If you’ve ever watched a live Craps table, you’ve probably noted the uproarious crowds that surround them, cheering wildly for the shooter and continued fortune. In the same token, you’ve likely taken one look at the complexity of the Craps table’s betting diagram and decided it was entirely too difficult to understand.
On the contrary, Craps is not a difficult game to learn. In fact, the most common bets are extremely simplistic, and with these understood, learning the full range of betting options in Craps shouldn’t take long playing online.
How to Play Casino Craps
In Craps, there is one shooter (the person tossing the dice), and no real limit to the amount of bettors who can participate. To put it simply, if you can fit yourself around the table, you can place a bet.
The shooter continues rolling until he has established a point (anything but 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12). After the point is rolled, the shooter’s turn ends when he rolls a 7. At this time, the dice are passed clockwise to the next player, who becomes the new shooter. A player can choose not to become the shooter if he wishes.
With only one shooter and so many bettors, it is the ins and outs of the Craps table diagram that will give you the most insight to playing Casino Craps. We will now define all Craps Bets.
The reason why Craps is so intimidating for newcomers is because there are so many different bets that can be made prior to the first roll of a player’s turn, also known as the come out roll.
But a player can ease him or herself into the game by learning the two most basic bets, the pass line and don’t pass bet. Once a player has an understanding of these two bets they can then expand into all of the other bets that can be made on the craps table.
Pass Line Bet
When a player makes a pass line bet, they’re making a “contract” bet that cannot be withdrawn and pays even money.
The goal with a pass line bet is to have a 7 or 11 rolled so that they can win even money on their bet. For example, if a player was to wager $5 and a 7 or 11 were rolled, then their $5 would be returned as well as the $5 that the player won.
On the other hand, if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or a 12 than this is known as craps; the player will lose his or her wager and then would have to place another bet.
The last scenario is when a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or a 10 are rolled. These would be referred to as points which we will explain after we explain the don’t pass bets. The one thing to keep in mind is that the pass line bet will stay even if a point is rolled.
Don’t Pass Bets
A don’t pass bet is virtually the complete opposite of a pass line bet. These bets are bets made against the shooter in hopes that the shooter will roll a 2, 3 or a 12 for a Craps. In the scenario that the shooter rolls a 12, then the bettor would then tie or “push”. If the shooter rolls a 2 or a 3, then the bettor would win. The don’t pass bets can be retracted at any time therefore meaning that the bet is not a “contract” bet. Lastly, don’t pass bets will also win if a 7 is rolled prior to a point being rolled.
Points
Now, as it was mentioned above, anytime a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, then a point is placed at the table by a round disc with the word “on” faced up. So for example, if an 8 is rolled, a disc with the word on is placed on the “8” on the craps table.
The goal for the shooter when a point is “on” is to roll whatever point has been placed. Several points can be placed at once and can be continued to be placed and won as long as Craps is not rolled first. Once a 7 is rolled, all wagers will then be lost to the house and then it will be time for a new shooter and new bets to be wagered.
What has been explained above is Craps in its simplest form. Players can simply stick to pass and don’t pass bets and do just fine. However, once they have an understanding of these simple bets they will then want to move to the more advanced bets that we have listed below.
Craps Bets
Bets fall into two different types of craps bets, single roll bets and multiple roll bets. Multiple roll bets are bets that are placed and remain on the table until a specific action occurs. Each Craps bet is detailed below.
Line Bets
The most common Craps bet of all is called a Line Bet. There are four different types of Line Bets. They are so popular because they carry an incredibly low house edge of 1.4% to 1.41%. Line Bets are multiple roll bets because they stay on the table until won or lost.
Pass Line: This is a wager that may only be placed on the shooter’s Come Out Roll (very first roll, before a point is established). If a 7 or 11 is rolled, the bet instantly wins. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, the bet is instantly lost. Any other number becomes the Point, and the Pass Line Bet becomes a wager that the point will roll once more before a 7 comes.
Don’t Pass: This works in the opposite manner as a Pass Line Bet. Placed before the Come Out Roll, if a 2, 3 or 12 rolls, the bet wins. If a 7 or 11 comes, the bet loses. If a point is established, it becomes a bet that a 7 will roll before the point comes again.
Come: This bet must be placed right after the Point has been established. It is a multiple-roll bet that stays on the table until the Point, or a 7, is rolled. If the Point rolls again first, the bet is won. If a 7 rolls first, the bet is lost.
