Is it better to play Craps aggressively or conservatively?

When it comes to Craps, there’s more to living the high-roller life than just playing big. You also need to be equipped with the right set of strategies to win more and lose less.

In this blog, you’re going to find out the victor in the battle of aggressive vs conservative craps strategies. If you want to take your VIP gaming experience to the next level, then you should start taking advantage of these strategies!

What is Craps?

In a nutshell, Craps is a famous table game in which the outcome is dictated by a roll of dice, making it purely based on chance/luck.

Here, someone will be designated to be the shooter who ‘shoots’ the dice while the rest of the players place bets on the result of that roll. It may seem simple at first but it gets slightly confusing when you consider the kinds of bets you can make which is where aggressive vs conservative craps strategies come into play.

How is Craps played?

What made players love craps instantly is its straightforward yet exciting gameplay. You only have to predict the outcome of a dice roll on the craps table.

To join a game of craps, just place your chips on the designated betting areas on the table that represents the outcome you’re predicting.

Roll possibilities

There are three possible outcomes with every roll in Craps, each of which refers to a specific set of numbers that determines whether a bet will win or lose. These roll possibilities include:

Craps

If you want your Don’t Pass bet to win, the sum of the dice should have the outcome of Craps which can be 2, 3 or 12.

Point

The Point is what you need to have for your bet to win. This outcome refers to the sum of the dice that’s equivalent to either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.

Natural

The Natural is the best possible outcome for players who’ve placed wagers on the Pass Bet since this will help them win. This outcome refers to the sum of a pair of dice that’s equal to 7 or 11.

Aggressive vs conservative craps strategies

The two approaches in craps are complete opposites but both of them provide an advantage to players. Think of these two strategies as the GTO and Exploitative approaches in poker which can be used in various situations.

The biggest difference of aggressive and conservative craps is that the former lets you win big through various high-risk bets while the latter focuses more on protecting your funds.

Aggressive craps strategy

The aggressive approach is the best way to play Craps for high rollers or advanced players, mainly because it can grant massive payout values. 

Aside from that, players choose this approach since it's more exciting compared to its conservative counterpart. This is why you’ll see most high-rollers who are looking for that rush of adrenaline using these strategies on the Craps table.

However, alongside the exposure to bigger wins, it also has a greater risk. That’s why you need to be careful using this approach because it can significantly damage your allotted budget for wagering.

Conservative craps strategy

Moving over to the other side of the spectrum, the conservative craps strategy is a defensive approach. It aims to shield your bankroll and minimise losses as much as possible. Although this doesn’t expose you to bigger payouts, the risks are also lower.

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Different kinds of aggressive bets in Craps

1. Hard 6/Hard 8

An aggressive betting strategy that offers a relatively low house edge (9.09%) is the Hard 6 or Hard 8 bets. Winning with these bets is straightforward because all you need to do is land 3 on both dice for Hard 6 and 4 for Hard 8.

Aside from being an easy strategy to remember, these bets are a great starting point for beginners trying to get into aggressive betting because it’s safer. The payout for each of these bets is 9 to 1.

2. 3 Point Molly

If you have a huge amount of allotted money for your bets, then you should try the 3 Point Molly. At first glance, players may back away from this strategy since it involves placing multiple bets with maximum odds. Fortunately, this will be worth it since you’ll be granted several winnings if you’re successful.

The 3 Point Molly involves using multiple bets with low house edges. When you successfully win with each one, you can minimise your losses and generate small wins throughout the game.

Here’s how you can play the 3 Point Molly in Craps:

1. Place a bet on the Pass Line and wait for the point to be set
2. Proceed to bet max odds on the established point and add a Come bet (a bet placed after a point has been established).
3. Move Come bet to the next point
4. Place a bet on the third number and keep playing until 7, 11 or the point appears on the dice.

3. Snake Eyes

One thing to remember about bets in craps is that when the payout is high, the house edge will be soaring as well. This is evident with the Snake Eyes strategy which is one of the best-paying bets in craps with an impressive ratio of 30:1 but with a high house edge of 14%. Although the risk is high, winning here gives you rewarding prizes.

To win using this strategy, the result of the roll should be one on both dice, hence the name Snake Eyes. This aggressive craps strategy is also a great way to add excitement to your gameplay if you’re bored using the same old betting options.

4. Proposition bets

Out of all the possible wagers you can make, Proposition bets high winnings with some having as high as 30:1 payouts. However, these bets don’t come without equally high risks and house edges, which can easily result badly if you’re not careful enough.

Some of the most famous proposition bets include:

• Any Craps: Pays 7 to 1 when the dice roll 2, 3 or 12.
• Two Craps or Aces: Pays 30 to 1 if the dice rolls two aces of 2.
• Twelve Craps: Pays 30 to 1 if the dice rolls two sixes or 12.
• Three Craps or Ace Deuce: Pays 15 to 1 if the dice rolls either a 3 or an ace deuce.

Since these bets pose great risks, it’s only recommended to those who have a budget that can handle damages.

