Craps is a dice game awarded the title of the most addictive and emotional of casino games. If you hear loud exclamations of victory or defeat, no doubt they come from Australian players who roll the dice and enjoy the game at craps tables.
Under gambling policy, professionals test craps tools thoroughly so that they accommodate quality and accepted standards. The casino crew carefully checks craps for damage and replace them with new ones every eight hours of the game.
All precautions proceed from the specifics of the entertainment, which we will discuss in further paragraphs of this article. You will also learn the basic rules of how to play craps and a strategy guide that will help you win real money at the casino.
Basic Rules
Complicated designs of a craps table may confuse new players, but following the flow of the game, the newbies can learn the rules fast. By the end of the first dice roll, the shooter will obtain enough confidence. Before playing, you should consider some fundamental rules for how to wager chips, learn about different bets, and methods to complete a roll-round. To become a good gambler, practice the etiquette of the craps.
Craps Team
Playing craps involves big money, so the casino provides a team of four dealers at a table. Each of them has a particular role in the craps and definite tasks, for example, guiding the rates or controlling the course of the game.
Box person — the one who monitors and guards betting chips. You can recognise him or her by the form. The box person is usually dressed in a formal suit and a tie and sits at the edge of the table where the pit is.
Stickperson — the one who monitors the course of the game. This member helps to place bets and announces the results after the shooter rolls dice. He usually sits at the opposite end of the table from the box person with a long stick which he uses to bank craps and to offer the dice to the players.
Dealers are people who work with money resulting from bets and winnings. Their task is to convert real money into casino chips for bets and vice versa. Dealers pay out winnings. At least two dealers should be present at each craps table.
History
Craps has been played in Australia for centuries. It was originally an entertainment for Australian aristocracy who called it “hazard” in the 1700s. However, the dice table game that we acknowledge was invented a little later, in 1813 in America, in New Orleans.
The initial version of the craps had a significant imperfection that prevented other gamers from placing bets. Later John H. Wynn introduced the technique of betting against the shooter rolls into the rules of the game. The craps table rules were amended, and the newborn type of bets obtained a “Don’t Pass” title.
Beginning of the Game
Following the rules, a dice gambler is called the shooter. The player wagers a minimum bet. Gamers recognize the Pass Line as the winning one. The Don’t Pass Line remains the non-winning one. The shooter obtains five dice to choose from and make a throw. He or she must pick two dice. The rest of the dice go back to the Stickperson and do not return to the game.
Table Layout and Gameplay
All craps games take place on the table. The players gather around the desk to throw dice. Thus, the craps table has a peculiar layout. Conventionally, a layout consists of three parts: two side parts with a house edge and a central one. If you look at the table from above, it becomes clear that the indicators on both sides are mirror-like. In turn, each side has its own zone division: a Pass line bet, Don’t Pass line bets, Come and Don’t Come bets, Odds bet, Place bets, and Field bets.
Throw
There are rules for throwing craps. The shooter must roll the dice using only one hand. After the throw, the dice must hit the house edge and bound back. Players recognize the first roll of the game as the Come-Out roll. If after the throw one or both dice crosses the house edge and falls off the table, the dealer must examine the dice thoroughly and return into the game if he finds no fix.
A Game of Craps
Each game consists of rounds, and players obtain the Shooter title in turns moving around the table in a circle. At the same time on the same table there can play up to twenty people, and any of them can place bets and roll dice. There are different types of bets and odds. You can choose how to place a bet in a preferred manner. The players can also miss a go and transfer the right to place a bet to another gambler.
Round
The round is divided into two parts, which we recognize as the Come Out roll and Point Numbers. At the beginning of the round, the shooter makes the first dice roll, that determines which option will open the game. If the shooter strikes a Come-Out roll with 2, 3, or 12, the “Come Out Roll” round begins. It means that the shooter ends the round and the players who wagered on the Pass Line lose their chips. The shooter is welcome to continue to roll the dice until he or she rocks 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, or a Point Number. When the point is established, the dealers place the necessary attributes to the challenging number. This evokes the second part of the round—those gamblers who made a Pass Line bet win if the challenged number reveals during the next roll. However, if the shooter rolls a 7, the Pass Line loses, which concludes the round. The game continues if the shooter rolls the Point Number which makes a Come Out roll impossible. However, if the shooter cannot satisfy the score points, the move and the Shooter title go to the next player.
