No game can generate excitement and draw a crowd like the craps tables in a casino. If excitement, noise, crowds and gambling in a social environment is your thing, then craps should be your game. From Nathan Detroit and his floating crap game in the musical "Guys and Dolls" to the high roller tables at the world's finest casinos, nothing can raise the mood to a fever pitch like a good crap game.
Craps is a dice game that has origins dating as far back as the crusades and to an English game called "Hazard." Hazard was brought to New Orleans in the early 1900's by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, where it slowly evolved into the game that is now known as craps. Called "Crapaud" (which means toad in creole), it was eventually shortened into "Craps."
Craps is a game that involves placing bets on the out come of the roll of two dice or a series of rolls of two dice. Modern Craps is a busy, fast paced game with a great variety of possible bets. To play craps well and have a reasonable chance to win, players must become familiar with the various bets allowed in craps and how the different bets are marked out for placement on the printed felt that covers the craps table. Craps also has several rules of play and rules of etiquette that must be observed when playing craps in a casino. There is a lot more involved in craps than the simple roll of the dice.
The game is run by a crew of 4 in most casinos. There is a "Boxman" who protects the chips, supervises the dealers and exchanges stacks of small denomination chips for larger denomination chips in order to control the chips that are in play on the table. There are 2 "Dealers", one on either side of the boxman, who are responsible for paying winning bets and collecting losing bets. Finally, there is a "Stickman", who stands across the table from the boxman. His job includes taking the "Center Table" bets (Hard Way, Craps, Horn etc.), announcing the results of the rolls, collecting the dice after the rolls with his long wooden stick (hence, the name "Stickman") and directing the dealers in the payment of winning center table bets. An experienced craps crew works like a well-oiled machine, directing the game with precision and ease while calling out bets and rolls in their own personal version of the unique language of the craps game.
Each round of the craps game commences with the "Come Out" roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 on the first roll, they win and if the shooter rolls a 2,3 or 12, this is called "Craps" and the shooter loses. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled the shooter establishes what is known in craps as the "Point. If a point is established, the round continues until the shooter craps out or hits the point again.
To help you understand betting in craps, please refer to the illustration of the bets printed on a craps table's felt. The modern craps table usually duplicates the printed left side layout on the right side of the table as well, thus enabling the various bets to be placed by more players from several locations.
THE PASS LINE OR THE PASS BET:
The most basic bet in craps is the PASS LINE. This is an even money bet and pays 1:1. You place your bet on the pass line before the shooter makes the COME OUT or starting roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 you win. If the shooter rolls a a 2, 3, or 12, (called "Craps") you lose. If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 on the come out roll, this establishes the point for the shooter. Once the point is established, if the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7 you win and conversely, if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, you lose. If a point is established, the round ends when the shooter craps out or hits the point again. There is also a DON'T PASS bet which is the opposite of the PASS LINE bet. Many players consider this an unpopular (even anti-social) bet because you are betting on the shooter to lose and it is not played as often as the pass line bet.
BUYING THE ODDS OR THE BUY BET:
In order to make a BUY or ODDS bet, you must first make a pass line bet. Once the point is established, you may then bet up to twice your pass line bet on the odds. This is a bet that the shooter will make the point before rolling a 7. If the point is 6 or 8, an odds bet pays 6:5, if the point is 5 or 9, an odds bet pays 3:2 and if the point is 4 or 10, an odds bet pays 2:1. LAY bets are the opposite of Buy bets and many players also avoid this bet for the same reasons the Don't Pass bet is often avoided.
COME LINE BETS:
After the shooter has established the point, one may make a COME LINE bet by placing a bet in the box on the table marked "COME". Other than the fact that the COME LINE bet is made only after the shooter establishes the point, the rules for this bet are the same as for the PASS LINE bet. There is also a DON'T COME bet with the same rules as the don't pass bet, excepting that this bet is made after the point has been established. This bet is also subject to the same player prejudices as the dont pass and lay bet.
PLACE OR NUMBER BETS:
A PLACE or NUMBER bet may be placed on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the number is rolled before the shooter rolls a seven the bet is a winning bet. A 4 or 10 pays 9:5, a 5 or 9 pays 7:5 and a 6 or 8 pays 7:6.
FIELD BETS:
The FIELD bet is a one time bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. All wins pay 1:1, except the 2 and 12, which pay 2:1.
