The Secrets of the Hard Ways

Pssst...! Wanna know a secret?

How about the secrets of hard way betting?

Most crapshooters know that the hard ways have high payoffs - the six or eight pays 9:1 and the four or ten pays 7:1. But hard way numbers (4, 6, 8 & 10) only pay off when two identical numbers are rolled. This means you will only win if 2&2, 3&3, 4&4, or 5&5 are rolled.

The 1&1 (2) or 6&6 (12) do not count as a hard way, because that is the only way they can roll.

If you bet on a hard six, you only win if the combination is 3 & 3. You lose if the combination is 4 & 2, 5 & 1, 2 & 4, and 1 & 5. On a hard eight, you only win if the roll is 4 & 4. You lose if it is 2 & 6, 3 & 5, 5 & 3 and 6 & 2. So of the five ways to make a six or eight, four are soft ways and only one is hard. The hard four must roll 2 & 2 to win. You lose on a 1 & 3 or 3 & 1. The hard ten must roll 5 & 5. You lose on a 4 & 6 or a 6 & 4. So of the three ways to make a 4 or 10, two are soft and only one is hard.

Wanna know how craps pros make money on hard way bets?

Let's find out!

The true odds of the hard 6/8 are 10:1 but the payoff is only 9:1, giving the casino a 9% edge. And the true odds on the 4/10 are 8:1 but the payoff is only 7:1, giving the casino a 11% edge. But, since the hard 6/8 rolls once and the hard 4/10 also rolls once, why are the odds different? And if each hard number rolls the same amount (one in 36) as the 2 and 12, why aren't the odds identical? The payoff for the 2/12 is 30:1. Why don't the hard ways pay higher?

When you place a bet for the 2/12, it is a one roll bet. If any number other the 2/12 rolls, you lose. Their true odds are 35:1, as they each should appear only once in 36 rolls. The hard way bets, however, stay up if anything other than a seven or an easy way rolls. Even though a hard number should roll once in 36 rolls, it stays up more often than the 2/12, which is why the payoff is lower.

Since hard ways stay up until they are hit or lose, it is easy to start a progression with them - just bet $1 each on the hard four, ten, six and eight - a total of only $4 to start out. These hard numbers each should roll once in 36 rolls. If there is a long time between sevens you could win $7 + $7 + $9 +$9 or $32 for a $4 investment.

If the seven (or the soft number) rolls you would increase your bet by $1 and put it back up. So you might have different bets on different numbers. You should also have a 30% win goal and loss limit for this hard way method. If you buy in for $500 you would quit if you win or lose approximately $150.

Some crapshooters try to minimize their losses by calling bets "off" when 6 rolls go by to help minimize sevens. The bets are also off on the come out when everyone is rooting for a seven.

Next time you play, give this hard way progression a try!

Pssst...! Now you know the secrets of hard way betting!

(c) 2005 by Larry Edell

You can get a FREE issue of The Crapshooter, the only newsletter devoted exclusively to craps! Just send two first class stamps to The Crapshooter, Dept EZA, PO Box 421440, San Diego CA 92142 or you can subscribe at http://www.TheCrapShooter.com. You'll also receive a FREE catalog and a special FREE offer!