How to Play Hardway Bets in Craps

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ByLucas Portela
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Learn how to play Hardway bets in craps. Discover how to bet on pairs and use the Buffalo strategy to protect your money.

Last Updated: 25 June 2026

Most Proposition bets in the centre of the table are over in a single roll. However, the Hardways are different. They can stay active for multiple rolls, making them exciting wagers that offer a fantastic return if you get lucky.

Key Takeaways: Hardway Bets

  • Multiple Rolls: Unlike other centre table wagers, Hardway bets stay active for multiple rolls until they either win or lose.
  • Betting on Pairs: You are wagering that the 4, 6, 8, or 10 will roll as an exact pair (for example, you need two 3s to make a 6).
  • How You Lose: Your wager is lost if a 7 lands, or if your specific number rolls the ‘easy’ way (like landing a 4 and 2).
  • The Buffalo Strategy: An aggressive bet on all four Hardways during the Comeout Roll, safely protected by an Any Seven insurance wager.

Betting on Pairs

Close-up of the Hardways betting section on a maroon craps table layout, displaying the dice pairs and payouts of 7 to 1 and 9 to 1.
The Hardways section on the craps layout, showing the exact dice pairs required and their corresponding payouts.

A ‘Hardway’ bet simply means you are wagering that the 4, 6, 8, or 10 will roll as an exact pair. For example, you need two 3s to make a hard 6.

Your bet stays active on the felt until one of two things happens. You lose if a 7 rolls, or if your chosen number rolls the ‘easy’ way (such as landing a 4 and a 2 to make a 6).

The Buffalo Bet

This is an aggressive strategy for players who absolutely love the Hardways. You place an equal amount on all four Hardway numbers and ask the dealer to keep them ‘working’ (active) during the initial Comeout Roll.

To protect your money, you also place an equal wager on the ‘Any Seven’. This acts as a clever insurance policy. If the dreaded 7 lands, your Any Seven winnings will perfectly cover the four Hardway bets you just lost.

❓ Hardway Bets FAQ

What exactly is a Hardway bet in craps?

A Hardway wager means you are betting that a specific number will roll as an exact pair. You can only place this bet on the 4, 6, 8, and the number 10.

When does a Hardway bet lose?

Your wager stays active on the table for multiple rolls until one of two things happens. The bet loses if a 7 lands, or if your chosen number is rolled the ‘easy’ way.

How does the Buffalo bet strategy work?

This strategy involves betting on all four Hardways during the Comeout Roll whilst placing an equal wager on Any Seven. If a 7 lands, the winnings act as insurance to cover the four bets you just lost.

Author:

Lucas Portela

Lucas Portela

Owner, BoldGambler • Avanhandava/SP

Oddsmaker, affiliate and content creator in the iGaming industry.

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