Learn to Play Casino Craps: The Horn Bet and Whirl Bet

Be smart, play smart, learn how to play casino craps the right way!

The Horn bet is a one-roll bet combining the numbers 2, 3, 11, and 12. Yes, it sounds like a C&E bet, but there's a subtle difference. The Horn bet is actually four separate bets on the 2, 3, 11, and 12; therefore, your bet amount should be divisible by four. Like the 3-Way Craps bet, when you win a Horn bet, you win on the number that shows and lose the other three bets. If a 2 shows, the payoff is 30:1; and your 3, 11, and 12 lose. If a 12 shows, the payoff is 30:1; and your 2, 3, and 11 lose. If a 3 shows, the payoff is 15:1; and your 2, 11, and 12 lose. If an 11 slows, the payoff is 15:1; and your 2, 3, and 12 lose. The boxes for the 2, 3, 11, and 12 are clearly marked in the proposition area. Since the dealer controls the Horn bet (keep your hands off), he puts one fourth of your chips in each of the 2, 3, 11, and 12 boxes. (Some layouts include a box for the Horn bet.)

Be careful making Horn bets that don't result in whole numbers after being split (i.e., when the dealer divides your chips into four equal amounts). If you win and the resulting payoff includes a fraction of a dollar, the casino can't pay you that fraction, so they keep it for themselves. Many players are lazy and don't like counting out four $1 chips, which are also hard to toss to the middle of table without making a mess. They'd rather toss a single $5 chip, and say something like, "Horn high twelve." The dealer makes four non-fractional bets and puts the leftovers on the number called. For a $5 "Horn High 12," the dealer changes the $5 chip into five $1 chips, and then puts $1 on each of the 2, 3, 11, and 12. He then adds the remaining $1 to the 12; thereby, making the 12 a $2 bet (i.e., "higher" than the other three bets).

The Whirl bet (sometimes called "World") is a one-roll bet combining the Horn bet with the Any Seven. The Whirl bet is actually five separate bets on the 2, 3, 11, 12, and 7; therefore, your bet amount should be divisible by five. The Whirl bet wins if a 2, 3, 11, 12, or 7 shows, and loses if any other number shows. If a 2 shows, the payoff is 30:1; and your 3, 11, 12, and 7 lose. If a 12 shows, the payoff is 30:1; and your 2, 3, 11, and 7 lose. If a 3 shows, the payoff is 15:1; and your 2, 11, 12, and 7 lose. If an 11 shows, the payoff is 15:1; and your 2, 3, 12, and 7 lose. If a 7 shows, the payoff is 4:1; and your 2, 3, 11, and 12 lose.

Depending on the table layout, the Whirl bet may or may not have its own box in the center of the table. For layouts that don't, the dealer typically divides your chips into five equal amounts and places them in the 2, 3, 11, 12, and Any Seven boxes. Be careful making Whirl bets that don't result in whole numbers after dividing your total bet by 5. If you win and the resulting payoff includes a fraction of a dollar, the casino can't pay you that fraction, so they keep it for themselves. Unless you're good at math and can calculate in your head whether fractional bets will result in a whole-number payoff, it's best to simply toss the dealer an amount divisible by five to avoid the potential for dealing with cents.

Now you know! Remember, learn how to play casino craps the right way.

W. Enslen is a reliability engineer who routinely works with statistics. Having played and analyzed casino craps for 30 years, he has compiled his winning secrets in a new Ebook, which you can sample at Learn to Play Casino Craps. Be smart, play smart, and learn to play casino craps in reality instead of a Fantasyland of false hope.