The Field bet is decided by the next roll only. It wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 and loses on 5, 6, 7, or 8. Most winning totals pay even money. The unusual payout on 2 or 12 determines whether the common house edge is 5.56% or 2.78%.
That is the direct answer. The misleading part is the layout: seven winning totals are printed inside a large box, while only four totals lose. Two dice do not produce totals equally often, so counting printed numbers gives the wrong impression.
The next roll settles everything
The Field is not tied to the puck, the shooter’s point, or a particular player position. It can normally be placed before any valid roll and resolves immediately.
| Dice total | Field result | Common profit payout |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Win | 2 to 1 on many layouts |
| 3 | Win | 1 to 1 |
| 4 | Win | 1 to 1 |
| 5 | Lose | — |
| 6 | Lose | — |
| 7 | Lose | — |
| 8 | Lose | — |
| 9 | Win | 1 to 1 |
| 10 | Win | 1 to 1 |
| 11 | Win | 1 to 1 |
| 12 | Win | 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 |
“2 to 1” describes profit. A $10 Field wager that wins at 2 to 1 earns $20 and returns the original $10, so $30 comes back. At 3 to 1, the same wager earns $30 and returns $40 in total.
The controlling rule is printed on the felt or electronic help screen. Do not assume that every table pays the same. A common better version pays double on 2 and triple on 12. Another common version pays double on both 2 and 12.
Why seven winning totals do not make a winning bet
Two fair dice have 36 ordered combinations. The totals inside the Field contain these combinations:
| Winning total | Combinations |
|---|---|
| 2 | 1 |
| 3 | 2 |
| 4 | 3 |
| 9 | 4 |
| 10 | 3 |
| 11 | 2 |
| 12 | 1 |
| Total | 16 |
The losing totals contain:
| Losing total | Combinations |
|---|---|
| 5 | 4 |
| 6 | 5 |
| 7 | 6 |
| 8 | 5 |
| Total | 20 |
So the basic hit rate is:
[ P(\text{Field win})=\frac{16}{36}=44.4444% ]
and the loss rate is:
[ P(\text{Field loss})=\frac{20}{36}=55.5556% ]
The bet loses more often than it wins. Bonus payouts on the rare 2 and 12 compensate for part of that imbalance, but the exact amount matters.
House edge under the two common payout schedules
Let one unit be the initial Field stake. Fourteen winning combinations pay one unit of profit. The 2 and 12 each have one combination and receive the special payouts.
Both 2 and 12 pay double
[ EV=\frac{14(1)+2(2)-20(1)}{36} ]
[ EV=\frac{-2}{36}=-0.055556 ]
The house edge is therefore:
[ HE=5.5556% ]
For every $100 of Field action under this schedule, the long-run expected loss is about $5.56.
One rare total pays double and the other pays triple
[ EV=\frac{14(1)+1(2)+1(3)-20(1)}{36} ]
[ EV=\frac{-1}{36}=-0.027778 ]
The house edge falls to:
[ HE=2.7778% ]
Changing one rare-number award by a single unit cuts the edge in half. That is why reading the small payout text beside 2 and 12 is more useful than looking at the size of the Field box.
A $10 session example
Suppose the table pays 2 at 2 to 1 and 12 at 3 to 1. You keep replacing a $10 Field bet for 50 rolls.
Total action is:
[ 50\times$10=$500 ]
Expected loss is:
[ $500\times0.027778=$13.89 ]
On the double-double layout, the same $500 of action has expected loss of:
[ $500\times0.055556=$27.78 ]
Neither figure predicts the actual result of one session. A few 12s can produce a quick profit; a run of 5, 6, 7, and 8 can remove the stake repeatedly. Expected loss is the average cost across a very large number of comparable decisions.
Why short streaks feel more persuasive than they are
The Field creates immediate feedback. A player can see three wins in four rolls and feel that the bet is performing well, even though the underlying price has not changed. The opposite sequence can happen just as naturally.
