A Guide to Craps

Basics of Playing Craps

You - the shooter - play with a pair of dice on a Craps table. If you're playing at a land-based casino, you take the dice in your hand and throw them. In an online version of Craps, you click or tap the “roll” button.

You're required to bet, predicting the outcome of the roll. There are several possible outcomes with specific odds.

The first roll (Come-Out roll) results in one of the following three outcomes:

1. A natural: Rolling the natural numbers is probably every player's wish when they place the Pass Line bets. By natural, we mean landing number 7 or 11. A shooter wins and rolls the pair of dice again. The Don't Pass Line bets lose on a come-out roll.
2. Craps: This is when the outcome involves a 2, 3, or 12. Crapping out results in winning or losing on the Don't Pass Line and Pass Line bets, respectively. You'll roll again. Take note that getting a 12 is a Push in some Craps tables.
3. Point: If you get a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the number establishes a Point for your next dice roll. The dealer marks it on the table when playing in a live or traditional casino. You hope not to land a 7 before the Point number. You'll win wagers on Pass bets if your Point rolls before a 7. If it's the Don't Pass Line, you lose. You'll get an opportunity to shoot again.

Type of Bets in Craps

a) Pass Line Bet

Objective: Bet the outcome will be a 7 or 11 or a Point number on the Come Out roll.

Losing outcome: Landing a Craps number.

b) Come Bets

Objective: After setting a Point on the Come Out roll, bet the outcome will be the Point number.

Losing outcome: Rolling a 7 before the Come-Point number.

c) Place Bet

Objective: Bet that the outcome of a roll will be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. You can wager on one or more of these numbers (each number rolled wins unless a 7 appears)

Losing outcome: Rolling a 7 before the Place numbers.

d) Don't Come and Don't Bets (Opposite of Pass and Come Bets)

Objective: Bet the outcome will be a 2 or 3. Or bet a 7 will roll first before your Point number on the Craps table.

Losing outcome: Landing a 7 or 11 on your first roll or rolling the Point number before a 7.

e) Proposition (Single Roll) Bets

Objective: Bet the roll of dice will result in Any Seven, Any Craps (2, 3, or 12), Ace Deuce (3), Aces (2), Boxcars (12), or Horn (2, 3, 11, or 12). Also, you can bet that rolling a pair of dice will result in a Hard Ways combination - Hard 4 (pair 2s); Hard 6 (pair 3s); Hard 8 (pair 4s); Hard 10 (pair 5s).

Losing outcome: Rolling a 7 before a Hard number. Or rolling an Easy combination before a Hard pair. For example, you bet on a Hard 6 and roll 4-2 or 5-1.

f) Field (One roll) Bets

Objective: Bet on shooting a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on the special field area of the craps table.

Losing outcome: Rolling a 5, 6, 7, or 8.

g) Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

Objective: Wager on the probability of 6 or 8 rolling before a 7.

Losing outcome: Landing a 7 before number 6 or 8.

These bets can be confusing at first. However, with some practice, you will understand them better. It is easy to practice online because casinos have free games to help players grasp the rules and gameplay.

Craps Lingo and Terminology

Understanding the meaning of the terms used around a Craps table is crucial to getting the most fun out of your game. Of course, this applies to players at traditional and online casinos.

Here's the list of Craps lingo and terminology to start with.

• Boxcars - rolling a 12.
• Boxman - casino personnel supervising the dealers to avoid missing any bets.
• Box numbers - the other name for Place numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10).
• Cold dice - an expression for rolling losing outcomes longer than a player expected.
• Come out roll - shooting dice in the first round.
• Crap out - landing a 2, 3, or 12.
• Even money - bets that give a shooter a chance to win the same amount wagered.
• Easy way - rolling an even total (4, 6, 8, or 10), but the combination does not involve doubles.
• Hard way - rolling a pair of 2s, 3s, 4s, or 5s.
• Hi-Lo - making a single-roll bet on 2 or 12.
• Hi-Lo-Yo - making a single-roll bet on 2, 11, or 12.
• Hot dice (Hot table) - landing the winning numbers longer than a player expected.
• Inside numbers - wagers on 5, 6, 8, and 9.
• Lay - bet on shooting a 7 before a Point number.
• Marker puck - a disc with the Off and On indicators. On indicates a shooter has established a Point number.
• Nina - rolling a 9.
• Off - a Point is yet to be determined on a shooter's first roll. Or the shooter has a bet on the Craps table, but it's not in play.
• On - the shooter knows the Point number and/or a bet is in play.
• Outside numbers - 4, 5, 9, and 10.
• Push - nothing happens (no winning or losing). It is a tie.
• Right bettor - means a shooter wagering on Pass Line.
• Snake eyes - to roll a 2.
• Stickman - a stickman is the casino staff responsible for monitoring the movement of the Craps stick. They give the dice to the shooter(s) and announce the outcomes in each round.
• Stroker - a shooter who tends to excessively complicate bets.
• Wrong way bettor - a player who makes the Don't Pass Line wagers. In other words, they place a bet against the shooter.

We hope this guide to Craps has shed some light on playing this casino game. Make sure you practice enough before you hit the Craps table to wager real money. And before we wrap it up, you need to understand that some Craps bets carry more risk than others, however, on this blog you will find plenty of articles with all the information you could possibly need.