How To Play Craps

  1. How To Play Craps For Beginners
  2. How To Play Craps Video
  3. How To Play Craps Dice Game
  4. How To Play Craps Dice
  5. How To Play Craps Table
  6. How To Play Craps 101

How To Play Craps. Craps is the noisiest game in the house and the only spectator game in the casino worthy of the name. The aim of craps is to correctly predict the outcome of dice rolls. You won’t roll any of the dice yourself. If you play craps at land casinos, then you’ll be betting on the results of rolls from the ‘shooter’. If you predict the outcome correctly, you win! Learn the basic rules of craps. Discover winning through knowing the craps rules, strategies and professional tips. Craps 101 Craps is easily the most intimidating game inthe casino. The layout looks like some kind of crazy puzzle and thereare seemingly dozens of different bets, governed by complicated.

How to Play Craps

Craps is one of the most exciting Casino games around as it is high in Player involvement. You will regularly hear yelling and shouting at one of the tables in a land-based casino. It is played on a purpose-built table using two dice.

Like most Casino games, you play against the House (Casino) as opposed to other players and as there are lots of different betting options you can bet on when guessing what numbers will come up when the dice are rolled, there is plenty of choices to make too.

In this article we discuss how to play craps giving you a break down of craps rules and everything you need to win at the game. This is part 1 of a two part article. After learning the basics of craps rules, the second part is about more advanced strategies and tips.

Craps Rules

Craps rules can be more difficult than in other casino games, but once learned this can be a very social and enjoyable game with some terrific betting odds.

The Objective of the game

Players need to guess the outcome of 2 standard, 6-sided dice being rolled and what the total of the 2 dice will be.

How To Play Craps

Dice Values

The game is played with a set of two perfectly balanced dice with each die having six white dots numbered 1 through 6. There is an equal chance of each number being rolled.

Possible Dice Combinations:

NumberCombinationWays To Roll
21-1One
31-2, 2-1Two
41-3, 3-1, 2-2Three
51-4, 4-1, 2-3, 3-2Four
61-5, 5-1, 2-4, 4-2, 3-3Five
71-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4, 4-3Six
82-6, 6-2, 3-5, 5-3, 4-4Five
93-6, 6-3, 4-5, 5-4Four
104-6, 6-4, 5-5Three
115-6, 6-5Two
126-6One

Names of Dice Rolls

1

2

3

4

5

6

1

Snake EyesLoose DeuceEasy FourFever FiveEasy SixNatural

2

Loose DeuceHard FourFever FiveEasy SixNaturalEasy Eight

3

Easy FourFever FiveHard SixNaturalEasy EightNina

4

Fever FiveEasy SixNaturalHard EightNina Easy Ten

5

Easy SixNaturalEasy EightNinaHard TenYo

6

NaturalEasy EightNinaEasy TenYoBoxcars

Game Session Preparations:

Set your budget – As a general rule, you need enough for 50 bets when playing table games.

Choose your table – All will have a minimum and maximum amount you can place on all different bets, choose one where each of your favourites is no more than one-fiftieth of your budget. i.e. if you have a bankroll of $/€/£200, you should be looking at betting no more than $/€/£4 per time

Find a space at the table – Unlike many Casino games, players always stand and do not have a specific area where they place bets – there are many different types of bets that all players can use. This is irrelevant when playing online.

Decide how much you would like to change up and play with – You will be given chips, the sizes of which depend on how much you change up and the limits of the tables.

Game Progression

To begin, the Shooter (one of the Players) needs to bet at least the table minimum on either the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line

The game is played in Rounds, with the right to roll the dice by each player moving clockwise around the table at the end of each round. A player may choose not to roll but can continue to bet.

Once all players have made their desired bets, the Round begins. Each round has two phases: Come Out and Point. To start a round, the shooter makes one or more Come Out rolls.

Payouts are sometimes made after each roll, and sometimes made after several rolls; see the individual Bet descriptions for details.

Craps Table Layout

We will delve more into the table layout features below in the Placing Bets section. On the Craps table there are two Dealers, a Stickman, and a Boxman.

The Stickman uses a long flexible stick to push the dice around the table, gathering the dice after rolls and pushing them to the player.

The Boxman is the person in charge of the game and has final decision-making authority.

