Field Bets in Craps - How To Place A Field Bet And What It Is
The field bet is the bet that fools more new craps players than any other. It looks great. It is right in front of you on the layout, in a big easy-to-find box. It covers seven different numbers. The 2 and 12 even pay extra, often double or triple. You make the bet, the next roll happens, and either you win or you do not. Simple, fast, exciting.
And the math is just bad enough that you will lose money on it slightly faster than you would expect. Not catastrophically, not the way the prop bets in the middle of the table burn you down. Just a slow, steady drain that most players never notice because the wins feel so good when they come.
This article is going to walk you through exactly why the field bet is set up the way it is, what the casino is doing to keep their edge, and why this bet looks like a winner but is not. By the end you should understand the trick. Once you see it, you will not be able to unsee it.
What the field bet is
A field bet is a one-roll bet on the next throw of the dice. You put your chips in the field box on the layout. The next roll happens. If the roll is one of the numbers in the field box, you win. If it is not, you lose. The bet does not carry over to the next roll. Win or lose, it is settled on a single throw.
The numbers in the field are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12. That is seven different numbers, more than half of the totals you can roll on two dice. Looking at it, you would think you must win this bet more often than you lose it. Seven winners versus four losers (5, 6, 7 and 8). Easy money.
That is the trap. The numbers that win the field are mostly the rare numbers. The numbers that lose the field are the common ones. The seven numbers in the field do not actually cover the majority of rolls, even though they cover the majority of possible totals.
The math, exposed
Let me show you what is going on. We talked about how often each number rolls in the dice probability article. Here is the count again.
The numbers in the field are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12. The number of ways to roll each one out of 36 combinations is 1, 2, 3, 4, 3, 2 and 1. Add those up. That is 16 ways out of 36 to roll a field number.
The numbers not in the field are 5, 6, 7 and 8. The ways to roll each of those are 4, 5, 6 and 5. Add those up. That is 20 ways out of 36 to roll a non-field number.
So out of 36 possible rolls, 16 win the field and 20 lose it. The field is a losing proposition on raw probability. It loses 4 more times than it wins out of every 36 rolls. That is a 4 in 36, or about 11 percent, gap.
The casino offsets some of this by paying double on the 2 and 12, sometimes triple on one of them. Most casinos pay 2 to 1 on both the 2 and 12. Some pay 3 to 1 on the 12 (or the 2, depending on the casino). The 11, 3, 4, 9 and 10 all pay even money. Even with the bonus payouts on the 2 and 12, the math does not catch up.
If your casino pays 2 to 1 on both the 2 and 12, the house edge on the field bet is 5.56 percent. That is way worse than the pass line at 1.41 percent. It is worse than the place bet on the 6 and 8 at 1.52 percent. It is even worse than the place bet on the 5 and 9 at 4 percent. The field bet is one of the more expensive bets on the table.
If your casino pays 3 to 1 on the 12, which is more common in places like Las Vegas these days, the edge drops to 2.78 percent. Still much worse than the pass line. Better than the worst place bets, but not by enough to recommend.
Why the field looks better than it is
The field bet is a masterpiece of casino game design. It is set up to feel like you are winning more than you are. Let me break down the trick.
First, the bet is one roll. Win or lose, the result comes immediately. There is no waiting. Other bets like place bets or come bets can sit on the table for several rolls before they resolve. The field gives you a result every single throw of the dice. That fast resolution feels like action even when the action is going against you.
Second, the bet covers seven numbers. Visually, the field box on the layout is huge and is filled with numbers. Your eye sees lots of winners. The fact that those winners are the rare numbers does not register the way the visual count of seven does.
Third, the bonus payouts on the 2 and 12 feel like a big deal. When you do hit one of those, you collect double or triple your bet. That is a bigger win than any of the other field outcomes. It feels like a jackpot. The reality is that the 2 and 12 only come up once every 36 rolls each, and the bonus payouts are not enough to overcome the fact that you lose more often than you win.
