Craps is a dice game where players take turns rolling two dice. Although many people have heard of the game, many do not know how to play it. This is a shame, as the game is actually quite simple to play and is one of the most exciting games in the casino. In land-based casinos, craps draws huge crowds, but it is often overlooked in online casinos.
Terms like “”snake eyes,”” “”betting on the pass line,”” “”odds bet,”” and “”lay odds”” may seem confusing at first, but they should not hold you back from this amazing game. Don’t be intimidated by the numbers of the game and the seemingly complicated table, or you will miss out on a great game with lots of excitement and potential to win big.
The game of craps is based on pure luck and probabilities, and no skill is needed. The Return to Player (RTP) of a craps game is 99%, which means that for every $100 wagered, the player receives $99 as winnings. This is one of the highest RTPs offered by online casinos. Since the game is completely random but still has a high RTP, both big and small bets are practiced by clients.
We will provide a simple and easy-to-understand guide to how the game is played, which strategies to use for maximum winnings, and if a betting system is usable at the online craps table. So read our guide, and you will be a craps pro in no time, ready to win big at the online casino.
What is Craps?
Craps is a game played with dice in which players make bets on the outcome of a dice throw. The game has two subcategories:
Casino Craps
Where you bet against a bank, which is represented by the casino and you can play on a specific table which we detail below
Street Craps
Where you bet against other players and which you can play in informal settings and without the Craps table.
The Casino Craps elements explained
To learn how to play Craps at a casino, you need to first know about the elements of the game both for land-based and online casinos. The most important of them all is the Craps table, but we also cover the Dice, the Puck, the Stick, and even the Crew, which you can find in gambling establishments.
ELEMENTSLAND-BASED CASINO CRAPSONLINE CASINO CRAPSDice Puck Stick Crew
The online Craps table layout
The craps table is an integral part of the craps game, and understanding its layout is crucial to playing the game successfully. The table is designed to accommodate multiple players and is divided into different sections, each with its own unique betting options. In this write-up, we’ll discuss the craps table layout and its different components.
Pass Line Side
Pass line: This is a long, narrow strip of felt located at the bottom of the table. It’s marked with the words “”pass line”” and is where players place their bets when they’re betting on the shooter to win.
Point boxes: These are small squares located near the pass line, marked with numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. They’re used to keep track of the point number once it’s been established.
Come bets: These are similar to pass line bets and can be placed after the come-out roll.
Field: This is a large area located in the center of the table, marked with the words “”field”” and the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. Players can place bets on any of these numbers.
Big 6 and Big 8: These are located at the corners of the pass line and are marked with the words “”big 6″” and “”big 8″”. Players can place bets on either of these numbers.
Don’t Pass Line Side
Don’t pass line: This is the opposite of the pass line and is located on the top half of the table. Players place their bets here if they’re betting against the shooter.
Don’t come bets: These are similar to don’t pass line bets and can be placed after the come-out roll.
Lay bets: These are similar to don’t pass line bets but are made after the point has been established.
Field: This is the same as the field on the pass line side.
Craps bets and how they work
Pass Line Bets
This bet is the main one in the game of Craps and it is also known as the Front-line bet. Here are the possible outcomes of a pass-line bet:
On the first roll (come-out roll) – If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, you win. These are called Natural 7, respectively Natural 11. If the roll is 2, 3, or 12, you lose. This is known as craps.
On the point rolls – If the come-out roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. In this case, the next sequence of rolls is point rolls. You win if the point number is rolled again and you lose if a 7 is rolled. Rolling any other number does not affect your wager.
Odds on Pass Line Bet
After a Point is rolled you can make additional bets by laying or 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.
Don’t Pass Line Bets
The Don’t Pass Line bet is the opposite of the Pass Line, with one slight difference. Therefore, these are its possible outcomes:
On the first roll (come-out roll) – If the come-out roll is 2 or 3, you win even money. If the roll is 7 or 11, you lose. If the roll is 12, it is a tie, also known as “Push”, which means you do not win nor lose.
On the point rolls – you bet that 7 will be rolled before the point number. If that happens, you win. If the shooter rolls the point, you lose.
At the start of a new round, in order to shoot the dice, you must first place a bet on the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Line. 95% of the Craps players choose the Pass Line bet and they are called Rightside, Lightside, Right, or Do players.
Come Bets
Come Bets the rules of this bet are the same as for the Pass Line, but you can only place this wager after the point has been established. If you place the Come bet, you are betting that the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 before the point
Come Bets cannot be cancelled. You bet and wait until it plays itself out. But you can continue to make additional bets on the Come Bet Point.
Don’t Come Bets
Don’t Come Bet is a 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.
Don’t Come Bets cannot be cancelled. You bet and wait until it plays itself out. But you can continue to make additional bets on the Come Bet Point.
Place Bets
Place Bets 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
6 or 8 pays 7:6.
Field Bets
Field 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)
12 pays 3:1
Other winning dice rolls pays even (1:1).
Big Six, Big Eight Bets
Big Six, Big Eight 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.
These bets can be placed at any roll of dice
Buy Bets
Buy Bets – this is similar to a Place bet, with the only difference that the casino takes a commission consisting of 5% of the winnings.
Proposition Bets
Proposition 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.
Payoff: Hard 4 and 10, 8:1 Hard 6 and 8, 10:1
Practice Craps online for free
You can play Craps for free on the demo version right here, on Best Casino Bonus 365!
