Wanna win craps! Have you tried the field bet? You must have heard that this bet is not profitable. Right! But let us understand about this bet and the proper use to have a win and gain a profit.
What is Field Bet
The Field is a self-service bet that you can make or remove at any time. “Self-service” means you put your bet in the Field yourself without the dealer getting involved. If you win, the dealer puts your winnings adjacent to your bet, at which time it’s your responsibility to pick up your chips. If you’re not paying attention or otherwise forget to remove your chips from the Field, the table crew assumes you’re making a subsequent bet using your original amount and your winnings. The Field is plainly marked and positioned between the Come box and Don’t Pass Bar 12 box.
Simplicity of this bet
The simplicity of the Field Bet stems from two reasons. The first reason is that the bet can be placed anytime. It can be placed before the come out roll or after the point is established. Players need not keep such factors in mind. The second reason for the simplicity is that the bet is decided in a single roll. The player places the wagers, the dice are rolled and the player either wins or loses. The wager is not carried forward.
It doesn’t have quite as good of odds as the pass line bet with odds behind it but it does have decent odds in comparison to many other bets on the table in craps. Thus the field bet is a very simple “one-time” bet that can apply to any given roll.
What is the play
In casinos the chips for the Field Bet are placed in the field box which is a huge area marked out on the layout. It has the text “Field” inscribed and the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 listed in a row. The numbers 2 and 12 are circled. If any of the numbers listed in the field box show up on the dice then the player wins and if any other number shows up then the player loses. The payouts for all the winning numbers are not the same. The numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 pay out at even money. The numbers 2 and 12 pay out at 2 to 1. This is the reason for circling 2 and 12. In some casinos either 2 or 12 pays out at 3 to 1.
Why then a player seems deceived
Newbie players are often deceived by the Field Bet. There are 11 possible numbers that can be rolled with two dice in a game of 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.
Players have to consider how many ways each number can be rolled. The losing numbers (which are 5, 6, 7 and 8) have many more ways in which they can be rolled than the other numbers. The total number of outcomes of the two dice is 36. The four losing numbers can be rolled in 20 ways and the eleven winning numbers can be rolled only in 16 ways. Since 2 and 12 pay out at 2 to 1 it is equivalent to 18 winning ways as against 20 losing ways. This gives a house edge of 5.55%. There are other bets in online craps that have a much lower house edge. In any event if a player is willing to settle for such a high house edge he should be playing online slots were at least he can hope for very high payouts and have a lot of fun in the bargain.
If at all players want to wager on the Field Bet they should locate casinos that offer a payout of 3 to 1 for either 2 or 12. This reduces the house edge to 2.7%. At this level the house edge is still higher than that offered by the best bets in craps. But it can be accepted for wagering occasionally and with smaller amounts.
Field Bet Example
Suppose you won first pass line bet and now want to try a different but simple bet. You make a $5 field bet on this role. So, you lay your $5 chip on the field and the shooter throws a 6. You lose $5 bet because 6 is not a winning number on the field bet. You try again and place another $5 bet on the field for next roll. The shooter throws a 4 and you win your bet on this roll.
What is to be careful about?
The field bet is one of the easiest bets on the table and even the most novice players can bet this one roll after roll to stay in the exciting environment of a craps table. But you have to be careful about the game and your decision.
Suppose you walk up to the table and a new game is about to start. You don’t want to make a Pass Line bet, but you want some immediate action. So, you put a $5 chip in the Field. The shooter rolls a 7 on the come-out roll. 7 is a winner on the come-out roll for the Pass Line. But your Field bet lost when the 7 showed. (Remember, the Field is a one-roll bet and wins or loses on the very next roll.)
You decide to wait a few rolls before making another bet. The shooter rolls a 10 for the point. You stand at the table watching the shooter roll number after number. He seems to be rolling a lot of Field numbers, so you put a $5 chip on the Field. Your cell phone rings and you tep back away from the table and answer your phone. You get so involved with the phone that you forget about your Field bet. The shooter rolls a 9. You don’t realize that your Field bet wins and you don’t see the dealer put a $5 chip adjacent to your $5 bet.
The stickman pushes the dice to the shooter, who picks them up and rolls a 4. Again, you’re so engrossed in your phone call that you’re clueless about what’s happening at the table. Because you left your $5 bet and your $5 winnings from the last roll in the Field, the table crew assumes you’re making a $10 Field bet.
Thus remember, it’s your responsibility to pick up your chips after a winning Field bet. The dealers are not obligated to remind you to pay attention to your bets. So, when the shooter rolled a 4, your $10 Field bet won. The dealer puts two $5 chips next to your $10 bet. Now, you have $20 in the Field.
Your phone call ends and you get back to the game. You remembered you made a Field bet and see the small pile of chips. The dealer asks you whether you wish to bet again. You say no and the stickman pushes the dice to the shooter for his next roll, you quickly reach down and pick up all of your chips from the Field. The shooter picks up the dice and rolls a 7. You have a sigh of relief because if you had left your chips in the Field, you would have lost when the 7 appeared.
There are two key points to notice in this example are that 1) you can make or remove your Field bet at any time, and 2) pay attention to your bets.
Some Tricks
- The Field wins if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 appears, and loses if a 5, 6, 7, or 8 appears. Some casinos swap the 9 for the 5 where a 5 wins and a 9 loses.
- The seven field numbers can be made a total of 16 times. The 6 and 8 can be rolled ten times, the 5 four times, and the 7 six times. So if you bet on the 5, 6 and 8 in addition to the field, you can win 30 times (16 + 10 + 4) and lose only to the 7, which rolls six times.
- You can place $25 on the 5, $30 on the 6 and 8, and $20 on the field. If the 5, 6 or 8 roll, you win $35 and lose $20, giving you a $15 profit. If the 2 or 12 roll, you win $40 (field pays double on 2 and 12). And if the 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 roll, you win $20.
- The trick to this, of course, is not leaving everything up so it can get hit by the 7. You should wait for a come-out 7 before you make this bet, leave all your bets up for one roll only, and then take everything down. Then wait for another come-out 7 before you start betting again.
- For smaller bankrolls, try placing the 5 for $5, the 6 and 8 for $6 each, and $2 on the field. Again wait for a come-out 7 first, and leave your bets up for one roll only. You’ll win $2 on the 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, $5 ($7 – $2) on the 5, 6 or 8, and, $4 on the 2 or 12.