The Dealers cash chips and ensure that bets are placed on the table correctly.

Placing Bets in Craps

Out of 990 decisions at the craps table, you can expect to lose 14 decisions more than you win.

As with any Casino game, there will invariably be swings, both large and small, either way when it comes to winning or losing. In the relatively short time you will be playing, there will be fluctuations in this house edge, so at times things will be going in your favor.

You can place bets at any time, the best time to start doing this is when a new Shooter starts. The first thing he needs to do is Establish a Point.

How to play craps at the casino

If a Shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on his/her first roll, all other bets below can be made.

If a 2, 3 or 12 are rolled, all Players will win they are Come Out bets and the Shooter will continue rolling to establish a new Point.

If a 7 or 11 are rolled, all Players will lose their Come Out bets and a new Shooter will be designated.

Pass Line/Don’t Pass Line

When it is your turn to throw the dice, you must determine whether to bet the Pass line or the Don’t Pass line. Most Shooters, as well as most of the other players at the table, will bet the Pass line, as it is the basic bet in Craps.

How To Play Craps

The Pass line bet is an even-money bet that wins if you either roll a total of 7 or 11 on the Come-Out roll or if you throw a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on the Come-Out roll and repeat that number before you roll a 7. The Pass line bet loses if the Come-Out roll is a 2, 3, or 12 (known as “craps”) or when a 7 is rolled before the established Point Number is repeated.

A Pass Line bet can be made at any time during a Shooter’s roll, even after he has established a Point. However, a bet placed on the Pass Line after a Point has been established is a very poor bet, since you have missed the opportunity to win on the Come-Out roll when the shooter throws a 7 or an 11. The only way you can now win is if the shooter repeats his point before he Sevens-Out.

Come Bets

A Come bet is identical to a Pass line bet, with one exception: A Come bet may be made on every throw of the dice once the Shooter has established a Point. A Come bet is made by placing the number of chips you wish to wager in the designated Come area of the table.

How To Play Craps For Beginners

Once you place a Come bet, the very next roll of the dice becomes the Come-out roll for that bet. Therefore, if the Shooter rolls a 7, you will win even though Pass line betters will lose. If an 11 is rolled, you will win while the Line bets will not be affected. However, should one of the Craps numbers come up (2, 3 or 12) you will lose, but the Line bets will be unaffected.

If the Shooter throws one of the Box numbers on the first roll of the dice after you’ve made a Come bet, this number becomes an established Point for your Come bet. To win this bet, your Come point must be repeated before a 7 is rolled.

How To Play Craps

Once a Point has been established for your Come bet, the Dealer will move the chips you have bet to the corresponding numbered box on the layout to await a decision for that Point. When you win a Come bet, the Dealer will pay you off by placing your original bet, along with your winnings, in the Come section of the layout. If you do not immediately retrieve your chips, they will be in action on the next roll of the dice as a new Come bet (this is collected for you automatically when playing online).

The Don’t-Pass Line Bet

We know that a Pass line bet is simply a wager that the Shooter will win. But you also can bet that the shooter will fail to make a pass and thus lose.

The Don’t Pass line bet wins when the Shooter throws a Craps of 2 or 3, but not 12, on the Come-Out roll, or when he rolls a 7 before repeating his established Point number. This bet loses when the Come-Out roll is a 7 or 11, or when the Shooter repeats his Point number before rolling a 7.

The Don’t Pass line bet is the exact opposite of a pass line with one exception: Although a roll of 12 on the Come out loses for Pass line betters, it is not a winning number for Don’t Pass betters. It is a stand-off and neither wins nor loses. This is because if Don’t Pass betters were permitted to win in this situation, they would have an advantage over the house. So by barring (disallowing) the number 12 on the Come-Out roll, the casinos retain a small edge. Some casinos bar the number 2, but the effect is exactly the same.

Unlike a Pass line bet, a Don’t Pass bet can be removed after a Point number has been established on the Come-Out roll. Once a Point is established you have an advantage over the house, thus the casino has no objections to your taking down the bet. Of course, you should never do this. After going up against an 8 to 3 house edge on the Come-Out roll, you will have an overall average advantage of 18.8% after a Point has been established.