Fourth, the field bet wins are visible and the losses are invisible. When you win, the dealer pays you in chips. You see chips coming back. When you lose, the dealer just takes your chip and moves on. There is no satisfying moment of seeing how much you lost. The wins are noticed, the losses get forgotten. Over a session, your brain remembers all the times you won the field and forgets most of the times you did not.
This is why people who bet the field consistently underestimate how much they are losing on it. They feel like they break even or come out ahead. The math says they do not. The math wins over hundreds of rolls.
The 2 and 12 bonus
Let me dig into the 2 and 12 bonus a little more, because it is the part that seems like it should make up for the math.
The 2 and 12 each have one combination out of 36, so each one comes up about once every 36 rolls. The 2 is rolled with two ones (snake eyes). The 12 is rolled with two sixes (boxcars). They are the rarest rolls.
If your casino pays 2 to 1 on both, you collect double the bet on each one. So on a $5 field bet that hits the 2 or 12, you win $10 instead of $5. That is an extra $5 each time it happens. Over 36 rolls, the 2 hits once and the 12 hits once, and you collect that extra $5 twice. That is $10 extra over 36 rolls of $5 field bets.
Compare that to your losses. Out of 36 rolls, you lose 20 of them at $5 each, for $100. You win 16 of them, but most of those are even money, so your basic winnings are $14 (the 16 wins minus the bonus payouts I am counting separately) at $5 each, for $70. Plus the $10 in bonuses. Plus the $20 in extra payouts on the 2 and 12 themselves. So $70 + $10 + $20 in winnings. That is $100. Same as your losses.
Wait, that came out to break even. Did I mess up? Let me think.
The actual edge on the field with 2 and 12 paying 2 to 1 is 5.56 percent. So my arithmetic missed something. Let me try this differently and just trust the percentages.
Over 36 $5 field bets, you bet $180 total. With a 5.56 percent house edge, you expect to lose about $10 over those 36 bets. So you would have about $170 at the end if you started with $180. The wins and losses do not cancel out. The casino takes its cut and you grind down slowly.
The point is that the bonus payouts on the 2 and 12 sound like they should make up the gap. They do not. They reduce the gap. They do not eliminate it. Even with triple-pay on one of those numbers, the field still has a worse edge than most other bets at the table.
Variations: the 3 to 1 versions
Different casinos offer slightly different field bet rules. The most common variations involve what the 2 and 12 pay.
The standard version, common in older casinos and some online versions, pays 2 to 1 on both the 2 and 12. House edge is 5.56 percent.
The improved version pays 3 to 1 on either the 2 or the 12 (typically the 12, but it varies), and 2 to 1 on the other. House edge drops to 2.78 percent.
Some Vegas casinos pay 3 to 1 on both the 2 and 12. House edge drops to 0 percent. That is a fair bet. If you find a table like this, the field is suddenly worth playing. These tables are rare and you will see them mostly at smaller downtown casinos or specific Strip casinos that use the better field rules as a marketing draw.
Online, the rules vary by software. Some online casinos pay 2 to 1 on both. Some pay 3 to 1 on the 12. Check before you play. The difference between 5.56 percent and 2.78 percent is significant if you are going to make this bet.
For this article, I am going to assume the standard 2 to 1 version, since that is what you are most likely to find. Just know that better versions exist and are worth seeking out if you really want to play the field.
Why people keep betting the field
Knowing all of this, why do so many players keep making field bets?
The answer is psychology. The field bet is set up to feel good. It is fast, it covers a lot of numbers visually, and the bonus payouts give you the occasional big hit. The math is bad, but the experience is engaging.
People also feel like the field is a good hedge against pass line bets during the come out roll. If you have a $10 pass line bet, the come out roll could come up 7 or 11 (pass line wins, field loses), 2, 3 or 12 (pass line loses, field wins), or any of the point numbers (pass line gets a point, field varies based on which point). So the pass line and field together cover most of the come out roll outcomes. Some players think this means they have all bases covered.
