• Every Craps Bet Explained
• All Craps Bets Explained
• Every Craps Bet Explained
• Every Craps Bet You Can Make

Ah, the hops bet. It’s the stuff that dreams and big fish stories are made of.

Any Craps Bet Any craps, also known as Three Way, is a type of bet where the player wagers that the shooter will roll a 2, 3 or 12. These numbers are known as 'craps' and they appear quite infrequently and have a low probability of winning. Basically, if the dice lands on either 2, 3 or 12, the player will win on any of these numbers. In the general case, the payment for the so-called “any” bet in the game of craps will equal to 7:1. And then comes calculating the house advantage. If a player wants to do that for “any” craps bet, they must bear in mind the fact that the results in the long term are what really matters. Virtually every craps game has a maximum bet ranging from $2,000 and up. Most of them are $10,000 or less. That means in the unusual but very possible case of someone going 25 rolls without a 7, this player is out his entire investment of over $20,000 and he cannot continue.

A single hop on an easy number and suddenly that little $10 bet is $150. Parlay that $160 into another bet, hit that parlay, and what was originally $10 is now $2400.

Some nights, this dream becomes a reality.

That’s why players love the hop bets. It’s one of the few ways where a player can take $100 and leave with $5000.

The pass line bet is the first bet you make before the come out roll. Some casinos will require that the shooter place one of these bets before rolling, and in some casinos, they require that every player who wants to make any bets place a pass line bet. During the come out roll, if a 7 or 11 is rolled, the pass line bet is paid out at 1:1.

Some nights, the hops are just…hopping.

WHAT IS A HOP BET?

The simple explanation

For those who are not aware, first, an explanation of the hop bets.

In craps, a hop bet is a one roll bet where the player bets on what they think will appear on the next roll.

Hop bets are always one roll bets.

The rest of this article will go into the technical and detailed explanation of the hop bet. If you want the simple explanation, just skip to the bottom to the TL;DR part.

The technical and unsettled explanation of a hop bet

The technical definition of a hop bet is more debated.

There are some who would argue that, by definition, a hop bet must have either one combination (the hard hop) or two combinations (the easy hop).

For example, is the Big Red (Any 7) or the Any Craps bet considered a hop bet? There are those who would argue that those bets are not hop bets because there are six combinations to win the Big Red bet and four combinations to win the Any Craps bet, those are not hop bets.

Every Craps Bet Explained

Having said the above about the Big Red or Any Craps, if the player threw out $3 and said ‘hopping the sevens’, the dealer or stick would mark the ‘five two’, ‘thirty four’, and ‘sixty one’ combination (those are the most commonly used terms for each combination, as I have never heard the ‘sixty one’ referred to as the ‘sixteen’).

Typically, a hop bet will pay in the neighborhood of either 30 to 1 for hard hops and 15 to 1 for easy hops.

The Hard Hop

An example of one combination is any number where both dice must match exactly, such as ‘hopping hard 8’. If you are hopping hard 8, that means on the next roll, the dice must come up 4 + 4. This can be referred to as ‘hopping forty-four’ or ‘hopping hard 8’.

The payoff for a ‘hard hop’ is usually 30-1, although, this can vary from casino to casino.

Note that hopping a hard 8 is not the same as betting hard 8. When a player throws out a chip and says ‘hard 8’, the dealer will make the hard ways 8 bet, which pays 9-1. The hardways bet is a multi-roll bet and pays 9-1.

Advice:to avoid confusion, when players want to hop, my advice is to always say the word, ‘hopping’ in front of the bet. It would be very disappointing if your intention was to hop a hard 8, but you ended up winning a hard 8 bet instead.

A real-life story…a few months ago, I was standing next to a newbie craps player and he asked me how to bet the 8 that paid 30-1, as he had seen another player win $300 on a $10 bet. I knew he meant that he wanted to hop the hard 8, so I told him, to throw out his $10 and say, ‘hopping hard 8’. He threw out the chip and said, ‘hard 8’. I immediately tried to correct him and told him to say, ‘hopping hard 8’. He was confused but I told him, ‘if you want 30-1, you have to say, hopping hard 8’.