Laying the Odds

When the Shooter establishes a Point number on the Come-Out roll, players who have made Don’t Pass line bets are permitted to Lay the Odds. In the same way, Don’t Come bets are the exact opposite of Come bets (with the exception of a 12 is rolled on the Come bet), the Laying the Odds bet is the exact opposite of an Odds bet (which no exceptions).

Correct payoffs for Lay Odds bets are as follows:

Points 4 and 10 pay 1-to-2

Points 5 and 9 pay 2-to-3

Points 6 and 8 pay 5-to 6

Don’t Come Bets

Don’t Come bets can be placed on every throw of the dice after a Point has been established. After you have placed a Don’t Come bet, the very next throw of the dice becomes the Come-Out roll for that bet. If the Shooter rolls a Craps number of 2 or 3, you will win while Don’t Pass line betters will not be affected. If a 7 is rolled, you will lose and bets on the Don’t Pass will win. You also will lose if an 11 is thrown, although this number will not have a bearing on Don’t Pass bets. A roll of 12 is a stand-off.

Place bets on 6 and 8

A Place bet can be made on any of the Point numbers (4,5,6,8,9,10) at any time during a game and is simply a bet that one of these numbers will be rolled before the Shooter throws a 7. You cannot Take the Odds on Place bets.
Place bets on the 6 and 8 are paid off at 7-to-6 on correct odds of 6-to-5, which gives the casino an advantage of 1.51% on these numbers. To ensure that you receive the full 7-to-6 payoff on the 6 and 8, you must make your bet in multiples of six, such as $6, $12, $18, and so forth (this isn’t the case when playing online)
Place bets on the 5 and 9 carry a house advantage of 4%, and Place bets on 4 and 10 carry a house advantage of 6.6%.

Field Bets

This is a bet on the next number to be rolled. There are seven numbers inside the field area that if rolled, will result in a win. The numbers are 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and 12. If you make a wager in the field and any of the above numbers show on the next roll you will win. In many Casinos and some online sites, you win double or even treble your bet if a 2 or a 12 are rolled.

Proposition Bets

These bets can be made at any time and, they are all one roll bets.

Any Craps: Wins if a 2, 3 or 12 is thrown. Payoff 7:1

Any Seven: Wins if a 7 is rolled. Payoff 4:1

Eleven: Wins if a 11 is thrown. Payoff 15:1

Ace Duece: Wins if a 3 is rolled. Payoff 15:1

Horn Bet

: it acts as the bets on 2, 3, 11 and 12 all at once. Wins if one of these numbers is rolled. The payoff is determined according to the number rolled. The other three bets are lost.


Hardways Bets

This is a bet on a specific double coming out on the next roll. For example, if a player is putting money on the hard 6 the player is betting that the shooter will roll a 3,3. You can only bet on 2:2, 3:3, 4:4 or 5:5, and you are betting on a specific double to appear and not covering all of them.

Best Craps Bets

The best craps bets are the following:

Taking the Odds

How To Play Craps Video

When the Shooter establishes a Point on the Come-Out roll, any player who has made a Pass line bet is allowed to “take the Odds.” A single Odds bet is an additional bet, up to the amount of your original bet, that the Point number will be repeated before a 7 is rolled.

*Important* The “Odds Bet” is the best one you can make in the game because the house has no built-in advantage.

How To Play Craps Dice Game

The Odds bet not only hasn’t any house edge associated with it, but also has no official designated space on the table. Therefore, to take the Odds, you must place the appropriate amount of chips behind your Pass line bet in the open area of the Craps layout (this is also the same when playing online).

The correct payoff for Odds bets varies from Point number to Point number, depending on the odds of a 7 being rolled before a particular point is repeated. Correct odds payoffs are as follows:

