Craps is one of the most exciting
casino games. It is common to hear
yelling and shouting at a craps table.
It is played on a purpose-built table
and two dice are used. The dice are made
after very strict standards and are
routinely inspected for any damage. As a
matter of course, the dice are
replaced with new ones after about eight
hours of use, and casinos have
implemented rules in the way a player
handles them.
The player must handle the dice with
one hand only when throwing and
the dice must hit the walls on the
opposite end of the table. In the event
that one or both dice are thrown off the
table, they must be inspected
(usually by the stickman) before putting
them back into play.
The craps table can accommodate up to
about 20 players, who each get a round
of throws or at 'shooting' the dice. If
you don't want to throw the dice, you
can bet on the thrower. Several types of
bets can be made on the table action.
The casino crew consist of a stickman,
boxman and two dealers.
The first roll of the dice in a
betting round is called the Come Out
roll - a new game in Craps begins with
the Come Out roll. A Come Out roll can
be made only when the previous shooter
fails to make a winning roll, that is,
fails to make the Point or seven out.
A new game then begins with a new
shooter. If the current shooter does
make his Point, the dice are returned to
him and he then begins the new Come Out
roll. This is a continuation of that
shooter's roll, although technically,
the Come Out roll identifies a new game
about to begin.
When the shooter fails to make his or
her Point, the dice are then offered to
the next player for a new Come Out roll
and the game continues in the same
manner. The new shooter will be the
person directly next to the left of the
previous shooter - so the game moves in
a clockwise fashion around the craps
table.
The dice are rolled across the craps
table layout. The layout is divided into
three areas - two side areas separated
by a center one. Each side area is the
mirror reflection of the other and
contains the following: Pass and Don't
Pass line bets, Come and Don't Come
bets, Odds bet, Place bets and Field
bets. The center area is shared by
both side areas and contains the
Proposition bets.
Pass bets win when the come out roll
is 7 or 11, while pass bets lose when
the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12. Don't
bets lose when the come out roll is 7 or
11, and don't bets win when the come out
roll is 2 or 3. Don't bets tie when the
come out roll is 12 (2 in some casinos;
the 'Bar' roll on the layout
indicates which roll is treated as a
tie).
Below is a list of the various bets
you can make at craps.
Pass Line Bet - You win if the
first roll is a natural (7, 11) and lose
if it is craps (2, 3, 12). If a point is
rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) it must be
repeated before a 7 is thrown in
order to win. If 7 is rolled
before the point you lose.
Odds on Pass Line Bet - After
a point is rolled you can make
this additional bet by taking odds.
There are different payoffs for each
point. A point of 4 or 10 will pay you
2:1; 5 or 9 pays 3:2; 6 or 8 pays 6:5.
You only win if the point is rolled
again before a 7.
Come Bet - It has the same
rules as the Pass Line bet. The
difference consists in the fact you can
make this bet only after the point on
the pass line has been determined. After
you place your bet the first dice
roll will set the come point. You
win if it is a natural (7, 11) and lose
if it is craps (2, 3, 12). Other rolls
will make you a winner if the come point
is repeated before a 7 is rolled. If a 7
is rolled first you lose.
Odds on Come Bet - Exactly the
same thing as the Odds on Pass Line
bet except you take odds on the Come bet
not the Pass Line bet.
Don't Pass Line Bet - This is
the reversed Pass Line bet. If the first
roll of a dice is a natural (7, 11) you
lose and if it is a 2 or a 3 you win. A
dice roll of 12 means you have a tie or
push with the casino. If the roll is a
point (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) a 7 must come
out before that point is repeated to
make you a winner. If the point
is rolled again before the 7 you lose.
Don't Come Bet - The reversed
Come Bet. After the come point has been
established you win if it is a 2 or 3
and lose for 7 or 11. 12 is a tie and
other dice rolls will make you win only
if a 7 appears before them on the
following throws.
Place Bets - This bet works
only after the point has been
determined. You can bet on a dice
roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10. You win if
the number you placed your bet on is
rolled before a 7. Otherwise you
lose. The Place Bets payoffs are
different depending on the number you
bet on. 4 or 10 will pay 9:5; 5 or 9
pays 7:5, and 6 or 8 pays 7:6. You can
cancel this bet anytime you want to.
Field Bets - These bets are
for one dice roll only. If a 2, 3, 4, 9,
10, 11, 12 is rolled you win. A 5, 6, 7
and 8 make you lose. Field Bets have the
following different payoffs: 2 pays
double (2:1) while 12 pays 3:1.
Other winning dice rolls pays even
(1:1).
Big Six, Big Eight Bets -
Placed at any roll of dice these bets
win if a 6 or 8 comes out before a 7 is
rolled. Big Six and Big Eight are even
bets and are paid at 1:1.
Proposition Bets - These bets
can be made at any time and, except for
the hardways, they are all one roll
bets:
- Any Craps: Wins if a 2, 3
or 12 is thrown. Payoff 8:1
- Any Seven: Wins if a 7 is
rolled. Payoff 5:1
- Eleven: Wins if a 11 is
thrown. Payoff 16:1
- Ace Duece: Wins if a 3 is
rolled. Payoff 16:1
- Aces or Boxcars: Wins if
a 2 or 12 is thrown. Payoff 30:1
- Horn Bet: it acts as the
bets on 2, 3, 11 and 12 all at once.
Wins if one of these numbers is
rolled. Payoff is determined
according to the number rolled. The
other three bets are lost.
- Hardways: The bet on a
hardway number wins if it's thrown
hard (sum of pairs: 1-1, 3-3,
4-4...) before it's rolled easy and
a 7 is thrown. Payoffs: Hard 4 and
10, 8:1; Hard 6 and 8, 10:1