Hop Bets in Craps: How They Work and When to Use Them

Peter Nairn
Written byPeter Nairn
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Peter Nairn

Casino Operations Specialist
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  • Over 3 decades of experience in casino operations management, with a focus on Table Games and Slots;
  • Senior executive positions in both Native American and traditional casino markets for companies like Harrah’s New Orleans and Minnesota-based Grand Casinos;
  • Hands-on experience as trainer and dealer of multiple casino games including: Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and more;
  • Profound knowledge of Title 31 regulations, State compacts, and Federal MICS.
Intermediate
   
icon-thumb-up100%icon-clock-grey6 min
icon-calendarUpdated on Jan 14, 2025

Welcome to the ‘Craps Hopping Bets’ article. Today, we’re going to take a look at how simple this one-roll bet is. 

It’s pretty straightforward. All craps hop bets are made through the Stickman, and there are only two payouts.

Once you finish this article, you will know that hopping bets in the US pay either 30 to 1, or 15 to 1, and we’re going to show you how to decide which is which, and then we’ll talk about how to make the bet.

Let’s get started.

What is a hop bet in craps?

A hop bet is a one-roll bet on a crap game that is handled by the Stickman.

It is a bet that the dice will roll a certain combination on the next roll, such as a 4/2, or a 6/3, and so on.

When the dice are in front of the Boxman, simply throw your bet to the Stickman and request the bet.

For example

You could throw $1 to the Stickman, and say, ‘Six Three Hopping’. 

The Stickman will book your bet by saying, ‘Bet! Six Three Hopping a dollar’ and you have a bet.

And if the next roll is a 9, made up of a 6 on one die, and a 3 on the other die, you would win $15. 

If it’s any other number, your $1 bet loses.

It’s that simple.

Hop bets payouts and odds

There are only two payouts for a hopping bet. 

In the US, they are almost always 30 to 1, and 15 to 1, but with those payouts comes a very high House Advantage.

If you look at the Horn Bet numbers in front of the Stickman, they’re not called hop bets, but they function exactly the same as a hop bet, and they pay exactly the same as a hop bet.

hop bets horn bet dices

And the payouts listed are what the casino pays for the hopping bets, including the Horn Bet numbers.

As you can see, the hop bets have two payouts – it’s either 30 to 1, or 15 to 1.

Why is that – why are there two different payouts and not just one?

Because there are 6 numbers that are unique – there is only one way to make them with two dice, so they pay double what all the other combinations pay. 

There are two ways to make all the other combinations, and it’s twice as easy to make them.

The numbers that pay 30 to 1 are all the pairs – that is 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, and 12.

A pair of Aces, Deuces, Treys, Fours, Fives and Sixes all pay 30 to 1.

hop bets pairs

That’s right, that’s all the Hardways.

For example

If you were to roll a blue die and a red die, there is only one way to make a hard six.  And that is with a 3 on the red die, and a 3 on the blue die.

hop bets red and blue dices

There is no other way to make a hard six.

But there are two ways to make an easy six made up of a 5/1.

The red die has a 5 and the blue die has an Ace, or the red die has an Ace and the blue die has a 5.

horn bets dices 5 ace

And there are two combinations that make up the other easy six, the 4/2. 

The red die has a 4 and the blue die has a 2, or the red die has a 2 and the blue die has a 4.

horn bets dices 4 and 2

Which is why any of the other non-hardway numbers all pay 15 to 1 – because there are two ways to make those numbers.

What if you want to bet that the shooter is going to make an easy six?

You would throw $2 to the Stickman and say, ‘two-way easy six hopping’. 

This is a routine well-known bet for the Stickman, and he would book it and you now have a bet that the next roll will be a 6, either as 5/1 or a 4/2. 

If the six then comes as a 3 and a 3, your hopping bets on the easy six lose.

It may be that in other countries, the hop bets pay a different amount. 

The way to check is to look at the layout and see what the Aces or Twelve bet pays.  The hopping hardways will pay the same.

And then see what the Ace Deuce and the Yo-Eleven pay – all the other hopping dice combinations apart from the hardways will pay what the Ace Deuce or 11 pay.

As I recall, in the UK and Australia, the 2 and the 12 both pay 33 to 1, so a hopping hard way will pay 33 to 1, and the Ace Deuce and Yo-Eleven pay 16 to 1, so all the other combinations also pay 16 to 1, not 15 to 1 in those countries.

When to make a hop bet

There is no ‘best time’ to make a hopping bet.  

In fact, there is never a ‘good time’ to make a hopping bet.

For a hopping hardway, or 2 or 12, the HA is 13.89%.  A massive HA, which tells you it’s a terrible bet, and you simply shouldn’t be making this bet at all.

For all the other hopping combinations that pay 15 to 1, the House Advantage is 11.11%.  Not quite as bad as the hopping hardways, but still way too strong to put your money at risk.

These are very high House Advantage bets and shouldn’t be bet at all.   Unless you get a strong message from the Dice Gods.

And that message is:

‘The shooter is going to make his point of 10 on the next roll, and it’s going to come the hard way’

– and then you might want to bet a Hard 10 hopping.

But apart from that, there is no good reason to make a hopping bet.

Expert’s Advice

Hopping bets are a way that the Director of Table Games increases the hold percentage on his craps games and wins more of your money.  There is no other reason hopping bets are there.

It may be that you get a message from the Dice Gods, and it’s hard to ignore those messages sometimes. 

It happened to me once.

I had a lunchtime meeting at the Isle of Capri casino in Biloxi, and after lunch as I was leaving, I had a strong urge to go and play craps. 

So I did.

I don’t play very often, and certainly not during the day, especially when I’m working, but on this occasion the message was so strong, I had time to spare, and I had to go and play.

And I won $600.

And just to be clear, I’ve never made a hopping bet in my life.  Not once!

I won the $600 by betting the Pass Line and two Come bets with odds. Press the flat bets as they win, increase the odds bets as they win.

And lo and behold . . .

Conclusion

Hopping bets are some of the worst bets in a casino – the House Advantage on American Roulette is 5.26%, which is considered one of the highest HAs on a game in any casino or online.

What conclusions should we draw if a hopping bet has a House Advantage of more than double that?  And the hopping hardways are well on their way to tripling that!

I’m sure you can draw your own conclusions – but just in case . . .

Don’t bet the hopping bets!  Just say no!

And I hope Lady Luck has her head on your shoulder and doesn’t have her hand in your wallet the next time you go to play.

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Peter Nairn

Peter Nairn

Casino Operations Specialist

  • linkedin
  • email

About Peter Nairn

  • Over 3 decades of experience in casino operations management, with a focus on Table Games and Slots;
  • Senior executive positions in both Native American and traditional casino markets for companies like Harrah’s New Orleans and Minnesota-based Grand Casinos;
  • Hands-on experience as trainer and dealer of multiple casino games including: Blackjack, Roulette, Craps, and more;
  • Profound knowledge of Title 31 regulations, State compacts, and Federal MICS.
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