So when a player makes a “come” bet, they are simply making a bet that is kind of in queue and can only be made after the come out roll. For example, if a player was to make a wager in the come bet square and roll the dice, that money in the come bet box would then go to whatever number was rolled. So if a $6 wager was put in the come bet box and a 5 was rolled, then that $6 would then be placed on the number 5. Of course then the shooter would then want to roll the “point” before rolling a 7.
After the come bet has been placed on a number, it is up to a player to place another if they wish to do so. If a 7 is rolled instead of a point, then the player will win even money on the wager and if a 2, 3 or a 12 is rolled, then the come bet will then be lost to the house.
Don’t Come: The opposite of a Come bet, this is also placed immediately after the Point. If a 7 rolls before the Point, the bet is won. If the Point rolls first, the bet is lost.
Other Multiple-Roll Craps Bets
Buy and place bets are when a player buys a number in hopes that it is rolled before a 7 is rolled. These bets are working bets which means that the number is earning money until a 7 is rolled. In most casinos, these bets generally carry a commission which varies from casino to casino.
Place Bet: This is a bet where the player chooses one number – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If the selected number rolls before a 7, the bet is won.
Place Bet to Lose: Again, the player selects a number – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If a 7 comes before the chosen number rolls, the bet is won.
Big 6 / Big 8 Bet: these bets work exactly the same as a Place Bet on 6 or 8. However, the payout is slightly lower on Big 6 and Big 8 bets. Instead of making this Craps Bet, stick with the Place Bets if you want to bet on 6 or 8.
Hardway Bet: This bet calls for a specific number to be rolled the “hard way”. For example, a Hardway-4 would require a 2+2 roll, Hardway-8 is 4+4, etc. Hardway bets can be placed on 4, 6, 8 or 10. If the Hardway number rolls before a 7, the bet is won.
Craps Bets: Single Roll Bets
Single Roll Bets in Craps are, as the name implies, bets that are won or lost after a single roll.
Field Bet: The Field Bet area contains a list of numbers – 2, 3, 4, 9 10, 11 or 12. If any of these numbers are the next to roll, you win the bet.
So a field bet is a bet that is made in the middle of the Craps table where “Field” is labelled. This a one-roll bet where a player wagers on a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or a 12 in hopes that the next roll will result in one of those numbers. This type of bet favours the house with odds of 5 to 4.
Press Bet: Press bets are similar to let it ride type bets. The key difference is that players do not risk all of their winnings but only the same amount that they originally wagered. For example, if a player were to make a $6 on the number 6 where they are offered 7 to 6 odds and was paid $7 for winning, then $1 would be taken off the top and then the original $6 would then be re-wagered. The press bet is apart of many player’s strategies as it is possible to show a slight profit over time.
Proposition Bets: There are numerous proposition bets available on the craps table. We don’t recommend making proposition bets because the house edge is so high, even though the pay-off can be so attractive. Proposition bets include:
Any Seven (1+6, 2+5, 3+4)
Any Craps (2, 3 or 12)
Horn Bet (2, 3, 11 or 12)
World Bet (2, 3, 7, 11 or 12)
Yo Bet (11)
2 or 12
3 or 11
Hardway 7 – 1+6
Hardway 7 – 2+5
Hardway 7 – 3+4
Hop Bet: Hop bets are when players wager on a specific combination that makes up a number. For example, a combination for a 4 would be a 3 and a 1.
Horn Bet: Horn bets are one-roll bets that can be placed on numbers 2, 3, 11 or 12.
Whirl Bet: Whirl bets are one-roll bets on 2, 3, 11 and 12 or on any die that makes a 7.
Yo Bet: A yo bet is a one time wager in hopes that the shooter will roll a 5-6.
Craps Betting Tip: If you are certain a 7 will roll next, and simply must place a proposition bet on it, do not place a bet on Any Seven. Instead, place three equal bets on all Hardway 7’s. If the bet is won, the pay-off will be higher.
How to Learn to Play Craps
While all of these different kinds of bets above can make Craps seem like a difficult game to learn, much less play, this really is not the case. With a bit of effort, the game of craps only takes about 10 minutes to learn just enough to be able to hold your own … And most importantly enjoy playing the game even if your not using all the available betting options.
From there you can learn all of the different betting strategies that have been created for craps gradually – This way you can reduce the house edge as much as possible in attempt to try to win some money.
The Cooler – Last Craps Game in the Casino
