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| How to Play Craps |
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I have seen players win and I have seen the same players lose. Craps
is like any other game of chance or fact of life. There are ups and there are downs. To
me its simple recognize the ups and parley, parley, parley. Unfortunately, I have not
recognized the field rolled 15 times, or the buy on the 8 for 8 plays, or even the 10
Don't Passes that the Don't Bettor just played. Although I do play props, dont lay odds,
and am always chasin a field. I manage to make my $100 last for 36 hrs or more, lots a
booze, and lots a craps. If you could predict the future buildings would be built with
your name on em. Craps provides the perfect environment for predicting future outcomes.
Calculating the odds of probability fascinates me like nothing I have ever come across.
The added thrill of watchin that YO roll will its workin boosts that ego and provides a
high that I cant find anywhere else. Throw in the Crap House with its philosphy of
consumer hospitality, now thats life. To me life is a gamble, the sheer fact that out of
1 in a 100 billion that the human race exists in the first place all breaks down into
probability. And one day the probabilty of four YO's???! Anyways here are the basics........ |
| The Craps Table |
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| Intro |
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"Craps" offers by far the fastest way to win or lose large amounts of
money in a very short time. Screaming and yelling can often intimidate new players. The
mass confusion and insanity has more to do with the pace and betting possibilities than
the complexity of the game itself. If you are new to the game, most casinos offer free
lessons for players. The craps table is composed of rails surrounding a large felt layout designating the placement of bets. The inside walls of the table are covered with a serrated egg-carton like foam, designed to make the dice bounce around to assure randomness. Depending on the overall size of the craps table, up to 16-20 people can play at once. Each craps table has min and max bets set by the casino. Usually, these are marked next to the "Dealers". As with all table games, you will begin by changing your cash money into gaming chips. When you arrive at a table, find an open space and your money down in front of you. When the dealer sees it, he will pick it up and hand it to the boxman. The "Boxman" will count out the correct chips and hand them to the dealer, who will pass them to you. Keep your place at the table. Your chips are in front of you, and its your responsibility to watch them. After you place your bets, your hands must come off the table. It is in bad form to leave your hands on the table when the dice are in play. Stick to the good bets listed here, and don't be tempted by bets that you don't understand. No matter what stage the game is in, whether on the "Come Out" roll, or in progress, you can jump in immediately and place any bets. The only exception to this is the bet called the "Pass Line" bet with "Odds", which can be made only on the "Come Out" roll. You can, however, bet with the shooter even while the game is in progress by placing a "Pass Line" bet without odds. Placing your chips halfway over one of the two lines framing the "Pass Line" area does this. |
| The Shooter |
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In Craps, "The Shooter" controls the dice for each game. Eventually, all
players at the craps table will have the opportunity to roll or pass the dice. Players
take turns in a clockwise rotation. If you don't want to be "The Shooter" tell
"The Stickman" when he places the dice in front of you. The dice will pass to the next
player. Two perfectly balanced dice, each with six sides numbered from 1-6, are rolled by "The Shooter". To be qualified as a shooter one must be next in a clockwise progressive line and place a "Pass" or "Don't Pass" line bet before a new game. The game is played by tossing the dice from one of the short ends of the table to the other (make sure that both die hit the opposite side wall of the table). "The Shooter" throws the dice hard enough to cause them to bounce off the wall at the far end of the craps table. This bounce ensures that each number of each dice has an equal probability of being shown. "The Dealers" will harass any shooter not reaching the wall, throwing the dice to fast, erratically, switiching hands during a roll, removing the dice from the table, or any mannerisms deemed inappropriate for a shooter.
