Hardways
A hardway bet wins when a number rolls as a pair before it rolls the easy way or a 7. What hard 4, 6, 8 and 10 pay, when they're working, and what they cost.
Roll two 3s and that’s a 6 the hard way. Roll a 4 and a 2, or a 5 and a 1, and it’s an easy 6. A hardway bet is a bet that a number comes up as a pair before it comes up any other way, and before a 7.
The four hardways
Only even numbers can be rolled as a pair, and 2 and 12 can only be rolled one way, so there are four hardways: hard 4, hard 6, hard 8, and hard 10.
| Bet | Wins on | Loses on | Pays | House edge |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hard 4 | 2 and 2 | Any 7, or 3 and 1 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Hard 10 | 5 and 5 | Any 7, or 6 and 4 | 7 to 1 | 11.11% |
| Hard 6 | 3 and 3 | Any 7, or an easy 6 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
| Hard 8 | 4 and 4 | Any 7, or an easy 8 | 9 to 1 | 9.09% |
Any other roll leaves the bet alone. A hardway that wins stays up, so it can hit again.
Why they pay what they pay
There’s one way to roll a hard 6, four ways to roll an easy 6, and six ways to roll a 7. That’s one way to win and ten ways to lose, so the true odds are 10 to 1. A hard 6 pays 9 to 1, and that gap is the house edge.
A hard 4 has one way to win, two easy ways to lose, and six 7s: 8 to 1 against, paid at 7 to 1.
Off on the come-out
At a PlayCraps table, like most casinos, hardways are off on the come-out unless you call them working. A come-out 7 doesn’t take them down, and a come-out hard 6 doesn’t pay. Once a point is on, they work on every roll.
Questions
What is Little Joe in craps?
A hard 4, two 2s. The full call is “Little Joe from Kokomo”. Stickmen have names for lots of rolls, and the craps glossary has the common ones.
Are hardways a good bet?
They’re a fun bet, not a cheap one. At 9.09% on the 6 and 8, and 11.11% on the 4 and 10, they cost several times what a Place bet on the same number does. Hot Hand Hank plays them all week on PlayCraps Live, if you want to see how that goes.
What’s a hop bet?
A one-roll bet on one exact pair of dice, like 3 and 3 on the next roll. It’s a different bet from a hardway, which waits until the number rolls. PlayCraps tables don’t take hop bets.
What does “hardways all day” mean?
It’s how players ask for their hardways to be working on the come-out too. At a PlayCraps table, you can call them working from your phone.
Next: how the edge on every bet stacks up, in good bets, bad bets. Play money only: nothing is wagered or paid out.