The player will lose whatever portion of the original bet was allocated for the two losing numbers. However, the numbers three and twelve, which are also a part of the bet, are losing numbers. If a number two is thrown, the player is paid 30:1 for winning this bet. However, this also translates into the fact that a win on a three way craps bet will be much higher than on a bet with better odds.
The casino has a fairly large house edge. The odds on these numbers winning in a one throw bet are not very high. If the player chooses to bet more than the minimum, the bets needs to be in multiples of three, such as $9, $27 and $30, and so on. Even though the three way craps bet is three bets in one, it still needs at least one unit to cover each of the numbers. If the table minimum bet is $1, then at least $3 needs to be placed when betting the three way craps bet. As mentioned above, this bet will win when the numbers 2, 3 or 12 are thrown, and will lose if any other number is thrown. However, the odds and payout are not the same. The three way craps bet is similar to the any craps bet in that it is a one roll bet.
The 3 pays 15:1 odds, and the 2 and 12 both pay 30:1 odds. The three way craps bet is really three single bets which are bundled together. Three way craps is three bets in one, allowing three numbers to be bet on at the same time.