Once the "The Shooter" rolls payoffs are made based on the number
combination displayed when the dice come to rest. "The Shooter" continues to roll until
the game ends and the dice are moved to the next person in line. When a new shooter is
given the dice, his or her first roll is called the "Come Out" roll. |
| Operations |
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Casino craps is played against the casino. All the players around the
craps table are wagering either with or against "The Shooter". The bets are paid off
according to "The Shooters" roll. The casino covers all bets and players cannot bet
amongest themselves. Four casino employees run the craps table. "The Boxman", in the middle, runs the game. He oversee's "The Dealers", monitors the play, and examines the dice for tampering. Two "Dealers", one placed on each side of "The Boxman", pay off the winners and collect the chips of the losers. Each dealer controls their half of the table. The fourth employee is "The Stickman". He is provided with a flexible stick which is used to manipulate the dice around the table. He also supplies "The Shooter" with dice, regulates the pace of the game, checks dice for tampering and controls "The Proposition" bets. When all bets are down, he pushes several sets of dice toward "The Shooter". "The Shooter" selects two dice and "The Stickman" removes the others from the table. When it is your turn to throw the dice, "The Stickman" will deposit several dice in front of you, pick out two and return the rest. After making the required line bet, you may throw the dice. You retain control of the dice until you throw a 7 "Seven Out" or relinquish the dice voluntarily. |
| "Come Out" |
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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 -- more
correctly known as "not making 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 it is your turn to throw the dice, "The Stickman" will deposit several dice in front
of you, pick out two and return the rest. After making the required line bet, you may
throw the dice. You retain control of the dice until you throw a 7 "Seven Out" or
relinquish the dice voluntarily. If you have placed "Pass Line" bet and roll a 7 or 11 on the "Come-Out" roll, you are an immediate winner. In this case, you collect your winnings and retain possession of the dice. If you have placed a "Pass Line" bet and roll a 2, 3, or 12 you are an immediate loser of your "Pass Line" bet. This is known as "rolling craps". You have the option of placing another "Line" bet and contining to be "The Shooter" or not betting and relenquising the dice. If you continue to be "The Shooter" you roll until you make your "Point". If on your "Come Out" roll you have wagered a "Don't Pass" Line bet and you roll a 7 or 11 then you are an instant loser. As with the "Pass Line" bet you have the option of placing another "Line" bet or relenquishing the dice. If you are on the "Don't Pass" line bet and you roll a 3 or 2 then you are an immediate winner. Upon rolling a 12 the "Don't Pass" line bet pushes. Either way you continue to be the shooter until you "Seven Out". |
| "Point" |
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The basic idea behind Craps is to establish a "point" number and roll
that number again before rolling a 7. If your "Come-Out" roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9,
or 10, the number becomes "The Point". A marker is placed in the correspondingly numbered
box on the layout to identify "The Point" for all players at the table. In order to win
the game, this number will have to be rolled again before you "Seven Out". Only
the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 can be a point number and all other rolls on the dice
have special meanings depending on when they are rolled (before or after a point is
established). 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. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 the shooter must roll this same number again (to win) before rolling the number 7. Rolling any of these numbers on the "Come Out" roll is called "establishing the "Point". Any number so rolled is thereafter referred to as the "Point". Establishing a "Point" is an event that happens as the immediate result of the "Come Out" roll. The "Puck" looks like a hockey puck and is white on one side and black on the other. Its purpose is to identify the "Point". Once the shooter establishes the "Point", the dealer will move this puck to that "Point" number and turn it the white side up. The puck stays on this "Point" until the shooter either makes his "Point" or until he "Sevens Out". When the puck is moved to the "Don't Come" bar 12 area and turned black side up a new game is starting and the next roll is a "Come Out". White side up over a "Point" indicates the game is in progress and that this box number is the "Point". Basically that's about it you are now to approach the table and "Kick Crap Ass". |
| Example Roll |
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Your first roll, called the "Come-Out" roll, is the most
important. If you roll a 7 or 11 on the "Come-Out" roll, you are an immediate winner. In
this case, you collect your winnings and retain possessoin of the dice. If your "Come-Out"
roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, the number becomes "The Point". A marker is placed in the
correspondingly numbered box on the layout to identify "The Point" for all players at the
table. In order to win the game, this number will have to be rolled again before you
"Seven Out". Thus, if you roll a 4 on your "Come-Out" roll, the number 4 becomes "The Point". It doesn't matter how long it takes you to roll another 4, as long as you don't roll a 7 first. As soon as you "Seven Out", you lose, and the dice are passed to the next player. Let's say 4 is is your point, and your second roll is 6, your third roll is a 9, and then you roll another 4. You win because you rolled a 4 again without rolling a 7. Because you have not yet rolled a 7, you retain possession of the dice, and after placing a line bet, you may initiate a new game. Your next roll is once again a "Come-Out" roll. Just as 7 or 11 are immediate winners on a "Come-Out" roll, there are immediate losers, too. A roll of 2, 3, or 12 called "Craps" will lose. You lose your chips, but you keep the dice because you have not yet rolled a 7.