5. Yo and Hi-Lo

Planning to electrify the craps table and all the players around it? Then the Yo and Hi-Lo bets are right up your alley! With these bets, you’d have to be prepared to lose a significant portion of your bankroll in a single go since their house edges are high. Fortunately, you can be rewarded with a big win in return for your bravery in placing these bets!

• Yo bet

Yo is jargon for the number 11 and this same digit is where you’ll place your bet on the table. You can also place the chip on 3 but it’s not as popular as placing it on 11. Regardless of which outcome you choose, this bet will pay out 15:1.

• Hi-Lo bet

The Hi-Lo bets that the shooter will land either 2 or 12. It pays out 15:1 as well.

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Different kinds of conservative bets in Craps

1. Pass Line, 2 Come Bets and Place 6/8 Bets

An advanced craps strategy that every defensive player should know is the Pass Line, 2 Come Bets and Place 6/8 Bets. Compared to other bets under conservative bets, this strategy proves to be riskier because you’re required to place 5 different bets on a single round.

On top of that, you’d also have to add an Odds bet behind the Pass line to cover two of the inside numbers throughout the round.

With this strategy at hand, you can protect your pocket money and generate wins in the long run. 

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to do this strategy:

1. Bet a single unit on the Pass Line and place double Odds on it
2. Place a single unit Come bet during the second phase
3. Wait for the shooter to throw the dice. If they roll a point number, place another Come bet to cover both Come wagers with x2 Odds
4. At this point, if neither 6 nor 8 is covered with chips, you’d have to put two 3-unit Place bets on both of them.

The only downside of this strategy is you can lose all the bets you’ve placed on the table if the shooter does land a 7 on the dice. This is risky considering that there are 6 different ways 7 can appear, making it one of the outcomes that will mostly appear on a single roll.

2. Don’t Pass Bet Plus Don’t Come Bet

Playing conservative craps allows you to protect your bankroll from excessive damage and nothing does this the same as the deadly combination of Don’t Pass Bet Plus Don’t Come Bet.

This is one of the easiest strategies to execute in Craps which makes it perfect for players with little to no experience in the game. Here, you’ll win if 2 or 3 is the outcome of the dice while 7 or 11 will cause you to lose and 12 results in a tie. 

Here’s how to properly execute the Don’t Pass Bet Plus Don’t Come Bet:

1. Place a single unit bet on the Don’t Pass field of the Craps table
2. When neither 2, 3, 7, 11, nor 12 shows up during the roll, take double odds on the current bet once the second phase commences.
3. Place a Don’t Come bet that has the same value as your Don’t Pass wager
4. Wait for the shooter to throw the dice. If they land a 7, your Don’t Pass bet wins. But if they manage to land another point number, it will lose.
5. When the shooter establishes the second point, your Come bet will win with a 7.

Craps strategies FAQs

What Craps strategies have the best odds?

When deciding which winning craps strategy to use, the most important thing to consider is the percentage of the house edge. With this in mind, the strategy that has the ‘best’ odds are the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets because they can reduce the house edge down to 1.36%. 

You can even lower the house edge more by using the free bets option when the Point is set. Free bets are unique in Craps because it doesn’t have any house edge and pays off at true odds. You’ll win with this bet if the shooter manages to shoot a value equal to the Point again before they roll a 7.

Depending on how many times your pass bet is, you can decrease the house edge down to 0.01%!

Is it possible to win in a game of Craps?

Yes! Craps is not rigged in any way and you’ll either win some or lose some just like with any other casino game. What’s great about this one is you can incorporate your chosen advanced craps strategy into your gameplay to minimise your losses and maximise your chances of winning.

What’s the best craps betting strategy to use at the start of the round?

There are various ways you can begin a round in Craps but what we recommend the most is to start each roll with a Pass/Don’t Pass bet to lower the house edge significantly. This allows you to follow it up with the free bets option which not only further reduces the house edge but gives you the biggest payout if you eventually win.

You can also try your hand at the Iron Cross betting strategy which is proven to provide huge payouts but you have to be aware of the equally great risks.

Is Craps only based on luck?

As with any casino game of chance, the outcome of each round is based on luck. However, that’s not to say that you can’t incorporate craps strategies into your gameplay routine to increase your odds.

How are the Craps odds of winning compared to other casino games?

Craps is one of the best games that offer great odds to its players. However, this is only true if the player manages to integrate smart betting into their strategies. Playing wisely can lead you to win huge payouts or break even at the very least. On the other hand, not using the right bets may cause damage to your pocket.

Can I play Craps in Livecasino.io?

Yes, you can! Evolution offers a classy Craps game that does a great job of making high-rollers such as yourself feel like you’re playing at a brick-and-mortar casino. It follows the same gameplay loop and is made even better with accessibility features. 

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Should you play aggressively or conservatively?

At the end of the day, all the aggressive and conservative betting strategies are nowhere near perfect. Each of them provides its respective strengths and weaknesses and it’s up to you to use them to your advantage and know the specific scenarios where they can benefit you the best.

Additionally, you can use strategic thinking with your online gambling by mixing and matching these two as you go through the game while making adjustments depending on the situation.