Craps is a dice game dating back to the Middle Ages. If you don’t know how to play Craps and haven’t played online yet, now is your chance.
Craps is considered to be the fastest game in the casino and for many, the most exciting. It is a dice game played on a specifically designed table where players place their bets based on what they believe will be the outcome of the dice roll. The craps betting round begins with a come-out roll.
How to Play
The player throwing the dice is the shooter. A craps game is played as follows: the shooter takes two dice and rolls them on the craps table by pressing the roll button. Once the number rolled is on the screen, there are three possible outcomes:
- Natural: the result of the roll is a 7 or an 11. When this happens, you win and roll the dice again.
- Craps: the result of the roll is a 2 (Snake Eyes), a 3, or a 12. The shooter loses, BUT the round is not over, and he can roll the dice again.
- Point: when the result of the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
In a live casino, a dealer would mark the Point (the number rolled) on the table. In online casinos, there is a small button that pops up once the Point is hit.
Then the shooter rolls the dice one more time and hopes to hit the number from the previous roll (Point) again. It doesn’t have to be the same combination of values, as long as it’s the same final result won. Note that if you roll a 7 then you lose and the betting round ends (seven out).
Betting Rules
The table features several areas for different betting options.
- Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line Bets
A Pass bet means you are betting that the shooter passes (wins) by rolling a natural or getting the point before rolling a 7. Don’t Pass is the opposite, meaning you are betting that the shooter doesn’t pass (loses), getting craps or seven outs before the point value is reached.
The house edge on Pass Line bets is 1.41%, while on Don’t Pass Line bets it is 1.36%.
You can only place these bets before the point has been established on the table. After the point has been rolled and the shooter needs to roll the sum again, he can place a Come or Don’t Come bet.
- Come and Don’t Come Bet
Come and Don’t Come bets can only be made after the point has been determined. The Come Bet wins if the shooter rolls a natural and loses if they roll craps. A Don’t Come Bet is the opposite.
The house edge is 1.41% on Come and 1.36% on Don’t Come.
- Proposed Bets
Proposed Bets are single roll bets that can be placed on any roll. These include:
Any Seven (wins if the Shooter rolls a 7),
Any Craps (wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12),
Ace Deuce (wins if the shooter rolls a 3),
Aces (wins if the shooter rolls a 2),
Boxcars (wins if the shooter rolls a 12) and
Horn (wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11, or 12).
- Other Bets
Other craps bets include, paying 1:1:
Place Bets – When the point has been established, you can bet on any number on the table. You win if your chosen number comes up before a 7, you lose if it doesn’t.
Field Bets – This is a single roll bet. You win if you roll a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. You lose on a 5, 6, 7, or 8.
Big 6 and Big 8 Bets – Bets that the 6 or 8 will roll before the 7.
The dice game has quite good odds with the house edge quite low below 1.41%, beating roulette and even blackjack. There are a lot of betting rules to remember initially but over time they come naturally, and actually end up making the game even more exciting.