If your first roll is 2, for example, it's "Craps" and you lose your
bet. You place another Line bet and roll to "Come-Out" again. This time you roll a 5, so 5
becomes your "Point". Your second roll is a 4, your third roll is a 9, and then you
"Seven Out". The roll of 7 means you lose and the dice pass to the next player. |
| "Mechanics" |
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In Craps, winning or losing depends on a variety of 36 different
possible outcomes on any roll of the two dice. Some number combinations can be
made several ways, others only one way. For example, two dice can roll the number 6 as
follows: 5/1, 4/2, 3/3, 2/4 and 1/5. But the number 2 can only be rolled one way: 1/1.
Numbers such as 6, which can be rolled several ways, don't pay as much
as numbers which can be rolled only one way, unless you are betting that the number
will be rolled in a specific way, such has 3/3, known as "Hardways". All winning payoffs
are, therefore, determined by the frequency in which any two-dice number combinations
can be rolled. Generally, the harder the combination is to roll, the more it will pay, and vice versa. Before the new shooter rolls the dice on his or her "Come Out" roll, there are a variety of bets that can be made. The "Pass Line" and Don't Pass Line" bet are the most common bets to make. Once the shooter establishes a "Point", you can then place an additional bet behind your "Pass Line" bet. This is called "taking odds". In most casinos you can bet up to three times the amount of your "Pass Line" bet. This is called "taking full odds". Some casinos offer up to 100 times odds! This simply means that you can bet up to 100 times the amount of your "Pass Line" bet once a "Point" has been established. Of the dozens of bets that can be made at the craps table, only two or three should even be considered by a novice craps player. Keeping your bets simple makes it eaiser to understand what's going on, while at the same time minimizing the house advantage. Exotic, Long-Short bets, offering as high as 30-1, are sucker bets and should be avoided.
"The Line Bets":
"Come and Don't Come": If "The Shooter" throws a 6, for example, your chips are placed in the box marked with a six. "The Dealer" will move your chips and keeps track of your bets. If "The Shooter" rolls another six before he "Seven Out", your bet pays off. If "The Shooter" makes his point, your "Come" bet is retained on the lay out. If you win a "Come" bet, "The Dealer" will place your chips from the numbered box back into the "Come" space and set your winnings beside it. You may leave your chips there for the next roll or you may remove them entirely. If you fail to remove your winnings before the next roll, they may become a bet you didn't want to make. "Don't Come" bets are the opposite of "Come" Bets. A 7 or 11 loses, and a 2, 3, or 12 wins. The 12 is again the standoff. The "Don't Come" bettor puts his chips in the "Don't Come" space on the table and waits for the next roll to determine his numbers. His chips are placed above the numbered box to differentiate it from a "Come" Bet. If the shooter rolls his point number before he rolls your number your "Don't Come" bet is retained on the layout. You are betting against "The Shooter"; that, that he will "Seven Out". When he rolls seven, you win. If he rolls your "Don't Come" number before he "Seven Out", you lose.
