Fire Bet

The Fire Bet is an optional craps side bet on how many different point numbers a shooter will successfully make before sevening out. The six possible qualifying points are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Repeating the same point does not increase the count.

It is a high-volatility wager built around a long, memorable shooter hand. The player is not betting on one roll. The player is betting that the shooter will establish and make at least four different points before the losing seven ends the hand.

Plain Talk

A normal Pass Line sequence focuses on one point at a time. The Fire Bet watches the shooter’s entire hand.

Suppose the shooter:

1. establishes 6 and makes it;
2. establishes 8 and makes it;
3. establishes 6 again and makes it;
4. establishes 5 and makes it;
5. establishes 10 and makes it;
6. sevens out.

The Fire Bet count is four unique points: 6, 8, 5, and 10. The second successful 6 does not count again.

That difference causes many disputes. A shooter can make six or seven points in total but still have only three unique Fire Bet points.

Core Rules

The exact approved rules and paytable belong to the casino and jurisdiction, but a standard Fire Bet usually works like this:

• The wager is placed before a new shooter’s first come-out roll.
• The bet remains through the shooter’s entire hand.
• It cannot normally be reduced, removed, or called off after the initial point is established.
• Only made points of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 count.
• Each number can count only once.
• Come-out 7, 11, 2, 3, or 12 does not by itself settle the Fire Bet.
• The bet ends when the shooter rolls a losing seven after a point is established.
• Only the highest qualifying payout is paid.

The Massachusetts craps rules provide a public regulatory example of unique-point tracking, placement before the initial come-out roll, settlement after a losing seven, and surveillance confirmation after four unique points. The BCLC craps rules provide another official example, including a 25-for-1, 250-for-1, and 1,000-for-1 paytable.

The Six Qualifying Points

The outside points, 4 and 10, are harder to make than 6 and 8 because there are fewer dice combinations that produce them before a seven.

To complete all six unique points, the shooter must eventually make both difficult outside points as well as 5, 6, 8, and 9 before sevening out.

Common Paytable

One widely used schedule is:

The words for 1 matter. A 25-for-1 return includes the original $1 stake. It is economically the same as 24-to-1 plus the stake returned.

Some properties use “to 1” wording or a different paytable. Always read the posted layout. A small wording difference changes the calculation.

Worked Example: A $5 Fire Bet

A player wagers $5 before the new shooter begins.

The shooter makes the following unique points:

• 8
• 5
• 10
• 6
• 9

Then the shooter sevens out.

Five unique points were made. Under a 250-for-1 paytable:

Total return = $5 × 250 = $1,250

Net profit = $1,250 - $5 = $1,245

If the layout instead says 250 to 1, the result would be:

Net profit = $5 × 250 = $1,250

Total return = $1,250 + $5 = $1,255

The dealer and player should use the wording printed on the approved layout.

A Long Hand Can Still Lose

Consider a shooter who makes:

• 6
• 6 again
• 8
• 6 again
• 8 again
• 5
• 5 again

That is seven successful point cycles but only three unique Fire Bet points: 5, 6, and 8.

If the shooter then sevens out, the Fire Bet loses.

This is why “the shooter was hot” is not enough. The bet needs variety, not just endurance.

Probability of the Fire Bet Outcomes

Under standard two-dice craps rules, the approximate probability that a shooter finishes with each number of unique made points is:

The chance of any winning Fire Bet result—four, five, or six unique points—is about 1.06%, or roughly 1 in 94 shooter hands.

That does not mean a winner must appear every 94 shooters. Random results can produce much longer or shorter gaps.

House Edge of the Common Paytable

Using the 25-for-1, 250-for-1, and 1,000-for-1 total-return schedule, the approximate return per $1 wager is:

Return = (P4 × $25) + (P5 × $250) + (P6 × $1,000)

Using the probabilities above:

Return ≈ $0.7924 per $1 wagered

Therefore:

House edge ≈ 1 - 0.7924 = 0.2076, or 20.76%

A $5 Fire Bet has an approximate theoretical loss of:

$5 × 20.76% = $1.04 per shooter hand

That expected loss does not mean the casino removes $1.04 each time. Most hands lose the full $5, while rare hands produce large returns. The average emerges over many wagers.

Why the Payout Looks So Attractive

A 1,000-for-1 top award is visually powerful. A $5 bet can return $5,000. The problem is the probability required to earn it.

The all-six result occurs roughly once in 6,156 shooter hands under the standard model. At one Fire Bet per shooter, a player could go through thousands of losing or lower-tier outcomes before seeing the top result.

Large headline payouts do not automatically mean good value. They often compensate for very rare events.

Fire Bet Versus Main Craps Bets

A player can make a Fire Bet while also playing the Pass Line, but the wagers should not be evaluated as one combined product. The side bet has its own expected cost.

When the Bet Is Placed

The wager must normally be booked before the new shooter’s first come-out roll. This gives the dealer and boxperson a clear list of participants before the hand develops.