Bet Wins
If the players roll 7 or 11, Pass bets win. And when the players’ roll is 2, 3, or 12 Come Out bets will win. If 7 or 11 rolls out, Don’t come bets lose, but players win if the next roll equals 2 or 3. If the dice showed 12, the result is a draw.
The dealers give out winnings and collect bets for the next round in between the play cycles. At this time, the Stickmen waits for the dealers to finish their work, and then issues a dice arrow. After that, bets are no longer accepted.
Betting
The Pass Line is the most basic among bets in craps. This bet receives the prize-winning. In the case when the dice show 7 or 11 after the throw, the bets of Come Out roll lose. For other cases of thrown numbers, the Point number is set, if this number is repeated during the throw, the bet wins. Bets continue if 7 is rolled after Point number. Chips are received for the winnings on the Pass Line bet.
Come Bet
According to the Pass Line principle, the Come bet is played under the same conditions as the Pass Line. The only difference between these bets is that the Come bet is placed on the result of the first throw, regardless of what the round is.
If 7 or 11 falls out, the bet wins, if 2, 3, or 12 — it is a loss. It is possible to place odds on the bet if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 are rolled. When the second round comes, there is a chance that the Come bet wins if the shooter rolls Come bet before the 7 comes up.
If the player has placed a Come bet, it may happen that the next shot of the arrow will show Come Out roll. In this situation, odds on wagers do not apply to the Come Out roll result of the throw. Therefore, if the shooter rolls a 7 in Come Out roll bet, the Come bet players lose their lay bet, but they can get back the odds they had set.
If the arrow throws the Come Point, the odds bet are lost, but the bet itself is profitable, and the odds are returned to the player. When the Come Out roll occurs on the Pass Line, the Come Out roll works, but at this time the true odds usually do not work.
Pass Line Odds Bet
If you made a Pass bet and it becomes the Point number, you have the right to raise the bet and take the true odds to bet. If you hit 4 or 10, you get a 2 ( snake eyes ) to 1 pass bet; and if you get 5 or 9 points, you get a 3 to 2 pass bets; 6 and 8 points grand a 6 to 5 bet. The odds bets work only if Point throw rolls a 7.
Don’t Pass Bet
Don’t pass bet is the opposite of Pass Line bet. Bets come out if the players throw 7 or 11 during the first throw. After the shooter makes Point rolls, 7 it brings the wins. And if Point is repeated, bets come out.
Don’t Come Bet
It resembles the Don’t Pass bet. When the Point occurs, the bets win if the result of the throw is 2 or 3, and loses if it is 7 or 11.
If the players strike 12, it is a draw. The following dice scores will only win if the next roll reveals 7 prior to other strikes.
Place Bet
This type of bet can be used only after the Point is established. Players have the right to bet on the result of the fallout 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. The bet on the spot wins if the sum of the dice falls out before the shooter rolls 7. The number on which the player made a bet has its own indicators. For example, 4 and 10 are paid 9 to 5, while 5 or 9 wins on ratio 7 to 5; and 6 and 8 are paid 7 to 6. You can cancel these wagers at any time.
Field Bets
Field bets are also based on one roll of the dice. They cover more winning variations in the result. The wagering fields contain winning throw points: 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12, and losing ones — 5, 6, 7, and 8. Payouts are also different: double for 2, and triple if the gambler strikes 12. The rest of the variations are paid 1 to 1.
Passing Line
The passing line strategy brings even money winnings and is considered to be the most basic element in craps betting. Making pass line bets are the best for beginners to start learning craps. A new round of the game of craps cannot begin until someone places this bet.
Big Six and Big Eight Bets
Players can place this bet on any Shooter rolls. The rules are simple: when 6 or 8 come before the 7 is rolled, the bet wins on the ratio 1 to 1.