Points 4 and 10 pay 2-to-1

Points 5 and 9 pay 3-to-2

Points 6 and 8 pay 6-to-5

Craps Payouts

BetTrue OddsPayoutHouse Edge
Pass Line/Come Bet251 to 2441 to 11.414
Don’t Pass/Don’t Come Bet976 to 9491 to 11.402
Pass Line Odds/Come Bet Odds/Buy Bets (5% commission)
Numbers 4 or 102 to 12 to 14.76
Numbers 5 or 93 to 23 to 24.76
Numbers 6 or 86 to 56 to 54.76
Don’t Pass Odds/Don’t Come Bet Odds/Lay Bets (5% commission)
Numbers 4 or 101 to 21 to 22.44
Numbers 5 or 92 to 32 to 33.23
Numbers 6 or 85 to 65 to 64.0
Field Bets
3, 4, 9, 10, 1118 to 71 to 15.5
2, 1218 to 12 to 15.5
Place Bets
Numbers 4 or 102 to 19 to 56.7
Numbers 5 or 93 to 27 to 54.0
Numbers 6 or 86 to 57 to 61.52
Hardways
6 or 810 to 19 to 19.09
4 or 108 to 17 to 111.1
One Roll Bets
Any 75 to 14 to 116.9
Any craps8 to 17 to 111.1
2 craps or 12 craps35 to 130 to 113.9
3 craps or 1117 to 115 to 111.1
Horn Bet (3 or 11)9 to 13.75 to 1
Horn Bet (2 or 12)18 to 17.5 to 1
Big 6 or 83.6 to 11 to 19.09

You can find a bet summary here.

Continue to Part II – Advanced Craps Strategy & Tips

Related Articles:
Play Craps for Real Money


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If you've ever passed a craps table in a casino when a 'hot shooter' was rolling the dice, you've probably wanted to play. Craps is a game in which everybody (except the house) can win together, and when everybody's winning, a craps table can get pretty wild. Craps also has some of the best odds in the casino, so there's a lot of winning to be done. A craps table, however, can also look pretty intimidating. It's a big table with a bunch of numbers and unfamiliar phrases, and there can be more than 20 players and 4 staff at the table at any given time. In reality, though, craps is a pretty simple game.

Your Set-Up

  1. Know the personnel. When you walk up to any table, you'll want to know just who you're dealing with. Because craps involves the most money out of any standard casino game, you can expect to be working with a fair amount of employees.
    • Walk into virtually any casino today and you'll find a craps table with a double layout. At one side of the table (probably closest to the pit) in the center is the 'boxman,' -- he supervises the game and handles and stashes all the cash (way more than what's circulating in all of the Democratic Republic of the Congo). Opposite him is the 'stickman' (not the stick-figure man)-- he's the one operating the stick, believe it or not, using it to push the dice around. He controls the tempo of the game, calling out the results, working with the dice, and urging players to be decisive.
    • Near the stickman will be two dealers who manage all the bets, pay the winners, and collect the losers' money. Surrounding them will be the players -- your new friends.
  2. Familiarize yourself with the table. Casinos aren't meant for customers to be scared away by feeling intimidated -- the craps table is simple once you've studied it for a minute. Here are the basics:
    • All around the table is a 'Pass' line. This is for bettors who are on the shooter's side. A less noticeable 'Don't Pass' bar is for the players who are smart enough to bet against the shooter.
