Introduction
It's the noisiest game in the house and only spectator
game in the casino that's worthy of the name. Next to Blackjack
it's got some of the best player odds in the house and
only Roulette has more betting options for the player.
It's the one and only Craps.
Picture your average Poker game: stone faces, few words,
cagey players and cut-throat action. Craps, god bless
it, is the complete opposite. Players yelling bets, hangers-on
pumped on the action, fellow bettors your companions
with the chips flying and the dice right behind them.
It's not just a game, it's the King of Dice.
And while it's true that a smart player can step in
with $100 and with a little luck walk away minutes later
with $10,000, it's also true that there are more sucker
bets than you can shake a stick at. Few games show you
the line between a smart bet and a bad one, inked right
on the felt for all to see. Strategy, opponents, long
odds and smart bets. Craps has it all.
Unfortunately Craps can be pretty intimidating for the
newcomer. There are such a large number of betting options,
special rules and exceptions that you'll feel as if you'll
never get a handle on it. Personally, I avoided the Craps
table for the longest time simply because it was so noisy
and confusing. But hang in there because the smarter
you play the easier it is. The trick is to take it one
step at a time.
Basics
When you are rolling the dice you are the "shooter".
Your first toss in a round of Craps is called the Come Out roll.
If you roll a 7 or 11, you win and the round is over before it
started. If you roll a 2, 3, or 12 that's a Craps and you lose:
again, it's over before it started. Any other number becomes the
Point. The purpose of the Come Out roll is to set the Point, which
can be any of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The Dealer places a puck marked "On" above
the Point number printed on the table.
Objective
The basic objective in Craps is for the shooter to win by tossing
the Point again before he tosses a 7. That 7 is called Out 7
to differentiate it from the 7 on the Come Out roll. If the Point
is tossed, the shooter and his fellow bettors win and the round
is over. If the shooter tosses Out 7, they lose and the round
is over. If the toss is neither the Point nor Out 7, the round
continues and the dice keep rolling.
Betting and payoff
Here's where life at the Craps table can get complicated. There
are an overwhelming number of betting options and it'll make
you dizzy trying to figure them all out at once. Like I promised
though, it's easy to play smart. Let's talk about those smart
bets first.
Pass bets
The typical -- and simplest -- bet is called a Pass bet. It is
placed on the Pass Line before the Come Out roll. Assuming that
the round goes past the Come Out roll, you're betting on the
chance that you'll roll the Point again before you roll an Out
7. Pass bets win at even odds, 1:1. Since any Pass bets are typically
betting with the shooter, Pass bettors are said to be betting "right",
they're supporting the shooter in his attempt to win.
To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show 7
or 11. Win on any subsequent roll if you roll the Point.
To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll if the dice are Craps
(2, 3, or 12). Lose on any subsequent roll if it's an
Out 7.
Don't Pass bets
A bet placed on the Don't Pass line is basically
the opposite of a Pass bet. Assuming that the round goes
past the Come Out roll, you're betting that the shooter
will roll Out 7 before making the Point. In other words,
you're betting against the shooter, which is why it's
called a "wrong" bet. Rest assured though,
there is nothing wrong with the odds on a Don't Pass
bet.
To Win: win on the Come Out roll if the dice show Craps
(2, 3 or 12). Win on any subsequent roll if it's an Out
7.
To Lose: lose on the Come Out roll of 7 or 11. Lose
on any subsequent roll if it's the Point.
Come/Don't Come bets
Come and Don't Come bets are basically the same as Pass and Don't
Pass except they are placed while a round is in progress. They
are designed for players who join the game late. The same rules
apply: win if the next roll is 7 or 11, lose if it's Craps. Otherwise
the roll becomes the Come Point.
Odds bets
An Odds bet is a backup bet on a Pass/Don't Pass/Come/Don't Come
bet already on the table. They're usually limited to two or three
times (2x or 3x) the original bet and pay off at true odds: the
payoff truly reflects the probability of the dice's roll and
there's no additional house edge involved. Unlike original Pass/Don't
Pass/Come/Don't Come bets, unresolved Odds bets can be removed
from the table during play.
Pass Odds and Come Odds pay 2:1 on a roll of 4 or 10,
3:2 on 5's and 9's, and 6:5 on 6's and 8's.
Don't Pass Odds and Don't Come Odds pay 1:2 on a roll
of 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5's and 9's, 5:6 on 6's and 8's.
Other bets
Now for the rest of the table, the Place Number bets and Proposition
bets. Unfortunately the odds against you here vary from mediocre
to terrible which is why savvy players ignore almost all of them.
These bets are mostly designed for players who either have money
burning a hole in their pocket or feel they have to bet on every
little toss of the dice. The price of such impatience and risk-taking
is higher house edges, sometimes dramatically higher.
A Place Number bet is where you are betting that a particular
number will roll before a 7 does, or vice versa. These
include the Place, Buy, Lay and Lose bets, the Big 6
and Big 8, and finally the Hard 4, Hard 6, Hard 8 and
Hard 10.
The Proposition bets are where you bet that the next
roll will be a specific number. These include the 2,
3, 7, 11, and 12 bets, the Any Craps bet, the Field,
Hop and Horn bets.
Craps is without doubt the game with the biggest 'buzz'
in a land based casino - visit Las Vegas and you'll see
the Craps tables crowded 24 / 7. These Craps Rules are
brought to you courtesy of Winneronline.
Our Craps Strategy,
tells you how to make the most of your dice experience!
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