Proposition Bets
This type of bets can also be made on each throw, and the ratio to them is given below:
On any dice: If the next roll is 2, 3, or 12, wagers win on an 8 to 1 ratio.
Any 7: The players win on a 5 to 1 ratio if the next roll strikes 7.
Eleven: The gamblers win on a 16 to 1 ratio if the next roll covers 11.
Ace Duece: Number 3 will bring wins on a 16 to 1 ratio.
Aces or Boxcars: Numbers 2 and 12 make the winnings on a 30 to 1 ratio.
Horn Bet: Place a bet on several points at once — 2, 3, 11, and 12. The drawn craps numbers determine the payout ratio.
Hardways: Wins come on hitting doubles only if the pair falls prior to 7. The ratio for number 4 and 10 is 8 to 1, and for number 6 and 8 – 10 to 1.
Dealer Buttons
The place for betting in craps is not always vacant. For example, a casino visitor wants to place a craps bet, but he or she is not yet a shooter. To achieve this, check the state of the dealer’s button. If the button is off, it means that the game is in the Come Out Next Roll round. And if the dealer’s button is on, the game is played in the Point round. In this case, the casinos will usually restrict the Pass Line bet. Singles or “Offer” bets can be made in any of the rounds.
Benefits of Playing Craps Online
You can play craps in a real casino, or you can play online via mobile devices or a computer. We will talk about the advantages of the cyber alternative.
The online craps are more comfortable for players because the games are available from anywhere, which is convenient for the gambler. You can play without leaving home using a mobile phone or computer desktop.
To expand the audience among craps players, casino owners have provided not only online games, but they also reward online players with welcome bonuses and other prizes. Online craps bonuses give an opportunity to place a bet, roll the dice or even two dice and make a Pass or Come bet without using money.
Another priority given to online casino players is the number of craps game alternatives. The developers introduce various designs of the craps, from which players can choose the one that suits them best. Also, players can try every kind of roll bets or try their first roll for free.
Online Betting Tips
Before placing a bet in the craps when playing at an online casino, you need to read the instructions as they may be somewhat different from the classic craps at a real casino.
If you are playing this game for the first time, we advise you to stick to Pass Line bets and avoid Proposition bets. For newbies, it’s best not to mess with bets like the Big Six and the Big Eight. The most suitable bet for the beginners is the Three-Point Molly wager.
FAQ
What are the basic rules of craps?
The basic rules of craps are the rules for wagers since the game itself is not difficult. You need to throw the dice and make sure that they hit the wall at the opposite house edge of the craps table. Betting rules are a little more complicated, although the difficulty lies only in their number. This can be not very clear when you enter the game for the first time, so it is worth starting with easy bets, such as betting on the field or one roll bet.
How to play craps for beginners?
To understand how to play craps, you need to learn the basic rules of craps. To begin with, study the roles of those who play and conduct craps. Then understand the structure of the craps table. Then move on to different types of bet. Try your first roll as a Shooter. To understand the structure and differences better, read the description in our article and then try each bet in turn. Play the game constantly, and you will gain experience and understand which strategy suits you best.
Are craps easy to learn?
Similar to other games, players will reveal the essence of craps only in process. It would help if you played several times to feel comfortable and more experienced as the knowledge transforms and broadens. Therefore, at the beginning of your gambling journey, the game of craps may seem confusing, but the big plus of craps is that it is a team game and at the same time everyone competes with each other making bets at the table. At the same time, it is a very emotional type of entertainment that inspires players to support and cheer each other. If you fail with the first roll, try again. The next roll ensures your chances to win. Play for fun to gain more skills and only then bet for real money.
What is the best bet in craps?
It is difficult to determine the best bet for everyone since the players have different levels of experience and knowledge about the game. Besides, the conditions for making a bet are also different.
To determine which bet is the best, you need to try each one in craps. Usually, beginners are encouraged to start with Pass line bets while Proposition bets might seem challenging. So tell the dealer your preferences to start throwing dice.
However, research shows that the Don’t Pass rate is the top choice of gamblers. Many players favour this bet, which defines the rules of the game. Therefore, a tiny percentage of craps shooters will challenge this type of bet with a Pass or Come bet, which makes it one of the most attractive.