Craps is one of the most popular casino games, both online and offline. There are plenty of different bets involved in a game of Craps. We’ll take a look at these, as well as the relevant rules and odds in the game, below.
Master the Rules of Craps
Craps is primarily down to luck and probability. The Craps House Edge can be as low as 0%, and the payouts are usually among the highest among casino table games.
The Objective
The shooter throws a pair of dice. The player attempts to predict and place a bet on the outcome of the sum of the dice. By getting to know the different types of bets you can place on the outcome of the dice, you could improve your betting strategy.
The Craps table
Craps tables are usually covered in green felt. The Craps table is staffed by two dealers, a stick man and a block man. All the bets available are on the sides of the table.
Players place bets on the ‘PASS LINE’. Dealers place bets on the blocks by using an ‘ON’ marker.
The dice
The sum of the two dice after a roll is the number that players usually try to predict by placing bets on different numbers.
The puck
A puck is a small disk with ‘ON’ ‘OFF.’ One side is white; the other is black. The puck is in “OFF” position until the round starts. If the shooter rolls a point, one of the rules in Craps states that the puck is switched to “ON” to indicate that the round is in progress.
The stick
The stickman uses the stick to push the dice to and from different players around the table. The stick has a hook at its end to collect and push the dice around with.
The shooter
The shooter rolls the dice at the table. He is the only person at the table that has to place his bet on the ‘Pass Line’ or ‘Don’t Pass Bar’ before the first roll. The dice are passed clockwise to all the shooters around the table.
The stickman will push five dice towards a shooter. The shooter has to pick up two dice with one hand before rolling it hard enough to hit the wall at the opposite side of the table. The ‘Come-Out’ roll establishes a point.
The box person
The box person is the supervisor of the board. They are responsible for the chips on the board and resolve disputes between dealers and players.
The stick person
The stick person uses the stick to collect the dice from the game table after every dice roll and return them to the shooter. He will move the dice clockwise to each shooter.
The dealers
Dealers encourage people to bet on the results of the dice throw. Dealers assist in operating the table but often have to engage with players to explain the game’s rules.
Dealers could work in teams of two to four, rotating positions every 20 minutes. One dealer will take over from the stick person. The rotation continues throughout the game.
Understand All the Bets
There are a lot of different bets in craps. Generally, the best way of winning would be to stick to low House Edge bets. We’ve outlined all available bets below.
1. Pass Line bet
The “pass line” is the first outcome after the shooter rolls the dice. If the result from the dice rolls is seven or 11, the player who made a “pass line” bet will win.
2. Don’t Pass bet
“Don’t pass” bets is almost a direct opposite bet of “pass line” bets for the shooter to lose. Like the “pass line” bet, it must be at a table minimum or the table maximum. If two or three is rolled in the “come out” roll, the bet is winning. It will lose if the result is a seven or an 11.
3. Come bet
Players will place a “come” bet after the point is established. By wagering in the “come” box, the bet will move to the box number that the shooter rolls next. If the shooter rolls the number the wager has travelled to a second time before a seven, the bet wins.
4. Don’t Come bet
The “don’t come” bet is played in two rounds. If the number two or three is rolled, the bet wins. If the numbers seven or 11 are rolled during the first round, the bet loses.
5. Field bet
A “field bet” can be made at any time during a game. It is a one-roll bet that will either lose or win. It has to be made as close as possible to the player within the “field” area of the craps table.
6. Place Bets
Bets are placed on any “place” numbers on the table. The numbers are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. The bet wins if any of the numbers is rolled before a seven. “Place bets” are similar to “odds bets,” but there is no requirement for a “pass line” bet.
7. Hardways bet
The “Hardways bet” is placed after a point is established. To win the bet, the player has to roll an exact pair of doubles before an easy number or a seven. The numbers four, six, eight, and 10 can be rolled as doubles.
8. One Roll Bets
A “one roll bet” is also known as a proposition bet. It is the stick person’s job to entice players with prop bets. When he asks if anybody is on 11, he wants you to toss him a chip to bet on the next roll that comes up at 11. It has a high House Edge, but if it rolls, the payout is 15:1.
