hardways

Hardways, or hard-way bets, are a group of side bets offered on the craps table. A hardway bet wagers that a specific total—4, 6, 8, or 10—will be rolled as a double (2-2, 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5) before that total is rolled in any other way or before a 7 ends the sequence. The bet remains in action until either the chosen double appears, the total is rolled in an easy form, or a 7 is rolled.

There are four hardway bets: hard four (2-2), hard six (3-3), hard eight (4-4), and hard ten (5-5). Payouts vary by casino, but the common structure is 7 to 1 for hard four and hard ten, and 9 to 1 for hard six and hard eight. The house edge is typically about 11.1% for hard four and hard ten, and about 9.1% for hard six and hard eight. This high house edge makes hardways relatively unattractive to many players compared with other craps bets.

In practice, hardways are a high-variance, low-probability bet that appeals to players seeking bigger immediate payouts or table variety rather than consistent long-term value. They can be placed on the layout or included as part of various table rules, and conditions may vary by casino.

See also: craps, dice games.