Dear Mark: A few weeks back you mentioned the difference between field bet payoffs on the crap table. I can't believe that all these years I have been playing on the wrong game, the one that only pays double on the 12. Are there any other proposition bet disparities on the crap layout that I am not aware of and should be looking for? Dan G.

What I think you're referring to, Dan, is the difference in the casino's edge on a field bet, when the house pays triple versus double, on the roll of a 12.  Paying out triple on the 12, the casino edge is 2.78%, as opposed to its standard double-pay with a 5.56%.edge.

Normally, craps has the same standard payouts from casino to casino, but there are some variations that the craps player should be acquainted with to get better, albeit still atrocious, odds. Three wagers come to mind. The field bet mentioned above, the hop on 2 or 12, and the hop on the 11.

Hop bets are one-roll wagers that can be made on any specific two-dice combination on the next roll. Although there is no specific location on the layout for most Hop bets, the dealer will broker your wager just so long as you call a hop bet out before the dice are cast. For instance, you say to the stickman, "I want box cars on the hop," meaning, that you are betting that on the next roll, a pair of sixes will be belly-up.

As for the Hop 2 or 12, the casino is going to pay you either or 30-1 or 31-1. The 2 or 12 that pays 30 to 1 has a casino advantage of 13.89%, and although getting paid 31-1 is slightly better, the true odds remain 35-1, so getting paid a measly buck more still makes it one of the worst bets on the crap table.

The other common variation is the payout for a Hop bet on an 11. This is a bet that an 11 (also known as a "Yo") will be thrown on the next roll. Different casinos pay this bet at either 15-1 or 16-1, and the casino edge on this wager is 16.7% or 11.1%, respectively.

Here's the deal, Dan. All Hop bets, and most proposition bets on the crap layout for that matter, have a high house advantage and should be canned, jettisoned, deep-sixed from your casino-betting repertoire. Proposition bets are just not the smart way to play craps. A bet on the pass line, taking odds, or placing the six or eight is what I call SMART PLAY.

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