Learn Craps
Craps is a dice game that’s been played for hundreds of years. It’s one of the most communal casino games and one of the easiest to learn. From the basic rules of craps to single-roll and multi-roll bets, we’ve given you an overview of how to play the classic casino game that is craps.
The Basic Rules When Playing Craps
Craps is a gambling game which you play with two dice. The dice are thrown by the player on a table that is separated into three different sections – the left side, right side, and centre side. The image below gives you an example of a what craps table looks like, along with the different bets that can be placed:
Pass Line Bet
Don't Pass Line Bet
Odds Bet
Come Bet
Don't Come Bet
Field Bet
Place Bet
Don't' Come Buy Bet
Do Come Buy Bet
Big 6 & Big 8
Hardway Bets
Any Craps Bet
Craps 2 Bet
Craps 12 Bet
Craps 3 Bet
Eleven Bet
Any Seven Bet
Horn Bet
C & E Bet
Craps is a game that played between the dealer and the player(s), with the player(s) betting against the bank by placing wagers on the total number of the two dice once rolled. The rule for winning at craps is that you must guess the value of the two dice.
For a great overview of the basic rules when playing craps in either an online or land casino, watch the video underneath:
Overview Of People At The Craps Table
While betting action in craps is between the dealer and player(s), there are some other key people who sit at the craps table and take an important role in what happens during the games.
Dealer
The dealer exchanges money for chips and keeps the game flowing by managing who the shooter is. Players can bet against the dealer or against other players when gambling at craps. In a land casino, there are two dealers – one at either side of the craps table.
The Boxman
The boxman is in charge of the chips at the craps table. They watch the table to make sure the game is fair and that there is no foul play.
The Stickman
The stickman’s roll in craps is to move the dice, look after the bets, and to pay out winnings to the dealer or player(s).
Player
The players are the people gambling while the craps game is played. There can be up to 20 players in a game of craps.
Shooter
The shooter is the player who rolls the dice, so controlling their outcome and whether the player(s) or dealer win or lose a round of betting. Every player at the craps table has an opportunity to be a shooter, however, players can decline to be the shooter by electing to pass when it is their turn – if a player passes then the shooter moves to the next player on the table.
What Are The Main Types Of Bets In Craps – Multi-Roll & Single-Roll Bets
As you have seen from the table found in The Basic Rules When Playing Craps section of this guide to learning craps, there are many different types of bets in craps – this article explains the most popular bets in craps.
The most straightforward bet you can place in craps is a single-roll bet, which a based upon a single roll of the dice. However, you can also make a multi-roll bet; these are concluded after either a single roll or after a number of extra rolls. Below we explain single-roll and multi-roll bets in more detail.
Multi-Roll Bets In Craps
Multi-roll bets are made on place numbers, these being 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Underneath, we have covered the most common multi-roll bets in craps:
Lay Bet
You select a number and bet on a 7 being rolled before that one.
Buy/Place Bet
You choose a number and bet on it being rolled before a 7. Buy/Place bets pay out until a 7 is rolled, meaning they can pay out multiple times.
Big Six And Big Eight
You bet that either a 6 or an 8 is rolled before a 7.
Easy Way Bet
You bet on a 4, 6, 8, or 10 being rolled before a 7. Your chosen number doesn’t have to include paired dice.
Hard Way Bet
Gamblers bet on a 4, 6, 8, or 10 being rolled before a 7. The chosen number must include paired dice – i.e. a pair of twos.
Single-Roll Bets In Craps
Single-roll bets are made on a solitary roll of the dice and can be wagered on a number of outcomes. Below are some of the most popular single bets in craps:
The Field
You bet on the dice roll being 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
2 or 12
You bet either on 2 or 12 and to win, the dice must total the number you have selected.
3 or 11
Players wager on 3 or 11. The dice must total the number the player picks in order for them to win.
Any 7
You bet on a 7 being the next roll.
Any Craps
You bet on 2, 3, or 12 being the next roll.