On every roll, the probability of a Field loss is (20/36=5/9). The probability of five consecutive Field losses is:
[ P(5\ consecutive\ losses)=\left(\frac{5}{9}\right)^5=5.2922% ]
A little more than one sequence in nineteen of five-roll blocks will be all losses under the simple independent-roll model. That is not evidence that the dice are biased or that a win is now due. It is a normal consequence of a wager that loses on 20 of 36 combinations.
The better payout schedule does not improve the hit rate. A triple 12 still appears on only one combination. It improves the amount earned when that rare result occurs. This distinction matters:
- hit frequency asks how often any Field number appears;
- payout structure asks how much each hit earns;
- house edge combines frequency and payout into average cost;
- variance describes how widely actual results can move around that average.
Two tables can therefore produce the same 44.44% Field hit rate while offering very different long-run value because one pays triple on 12 and the other does not.
The Field does not become safe when combined with other bets
Players sometimes place the Field beside Place 6 and Place 8, describing the combination as “covering almost everything.” The package does cover many totals, but coverage is not the same as fair pricing.
Consider $10 in the Field plus $12 each on Place 6 and Place 8:
- a 6 wins $14 on Place 6 but loses $10 in the Field, producing a net $4 profit before considering the unresolved Place 8;
- an 8 works the same way;
- a Field number wins the Field while the place bets remain unresolved;
- a 7 loses the Field and both working place bets, for a $34 loss;
- a 5 loses the Field without paying either place bet.
The package changes the distribution of results. It does not cancel the expected loss of its parts. The Place 6 and Place 8 guide explains why those bets are priced differently, while craps house edge compares them on a common basis.
What happens at the live table
The Field is usually a self-service area: players place their own chips in the marked box. That simplicity creates several practical controls.
- Betting must be complete before the decision. A chip arriving after the dice are in motion may be refused unless a permitted call-bet procedure applies.
- Stacks must be identifiable. Chips placed against another player’s stack can create an ownership dispute.
- The dealer settles the rare-number bonus carefully. A 12 that pays triple produces a different payout from a 12 that pays double.
- The original wager may remain in place after a win. Players should know whether they want it working again or removed before the next roll.
- Hands stay out while the dice are moving. Reaching into the Field during a roll risks contact with the dice and makes the bet timing unclear.
Published rules provide a useful benchmark. New York’s craps regulations define the Field as a one-roll wager on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, and list 1-to-1 awards on the ordinary Field numbers, 2-to-1 on 2, and either 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 on 12. See the New York craps wagering and payout rules. A casino in another jurisdiction must follow its own approved rules and posted layout.
Common errors that change the real cost
Counting totals instead of combinations
Seven winning labels versus four losing labels sounds favorable. The combination count is 16 wins versus 20 losses.
Ignoring the 12 payout
A triple-12 Field and a double-12 Field are not small variations. Their common edges differ by a factor of two.
Confusing hit frequency with profit
A Field win often earns only one unit, while the bet loses more frequently. The occasional double or triple win does not make the overall expectation positive.
Treating the previous roll as information
The Field does not become more likely because several inside totals just appeared. Each fair roll starts with the same 36-combination distribution.
Measuring only the visible chip
A $10 chip replaced 50 times creates $500 of action. The relevant exposure is the sum of all resolved wagers, not the amount visible on one roll.
A practical decision rule
Before making the bet, check three things:
- What does 2 pay?
- What does 12 pay?
- How many rolls are you prepared to fund?
The Field can be a clear, fast entertainment wager. The triple-12 version is materially cheaper than the double-double version, but it is still a negative-expectation one-roll bet with rapid turnover. If controlling cost is the priority, compare it with Pass Line and odds, Come bets, or Place 6 and 8 rather than judging it by how much felt it occupies.
Use the craps odds calculator to check the dice combinations and the expected loss calculator to convert repeated Field wagers into total theoretical cost.