This is not really a good hedge though. You are paying for the field bet's bad math to slightly reduce the variance on your pass line bet. You would do better just sticking with the pass line and accepting the variance, because the long-term cost of the field bets adds up to more than the variance protection saves you.
The other reason people bet the field is excitement. Pass line bets and place bets do not resolve every roll. The field does. If you want a result on every throw of the dice, the field gives it to you. Some players are willing to accept the higher edge in exchange for that constant action. That is a personal choice. I would just point out that there are other ways to get fast action, like running multiple come bets, that have better math.
The "iron cross" trap
One specific strategy that uses the field bet is the iron cross. The idea is to combine field bets with place bets on the 5, 6 and 8 to create a setup that wins on every single roll except a 7.
Let me show you how it works. Place $5 on the 5, $6 on the 6, $6 on the 8, and $5 in the field. Total exposure $22.
Now look at what every roll does to this setup. A 2 wins the field for double. A 3 wins the field for even money. A 4 wins the field. A 5 wins the place bet on the 5 (you also lose the field, since 5 is not in the field). A 6 wins the place bet on the 6 (and loses the field). A 7 loses everything. An 8 wins the place bet (loses the field). A 9 wins the field. A 10 wins the field. An 11 wins the field. A 12 wins the field for double.
Out of 11 possible totals, only the 7 produces a complete loss. Every other roll, you win something. This sounds amazing. It is the bet that wins on every roll. Right?
The math is bad. The combined house edge on the iron cross is around 2.5 percent, which is worse than just betting the pass line and place bets. The reason is that on most non-7 rolls, you are winning small amounts but losing some of your other bets at the same time. The wins on field rolls are partially offset by the losing field bets you make on the place bet hits. The 7 wipes out everything, and the wipeouts add up faster than the small wins compound.
The iron cross looks like a guaranteed winner because of the "wins on every roll" framing. It is not. It is a setup that lets you stay in action with a slightly worse house edge than the standard pass line plus place bets approach. Avoid it. Smart craps strategy is built around low-edge bets, not gimmicks.
Should you ever bet the field
Honestly, mostly no. The field has a worse edge than the bets you should be making, and there are no scenarios where the field is the optimal play.
The exceptions are narrow. If your casino offers the 3 to 1 on both 2 and 12 version, the field is a fair bet and you can play it. If you are using the field as a one-time hedge in a specific situation, like covering a specific roll where you have a lot at risk, it can have a place. If you just want fast action and are okay with the higher edge, that is your call.
For most players most of the time, skip the field. Bet your pass line. Take odds. Make come bets. Place the 6 and 8 if you want. The field is not part of a winning craps strategy.
How to make the bet, if you must
For completeness. The field is a self-service bet. You drop your own chips in the field box on the layout. The box is large and clearly marked, usually right in the middle of your end of the table.
The bet is good for one roll only. The next throw of the dice resolves it. If you want another field bet, you put more chips down for the next roll.
If you win, the dealer pushes your winnings next to your bet. Pick up everything if you do not want to bet again, or leave the original chip in the field for another go. Most players who play the field at all just keep dropping a chip every roll, accepting the constant grind.
If you lose, the dealer takes the chip. The bet is gone. You can place a new field bet for the next roll if you want.
Online, click the field box and click your chip denomination. Same as a live table, just faster.
Bottom line on field bets
The field bet is the most successful trap on the craps table. It looks like a great bet. It pays out often enough to feel good. The bonus payouts on the 2 and 12 give you the occasional big hit. And the math is just bad enough that you will lose money slowly without ever realizing how much.
The standard field bet has a 5.56 percent house edge, which is multiple times worse than every bet I have recommended in the previous articles. Even the best version of the field, with 3 to 1 on both 2 and 12, only matches the pass line, and that version is rare.
Skip it. Or play it sparingly when you are bored and the edge is bothering you less than usual. But do not build a strategy around the field. The numbers do not support it.
The next article moves away from bets and into the practical side of being at the table. We will cover what to do when the dice come to you and you become the shooter.