| Updated: September 25, 2025Craps is a fun game to play, whether online or in a live brick-and-mortar casino, but there is always a chance of going broke. To avoid losing money and to enjoy more time and excitement at the craps table, players should learn to manage their funds effectively. This process starts with establishing a proper bankroll and knowing how much to wager on each roll of the dice.
Before delving further into bankroll management, craps players should consider a few things. First and foremost, craps is a negative-expectation game, which means that even those who follow a perfect strategy are likely to lose money.
The house edge built into the game is impossible to overcome, and the longer you play, the less likely you are to turn a profit. For this reason, it is important to dispel one of the most common myths in craps – and in gambling overall – the idea that having a sizable bankroll can help players win more money. A larger bankroll can, however, help minimize expected losses.
Before setting up a bankroll, players who have chosen to play craps should also decide whether they wish to be recreational or advantage players. Most people gamble for fun, and only a small fraction can be considered professional or advantage players – in craps, this usually involves some form of cheating or hunting for comps and bonuses. Everyone else at the table understands that when they lose money, they are simply paying for entertainment, and the chance of landing a sizable profit only adds to the excitement of the game.
Craps Bankroll Management Fundamentals
How to Determine the Proper Bankroll?
Betting Units and BankrollHow to Determine the Proper Bankroll?
The term “bankroll management” is used in casino gambling literature to describe the handling of funds brought into the casino – how much to bet per round, how much to tip dealers, and so on. The most essential part of money management is, of course, determining the proper size of the craps bankroll. A good rule for craps players, and for all gamblers, is to never risk money they cannot afford to lose – after all, losing one’s entire bankroll is always possible.
Players need to set aside a fixed amount of money and dedicate it only to casino play. The craps bankroll should be separate from the rest of their finances such as money for food, rent, and utility bills. It is also important to gamble only with money they own rather than borrowed funds – players should avoid going to the casino with the credit card they normally use for everyday purchases. Since craps is a highly volatile game where the casino always has the mathematical advantage, players should always be prepared to lose their entire bankroll.
Good bankroll management should help prevent such an unfortunate event. Another guideline is to never bet more than 2% of the total bankroll on a single round. For craps in particular, it is best to limit the bets to 1% of the entire amount. For example, if the table minimum at a local casino is $5, players should not start playing with less than $500. A bankroll of this size allows them to keep playing even after a long losing streak – say, twenty consecutive bets.
Betting Units and Bankroll
When discussing bankroll management, we should also consider the importance of betting units. As mentioned above, it is advisable to wager no more than 1% of the total bankroll per round. For convenience, these percentages can be converted into betting units – the smallest amount a player is willing to bet. Often, the betting unit equals the table minimum ($1, $5, $10, etc.), but it could be higher depending on the funds set aside for craps play.
The concept of betting units is extremely helpful for determining the size of one’s bankroll and for applying various strategies or progressive betting systems. Using the example above, a $500 bankroll with $5 bets per round consists of 100 betting units. If the table minimum is $10, however, the player would have a bankroll of only 50 units.
This means the player can make 50 bets before running out of funds. Of course, this calculation does not account for any winnings that may be generated during the session; it merely presents the worst-case scenario. To better understand how much one could lose or win per session and to choose an appropriate betting unit, we need to calculate the per-hour gambling rate.
Often referred to as the cost per hour, this figure considers both the number of bets made per hour and the size of each wager. If players intend to spend four hours at the craps table with a $500 bankroll, they can afford to spend $125 per hour. But how many bets can be placed in that time? Craps is a very fast game, and the answer depends on the dealers’ pace and whether the game is online or in a live casino where up to 24 players may take turns as shooters.
When playing online craps or in a brick-and-mortar casino where a single shooter bets only on the Pass Line, there could be as many as 300 rolls per hour, although the average is closer to 100. However, the number of rolls does not determine how many bets can be placed. If players stick to even-money bets such as the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass bet, each wager takes at least three or four rolls to resolve. Consequently, we can expect roughly 20 to 30 betting decisions per hour.
If players have $125 to spend per hour and make 25 bets on average, their betting unit should be $5. If the casino does not accept wagers under $10, however, they should reconsider their approach and cut their craps session in half.
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Bankroll Management Tips
Bankroll management, even when done perfectly, cannot eliminate chance or bad luck in this game. It cannot prevent players from losing their entire bankroll, nor can it guarantee winnings. However, players who devise a plan and stick to it throughout the game are less likely to go broke. In fact, with a little luck, a solid bankroll management plan can give players more opportunities to profit while they are at the craps table.
Along with setting up a bankroll and sizing it appropriately, there are several essential steps every craps player should take before risking their money. These include formulating a basic playing strategy, taking precautions against going broke, and taking advantage of the various bonuses and loyalty programs offered by casinos.
Good and Bad Craps Bets Setting Time Limits Setting up Win or Loss Limits Setting aside Half of the Profits Using Progressive Systems in Craps Taking Advantage of Comp ProgramsGood and Bad Craps Bets
A sound money-management plan should always be paired with a smart playing strategy. Although no strategy guarantees a win every time in craps, a basic approach involves sticking to the favorable bets. The vast majority of options are so-called sucker bets – wagers with an extremely high house edge that cannot be overcome. These include prop bets, Any 7, Any Craps, and similar wagers, which are usually instant losers and should be avoided at all times.
