Craps

Perhaps on of the most thrilling games in a casino is the game of Craps. The anticipation of the next roll, will the roller of the dice continue their winning streak or will they crap out while every player around the table places their bets in many different ways! The game was introduced to America by the British and French settlers decades ago, and has evolved over the years into the game we all love today. With all of the thrills and excitement, the Craps table shouldn’t be too hard to spot within the casino.

The concept of the game of Craps is somewhat easy to understand; you roll 2 dice, and hope to roll certain numbers at given times of each roll. However, it’s the betting structure that can be a little hard to follow because there are multiple bets that can be placed before and during a roll.

The major bet placements a player should definitely learn are the “Come Bet”, “Don’t Come Bet”, “Pass-line Bet”, “Don’t Pass Bet”, And “Place Bets”. Below will explain these bets for you to help you understand a little better:

Come Bet- The Come Bet has the same rules as the Pass Line Bet, except for the fact that a player can only make this bet after the point on the pass line has been decided. Once a player places a Come Bet, the 1st roll will determine the Come point. A player wins if it is a natural (7, 11) and loses if it is a crap (2, 3, 12). Other rolls will make a player a winner if the come point is repeated before a 7 is rolled. If a 7 is rolled first, Come Betting players lose. The odds of the Come Bet are the same as the Pass Line Bet, except a player is taking odds on the Come Bet Line instead of the Pass Line Bet.

Don’t Come Bet- This bet is completely opposite of the Come Bet, which means after the come point has been established; a player wins if it is a 2 or 3 and loses for a 7 or 11. 12 is a tie, and other dice rolls will make a player win only if a 7 appears before them on the following throws.

Pass Line Bet- A player betting the Pass Line Bet wins if the first roll is a natural (7, 11) and loses if it is a crap (2, 3, 12). If a point is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) it must be repeated before a 7 is thrown in order to win. If 7 is rolled before the point, the betting player loses.

Don’t Pass Line Bet- This bet is completely opposite of the Pass Line Bet mentioned above. If the first roll of the dice is a natural (7, 11) the Don’t Pass Line Bettor loses, and if it is a 2 or a 3 the bettor wins. A dice roll of 12 means the bettor has a tie or push with the casino. If the roll is a point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) a 7 must come out before that point is rolled again to make that bettor a winner. If the point is rolled again before the 7, the bettor loses

Place Bets- After the point is determined; a player may make a Place Bet. When betting a Place Bet, a player is betting on a dice roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 that will come out before the roller rolls a 7. These bets are for multiple rolls or until a 7 is rolled which if that happens, the player loses that bet. At any time, a player may cancel the Place Bet at anytime. The Place Bet payoffs are different depending on the number a player bets on. 4 or 10 will pay 9:5; 5 or 9 pays 7:5, and 6 or 8 pays 7:6.

If a point is rolled instead of a 7 or 11 on the initial roll, the point must be rolled again before a 7 is rolled again, or Pass Line Betting players lose. There are certain odds for each number of the point roll. If a point of 4 or 10 is rolled, it will pay the Pass Line Betting player 2:1; 5 or 9 pays 3:2; 6 or 8 pays 6:5. Remember, a Pass Line Betting player only wins if the point is rolled again before a 7.

There are other common bets that players can bet on as well, such as Proposition Bets, Big Six and Eight Bets, as well as Field Bets. These betting rules are as follows:

Proposition Bets- These bets are very popular because of the odds paid on most of them can make for a big payoff. All bets listed below are for one roll bets at anytime, except for the hard ways bet.

Horn Bet- it acts as the bets on 2, 3, 11 and 12 all at once. A bet wins if one of these numbers is rolled. Payoff is determined according to the number rolled. The other three bets are lost.

Aces or Boxcars- Bet wins if a 2 or 12 are thrown. Payoff 30:1

Ace Deuce- Wins if a 3 is rolled. Payoff 16:1

Eleven- Wins if an 11 is thrown. Payoff 16:1

Any Seven: Wins if a 7 is rolled. Payoff 5:1

Any Craps: Wins if a 2, 3 or 12 are thrown. Payoff 8:1

Hard ways: The bet on a hard way number wins if it’s thrown hard (sum of pairs: 1-1, 3-3, 4-4…) before it’s rolled easy and a 7 is thrown. Payoffs: Hard 4 and 10, 8:1; Hard 6 and 8, 10:1

Big 6 And 8 Bets: These bets can be made by a player at any time during a round. A player is betting that either a 6 or 8 will come before a 7 is rolled. If a total of 6, 7, or 8 are not rolled, the bet will remain live for the next roll. If a 7 is rolled during this bet, the player will lose his or her bet. If the 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7 is rolled, the player will win at a ratio of 1:1, essentially doubling his or her bet.

Field Bets: Field bets made by a player are made for one roll only. If a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 is rolled, the player wins. If a 5, 6, 7 or 8 are rolled, the player loses. Odds for this bet is as follows: Rolling a 2 pays double (2:1) while rolling a 12 pays 3:1. All other winning dice rolls pay even (1:1).

It may seem that Craps is a very difficult game to understand, however, with a little practice, playing the game of Craps will start to sink in. A great way to practice is to play at an online casino where you can take your time to understand all of the concepts and rules of the game at your own pace. Trying to play within a land-based casino can be a little intimidating due to the fast paced environment of the casino. Once you get a little experience, you’ll be ready for the game whether you play at your favorite local casino or among one of the great online casinos that we recommend. Before you know it, you’ll be a seasoned pro of the game!