Players should not wait until the shooter has already made one or two points and then ask to join. Allowing late entry would change the wager’s value and create tracking disputes.

The dealer may move each player’s Fire Bet to a numbered position in front of the boxperson. This preserves ownership when many players participate.

How the Table Tracks Progress

Casinos commonly use large markers or lammers to identify completed unique points.

A controlled process is:

1. The shooter establishes a point.
2. The shooter makes that point.
3. The dealer confirms whether the point is new or repeated.
4. A marker is placed on the point or a count marker is updated.
5. The boxperson verifies the Fire Bet status.
6. After four unique points, surveillance or a senior floor employee may be notified under local procedure.
7. Settlement waits until the losing seven ends the shooter’s hand.

Tracking must survive dealer rotations, player noise, chip movements, and long hands. A handwritten memory is not enough.

Operational Example: Five Unique Points

A shooter makes 6, 8, 5, 10, and 4. The Fire Bet is now at five unique points. The shooter then establishes 9.

At that moment:

• the six-point top award has not yet won;
• the shooter must still make 9 before rolling 7;
• the current five-point award remains pending;
• the dealer should not pay early;
• surveillance may already be monitoring the hand;
• the table should preserve the wager positions and markers.

If 9 is made, the status becomes all six. The Fire Bet still normally waits for settlement when the shooter eventually sevens out.

What Happens on a Come-Out Seven?

A come-out seven occurs when no point is established. It wins the Pass Line, but it is not a seven-out.

The Fire Bet continues because the shooter’s hand has not ended.

This distinction is essential:

• Come-out seven: no point is active; Fire Bet normally continues.
• Seven-out: a point is active; the losing seven ends the hand and settles the Fire Bet.

Players unfamiliar with craps often believe every seven ends every wager. It does not.

Voluntary Change of Shooter

A shooter may surrender the dice before sevening out. Approved rules may specify that the successor shooter continues the pending Fire Bet until a losing seven occurs.

This is an operational detail, not something to guess at the table. The boxperson should apply the posted rule consistently and explain whether the Fire Bet follows the hand sequence or the individual person holding the dice.

From the Casino Side

The Fire Bet is attractive to operators because it adds excitement with a small physical wager and a rare top payout. But it also creates procedural risk.

Common control points include:

• accepting bets only before the initial roll;
• keeping wagers in numbered player positions;
• recording only unique points;
• distinguishing come-out seven from seven-out;
• notifying surveillance at the required stage;
• preserving the game when a large payout is pending;
• using the correct “for 1” or “to 1” paytable;
• obtaining the required supervisor approval;
• paying only the highest qualifying tier;
• clearing all markers after settlement.

A loud craps table can turn a small tracking error into a major dispute. The bet should be managed visibly and repeatedly confirmed.

Common Misunderstandings

“Every point made adds one.”

No. Only the first successful completion of each of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 counts.

“The shooter made four points, so the bet won.”

Only if they were four different point numbers.

“A come-out seven ends the Fire Bet.”

Normally no. The bet ends on a losing seven after a point is established.

“The top prize is likely because there are only six numbers.”

The shooter must establish and make all six before sevening out. The probability is roughly 1 in 6,156 shooter hands under the standard model.

“A $1 side bet is too small to matter.”

Repeated over 100 shooter hands, $1 per hand creates $100 of action. At a 20.76% house edge, the theoretical loss is about $20.76.

“A long losing streak means the Fire Bet is due.”

No. Prior losing shooter hands do not force the next shooter to complete four unique points.

Hard Truth

The Fire Bet turns a rare, memorable craps hand into a jackpot-style wager. The story is exciting because the required sequence is difficult, and the paytable charges heavily for that excitement.

FAQ

Is the Fire Bet a normal craps bet?

No. It is an optional side bet separate from Pass Line, Come, odds, place, buy, lay, and proposition wagers.

How many unique points are needed to win?

A common version requires at least four different made points. Five and all six produce higher awards.

Do repeated points count?

No. A point number normally counts only once, even if the shooter establishes and makes it several times.

Can the bet be removed?

Usually not after the initial point is established. Check the posted approved rules.

Is the bet settled immediately after the fourth point?

Normally no. The table tracks the highest level reached and settles after the shooter sevens out.

What is the house edge?

For the common 25-for-1, 250-for-1, and 1,000-for-1 total-return schedule, the approximate house edge is 20.76%. Different paytables produce different results.

Can a dealer accept a late Fire Bet?

A standard version requires the wager before the new shooter’s first come-out roll. Late entry should not be accepted.

Related Terms

Related Reading

Read Craps for the complete game, then review The Point, Seven Out, Come-Out Roll, and Side Bet. For side-bet risk, continue with Why Are Side Bets So Bad?, House Edge, and Variance. Use the Craps Bet Comparison Tool to compare the Fire Bet with lower-edge main-game choices.