• Shooting dice, also known as street craps, is a slightly simplified version of traditional Casino Craps, and is a classic hustle. You can also learn to play Mexican drinking dice, Farkle, and other games that only require you to know a few rules and get a few dice in a cup.
• You’ll need at least 2 sets of 19mm Casino Dice with razor edges. This is the same type dice that is used at the craps tables in the casinos. (Do not use dice with rounded edges) Select 2 different and contrasting colors and buy at least one sleeve of each.

Craps is one of the only games in the casino where the player is in charge of the action with their own hand. You can literally grab the dice, give it a blow for good luck and roll it on down. In a single roll of the dice, there are a number of combinations in which a player can wager.

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.

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.

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.

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.

Shooting Craps At The Casino Game

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.

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.

The basics

Casino Craps (or Bank Craps), a dice game, 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.

To begin, the Shooter (one of the players) must bet at least the table minimum on either the Pass Line or the Don't Pass Line (sometimes called 'win' or 'right' bets and 'don’t win' or 'wrong' bets). The shooter is presented with multiple dice (normally five) by the Stickman, and must choose two to roll with. The remaining dice are returned to the Stickman's Bowl and are not used.

The shooter 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 game is played in rounds, with the right to roll the dice by each player moving clockwise around the craps table at the end of each round. A player may choose not to roll but can continue to bet.

Each round has two phases: Come Out and Point. To start a round, the shooter makes one or more Come Out rolls. A Come Out roll of 2, 3 or 12 (called Craps, the shooter is said to 'crap out') ends the round with players losing their Pass Line bets. A Come Out roll of 7 or 11 (a Natural) results in a win for Pass Line bets. The shooter continues to make Come Out rolls until he rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, which number becomes the Point. The dealer then moves an On button to the point number signifying the second phase of the round. If the shooter rolls the point number, the result is a win for bets on the Pass Line. If the shooter rolls a seven (a Seven-out), the pass line loses and the round ends.

The first roll of the dice in a betting round is 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 makes a Seven-out (rolls a seven).

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).

A player joining a game and wishing to play craps without being the shooter should approach the craps table and first check to see if the dealer's 'On' button is on any of the point numbers. If the point number is Off then the table is in the Come Out round. If the dealer's button is 'On', the table is in the Point round where most casinos will allow a Pass Line bet to be placed. All single or multi roll 'Proposition bets' may be placed in either of the two rounds.

Between dice rolls there is a period for the dealers to make payouts and collect the losing bets, after which players can place new bets. The stickman monitors the action at the table and decides when to give the shooter the dice, after which no more betting is allowed.

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.

The fundamental bet in craps is the Pass Line Bet, which is a bet for the shooter to win their point number. A Pass Line Bet is won immediately if the Come Out roll is a 7 or 11. If the Come Out roll is 2, 3 or 12, the bet loses (known as 'crapping out'). If the roll is any other value, it establishes a Point; if that point is rolled again before a seven, the bet wins. If, with a point established, a seven is rolled before the point is re-rolled, the bet loses ('seven out'). A Pass Line win pays even money.

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. On a Come Out roll the Come Bet is placed on the pass line as they are an identical bet. 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.

Shooting Craps At The Casinos

A Come Bet is played in two rounds and is played similar to a Pass Line Bet. The main difference is that a player making a Come Bet will bet on the first point number that 'comes' from the shooter's next roll, regardless of the table's round. If a 7 or 11 is rolled on the first round, it wins. If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, it loses. If instead the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 then the Come Bet will be moved by the base dealer onto a Box representing the number the shooter threw. This number becomes the Come Bet point and the player is allowed to add odds to the bet. The dealer will place the odds on top of the Come Bet, but slightly off center in order to differentiate between the original bet and the odds. The second round wins if the shooter rolls the Come Bet before a seven. If the seven comes before the number (the Come Bet), the bet loses. On a Come Out roll for the pass line the Come Bet is in play, but traditionally the odds are not working unless the player indicates otherwise to the dealer.

Because of the Come Bet, if the shooter makes their point, a player can find themselves in the situation where they have a Come Bet (possibly with odds on it) and the next roll is a Come Out roll. In this situation odds bets on the come wagers are presumed to be not working for the Come Out roll. That means that if the shooter rolls a 7 on the Come Out roll, any players with active Come Bets waiting for a 'come point' lose their initial wager but will have their odds money returned to them. If the 'come point' is rolled the odds do not win but the Come Bet does and the odds are returned. The player can tell the dealer that they want their odds working, such that if the shooter rolls a number that matches the 'come point', the odds bet will win along with the Come Bet, and if a seven is rolled both 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).

Shooting Craps At The Casino Rules

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

House advantage
2 - 17%

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