He hopped the hard 8 and a roll later, won $300. The ‘hard 8’ would have paid $90 (with the caveat that it’s a multi-roll bet).

Oh…I have this on a Real Craps Game video that will appear in the future.

The Easy Hop

An example of two combinations is any number where both dice can be different, such as hopping easy 8. There are two ways to hop and easy 8: 2+6 and 6+2 and also 3+5 and 5+3.

If you’re still learning hop bets, I know what you’re thinking. I said there are two ways to hop, but I just listed four combinations. That’s because the 2+6 and 6+2 counts as one bet, and the 3+5 and 5+3 counts as another bet. In craps parlance, the player can just combine the two numbers and refer to them as ‘twenty-six’ or ‘sixty-two’. Since the casino does not require the player to specify which individual die will have which number, the terms ‘ twenty-six’ and ‘sixty-two’ refer to the exact same thing.

Similarly, ‘thirty-five’ and ‘fifty-three’ refer to the latter easy 8 combination.

Note that if the player wants to bet an easy hop, the player must specify which easy hop he or she wants to bet. For example, there are two versions of the easy 8: the ‘twenty-six’ combination and the ‘thirty-five’ combination. So if the player wants to bet an easy 8, the player must specify which easy 8 the player wants.

The payoff for an easy hop bet is usually 15-1, although, this, too, can vary from casino to casino.

What numbers can be hopped?

The craps player can hop bet any number: 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, or 12.

Some craps tables have areas marked specifically for hop bets, while some tables do not.

How to hop a number

To hop a number, simply toss out your bet to either the dealer or the stick person and say what combination you want to hop.

My advice is that if you want to hop, say the word, ‘hopping’ or ‘hop’ along with your bet. Otherwise, the dealer or stick person may mark another bet.

You may hop more than one combination. For example, if you threw out $3 and said ‘hopping all the sixes’, the dealer will mark the ‘twenty-four’, ‘fifty one’, and ‘thirty-three’ combinations. If one of those combinations roll, the payout will be dependent upon whether the easy or hard 6 rolled. If the easy 6 rolled, then the payout will be 15-1; whereas if the hard 6 rolled, the payout will be 30-1.

Note that if you win the hop bet, the dealer will pay and automatically leave your hop bet up for the next roll. If you do not want to automatically leave the bet up, you may request that the hop bet be taken down; in which case the dealer will return the hop bet to you.

Also, if you make multiple hops bets – such as the aforementioned $3 hopping all the sixes – on the payout, almost every casino will deduct, from your payout, the amount that it would cost to leave up your multiple bets. For example, if you bet $3 ‘hopping all the sixes’, and the next roll was a winning 5 + 1 roll, you would be entitled to a $15 payout. However, the dealer will only send you $13 because $2 will be taken away to pay for the losing ‘forty-two’ and ‘thirty-three’ combination.

Similarly, if the winning roll is 3 + 3, you would be entitled to $30, but the dealer will send you $28, after deducting $2 to pay for the ‘forty-two’ and ‘fifty-one’ on the next roll.

If you do not want the dealer to deduct the amount and pay for the next roll, just tell the dealer to not deduct the amount. An easy way to say it would be to say, ‘bring my hops down’ (said just like that).

This is an important nuance for bankroll management reasons.

TL;DR

A hop bet is a one roll bet that typically pays 15-1 or 30-1, depending on what the player is betting. Easy hops typically pay 15-1 are hops that have two winning combinations; while hard hops typically pay 30-1 and have one winning combination.

I say ‘typically’ because some casinos will pay 16-1 and 31-1. Note that 16 for 1 and 31 for 1 are the same as 15-1 and 30-1.

To make a hop bet, gently throw your chip to the stick person or dealer and say ‘hopping’ along with what you think will appear. If you make the bet early enough and before the dice are sent out, the dealer or stick will help the player by clarifying which hop the player wants.

That’s the hop bet in a nutshell.

All Craps Bets Explained

If you have any comments or questions, feel free to leave them below.

