May 28 2008
Craps: Betting the Field
Alright.
This post is going to deal with bettingthe field. I’m starting with this because it is probably one of the easiest to understand, and one of the most common, bets on the layout.
The key thing to remember about the field is that the field is a proposition bet, that is, a one roll bet. Other than that, everything about it is written right on the layout. It is simply a bet that the numbers that appear will repeat before a 7. Those numbers are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Also, as it will appear on the layout, the 2 and the 12 are special. They will pay either double or triple. Usually in Las Vegas, the 2 and 12 will pay double. In some off-strip casinos, one will pay triple, and the other double, and at some Indian casinos, both will pay triple.
Now let’s look at the odds, and why betting the field is a bad idea.
Take a look back at my post on Craps Odds. You’ll notice that there are 16 ways to roll the field numbers. It seems like a lot of numbers, but keep in mind that the four numbers that don’t appear on the most common numbers. In fact there are 20 ways to roll the non-field numbers. So, add one each for the 2 and the 12, which pay double. Now, the odds are 18:20, or 9:10, or 90%, giving the casino a 10% hold. Again, let’s compare that 10% hold to the hold on someone placing a come or an odds bet with double odds. The hold in that situation is 0.06%. Which bet would your ather take?