To the average player, a high house edge may seem meaningless because it is a theoretical figure. However, by using the house edge, we can calculate the cost per hour of every single bet in craps. This cost per hour is the financial expression of the house edge – it shows how much a particular bet actually costs over time. To compute it, simply multiply the betting unit by the house edge and by the number of bets made per hour.
If our betting unit is $5, we make 25 bets per hour, and we stick to the Pass Line or Come bets, the calculation looks like this:
$5x25x1.41%
It equals $1.76 or, to round it up, about $2 per hour. In fact, the Pass/Don’t Pass and the Come/Don’t Come bets have the lowest cost per hour – around $2 – followed by Place bets on 6 and 8, the Hardway 6 and 8, and the Big 6/8. The low cost per hour for the Hardways and Big 6/8 stems from the fact that casinos usually allow smaller wagers on these options. In most cases, their cost per hour is less than $3.
Players should also consider taking Odds on their Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come wagers. The Odds bet carries a 0% house edge and lowers the edge of the original bet. It is usually recommended to bet the minimum on the Pass Line and then lay as much as possible in the form of a Free Odds bet behind it. Some guides suggest taking 100x Odds if the casino permits it.
However, this may not be practical for players with a limited bankroll. If they bet $5 on the Pass Line, for example, 100x Odds would require $500 – their entire bankroll. Theoretically, Odds have a 0% house edge and no cost per hour, but in reality players can lose the bet instantly if the shooter sevens out. That’s why newcomers who are still building their bankroll should adopt a more conservative approach – triple Odds are usually sufficient.
Setting Time Limits
One of the most important lessons, especially for beginners, is to learn discipline and know when to walk away from the craps table. The easiest way is to set a time limit; once that limit expires, players should simply collect their chips, cash them in, and leave the casino.
This is a basic rule that applies to all forms of gambling, but it is especially useful for casino games such as craps – there are no clocks, windows, or natural light in casinos, so it is difficult to gauge how much time has passed. In addition, craps is a very fast-paced game, with plenty of people around the table, and the excitement can easily cloud a player’s judgment.
By setting a time limit and honoring it, less-experienced players can better track their progress within the game. They will know how much they have won or lost, but more important, they will reduce the risk of losing their entire bankroll – a common outcome for those who continue playing indefinitely. Players should remember that the longer they stay at the craps table, the closer their overall results will be to the house edge of the game.
Setting up Win or Loss Limits
Limiting the time spent at the tables is helpful for managing money, but it may not be as effective for newcomers who are still building their bankroll. Instead, beginners can set win and loss limits to ensure they never go broke. It is vital to draft a plan in advance and stick to it.
First, players should set a loss limit – the maximum amount they are willing to lose during a session. Once that limit is reached, they must leave the table to avoid losing everything. Next, they should establish a win goal; this part of the plan can be tricky because most players set win goals that are too ambitious for a craps game, especially for novices. The best approach is to use shorter time frames and more modest win targets, allowing players to lock in small but consistent profits.
Setting aside Half of the Profits
Another useful tip for all gamblers, including craps players, is to set aside a portion of any profits earned – assuming they have generated profits at all. At some point during the session, players may realize they have built up decent winnings. The most sensible move, especially for beginners, is to set aside some of that money to ensure they leave the table ahead.
Keeping half of the session’s profits may seem excessive to some casino patrons, but it is an effective tactic for those looking to build a sizable bankroll that provides flexibility and protection against future losses.
Using Progressive Systems in Craps
Some craps players like to use progressive betting systems, believing they can capitalize on winning streaks and ultimately boost their profits. While a progression can increase winnings over time, success still depends solely on chance. Players should not rely on such systems because they do not change the odds or the way the game is played – they merely provide less-experienced players with a structured betting pattern.
Choosing the right progressive system is also important. More than a dozen exist, and while some are relatively safe to use even in the long run, others expose players to significant risk. Methods like the Martingale, for example, require doubling the bet after every loss and can quickly lead to massive losses. Players may run out of chips before generating a win large enough to recoup previous losses.
Unlike card counting in blackjack, casinos allow all kinds of progressive betting systems. Whereas card counters can realistically gain a small edge over the house, craps players who simply adjust their bet size cannot alter the game’s odds. Consequently, casinos permit these systems because they know they do not work.
Taking Advantage of Comp Programs
The only way to gain even a slight edge over the casino in a negative-expectation game like craps is to earn comp points and various rewards equal to – or greater than – what you lose. This is not as easy as it sounds. It is true that casinos – both online and land-based, usually offer loyalty programs, bonuses, and promotions.
However, to accumulate meaningful comp points, rewards, free chips, or anything else from the casino, players must place sufficiently large bets. In fact, those who lose the most on the gaming tables often receive the most rewards from the pit boss. Therefore, before craps players decide to take advantage of the special offers at a live or online casino, they should make sure the loyalty points are truly worth it.