Posted in: Casino, Craps, Gambling

One of the most iconic casino games in the West has to be craps. Often portrayed in films as having the capacity to draw in a large number of people around the table, craps is certainly a crowd pleaser and both players and observers can have fun with it. Another excellent aspect of craps are the multiple betting options available to players. In fact, the whole table is covered with potential wagers, making this one of the most versatile casino games out there, rivalled only by roulette in the number of available bets.

Furthermore, the wagers come in many shapes and sizes, each with its own odds and payout ratios, thereby, allowing you to make both low- and high-risk plays. In short, craps is able to accommodate any type of gambler and is an overall pleasant experience, both visually and financially.

With that said, we would like to bring your attention to one particular bet type that is often placed by beginner players due to its sheer simplicity. We are talking, of course, about the Any Seven wager. Below, you will find detailed explanations regarding this betting option, including a rundown of the odds and house edge, in addition to other important information.

Any Seven Bet Explained

The Any Seven Bet is quite easy to understand when you think about it. It is a bet on whether or not the next roll of the dice will amount to a combination of seven. This means that any of the six possible dice combinations that form a total of seven will count towards this wager. This is convenient since seven is the most common number to be rolled in a game of craps, giving you a good chance of winning the bet.

This wager is found in the middle of the table, though it is not placed by a player, but rather by the stickman. Moreover, it is commonly announced as “The Big Red”, a nickname that it has acquired over the years.

This is one of the simplest bets in craps and it is accessible to just about anyone. It is also easily understood, giving you the opportunity to get the hang of the game. However, there is much more to this bet that meets the eye. For a more detailed review, look at the next point where we cover the statistical advantage of the casino and comparing the payout to the chances of winning.

Odds and House Edge

In terms of chances, you will find that the Any Seven is hardly an attractive wager when compared to other potential bets at the craps table. There are several reasons for this and it mostly has to do with the odds of winning and the payout ratios. For starters, there are 36 possible dice combinations at a craps table, while the winning outcomes are six in total – 1-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4 and 4-3. As a result, the odds of winning this bet are one in six rolls or in other words, 1 to 5. The real-world statistical probability of winning a bet is referred to as true odds. However, they differ from the casino odds – the payout ratio for a given bet.

The payout for a winning Any Seven bet is 4 to 1, significantly lower than the true odds. This discrepancy in the odds is known as the house edge and it is the source of income for every casino, both online and land-based. The statistical advantage guarantees that while the house might lose some money in the short term, it will make up for that in the long run. Moreover, this is what makes it viable for a casino to pay out large winnings to particular gamblers and still make a profit, knowing that it will make up the difference from others. It is also where the sayings ‘The house always wins’ and ‘Quit while you’re ahead’ come from.

However, the house edge is a reality of life and it is mostly accepted in the gambling world. The reason why it is a problem with the Any Seven bet is simply due to how wide the gap between the true odds and casino odds is. On average, a casino will keep a few percent of all money gambled at the establishment, usually between 2-3%. Some games, such as blackjack feature a house edge of 0.5%, which is practically nothing, while on the other end of the spectrum we have the likes of American Roulette with a house advantage of 5.27%. But the Any Seven bet on craps goes much further than any other betting option at a given establishment, sporting a house advantage of 16.67%.

This number is calculated by the following formula:
(Odds Against Winning – Casino Odds) * Probability of Winning * 100 = House Edge %

This number represents the percentage of all money that will be lost over the long run by players from placing the Any Seven bet. Basically, for every $100 wagered, $16.67 will be lost over time. Granted, the house edge only comes into effect after thousands of rolls but this bet still represents some of the worst odds in the casino and there are several other craps bets that share the same house edge.

Strategies with the Any Seven Bet

Many gamblers out there like to incorporate betting strategies when playing casino games and the same tactics can be applied to your craps games, even when using the Any Seven Bet. Granted, many of these strategies are better utilized on even money betting options though it is entirely possible to apply them to Any Seven betting.

