The shooter, or anyone wishing to bet that the shooter will win, places his bet "on the line" (in the area marked "Does Pass," "Line," or "Win" on various layouts) Anyone betting against the shooter places his bet in the area marked "Don't Pass." Anyone wishing to bet on a special contingency, such as that craps (2, 3, or 12) will or will not be thrown on the next roll, places his bet in the appropriate space on the layout; such bets are called proposition bets. The house maintains a mathematical advantage on all bets of about 1.4 percent, higher on certain layouts and special bets.

No system can overcome a house edge. You can minimize your losses by playing wisely on games of skill, but systems make no difference to games of pure chance like roulette. Those who use systems in roulette are fooling themselves. Don’t believe otherwise. Expect to lose in the long run – if not right from the start! Remember the basic rule – the more you play the more likely you are to lose.

The odds bet is the best wager you can make in the game of craps, because the house has no built-in advantage. Some casinos permit players to make double odds, and even greater odds wagers. The odds bet not only has no house edge associated with it, but has no official designated space on the craps table. to take the odds, you must place the appropriate amount of chips behind your pass line bet in the open area of the craps layout.