Craps Odds Overview
Like many casino games, there is a range of odds in craps, which are based on the likelihood of the bet you place paying off. At the lowest end of the scale is the Pass/Don’t Come bet, which has odds of 1:1 and a house edge of 1.36%. At the highest end of the scale is the betting on a 12, which has odds of 30:1 and a house edge of 13.89%. You can view a detailed breakdown of the odds for winning at craps in this article.
It’s Easy to Learn Craps Online
Most online craps casinos offer craps tutorials to help you on your way. When playing craps online, there are various ways to bet on each dice roll, which allows for a very enticing and fun game. You can bet on any combination of dice rolls, and if you learn how to bet with the right technique and method, you will increase your chances of winning and enjoying yourself more.
Learn Craps at a Regular Casino
When you play craps on a conventional table at a casino, you will see that each dealer takes care of his or her end of the table. The dealer’s main responsibility is to collect losing bets and to pay off winning bets. There are many bets you can make by yourself, but some of these bets, like the Place and Lay Bets, must be made by a dealer. To make those types of bets, players have to put their chips on the layout and tell the dealer which bets they want.
The craps dealer will take your chips and place them in the correct area of the table’s layout. In order to start making bets, you must first convert some cash into casino chips. You lay the cash in front of the craps dealer, who hands it to the box man to count the money. The box man will tell the dealer how many chips he must give to a player.
Learning How To Buy Chips When Playing Craps
Craps is played by rolling two dice, with bets placed by wagering chips on the total value of the dice. You buy chips in craps, which you can buy by placing your money on the table and the dealer gives you chips in return.
One important lesson to remember when buying chips in craps is that the dealer doesn’t give you change, so all the money you put on the table will be returned as chips.
To convert your chips into cash while playing at a land casino, all you need to do is collect your chips from the table and then take them to the cashier booth. The cashier will then change them up and give you the cash value of your chips. To convert your chips into money at an online casino, you will need to select the option to do so – how this works will depend on the online casino you’ve selected to gamble at.
What Shooting Dice Means In Craps
Unlike casinos games like blackjack, where the dealer deals your cards, craps gives players a level of control over how the game progresses. This is because in craps the players ‘shoot’ the dice by rolling them onto the table.
This means the ‘shooter’ (the player rolling the dice) is responsible for the total value of the dice that land on the table, putting them in charge of whether players win or lose that round of betting.
Shooting the dice in craps is available to every player sat at the table, with the shooters changing after a round of betting has ended. However, you don’t have to shoot the dice in craps – if you feel uncomfortable, then you can tell the dealer that you are passing up your chance to be the shooter, and they will offer the dice to the next player.
Explanation Of The House Edge
House edge is something that is relevant to every single game you play at a casino, whether that’s online or offline. The house edge is a casino's in-built advantage, putting the odds in its favour so that it wins in the long run. Put simply, the house edge is the profit that a casino makes from its players – so if the house edge for a game is 3% then it will make a 3 pence profit on every £1 that is spent by the player.
Each casino game has a different house edge, with some giving players better odds for winning than others. Crabs has one of the lowest house edges (ranging from 5% to 1.4%), with only blackjack (at 1.5% downwards) giving gamblers better long term odds for winning.
FAQs
How Can I Win At Craps?
Craps is a game of chance, you place a bet and whether you win or not is determined by the roll of a dice. However, while chance is crucial in craps, there are certain bets that are more likely to come in than others. Pass/Don’t Come has the best odds of winning, so making this bet is statistically your best way of winning at craps.
What Are The Odds Of Me Winning At Craps?
The odds in craps vary enormously based on the bet that you placed. The best odds you have for winning at craps is with a Pass/Don’t Come bet, which has odds of 1:1. The worst odds you have for winning at craps is by betting on a 12, which has odds of 30:1.
What Are The Chances Of Rolling A 7 Or An 11 In Craps?
The chances of rolling a 7 in craps is 1:6, while the chances or rolling an 11 is 1:18.