The Online Craps Field Bet

Published on: September 24, 2011 

Online craps is a game that offers a number of different bets and players should understand how each bet functions. The Field Bet is one of the more popular bets in online craps and its finer points will be discussed in this article. Crucial is how the payouts offered in the Field Bet determines at which online casino should the player wager on craps.

The online craps Field Bet is popular for two reasons. The first reason is that the bet can be placed before any roll. The player need not be worried about whether the roll is a come out roll or whether a point has been established. The second reason for the popularity of the online craps Field Bet is that it is decided in a single roll. The player wins or loses on the next roll of the dice. The bet is not carried forward.

On the online craps layout there is a large box where the chips for the Field Bet are to be placed. It is easily recognizable because it has the word Field written in it and the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12 displayed in a row. The numbers 2 and 12 are circled. These numbers reflect the total of the two dice rolled. If the total matches with any of the listed numbers then the player wins, otherwise he loses. The numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 pay out at 1 to 1. The numbers 2 and 12 have higher pay outs and that is the reason they are circled. 2 pays out at 2 to 1 and 12 pays out at 3 to 1.

Though the Field Bet is attractive, it is not as attractive as it first appears. There are 11 numbers that can be rolled with two dice in a game of online craps. Rolling seven of these numbers results in a win in the Field Bet, while rolling four of these numbers results in a loss. This does not imply that the Field Bet has a fantastic chance of winning. The fallacy lies in that the different totals in online craps have different probabilities of occurring. For example, a total of 7 can be obtained in six different ways, whereas a total of 3 can be obtained in only two different ways. Therefore a 7 will be rolled more often than a 3. The numbers in the Field Bet are so selected as to give a house edge of 2.7%. The Field Bet is not the best bet in online craps from the point of view of house edge. There are bets with lower house edges but these are multi roll bets and a bit more difficult to understand. A house edge of 2.7% is comparable to European Roulette and less than that for online slots.

There is one important factor to note while wagering on online craps. Some online casinos offer a payout of only 2 to 1 for the total of 12 instead of 3 to 1. This increases the house edge to over 5.5%. Such online casinos should be avoided if the player wants to wager on the Field Bet in online craps. Microgaming online casinos like Platinum Play and Roxy Palace offer a payout of 3 to 1 in the Field Bet in online craps.

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