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Understanding The Field Bet In Online Craps

  • Published: September 18, 2014
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The Field Bet in online craps is popular because it can be placed before any roll and what is more important is that it is decided in a single roll. The bet is not carried forward. At online casinos the Field Bet is placed in a large area on the craps layout known as the field box. It can be easily identified because it has the text "Field" written in it. The box also displays the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 in a row. The numbers 2 and 12 are circled. If any of the displayed numbers appear as the total when the dice are rolled you win the Field Bet, otherwise you lose the wager. The numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 pay out at even money. The numbers 2 and 12 usually pay out at 2 to 1. In some of the best online casinos 2 pays out at 2 to 1 and 12 pays out at 3 to 1.

Players who do not have an understanding of how craps house edges are determined can be deceived by the Field Bet. The common but incorrect argument is as follows. There are 11 possible numbers that can be rolled in online craps. Seven of these numbers result in a win in the Field Bet. Four of these numbers result in a loss in the Field Bet. Hence the newbie players are tempted to argue that the chance of winning is almost twice that of losing.

The error in this line of thinking is that there is more than one way to roll most of the totals in online craps. The four losing numbers can be rolled in 20 ways and the eleven winning numbers can be rolled only in 16 ways. Therefore the chances of losing are greater. After accounting for the doubled payout on 2 and 12 the house edge for the Field Bet works out to 5.55%. There are other bets in online craps, such as the Pass Line Bet, that have a much lower house edge. The situation changes when the payout on 12 is 3 to 1. This reduces the house edge to 2.7%. Though this is still higher than the house edge for bets like Pass Line, it is acceptable. Therefore if you want to wager on the Field Bet in online craps, you must locate an online casino that offers a payout of 3 to 1 on 12.

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