Understanding Craps

Learning how to play craps isn't as difficult as you might think. People are often steer away from playing the game because they think its too complex, but the only particularly complicated aspect is all the different types of bets that can be placed.

1. Understanding Craps Odds Payouts
2. Understanding Craps Odds

You don't actually need to learn all of them to start playing and you can just stick to the simplest ones if you like.

1. Craps is the best game you can find in the casino. Not only is it great fun to play, not only does everyone get to have a turn with throwing the dice, but it also has the lowest house advantage. This means it is the game you are most likely to win on in the casino.
2. Understanding the math behind the game of Craps is highly recommended. It is a long page but worth reading to understand the math behind a game of craps.

Jun 12, 2017 While today the game is known as craps, a dice game in which players bet on the outcome of each roll, originally the game was known as ‘crapaud', the French word for ‘toad'.

You do, however, need to understand how the game is played.

This article will help as we cover everything you need to know to play craps in a live casino or online.

We explain the main objective of the game, the craps table, the betting layout, and the basic rules. We also introduce the different types of bets.

Game Objective in Craps

The main objective in craps is really quite straightforward. Basically you are just betting on the outcome of the roll of two dice.

Craps is pure chance since you can't affect the outcome in any way, but you do have the choice of several wagers. The majority of these wagers are ultimately based on what combination of dice will be rolled.

The goal in craps is therefore to try to correctly predict which numbers will come up on the next roll. This is, of course, guesswork, but it doesn't stop the game being a lot of fun.

Craps is played on a specially-designed table that features a betting layout where players can place their wagers. In a live casino, a table would look something like this.

The dice are rolled on the table by one of the participating players, referred to as the shooter. Typically, a new player will become the shooter at the end of each round, although one player may remain as the shooter for several in a row.

Anyone at the table, including the shooter, can make wagers by placing their chips in the appropriate spot on the betting layout.

A craps table requires the attention of several casino employees. You'll usually find the following people running a table.

The boxman is in charge of the chips at the table. He (or she) will exchange cash into chips for players and swap them for different denominations if required. He's also responsible for supervising the dealers and generally ensuring that the game runs smoothly.

The stickman is in charge of the dice. He moves them around the table with the use of a stick (hence the name), passing them to the shooter at the start of each roll. He will also announce the outcome of each roll.

A craps table usually features two base dealers, one standing on either side. They are responsible for collecting losing bets and paying out winners. When requested to do so, they can also place certain bets on behalf of players.

The Craps Table (Online Casino)

The rules of craps are the same regardless of whether you are playing in a live setting or online. However, things are a lot simpler online. There's no allocated shooter, as technically you are the shooter every time you play.

Understanding Craps Odds Payouts

The diced are rolled automatically when you press the relevant button, and you place your bets by clicking in the appropriate place on the betting layout.

The following is an example of what an online craps table looks like:

Basic Rules

Each round in craps starts with what is known as the come-out roll. Most casinos will require that the shooter place a bet before making this roll on either the pass line or the don't pass line.

If the combined value of the two dice on a come-out roll equals 2, 3, or 12, then this is 'crapping out' and the round is over. Players will lose pass line bets and win don't pass bets. If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, the round is also over.

If any other value is rolled on the come-out roll i.e. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, then a point is established, equal to the value rolled, and the round continues into the next stage.

The shooter continues to roll with players betting on the outcome of each, until they roll either a 7 or the point value that has been established.

Following a roll of either 7 or the point value, the round is over and a new come-out roll is required. It's standard practice for the shooter to pass the dice to another player if a round ends with a 7, and to stay as shooter if the round ends with the point value being rolled.

This is essentially all there is to the basic rules of craps. What makes the game more complex are all the different bets that can be placed.

The following is a list of the different wagers you can place when playing craps.

• Pass Line
• Don't Pass
• Come
• Don't Come
• Pass Line Odds
• Don't Pass Odds
• Come Odds
• Don't Come Odds
• Place Win
• Place Lose
• Buy
• Lay
• Big 6
• Big 8
• Hardways
• Field
• Any 7
• Any 11
• Any Craps
• Ace Deuce
• Aces
• Boxcar

As you can see, there are numerous different bets in craps. Please don't let this steer you away from playing the game as you really don't need to learn them all.

They are pretty simple overall; it just takes a little time to familiarize yourself with each one.

Understanding Craps Odds

You do, however, need to understand how the game is played.

This article will help as we cover everything you need to know to play craps in a live casino or online.

We explain the main objective of the game, the craps table, the betting layout, and the basic rules. We also introduce the different types of bets.

Game Objective in Craps

The main objective in craps is really quite straightforward. Basically you are just betting on the outcome of the roll of two dice.

Craps is pure chance since you can't affect the outcome in any way, but you do have the choice of several wagers. The majority of these wagers are ultimately based on what combination of dice will be rolled.

The goal in craps is therefore to try to correctly predict which numbers will come up on the next roll. This is, of course, guesswork, but it doesn't stop the game being a lot of fun.

Craps is played on a specially-designed table that features a betting layout where players can place their wagers. In a live casino, a table would look something like this.

The dice are rolled on the table by one of the participating players, referred to as the shooter. Typically, a new player will become the shooter at the end of each round, although one player may remain as the shooter for several in a row.

Anyone at the table, including the shooter, can make wagers by placing their chips in the appropriate spot on the betting layout.

A craps table requires the attention of several casino employees. You'll usually find the following people running a table.

The boxman is in charge of the chips at the table. He (or she) will exchange cash into chips for players and swap them for different denominations if required. He's also responsible for supervising the dealers and generally ensuring that the game runs smoothly.