      • You'll also notice areas marked 'Come' and 'Don't Come.' These are similar to the two aforementioned sections, but will be utilized later in the game.
    • If you take a hard look between the boxman and the stickman, you'll see an area for proposition, or one-roll, bets. That's where you'd be betting on one specific roll, naturally. In the same vicinity is an area for hard-way bets. That's where you might bet, for example, that an 8 will come up as two 4s before a 7 or an 'easy' 8 does.
    • Also in front of the players is a section that says 'Field.' This is for one-roll bets that one of seven numbers (2, 3, 4, 10, 11, 12) will turn up next. The boxes that say 4, 5, Six, 8, Nine, and 10 are for 'Place' or 'Buy' bets that, before the next 7, the chosen number will be rolled.
      • Six and Nine being spelled out make it easy for players on all sides of the table to be able to decipher between the similar shapes.
    • In the corners on either end, you'll find boxes marked Big 6 and Big 8 -- bets that a Six or 8 will come up before a 7.(Pays 1:1 or 7:6)
  3. Learn the lingo. 'Comin' out. Bet those hard ways. How about the C and E? Hot roll comin', play the field. Any mo' on yo?' Did you catch any of that? Odds are that's what you'll be hearing when you saunter up to a game in progress. It will be mind-boggling at first, but you'll be hating those Skinny Dugans in no time. Here's a list to get you started:
    • Craps - 2,3, or 12Yo, or Yo-leven - 11C and E Craps - 11Snake Eyes - Two 1sBoxcars - Two 6sLittle Joe, or Little Joe from Kokomo - 4 (particularly rolled as a 1 and a 3)Jimmy Hicks - the number 6Skate and Donate - 8Skinny Dugan - A loser 7Center Field - 9, because it's in the middle of the seven numbers on the field betPuppy Paws - Two 5s -- though the more common call is simply 'Hard 10,' or '10, the hard way'Natural Winner - 7 or 11 on the come-out roll
  4. Get 'superstitious'. Just like any avid gambler, the gods of luck must not be scoffed at, lest ye want your money revoked. Avoid certain habits (and do others) to look like a seasoned pro (literally) and not drive the others away, leaving you with nothing but nasty glares for companionship.
    • The more superstitious of players think it's bad luck to use different dice on the same roll. If a shooter were to throw one or both dice off the table accidentally, you might hear him call 'Same dice!' just for good measure.(You might break the other dice and this one too.)
    • If you call out, 'Seven!'(the worst thing to say), don't be offended if everyone automatically flees. It's like uttering Macbeth in the theater. The word should be unthinkable and definitely unspeakable.
    • If you see a penny under the table, leave it; it's good luck. Or so some people might tell you.
    • If you're shooting, don't throw both dice in the air at the same time. You'll look like a pro if you toss just the one (maybe the other later); if you toss both, be ready for glares and a rush to the exit.

