Let's talk about playing craps, Colorado (part 3 of 3)

In the last two issues we’ve discussed the favorable bets on the craps table, including pass Line, Odds and Place bets. There’s also a big area in the middle of the table that players like to play despite the odds being pretty tough. The dealers like to make calls “advertising” these areas and players like to make a big show of betting them. Some of bets you’ll hear called out are “C and E,” “Hardways” and “Horn Bets.” We call all of these bets “Proposition” bets.

Hardways are easy to understand. A hardway is rolling an even number with the same result on both dice. So a “hard 6” means you need to roll two 3s. A “hard 8” means you need to roll two 4s. You can place a hardway bet at any time, but they are generally considered inactive, or “off,” during come out rolls. The bet stays active until either it is rolled and you win, or if a 7 or an “easy” version of your number is rolled. So, if you bet a hard 6, and a 2 and a 4 show up on a roll, you lose the bet because you made a 6 the easy way. They pay really dramatically, but the house edge is huge. For example, a hard 6 or hard 8 bet pays 9:1 (some casinos make it look better by saying it pays 10 for 1, but it’s the same thing as 9 to 1). The house edge on this bet is a little better than 9 percent but hey, if you bet $5 you can win $45!

“Any Craps” or a “Crap Check” is a bet sometimes used to hedge or offset the come-out roll. It’s a one-roll bet that pays 7:1 if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled on the come-out. As a hedge, you might consider betting $1 for each $5 you have on the Pass Line. This bet means you can’t actually lose on the come-out roll since a 7 or 11 would pay $5 and you lose the $1 craps bet, or craps is rolled and you win $7 and lose the $5 Pass Line bet. If any other number rolls, it becomes the point. The house edge on a Craps bet is about 11 percent since true odds are 8 to 1. To make this bet, tell the dealer you want craps or a crap check and toss your chips toward him. Fun dealers can sometimes catch the chips in the air.

The “C and E” bet means you want a Craps or 11 on the come-out roll. It’s a one-roll bet, usually for a buck each. It pays 7:1 for a 2, 3 or 12 and 15:1 for an 11. The house edge is 12.5 percent. These are also placed on the felt by the dealer. Tell them you want “C and E” and toss the chips to the dealer.

A “Hop Bet” is also a one-roll bet on a particular outcome. For example, if you bet a hopping hardway, it pays 30:1, but unlike the hardway bet, this is just one roll. The actual odds are 36:1 giving the house a 16.7 percent edge. That’s about as bad as it gets on the craps table, yet people love the big payouts. If you win a hop bet for $5 you get paid $150. Hop bets are also placed by the dealer. Tell them which Hop you want and toss the dealer the chips. Hop bets are generally made after a point has been established.

The “Field Bet” isn’t a proposition bet but it is easy to bet, yet pays short of true odds. The Field bet pays even money for a 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 and pays 2:1 for a 2 or a 12. People like this bet because it covers seven different numbers, it’s simple and easy, but there’s a tradeoff. The house edge is 5.56 percent. You can place Field bets yourself or put chips near the field box and tell the dealer it’s a Field bet. These can be made at anytime but are usually placed after a point has been established.

Other craps lingo:
- Pass Line bets are sometimes called the “front line.” When a point is made the dealer will call out “Winner, winner. Pay the front line.”
- A “Natural” is a 7 or an 11 on the come-out roll.
- “Craps” is a 2, 3 or 12 on the come out roll or a seven after the point has been established.
- “Press” is a request to increase your bet when it wins instead of collecting your winnings.
- “Snake Eyes” is when you roll a 2, and “Box Cars” are when you roll a 12.
- “Center Field” is a 9 since it’s in the middle of the “Field” wager area.
- “Yo” is an 11.

-Mark B. Lasser is Denver writer and international poker player. He regularly plays in Colorado, Arizona, California, Missouri and Nevada. His work has appeared in Bikini Magazine, Blue Travel and Warp. Readers can send questions and comments to him at ColoradoPokerMark@comcast.net.