Casino craps

When playing casino craps, the Hardway bet is a rather simple bet but not one of the smartest bets on the table simply because the advantages go much more to the house than say a pass line bet with odds placed on it. But, remember, casino craps is supposed to be fun and if you are looking for the best odds then go play Poker because that's the only game anyone has ever made a living at!?All jokes aside, the hardways bet is located in the middle of the casino craps table which is circled in the graphic below.

There are essentially 4 hardways bets that are on the casino craps table.

• The "Hard 4"
• The "Hard 6"
• The "Hard 8"
• The "Hard 10"

What does a hardway mean? Simply, the dice rolled the same number or "doubles". E.G. A 2 and a 2 was rolled for a hard 4, a 3 and a 3 was rolled for a hard 6, etc. That being said, when you wager on any hardways bet you are betting that the hardway number you wagered will come up before a "soft" version of that number or a 7. What's the "soft" version of each number? It's just a 4, 6, 8, or 10 with no repeating numbers or doubles. So, a 1 and a 3 is labeled a "soft 4".

The payouts for winning a hardways bet depends on the casino but these are the most common odds I've seen on the casino craps table:

• "Hard 4" pays 7 to 1 or 8 to 1
• "Hard 6" pays 9 to 1 or 10 to 1
• "Hard 8" pays 9 to 1 or 10 to 1
• "Hard 10" pays 7 to 1 or 8 to 1

Get it? Well, if you're still confused, our friend Jake will place some bets for you in this example below.

Jake wants some more action at the casino craps table and he has decided to put a $1 bet on each hardways, which means he wagers $4 total. Note that the point was already established at a 5 so we are not on the come out roll. The shooter throws a "soft 4" on the next throw so Jake loses his $1 on his "hard 4" bet. The dealer asks Jake if he wants to put another $1 on the hard 4 as most dealers would but Jake declines. The next throw is a soft 10, which again takes away another $1 bet from Jake's original 4. As it stands now, Jake has only 2 hardways bets left at the casino craps table on the 6 and 8 so he is essentially hoping that a 3 and 3 or 4 and 4 is thrown. Next throw... Hard 8!?Jake wins $9 on that bet based on the casino's odds. He's not done yet though because the dice are still alive and he still has his 2 hardway bets out there.

Jake is feeling luckier now so he play the hard 4 and hard 10 that he lost earlier so that he has all the hardways covered. Shooter throws... Seven out!?(Shooter threw a 7). That means Jake now loses his 4 hardway bets because a 7 was thrown.

There is a special circumstance that also should be noted, you can either be "on" or "off" on hardways bets. Being "on" means that your bets are playing the dice which is the "default". Being "off" means that you don't want the hardways bet to be included in the next or subsequent rolls until you say otherwise. Most people take the hardways "off" at the casino craps table when there is a new come-out roll. Why? Because if a 7 is thrown on a come-out roll everyone feels that people should be winners so people are superstitious and take the hardways bets off the casino craps table. Why people do this I don't really know but it's more of a psychological thing than anything. Most good dealers will ask you if you want to be "on" or "off" when a new come-out roll is established. The preference is up to you and there's no advantage at the casino craps table either way.

The hardway bets are not the smartest bets on the table but, even I have to admit, I make a hardways bet here and there just because they are fun and add a little variety to the casino craps game!

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