It’s big, it’s vivid, and it’s the field! The field is normally the first thing a player notices when he or she looks down at the craps layout. It is extremely hard to miss. For those who don’t know, the field is a bet type in the game of Craps (Dice). When you place a bet on the field, it lives for one roll. You win your bet if the shooter rolls a: 2,3,4,9,10,11 or 12. You lose your bet if the shooter rolls a 5,6,7 or 8. The field attracts many players and has claimed more victims than any war in our history. Let’s take a deeper look into the field and see if there is any value to be had with this bet type.

Even though the field includes every possible number, the four it leaves out are numbers that have many possible combinations. As a result, the field has a 55.5% chance of losing and a 44.5% chance of winning on any particular roll. The field is paid even money, except the two and twelve, which are paid double and triple the bet respectively—in many casinos.

The field basically boils down to a glorified game of heads and tails, with the house having a moderate edge (11%). So for every 100 rolls played, you will lose 11 units. However, if you are in a house that pays double on a 2 and triple on a three, this changes some. 100 rolls will, mathematically, yield two 12’s and two 2’s, with one additional twelve or two hitting. The end result will be an added 7-8 units earned per 100 rolls, which brings our estimated loss down to 3-4 units per 100 rolls (3-4% house edge verses 11%).

Still, this is a losing proposition. To end up a winner, assuming you bet the same amount each time, one needs to not bet 3-4 times per 100 rolls and—most importantly—the rolls not played must be non-field hitting rolls. Aside from bringing a crystal ball to the table, one must look to other ways to turn the advantage in the players favor. This is where playing strategy comes in. Having been a dealer and a professional gambler, I have seen my fair share of field playing strategies—even made many myself. Most of these strategies will get you into trouble, but there are some that are very viable. The most important thing to keep in mind is value. The moment a system loses value, it is destined to get you into the poor house. It is one thing to slightly deviate from value, but another when a system goes hog wild—like many progression systems. The last thing you want to get into is betting hundreds of dollars to win back your initial bet of $1.

Are you ready to win at craps? If so, you’re ready to read more of my articles. Playing the field can be fun and profitable, but you have to know how to do it right and when to walk away.

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