The Bets

  1. Place a bet before the come-out roll. At the beginning of a round of craps, a button with the word OFF written on it is on the table not near any points. This means that no point (explained later) has been determined. A craps game can't begin until the shooter has placed a bet on the (don't) pass line. Anyone else at the table can also place a bet on the (don't) pass line at this time, though they don't have to. These are the most basic craps bets. The shooter's first roll of any turn is called the come out roll.
    • If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, the pass line wins even money, the don'ts, you've lost your money. If the shooter comes out with a 2, 3, or 12----this is called craps----everyone loses their pass line bets and wins their don't pass bets (2 or 12 is a push for the don'ts, whichever the casino says.)
    • If the shooter rolls any other number, this number becomes the point.
  2. Play the point. If the shooter establishes a point, by rolling a 4, 5, six, 8, nine, or 10, all bets on the (don't) pass line remain there. You don't have to make any additional bets to play the point. The dealer will take the button and place it on the number which is now the point. The button is now flipped to the ON side.
    • Let's assume the point is 8. The shooter now tries to roll his point (8) before he rolls a 7 (or the other way around). If he rolls any other number, it doesn't matter, but if he rolls 8, everybody passes. If he succeeds in hitting his point, he starts over with a new come-out roll and a new bet on the (don't) pass line, thus repeating the cycle. If he rolls a 7 at any time other than during a come-out roll, though, everybody fails and the dice are turned over to the next player (the first player has sevened out).
    • A player may hit, establish and hit several points before he finally rolls a 7, or he may roll a 7 on the first roll after he establishes his first point. You just never know what will happen.
  3. Place an 'odds bet.' Learn the preceding steps, and you can play craps. The (don't) pass line bet has fairly good odds, and it's simple to play. Some people only play the pass line. There are, however, many other possible bets. One of the simplest is the odds bet, which also, incidentally, can have fair odds.
    • After the shooter has established a point, you can place an additional bet behind the pass line. This is the odds bet and can only be played if you are also playing the (don't) pass line. The odds bet is an additional bet on the point, so that if the shooter hits his point, you will win both your (don't) pass bet and the odds bet (2:1 point 4/10, 3:2 point 5/Nine, 6:5 point Six/8; 1:2 point 4/10, 2:3 point 5/Nine, 5:6 point Six/8).
    • The odds bet pays true odds, which differ depending on what the point is. For example, if the point is 4, there are only three combinations of the dice that will hit the point, while there are five ways to hit a point of 8. Thus the true odds for hitting 4 are worse than the true odds for hitting 8, and while the (don't) pass line pays even money no matter what, the odds bet pays you according to the true odds. Thus, if you want to bet more money, it's better to play the odds bet than to increase your pass bet. You should increase your don't bet rather than taking odds. House edge on odds (pass and don't pass) is zero.
      • Most casinos offer 3-4-5X odds tables, so that you can place an odds bet of up to thrice your pass bet if a 4 or a 10 is the point, 4 times if a 5 or a nine is the point, and 5 times if the point is a six or an 8, though some casinos allow even higher odds bets.
    • You can increase, decrease or remove your odds bet at any time.
    • The odds bet follows the same rules as your other bet.
  4. Place a '(don't) come bet.' After a point has been established, you may also place a (don't) come bet in addition to your (don't) pass line bet. Note that you don't have to play both an odds bet and a (don't) come bet, but to play either you must play the (don't) pass line bet. A (don't) come bet is placed by putting your bet on the '(Don't) Come' space. When you place a (don't) come bet, the next roll the shooter throws will be your own come-out roll, with the same rules for a regular come-out roll. The come bet affects only you.
    • Assuming that the roll after you place you come bet is a 4, 5, six, 8, nine, or 10, the number rolled becomes your own 'come point.' The dealer will move your come bet to the appropriate number. Your pass line bet still depends on the shooter's point, so you now have two points.
    • A come bet works like a pass line bet. If the shooter throws your come point before he throws a 7, you win, but if he throws a 7, you lose both your pass line bet and your come bet. If the shooter throws both his point and your come point before rolling a 7, you win both.
    • You can place odds on a come bet. Tell the dealer 'odds on come' when you lay your odds bet down.
    • Once your come bet is placed on your come point, you can place additional come bets to establish additional come points.
  5. Graduate to fancier bets. Once you've got the basics down, you'll want to know about the...riskier bets. These are field bets -- bets that on one roll (the next roll) one of seven numbers will show up. They don't have to wait for the come-out; they may be placed before any roll by placing a chip or chips in the field area. Likewise, you may bet propositions or hard ways before any roll by putting a chip or chips on the layout and telling the dealer what bet you want.
    • After 7, six and 8 are the numbers that turn up the most. There are six ways to make 7 and 5 ways to make six and 8. If the player 'places' six or 8 in multiples of $6, the house will pay winning wagers at odds of 7-6. The means the house percentage is at 1.52%, which is better than most other bets in the entire casino and still offers quick play -- but it's not as reliable as Line bets that have free odds.
    • 4,6 ,8, and 10 are the hard-way numbers. That is, these numbers pop up if you roll the dice and the same number pops up on each. If you make a hard-ways bet, the number must come up (two 2s, two 3s, two 4s, two 5s) before a 7 and before it shows up in any other combination. The house edge is 11.1 percent on the 4 and 10 and 9.09 percent on the 6 and 8.