- Any 7
If you place an “any seven” bet, the bet will only win if a seven is rolled. Any other number rolled will result in the bet losing.
- Any craps
The bet is a win if a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled. Any other number is a loss.
- 2 or 12 bets
A “2 or 12” bet is also known as a “single horn” and will pay 30:1.
- 3 or 11 bets
A “single horn” bet can also be a 3 or 11 bet. The bet will pay 15:1 if it is a win.
- Horn bets
A “horn bet” is a four-unit one-roll bet on numbers 2, 3, 11, and 12. The bet wins if the shooter rolls any of these numbers. The horn will pay 15:1 if a 3 or 11 is rolled, and it will pay 30:1 if a two or 12 is rolled.
- Big six, big eight
If you make a “big six” bet, you are betting that the dice will roll a 6 before a 7. A “big eight” means that you are betting that the dice will roll an 8 before a 7. Both of these bets pay even odds with a high house edge.
9. Free Odds/Laying the Odds Bets
A “Free Odds” bet is tied to another bet that the player made before it. It does not have a House Edge. In other words, the casino has a smaller advantage with such a bet.
If you bet against a point after the “don’t pass” bet, you are “laying the odds”. The odds are fair with no house edge. Betting against on a 4 or 10 pays 1:2; a bet on a 5 or 9 will pay 2:3, and a 6 or 8 will pay 5:6.
10. Buy bet
A “buy bet” is precisely the same as a “place bet,” but it pays true odds if the bet is won. Chips are positioned differently on the table for this kind of bet.
The “buy bet” pays with no House Edge, but the casino will, however, receive a commission from your winnings for this small privilege. The tax is known as “vigorish” or “vig”.
11. Place to Lose bet
These bets are the direct opposite of “place bets”. They lose on the number you bet against but win on 7. Not all casinos offer this bet.
12. Put bet
A player may skip on a “Come Out” roll on a “Come” or “Pass bet”. It is then called a “put bet.” Most of the value of a bet is in the “come out” roll. Skipping it gives the house a high edge. However, you can bring the odds down by combining it with an “odds bet”.
13. Odds bet
An “odds bet” is a side bet that takes place after a point is reached. The odds are fair with no added House Edge.
It wins if a point is rolled before a 7. Make an “odds bet” after a “pass line” bet by putting the bet behind the “pass line” bet closer to you but outside the “pass line” area.
14. Field bet
This bet is a one-time bet that the next dice throw will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It pays 1:1, whereas the 2 and 12 pay more.
15. Fire bet
At some casinos, you can make a “fire bet” before the shooter rolls. The bet can be as little as one pound. It is made hoping that the next shooter will have a streak of getting and setting different points.
As the shooter creates different values, a fire symbol is placed at each point on the Craps table.
Craps Odds and Payouts
The first throw a shooter makes is the ‘Come-out’ roll. The round ends immediately if the shooter gets a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12.
The number would become a point if the shooter rolled a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The puck is turned over to the ‘ON’ position.
Craps odds are bets that are made after the shooter throws a point.
Craps House Edge
The odds are always in favour of the casino in terms of winning bets. The lower the House Edge, however, the lower the chances that they’ll win become.
How to Play Craps – Breakdown of a Round
We can break down a round of craps into three stages.
- Establishing a point
As mentioned earlier, shooters place their bets on the table before the game begins. Every craps game opens with a “Come-out” roll. The shooter establishes a point and the puck is switched to “ON”, which means a round is in progress.
- The game is on
Everyone can place their different in-game bets during the round. The shooter continues to roll until the number 7 is rolled.
The puck then gets turned around to the “OFF” position, indicating a new round will start soon. The stickperson collects the dice from the shooter and moves them clockwise to the next shooter.
- All-In or All Out
While the puck is in the “OFF” position, you can decide to continue your bet or withdraw your winnings. The next round starts in the same way and repeats until the end of the game.
Conclusion
Craps can be an extremely rewarding game if you know how to play it right. With our simple guide, you can bet your bottom dollar that you’ll be ready to play this brilliantly captivating game in no time.
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