The Hardway Bet

Named that way because it's a hard way to win, just kidding, but the hardway bet has some pretty horrible odds, so I recommend you stick with pass line bets with odds for the most part. Actually the 'hard' bit derives from the doubles involved. To roll a 'hard eight' means to roll it with double 4's, to roll a 'hard 6' means to roll it with double 3's. So in craps the only hardway bets that exist are a hard 4, 6, 8, and 10. When you make a hardway bet your betting that the hard version of what your betting on will come up before the soft version, or a seven. The soft version is the opposite of the hard version. Two threes is a hard six, but a 4 and a 2 is a soft six.

Odds are not completely consistent from casino to casino on the hardway bets but generally they go like so: a hard 4 pays 7 or 8 to 1, a hard 6 pays 9 or 10 to 1, a hard 8 pays 9 or 10 to 1, and a hard 10 pays 7 or 8 to 1.

Hardway bets are usually placed to add a little spice to the game, not in any effort to win more money. This is emphasized by the fact that the house edge is something atrocious on these bets. For a 4 or 10 the hard way, there is an 11.1% house edge, for a 6 or 8, it's around 9%.

Email me your views: