Craps is a fast-paced and exciting game where the players bet on the outcomes of a pair of dice rolls. With some strategy and luck, players can win big at craps, making it one of the most popular games in casinos worldwide.
This classic casino dice game has a long and fascinating history that spans centuries and continents. You can trace its roots back to Europe and the Middle East, believed to have evolved from various dice games.
- Whether you’re a seasoned gambler or a curious beginner, Craps is a game worth checking out. In this guide, you’ll learn.
- Origin and Evolution of Craps
- How to play Craps?
- Tips to improve gameplay
- Multiple betting options available in Craps
- Verbatim used while playing Craps
What are Craps?
Let us introduce ‘what is craps’ by defining its table settings. Craps is a dice game typically played on a large table with multiple players. It’s purely a game of chance where you will bet on the total of the rolls on two dice. You can play craps against the dealer (Casino craps) or other players on the table (Street Craps).
Rolling a total of 7 or 11 on the dice is called a ‘Natural’ and a clear winner in craps. Now comes the answer to the question ‘what are craps’- rolling a 2, 3, or 12 on the dice means craps or crapping out and is a clear loss, but the round doesn’t end here.
If you roll 7 again, you finally lose. But if you roll other remaining numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), you still have a hope of winning. The total you now rolled becomes your point number, and you can still win if the same sum is rolled again, irrespective of the number on the dice. We will go deeper into these details towards the end of this article.
The exact origins of Craps are unknown. However, it is believed that the game evolved from various dice games played in Europe and the Middle East. Some legends say it was invented by ancient Roman soldiers who used pig’s knucklebones for dice and shields for playing tables to pass the time between battles. Another legend states that the origins of Craps can be traced back to the Arabic dice game Al Dar.
But a more accepted legend is that Craps evolved from Hazard- a dice game. It involved players taking turns casting the dice and placing bets on whether they would win the round. Much like its modern equivalent, Hazard rounds were determined based on whether the player rolled a specified number and successfully avoided rolling others.
How to Play Craps for Beginners?
Despite being a dice game, Craps is a little complicated, especially for beginners. But once you understand the basic rules and strategies, you’ll find them enjoyable and exciting.
Craps are a great combination of luck and skill. If you are new, this step-by-step guide will help you learn how to play craps at casino.
Understand the Basics
Before playing craps, you must learn the basic rules of the game. Different Craps variants might have different rules which you must understand before playing with real money.
Place Your Bets
Now that you know the basic rules, it’s time to place your bets. Craps offers several betting options, but most how to play craps for beginners guides suggest sticking to simpler bets in the starting, such as the Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line.
Roll the Dice
After placing your bet, the shooter will roll the dice. The first roll is called the “come out roll.” The results of the roll with declare the winner depending on the craps version you are playing.
Establish the point number if you do not get a natural or craps
Once you establish the point number, you can place additional bets on the “pass line”.
Continue rolling the dice until you get the point number again or a 7, until the game gets its winner.
The rules of playing online Craps are nothing different from that of a brick-and-mortar casino. The only difference lies in the gameplay and setup.
Now, there are different betting options on the craps table such as pass line bets or don’t pass line bets, Come and Don’t Come bets, Field bets on specific numbers on dice rolls, Proposition bets (such as any craps, any deuce, aces etc.), Big 6 and Big 8 bets, and so on. Let us know a little more detail on them.
- Pass Line Bet: This bet is placed before the come-out roll. The pass line bet is where you bet on the shooter to win.
- Don’t Pass Line Bet: Contrary to pass line bet, don’t pass line bet is where you bet against the shooter.
- Come Bet: Come bet is placed after establishing the point number. You win a come bet if you roll the point number again.
- Don’t Come Bet: Similar to the don’t pass line bet; the don’t come bet is betting against the shooter winning after establishing a point number.
- Proposition Bet: It involves betting on specific totals such as any craps, any deuce, aces etc.
- Field Bet: Field bet involves betting on the next roll being a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12.
Now that you know the different types of bets, here are some tips that can help you improve your gameplay as a beginner:
- First, stick to the basic bets until you understand how to play craps dice better.
- Like any other game, practice is key to improving your skills in Craps.
- The house edge varies depending on the type of bet. So it’s essential to know which bets offer the best odds.
- Set a budget and stick to it. Don’t bet more than you can afford to lose.
- If you’re on a losing streak, take a break and return to the game with a clear mind.
Craps Rules
Craps is simply the most common casino game found in any casino, land-based or online. Though the outcome is down to luck, with certain skills, you can make the best use of the bets to increase your odds.
Every game of Craps starts with the “come-out” roll, which is the first roll of the dice. The player rolling the dice is the “shooter.” To start the game, the shooter throws the dice onto the Craps table or clicks on the roll button in the case of online Craps.
Once the dice are rolled, you can expect one of three outcomes.
- Natural: Natural is when you roll a 7 or 11. In this case, you’ve won the roll and the nxt round can start.
- Craps: Craps is when you roll 2, 3 or 12. And you lose. However, the round is not over, and you can roll again.
- Point: Point is when you throw a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The rolled number is set as the Point. You’ll find a small white button on the page if it’s an online casino. Now, you have to roll the point number again to win the game.
Here are a few Craps rules you’ll need to keep in mind:
Number of Dice
Whether it is an online or brick-and-mortar casino, two dice are used. And, you’ll be betting on the combination of the dice, i.e., the total numbers that appear on the dice. You cannot bet separately on individual dice.
Shooter
In a land-based casino, the players take turns rolling the dice. And the same goes for the live casino as well. However, in the online casino, players roll the virtual dice, and a random number generator decides the outcome.
What is a Point in Craps?
The objective of Craps is to predict the outcome of the dice. You have to understand how the point number works before knowing what is the pass line in Craps.
“Point in Craps” is the number established if the first roll of the dice, also known as the come-out roll does not offer a natural (7, 11) or craps (2, 3, 12).
Lets say a number between 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled. This number becomes the point number. Once the point is established, the game resumes and the shooter rolls the dice again.
If the shooter rolls the point number again, they win and can continue playing. But if the outcome is a “7”, the game is lost.
Pass Line in Craps
What is the pass line in Craps? The pass line is one of the most fundamental bets in Craps. It is generally placed at the start of every round. It pays if the outcome of the dice is 7 or 11. You lose the pass-line bet if the result is 2, 3 or 12.
The pass line has some of the best odds among the many Craps bets. For example, the first throw has a 24% probability of paying out with a low house edge of 1.41%. And the odds of every subsequent throw depend on the point number. The bet is also ideal for newbies and professionals alike.
Are you looking to make the best out of your pass-line bet? Couple it with a field bet! Players prefer combining pass-line bets with field bets, especially in the case of low point numbers.
Most importantly, do not get discouraged when losing pass-line bets. Just because you failed once doesn’t mean it is bound to happen again. Pass-line bets are still one of the best bets around.
Craps Terms
Being one of the oldest casino games around, Craps has its unique terminology. New players can find these Craps terms confusing or intimidating. However, understanding the terms used in Craps is crucial to enjoying the game and making informed betting decisions.
- Come-out roll: The first dice roll in a new round of Craps is the come-out roll. This roll determines whether the pass-line bet wins or loses.
- Point: If the outcome of the come-out roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the “point”. That is when a player can place a come bet. To win the come bet, you must roll the point number again, and if you roll a seven before the point number, you lose.
- Pass Line: Pass-line bet is placed before the come-out roll on the possibility of shooter winning the game. If the come-out roll total is a 7 or 11, the pass-line bet wins; and loses if 2, 3, or 12 rolls.
- Don’t Pass: Don’t Pass is the opposite of a Pass Line bet and is essentially a bet against the shooter winning the game. So you will win the bet if the come-out roll is not a natural or totals to the craps.
- Odds: Odds is simply the possibility of winning with a particular betting option in Craps.
Craps Odds
Craps is a game of chance, so there’s nothing much you can do to change the outcome. However, understanding Craps odds and payout can help you make informed decisions and potentially increase your chances of winning.
A critical factor to consider is the house edge in Craps bets. House edge refers to the percentage of each bet a casino retains as profit.
Like any other casino game, every bet in Craps has odds and payouts. Here are a few bets and their payouts.
- Pass Line and Don’t Pass: These bets are the most basic of all bets and are often placed by players, both pros and newbies alike. Both the bets pay even money, but the Don’t Pass bet has a lower house edge of 1.36% while the pass-line has a slightly higher house edge of 1.41%.
- Field Bet: The field bet is a one-roll bet with a high probability of winning due to many numbers included, namely 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. It pays even money but has a high house edge of 5.56%.
- Odds Bet: Odds bet pays at true odds and has no house edge.
Craps Strategies
Craps is a game of chance, primarily based on luck. But it doesn’t mean there aren’t strategies players can use to increase their chances of winning. For example, placing bets with lower house edges and taking advantage of the odds bet can help maximise potential winnings.
However, remember that no Craps strategies can guarantee a win in craps. Ultimately, the outcome of each roll is determined by the roll of the dice, and there’s no way to predict or control that.
Check out our in-depth article for a more comprehensive look at craps strategies. It covers a variety of strategies and techniques that players can use to improve their chances of winning at Craps.
Posted by: Catalina Kirby
Chief Editor
With 4 years of experience in writing about online gambling, Catalina has decided to gather all her knowledge and share it with others on one platform. Her main goal is to provide detailed information so that players could gamble in a more safe way.