How To Play Craps Dice

Playing the Game

  1. Get some chips at the table. Don't try to hand cash to the dealer; all you need to do is the place some money on the layout (before the shooter has the dice) and ask the dealer for 'change only.' The dealer actually isn't allowed to take anything from your hand.
    • You can tip the dealer, but do so in chips as well.
  2. Be an active and orderly participant. While craps is very much so a game of camaraderie and group mentality, there's a definite etiquette that a non-shooter must abide by. When you're not rolling, keep a few things in mind. And when you are, the same goes.
    • You may make (Don't) Pass bets, the odds bets backing them, Field, and (Don't) Come bets yourself. All you need to do is place your chips on the table in the appropriate, marked place. On all other bets, place your chips on the table ask the dealer to make the bet. Once you've completed this, take your hands out of the table area. Craps moves very quickly -- you don't want to become an interference.
      • Store your chips in the rail in front of you -- that's its purpose. Put them right in front of you and keep an eye on them at all times. Though craps is about solidarity, that doesn't keep the occasional player from snagging a chip or two.
    • In general, cheer on the side of the shooter. Root for the point to come up as quickly as possible. If you're betting with the shooter, be as loud as you like. It's pretty common for the entire casino to hear the roars of the craps table. However, if you've opted for the 'Don't Pass' option, keep your excitement to yourself. You wouldn't like it if someone were rooting against you, would you? If you do, you'll not feel very welcome (or be welcome) at the table.
    • If you're shooting, fling the dice to the opposite end of the table. And don't skip them along the sides -- the guys working the table want to see the dice in the air.
  3. Roll the dice. In truth, you could play craps all your life and never have to roll the dice. Players take turns being the 'shooter,' and you can pass when it's your turn. Craps is a dice game, so you should probably at least learn how to roll in case you feel lucky. Generally when it's your turn, the stickman will present you with five dice. You then choose two to throw, and the stickman takes the others back.
    • Always handle the dice with only one hand. This is a must-know rule to prevent cheating. When it's your turn to roll the dice, you must roll them so that they cross the table, hit the opposite wall, and bounce off the wall.
    • If either dice goes off the table or fails to go far enough, you'll need to roll again. The craps table is fairly large, so you actually need to toss the dice rather than simply rolling them as you would for a board game.
  4. Play conservatively. These are the most basic bets of craps. You can also bet on single numbers or single rolls, and you can even bet on certain more complex 'propositions.' To begin, however, you should learn the basics and get comfortable playing craps. It can be a very fast-paced game, so you want to be able to master the simpler bets so that you don't have to think about them. Once you've done so, do some research on the odds of other bets and learn more about betting strategies.
    • Playing only these simple bets will give you better odds than just about anywhere in the casino, but you can win more by playing riskier bets. You can also lose more, and quickly, so you'll need a hefty bankroll if you plan on doing anything more complex.
  5. Know your odds. Just as with every game in a casino, the house would have the edge. 7 is the number most likely to come up with a pair of dice -- and the house practically owns it. Know what you're getting into when you make your bets.
    • The house has only a 1.41 percent (7/484) edge on a Pass bet and 1.36 percent on Don't Pass. Most players bet the Pass line, in part because it builds camaraderie and solidarity, and in part because the house edge is low. They are called 'right bettors,'; those who bet against the shooter are called 'wrong bettors,' unsurprisingly enough.
    • Don't Pass/Don't Come bettors may lay odds even when the point has already been established, which results in the same odds the house gives a Pass/Come bettor on an odds bet. For example, if the point is 4 or 10, a bettor with $5 on the Don't Pass line can bet another $10 to win $5 if a 7 is rolled before the point (2:1 odds). It's not that great of a deal, sure, but remember that once a point is established, Don't Come bettors will win more often than they lose. And points happen 2/3 of the time. Don't Come bettors who lay odds also lower the house edge to .7 percent with single odds and .5 percent with double odds.
    • A bet on any craps (a proposition bet), for example, wins if the next roll is 2, 3, or 12; it loses if any other number is rolled. House percentages are huge on this type of bet: 1/6 bet on any 7, 13.9 percent on 2, 13.9 percent on 12, 1/9 bet on 3, 1/9 bet on any craps, 1/6 bet on 2 or 12, 1/6 bet on 3 or 11, 1/9 bet on 11. If it wasn't clear already, only do this if you're looking for a quick way to lose money.

Tips

  • Some casinos offer classes for how to play craps and other table games. You can learn a great deal in a short time in one of these courses.
  • The key thing to understand is the difference between the win-loss rules on come-out rolls versus those when a point has been established.
  • Different casinos may have slight variations on the rules, particularly concerning how much can be bet on certain bets. These house rules will generally be posted at the table. Check with the dealer if you're unsure about something. If you place a bet that is not allowed or make some other honest mistake, the dealer will usually tell you promptly, and it won't be a problem.
  • The craps crew can help you learn the game, a slower game will give the dealer more one-on-one time with you.
  • Tip the dealers and they will help you remember to make your bets. They are supposed to do this anyway but that tip will have an extraordinary impact on his memory.
  • It is common courtesy to wait until the game finished. The point puck is off to put money down on the table to buy chips, as there can be a lot going on when another player is on a good roll.
  • It is better to bet the don't pass line and not the pass line.

How To Play Craps Table

Warnings

How To Play Craps 101

  • Remember that the odds are against you in any casino game. That is, you are not card counting, and not stealing money, and not playing a game with a player edge put out for you to play by accident. While the safer craps bets offer great odds for a casino game, craps is still a game of chance, and the house doesn't lose money on it (There's much less craps beaters than average gamblers.)
  • Compulsive gambling is a serious problem that afflicts people worldwide, and it doesn't take long to develop a gambling problem. If you think you may have issues with gambling, stop immediately, and seek help to address your addiction.
How
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