Martingale System

The Martingale betting system is one of the world’s most popular of its kind and it is applicable across a wide range of casino games. While it is most commonly used on even money wagers, you can also apply it to your Any Seven craps betting. The idea behind the Martingale is simple enough, all you have to do is increase the size of your bet twice fold whenever you lose one. This will allow you to recoup all previous losses as soon as you make a winning wager. However, there is something else that you need to take into account which is that this system can only make back what you lost rather than bring in any additional winnings.

Moreover, the Martingale can have you racking up larger and larger losses quickly if you hit a particularly bad losing streak. It is even possible that you may hit the table limits or simply run out of money to increase your bets. These are all realistic possibilities when using the Martingale, especially when your bet has a 6/36 chance of winning. If you do decide to utilize the Martingale system then also be sure to practice some very disciplined bankroll management.

d’Alembert

The d’Alembert is another betting system that sees a negative progression but this one is much more grounded and will not have you running to an ATM if things go bad quick. The basic principle of the d’Alembert is that you start with a bet of one unit, the value of which you decide for yourself. For every losing bet that you make, simply increase the size of your wager by one unit. After you win, you should reduce your stake, either by a single unit or by as much as you feel necessary.

The beauty of this betting system is that it is much more conservative than the Martingale but it also will help you recoup some losses whenever you hit a bad streak, which all gamblers do at some point. While the risk-reward factor is somewhat dampened with the d’Alembert, the chance that you will hit the table limits before scoring a win is also significantly reduced. This makes it a favorite in the gambling world and players from all over the globe implement it in their gaming. Though you should still be mindful of the table limits and should still have the impulse control to stop when the situation calls for it.

Every Craps Bet Explained

Oscar’s Grind

A system primarily used on roulette, the Oscar’s Grind has only recently entered the casino mainstream. Despite that is has already acquired a significant user base and you will find many gamblers applying it to their betting patterns. It is also applicable to non-even money wagers, making it viable for the Any Seven on craps.

The premise of the system relies on cycles where you bet a single unit until you score a win. After which, you increase the size of your stake again by a single unit and continue betting until you achieve a profit of one unit. Whenever you make this small profit, simply cut the cycle and start again.

While this is not realistically feasible, it does mean that this system can be profitable for you, given the right conditions. The negatives of the Oscar’s Grind is that you continue placing the same bet until you win and will only see the small profit after a little while. One could argue that this betting system offers too little profit for the risk but risk is an inherent part of the gambling experience. We are certain that with a little disciple and bankroll management, you could see some good results with this system.

Is the Any Seven Bet Worth It?

Every Craps Bet You Can Make

Now comes the question of whether or not the Any Seven bet is worth placing. Based on the above-detailed calculations, it is easy to come to the conclusion that this bet is not very worthwhile and that will not be far from the truth. The house edge is simply outrageous regardless of what standard you hold. Even the highest house edge in traditional roulette variations does not come close to that of the Any Seven wager.

The payout of this bet does not meet the risk that you take when you make the wager. A 16.67% difference between the two is ridiculously high and you should seriously consider placing different bets. Of course, if you do end up betting on Any Seven, doing it once or twice will hardly bankrupt you. However, if you have not won after the third consecutive bet it is recommended that you drop this wager in favor of another. There are plenty of betting options in craps that have much better payout ratios and feature much lower house advantage percentages. The Odds and Laying the Odds betting options are only two examples of bets with no house edge and there are many more available in craps that do not even exceed 1%, as far as casino advantage is concerned. This is an opinion shared by many professional gamblers and gambling pundits alike.

Conclusion

Having covered all of the points above, the conclusion regarding the Any Seven wager is clear. This bet is clearly a bad deal, considering the incredibly high house edge of 16.67% and the overall risk involved with it. While the Any Seven does offer a higher payout than the even money wagers, you will end up losing money in the long run. Still, placing a few Any Sevens will not hurt you too much, provided that you manage to win at least one early on. The house edge only affects long-term betting and you can see some success for a short time, but as soon as you overdo it, you will certainly be burned.

Our recommendation is that you stick to other types of bets that offer you better odds and have smaller house advantages. Be sure to check out the other guides to the different betting options of craps featured at our website.