only even money, 1:1. Same risk, worse payout on the Big 6. That gap makes Big 6’s edge 9.09% versus the place bet’s 1.52%. Always place the number instead.
Do proposition bets pay more because they’re better?
No. Props like Any Seven pay large ratios such as 4:1 precisely because they rarely win. The payout is set below the true odds, which is where the house makes its money. Any Seven carries a 16.67% edge, the worst on the table. A big payout signals a long shot, not a good bet.