Craps Rules and Overview

You have found the best game to play in the casino. Why, you ask? Well, craps, in fact, when you learn the optimal wagers to place, offer the best players odds of any game in the casino. Let’s figure out how to be that smart casino goer and take advantage of the great odds set out right in front of us.

First off, craps is a dice game that is a favorite in the casino. It is played at a large oval table with high walls. One at a time, players, aka “shooters”, get a chance to throw the two dice along the length of the table and bounce them off the back wall of the table. Anyone around the table can bet on the outcome of the dice and there are dozens of ways to wager your bet.

Typically, it is very easy to spot the craps table since it is surrounded by excitement and noise most all of the time. It is unlike any other game that combines skill, luck and common sense to succeed. When you approach the craps table, you will meet no less than four casino employees. There are two dealers to collect and pay the bets. The “stickman”, so called for the long stick he uses to collect the dice, announces the outcome of each roll. Finally, the “boxman” is charged with guarding and exchanging chips for the players.

So there are loads of things to learn about craps including the names of the rolls and their value. Also the bets to play on the craps table layout are seemingly endless. Never fear, learn a few at a time and as you play, the rest will flow naturally.

When you roll listen for the colorful language at the table that makes craps the fun game that it is. Some of the best are “Snake Eyes” for rolling a one and one. A lot of the names are called by their nicknames in order to prevent any confusion for similar sounding numbers. The roll totaling nine may be called “centerfield nine” or “Lou Brown”. A total of five may be called a “fever five” or “no field five”. A hard four (hard because you got it the hard way with two 2s) may be called “Little Joe from Kokomo”. A total of eleven is always called “Yo-leven”, so no one might be confused with the seven. And the “boxcars” or “midnight” are a hard twelve (or two 6s).

For wagers, there are so many fun ways to try it. The first and easiest wager to learn is how to play the “Line Bets”. You can choose to place a bet on the “pass” or “Don’t pass line”. The pass means you are betting that the shooter will hit their point number.

First, the shooter will throw the dice. If the shooter’s dice totals 7 or 11 on the come out roll, also called a “natural”, then you are an automatic winner. If the roll hits 2, 3, or 12, you have “crapped out” and lose. Any other point total is an initial point and then the goal is to hit that total again before crapping out. The pass line pays even money on wins.

The “Don’t pass line” is as it sounds, and is a wager that the shooter will not hit the established point number, 7 or 11 and crap out instead. You may find yourself sitting alone if you bet on the “don’t pass” since you are hoping the shooter will lose. Some people call this wager “playing the dark side” and it is in poor taste.

Craps is as easy or as complicated as you choose to make it. There are so many possible wagers that you can try out on the table. Take a turn at shooting the dice. Craps is dynamic, has an air or camaraderie and the fun never stops. Get a hot shooter at the helm and everyone will enjoy riding their good streak.