A Craps table in a casino is an easy thing to walk right by; it’s a complicated-looking affair involving what looks like a multitude of strange bets. A quick glance at the rules also suggests that this is a game not for the faint-hearted. However, Craps is a game which offers some of the best returns for players so we think it’s worth learning. Below is our simple guide.
The image above shows the betting areas you need when playing Craps; in a casino you will see a mirror image on the left hand side. A ‘boxman’ supervises the game and collects the cash and the ‘stickman’ shoves the dice around, keeping this fast-paced game going.
We’ll being by saying that Craps is a game in which all the players are betting along with the ‘shooter’. The shooter is the person throwing the dice.
The ‘Come Out’ Roll
Players willing to be the shooter must place a bet on ‘Pass Line’ or the ‘Don’t Pass Bar’ before the dice roll; there can be more than one prospective shooter and if so the next play will be by the player in a clockwise direction. Other plays can also place bets on those areas now even if they don’t want to be the shooter.
The shooter then rolls two dice with the aim of establishing a ‘Point’. The following things may happen now:
- A Point is established if the number is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
- Pass Line bets win if a 7 or 11 is rolled and play ends.
- Pass Line bets lose if a 2, 3 or 12 (called Craps) is rolled and play ends.
- Don’t Pass Line bets win if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled and play ends.
- Don’t Pass Line bets lose if 7 or 11 is rolled and play ends.
Establishing The Point
So play continues if the Point is established and a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled. That number will be marked on the table with a white chip (to the right of the large dice in the screenshot above). Now the Shooter gets to throw again with the aim of rolling their Point number before rolling a seven.
Three things can now happen:
- The Shooter rolls a seven – the Pass Line bets lose and play ends.
- The Shooter rolls the Point – Pass Line bets win and play ends.
- The Shooter rolls any other number – results in another roll.
Essentially that’s it! A Point is established (or not) and the Shooter rolls the dice until the Point or a seven is roller.
Advanced Craps Betting
Here we’re going to look at the other betting spots on the table not covered so far. Essentially these are proposition bets on the outcome of the roll of the dice.
- Come/Don’t Come – a ‘Come’ bet is made after the Shooter’s Point is established and wins if a 7 or 11 is rolled and loses if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. With ‘Don’t Come’ the numbers are reversed. Any other number becomes your Point and is played out in that manner.
- Double Number Bets – can be placed at any time on the table (the chart in the bottom left).
- Betting To Lose/Win – use the spaces above or below the Point markers to bet that a seven will be rolled before your number.
- Field Bet – place a bet on the numbers in the ‘Field’ area for the next roll.
- Big 6/8 – place a bet here after the Point is established and win if 6 or 8 are rolled before a seven.
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| Vegas Craps | Review |