Learn how the game works before wagering your hard-earned money.
Clicking on the 3 stacked lines or dots on the left hand bottom corner of the game console will bring up the game Settings, Paytable and Rules,
Insider tips for playing craps
Although craps comes down to pure luck and probabilities having a clear and defined betting strategy and a feel for the game is definitely a great advantage and should be in place to be winning player.
Bankroll management and a practical strategy on how to limit your losses is hugely important. If you want to be sure to get the best chances to win at craps every time you play, you need to pick the Pass/Don’t Pass or the Come/Don’t Come bets.
Picking any of the four bets indicated above reduces the house advantage to 1.40%. This is the best you can get in craps, especially if you combine it with laying or taking odds in order to reduce the percentage advantage even more.
Since choosing only the Pass / Don’t Pass and Come / Don’t Come bets would be awfully boring, we are going to give you some more craps strategy tips related to bets you can put your money on.
The other bets that give you the best odds of winning at craps are:
the Place 6
the Place 8
the Field 2
the Field 12
These four, combined with the ones we mentioned earlier, are basically the only bets worthy of your money. Anyone familiar with the basics of the craps optimal strategy know that all the other bets come with worse conditions and a higher house edge.
The Place 6 and the Place 8 are popular bets since these two numbers come up more than any other numbers except for 7. The bet is simple. If the shooter rolls a 7, you lose. If the shooter rolls your number, you win with odds 7/6 which only gives the house an edge of 1,52%. The “shooter” keeps rolling the dice until either your number or a 7 is rolled. If you want to stop betting the number, ask the dealer to “”take your bet down”” and he will hand back your stake.
The Field 2 and the Field 12 are also among gamblers favourite choice at the craps table. When choosing the Field bet, the player is basically putting a wager on the probability of the shooter rolling a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. The bet wins when any of these numbers come out. Obviously, the only numbers that are not in the field are 5, 6, 7 and 8.
Although the bet may seem like a bargain to craps players, they should be cautious, as there are only sixteen dice combinations that are part of the field. In comparison, twenty dice combinations are excluded from the field.
The actual odds of the Field bet are 5 to 4, which is exactly why players are pretty much fond of this kind of craps bet.
The payouts for the Field bet are even (1:1) in case that the numbers 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11 come out after the shooter’s roll.
On the other hand, the payouts are 2 to 1 when the shooter rolls a 2 or a 12.
But that is not all. There are some casinos that are more generous than others and offer 3 to 1 odds on these two numbers in case that they win on the field bet.
Probably the greatest disadvantage of the Field bet is the fact that it features a pretty large house edge. The casino advantage on this bet is normally 5.56%, but it also could be as low as 2.78% in case of the most generous 3:1 payouts.
Keep in mind that when we are saying “higher house edge”, we mean that you stand little to no chance of winning in the long run when you pick one of the other bets.
Bets like the Hard-Way 4 and the Hard-Way 10 have a house edge of 11%, so it would make little sense picking these ones instead of the much more favourable Pass / Don’t Pass line and Come / Don’t Come bets.
To help you understand the bets you should avoid and the ones you should go for, here’s a table with all the information you need to pick the right one and win at craps every time.
How much to bet
When considering how much to bet to beat a casino at craps, you should also consider how much money is in your expendable bankroll.
If your bankroll is limited, you should limit the amount you press on the Pass/Don’t Pass or the Come/Don’t Come bets so that you don’t get pushed out of the game after a single bad roll.
If you come to the table with a big bankroll, you should take advantage of the best bet in the game and not be afraid of pressing the maximum amount allowed by the table’s rule.
If you are looking to have more action at the table, you should at all costs stay away from most prop bets like the Hard-Way 4 and the Hard-Way 10 and stick to the Pass/Don’t Pass or the Come/Don’t Come bets.
Like in all gambling games, the key to beating a casino at craps is to walk away while you are ahead.
This doesn’t mean you should leave the table as soon as you win or right when the dice are hot and you find yourself in the middle of a shooter’s streak.
As soon as the hot streak ends, take a break, Cash your winnings and leave the table. If you keep on playing, you put your hard-earned winnings at risk – and you don’t want that.
Tips for Playing Craps Online
Choose a reputable online casino: When playing craps online, it’s important to choose a reputable online casino that is licensed and regulated. Look for a casino with a good reputation and positive reviews from other players.
Learn the rules: Before you start playing craps, it’s important to learn the rules and understand the different types of bets. This will help you make more informed decisions and increase your chances of winning.
Practice with free games: Most online casinos offer free versions of their games, including craps. Take advantage of these free games to practice your skills and develop a strategy without risking any real money.
Manage your bankroll: Set a budget for your craps sessions and stick to it. Don’t chase losses or bet more than you can afford to lose.
Use strategy: While craps is a game of chance, there are certain strategies that can help you improve your odds of winning. Research different strategies and find one that works for you.
Summary
Craps is an exciting and popular game that has been played for centuries. While the rules and gameplay may seem a little complicated at first, it’s a relatively simple game to play once you get the hang of it. Whether you’re playing in a brick-and-mortar casino or online, it’s important to understand the rules and develop a strategy to increase your chances of winning. So, next time you’re looking for a thrilling and challenging game to play at the casino, give craps