A Craps table layout carries dozens of wagers, and the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive is enormous. Anyone who wants to bet on casino games using the BETDAQ betting exchange with a clear view of what each wager costs will find craps the most instructive table in the room.

The same pair of dice settles bets running from a fraction of a per cent to more than 16% in house edge.

Where the game came from

Craps descends from Hazard, an English dice game recorded in medieval times, and still being played in Regency London. The lowest throw in Hazard was called Crabs, which is where the modern name comes from.

Bernard de Marigny is credited with bringing a simplified version to New Orleans in the early 1800s. The layout in use today owes most to changes attributed to John H. Winn in the early 20th century, who allowed players to bet against the dice as well as with them.

How a round works

The shooter's first throw is the come-out roll. A total of seven or 11 wins for the pass line, and two, three or 12 loses. Any other total becomes the point.

From there the shooter keeps rolling. If the point comes again before a seven, the pass line wins. If the seven arrives first, the round ends and the dice move on. That is the whole structure, and every other bet sits on top of it.

The two line bets

The pass line carries a house edge of 1.41%. Don't pass, which backs the seven instead, runs at 1.36%, because a 12 on the come-out is a push rather than a win.

These two are among the least expensive wagers on any casino table.

Odds bets, and why they are unusual

Once a point is established, a player backing the line may add an odds bet behind it. That portion is paid at the true probability of the point arriving: 2:1 on a four or a 10, 3:2 on a five or a nine, and 6:5 on a six or an eight.

The house takes no margin on that portion at all, which makes it the only wager of its kind on a casino floor. Combined with the line bet underneath it, a table permitting three, four, and five times odds, brings the overall edge on the pair to roughly 0.37%.

Place bets

A place bet backs a specific number to appear before a seven, and the pricing tells the story. A six or an eight pays 7:6, at an edge of 1.52%. A five or a nine pays 7:5, at 4%. A four or a 10 pays 9:5, at 6.67%.

Three wagers, one mechanism, and a fourfold spread in cost.

The centre of the table

The proposition bets printed in the middle are the expensive ones. Any seven pays 4:1 against a true chance of 5:1, an edge of 16.67%. Any Craps pays 7:1, at 11.11%. The hardways sit between 9.09 and 11.11% depending on the number.

The arrangement is not accidental. The narrowest bets are within arm's reach at the rail, and the widest are in the centre where the stickman handles them.

What the dice do not know

A Craps table generates more result-reading than most, and none of it has any bearing on the throw. Dice have no memory, a shooter has no influence over the total, and no sequence of bets alters the probability of any roll. What changes between wagers is the price, and that is printed on the felt.

Online, Craps runs either on a certified number generator or as a live table, and the arithmetic is identical in both. Read the layout and the table limits first, and set a deposit or session limit alongside them. Gaming is for over-18s, and licensed operators list free responsible gaming support.