The stickman is in charge of the dice. He moves them around the table with the use of a stick (hence the name), passing them to the shooter at the start of each roll. He will also announce the outcome of each roll.

A craps table usually features two base dealers, one standing on either side. They are responsible for collecting losing bets and paying out winners. When requested to do so, they can also place certain bets on behalf of players.

The Craps Table (Online Casino)

The rules of craps are the same regardless of whether you are playing in a live setting or online. However, things are a lot simpler online. There's no allocated shooter, as technically you are the shooter every time you play.

Understanding Craps Odds Payouts

The diced are rolled automatically when you press the relevant button, and you place your bets by clicking in the appropriate place on the betting layout.

The following is an example of what an online craps table looks like:

Basic Rules

Each round in craps starts with what is known as the come-out roll. Most casinos will require that the shooter place a bet before making this roll on either the pass line or the don't pass line.

If the combined value of the two dice on a come-out roll equals 2, 3, or 12, then this is 'crapping out' and the round is over. Players will lose pass line bets and win don't pass bets. If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, the round is also over.

If any other value is rolled on the come-out roll i.e. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, then a point is established, equal to the value rolled, and the round continues into the next stage.

The shooter continues to roll with players betting on the outcome of each, until they roll either a 7 or the point value that has been established.

Following a roll of either 7 or the point value, the round is over and a new come-out roll is required. It's standard practice for the shooter to pass the dice to another player if a round ends with a 7, and to stay as shooter if the round ends with the point value being rolled.

This is essentially all there is to the basic rules of craps. What makes the game more complex are all the different bets that can be placed.

The following is a list of the different wagers you can place when playing craps.

• Pass Line
• Don't Pass
• Come
• Don't Come
• Pass Line Odds
• Don't Pass Odds
• Come Odds
• Don't Come Odds
• Place Win
• Place Lose
• Buy
• Lay
• Big 6
• Big 8
• Hardways
• Field
• Any 7
• Any 11
• Any Craps
• Ace Deuce
• Aces
• Boxcar

As you can see, there are numerous different bets in craps. Please don't let this steer you away from playing the game as you really don't need to learn them all.

They are pretty simple overall; it just takes a little time to familiarize yourself with each one.

Understanding Craps Odds

You can read about all these bets in more detail here.

If you're ready to put what you've learned here into action, you might want to consider trying out an online casino. You can play craps at most of the top online casinos that we recommend. If you want to play for real money, you'll get a bonus for signing up and making your first deposit. And if you prefer to just play for fun, that's an option at most places, too. Here are some of the online casinos we recommend playing at.

If there's one casino game that attracts the most attention and causes the most excitement, it's definitely Craps.

But if you're used to the simplicity of Casino War (high card wins) or even Roulette, Craps can seem way too intimidating—especially if you're seeing the Craps table layout for the first time.

Pass line? Come bet? Field? Hardways? Is this a casino game? The Da Vinci Code? Or a foreign language?

Both, actually. But don't worry. We're here to help. In today's post, we're going to walk you through the Craps table layout so that you know what's happening the next time you join the crowd at a Craps table.

After reading our terminology run-through, you'll probably still havea few questions about how to play Craps. We'll walk you through a typical game in an upcoming post. But right now, we want to get the Craps table layout terminology in your head so that you can understand how and why Craps players are winning.

Craps – It's the name of the game, and it's also the name for the numbers 2, 3, and 12.

Pass Line – Drop your chips on the pass line and you're betting that the dice will pass (or win). Free 247 slots.

Don't Pass Bar – Throw your chips on this section of the Craps table layout and you're betting that a seven will be rolled before a point ends up being repeated.

Come – If you're betting inside the come box, you're betting that the dice will pass. Bets made on this section of the craps table layout are placed after the come-out roll.

Don't Come – You're betting the opposite of a come bet. Fairly straightforward.

Field – In the Field section of the Craps table layout, you'll notice the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Put your money here and you're betting that one of those numbers will be rolled.

6:8 – This is kind of like a field bet, except you're putting your money on 6 and 8. The '6:8' design varies, depending on the craps table layout. Just look for the big 6 and 8 to place your bet.

Place Bets – In the Place Bets box, you'll notice the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Throw you're money down on one of those numbers and you're betting that the number will be rolled before a 7.

Hardways – When you place a hardways bet, you're betting that a 4, 6, 8, or 10 will be rolled as a pair before they're rolled as a non-pair. So, if you bet on an 8 on the hardways section of the craps table, you're betting that a 4-and-4 will be rolled before a 5-and-3 or any other combination of 8 is rolled. You're also betting that you'll hit the matching pair before a 7 is rolled.

One Roll Bets – You'll see this listed on a craps table as sort of a headline for a group of sub-bets. If you place your chips under the ‘One Roll Bets' section of a craps table layout, you're betting on the very next roll. And if your exact dice rolls hits, you're paid out according to the odds.

Any Seven – You'll find this under ‘One Roll Bets'. You're essentially betting that the next roll will be a 7.

Any Craps – Throw your chips here and you're betting that a 2, 3, or 12 will be rolled next.

Still confused? Don't be. Our terminology is easy to understand if you walk through a typical craps game. We'll run through one in an upcoming post, so stay tuned.

Andy Cunoi

Andy is a common guy with an uncommon passion for blackjack. Currently he lives in San Francisco, California. Andy enjoys writing about gambling. Loves a simple life and his writing reflects that. He also enjoys music festivals a lot.