HARD WAY BETS:
There are 4 hard way bets. One can bet the 4,6,8 or 10 the hard way. To win this bet, the shooter must roll a 4, 6,8 or 10 the "hard" way before the shooter rolls a 7 or rolls the number being bet the "easy"way. As an example, to win with a 4 the hard way, the shooter must roll a pair of 2's instead of rolling a 4 with a 3 and 1 which tends to come up more often than a pair of 2's. 4 and 10 the hard way pays 7:1 and 6 and 8 the hard way pays 9:1. Some casinos also offer EASY WAY bets that are the opposite of hard way bets since one is betting that the shooter will roll the 4,6,8 or 10 the easy way before rolling a 7 or rolling the number the hard way.
ANY SEVEN BET:
This is a bet that the shooter will roll a 7. This bet pays 4:1
ANY CRAPS BET OR 3-WAY BET:
This is a bet that the shooter will roll a 2, 3 or 12 and pays 7:1.
There are quite a few other bets in a craps game and if you wish to learn about all of them in detail there are many fine fine books on craps available as well as many websites that offer detailed information on craps bets, odds and strategy. Refer to our links page for more information.
1. In craps the right to be the shooter passes around the table in a clockwise manner. When it's a players turn to become the shooter, the player may refuse and the dice continue to be passed until a player accepts the dice. The shooter rolls until they crap out or decide to pass the dice. Although permissible under the rules of craps, it is considered bad manners for the shooter to leave the table before they crap out. Further more, the dice must be rolled and not slid along the table and the dice should not be tossed above the eye level of the dealers.
2. To enter the game as a bettor, one must first make a bet on the PASS LINE or the DON'T PASS LINE of at least the table minimum. When a player first steps up to a craps table, he or she should look for the dealer's button. If the dealer's button is on any of the point numbers, this means the point is already established and the player should check with the dealer to see if any PASS or DON'T PASS bets are permitted. If the button is off the point numbers, then the game is in the come out round.
3. After the shooter rolls the dice, the dealers will payout winning bets and collect the losing bets. Any new bets should not be placed until the dealers have finished paying out and collecting.
4. The shooter must roll the dice with one hand and may not switch the dice from hand to hand before rolling. The roll is expected to reach the other end of the table and bounce of the wall at the other end of the table. If the players roll is short and does not reach the other end of the table, the dealer may call a "no roll".
5. Dice may not land in the bank, in the bowl where extra dice are kept, on the rail around the edge of the table and dice may not leave the table and come to rest off the table. Any of these actions will cause a "no roll" to be called by the dealer.
6. As with most other casino games, money may not be handed directly to the dealer and dealers are not permitted to touch the players. If a player wishes to buy chips, they should place the money on the table and the dealer will then place an equal amount of chips in front of the player. The player may specify to the dealer the denomination(s) of the chips they wish to receive.
7. Before the shooter rolls the dice, all hands should be away from the table area. One common craps saying is for the dealer to yell out "Hands high, Let 'em fly" before the shooter rolls the dice.
8. As with other casino table games, place rather than tossing your chips on the table. When one cannot reach the stickman, the nearest dealer to the player may pass the chips to the stickman in order for the player to make center table bets.
9. Tipping the crew of a craps table is considered proper and may be made in chips or by placing a bet for the crew. Bets made for the crew should be announced as such when the bet is placed.
10. There are a few strong superstitions among craps players. One should never say the word "Seven" after the come out roll has been made. If a male player has never played craps before, its is considered bad luck to announce it before shooting. However it is considered good luck if a woman shooter has never played craps before.
With the enormous growth of gambling on the internet, Craps has found a new and rapidly growing market. The primary difference between playing craps in a land based casino and online, is that when you play on line you are usually playing in a quiet environment without the the noise and crowds found at craps table in a land based casino. While many players feel the atmosphere found in a land based casino is an important part of the game, this is strictly a matter of personal preference. It is up to you as the player to decide which type of atmosphere you prefer and choose the type of craps game you wish to play.
As we have often mentioned, when choosing an online casino always research your choices carefully and choose a casino that offers the best bonuses, the most exciting interfaces, dependable software, clearly written and comprehensive rules, prompt payment, certification by a respected organization and/ or government agency and full time, easily available customer support.