"Odds Bets": To place an odds bet on a Come Bet, wait for the dealer to move your chips to the come number box, than hand him more chips and say "Odds". He will set these chips half on and half off the other pile so that he can see at a glance that its an odds bet. If the bet on which "Odds" are placed wins, the "Odds" bet is paid fairly. This means the "Odds" on "Pass" and "Come" bets are paid 2-1 for the 4 and 10, 3-2 for the 5 and 9, and 6-5 for the 6 and 8. The "Odds" for "Don't Pass" and "Don't Come" bets are paid 1-2 for the 4 and 10, 2-3 for the 5 and 9, and 5-6 for the 6 and 8 ("Laying Odds"). The player should make "Odds" bets that can be paid exactly, or the dealer will pay off by rounding down. "Odds" on the "Pass Line" and "Come" bets should be a multiple 5 if the point is 6 or 8 and a multiple of 2 if it's a 5 or 9. Casinos advertise the maximum "Odds" bets they allow as the maximum amount "times" the original bet the "Odds" bet may be (for don't pass and don't come bets, it's the maximum amount "times" the expected win). You can increase your "Odds" bet over this advertised maximum only enough to allow you to make an odds bet that can be paid exactly. A player can modify his "Odds" bets at any time. |
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The following table lists the house advantage for a "Pass" bet and
"Don't Pass" bet with the indicated odds. Remember, the house advantage indicates
(mathematically) the percentage of your bet handle that the casino will win in the long
run. Be aware, too, that higher odds often means a higher bet handle, which in turn
leads to higher "Variance" that is, your bankroll may exhibit greater swings if you're
used to betting $15 a hand ($5 pass bet at double odds) and suddenly start betting $55 a
hand ($5 pass bet at 10x odds). |
| "House Advantage" | ||
| Odds | Pass | Don't Pass |
| 0x | 1.4141% | 1.4026% |
| 1x | 0.8485% | 0.8320% |
| 2x | 0.6061% | 0.5915% |
| 3x | 0.4714% | 0.4588% |
| 4x | 0.3857% | 0.3747% |
| 5x | 0.3263% | 0.3167% |
| 6x | 0.2828% | 0.2743% |
| 7x | 0.2496% | 0.2418% |
| 8x | 0.2233% | 0.2163% |
| 9x | 0.2020% | 0.1956% |
| 10x | 0.1845% | 0.1785% |
| "Come" and "Don't Come" |
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Other bets can be made during the game after the "Come Out" roll by
anyone, called "Come" and "Don't Come" bets. These are made by placing the bet on the
"Come" box or the "Don't Come" box; these bets are regarded as "Pass" or "Don't Pass"
bets, but as if the very next roll of the dice were the "Come Out" roll of a new game. For example, if a "Come" bet is made and if the next roll is 7 or 11, the "Come" bet wins immediately; if the next roll is 2, 3, or 12, the "Come" bet loses immediately; otherwise, the number rolled is the "Point" for that "Come" bet (called a "Come Point"). Such a "Come" bet is moved onto the area of the table where its point appears, awaiting a roll of either its "Point" or 7. The game for a "Come" bet always continues until this happens, even though "The Shooter" rolls the point for the "Pass Line", even though "The Shooter" begins a new game for the "Pass Line", even though another shooter begins rolling, as long as the termination conditions for that "Come" bet have not yet occurred. Note that rolling a 7 always terminates all "Pass", "Come", "Don't Pass", and "Don't Come" games on the table; since it results in immediate win or loss. The payoffs for "Come" and "Don't Come" bets are the same as for "Pass" and "Don't Pass" bets. It is possible to place "Odds" bets on the "Points" of your own "Come" and "Don't Come" bets by handing the bet to a dealer and stating that you want "Odds on My". Unless you specify otherwise, "Odds" bets on "Come" are declared "Not Working" on a "Come Out" roll after a "Point" is made. However, "Odds" on "Don't Come" bets are usually working by default. |
| "Odds" | ||
| Bet | Casino Payoff | Casino Advantage |
| Pass-Line | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| With Single Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.8 |
| With Double Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.6 |
| Come | 1:1 | 1.41% |
| With Single Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.8 |
| With Double Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.6 |
| Don't Pass | 1:1 | 1.40% |
| With Single Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.8 |
| With Double Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.6 |
| Don't Come | 1:1 | 1.40% |
| With Single Odds | 1:1 + Odds | 0.8 |
| With Double Odds | 1:1 + odds | 0.6 |
| Place Numbers (to Win) | ||
| 4 or 10 | 9:5 | 6.67% |
| 4 or 10 Buy | 2:1 (-5% Com) | 4.76 |
| 5 or 9 | 7:5 | 4.0 |
| 5 or 8 | 7:5 | 1.52 |
| Place Numbers (to Lose) | ||
| 4 or 10 | 5:11 | 3.03% |
| 4 or 10 (laid) | 1:2 (-5% Com) | 2.44 |
| 5 or 9 | 5:8 | 2.5 |
| 6 or 8 | 4:5 | 1.82 |
| Big 6 or Big 8 | 1:1 | 9.09% |
| Field | ||
| With 2 and 12 paying 2:1 | 1:1 except 2 & 12 | 5.55% |
| With 2 pay 3:1, 12 pay 2:1 | 1:1 except 2 & 12 | 2.77% |
| With 2 pay 2:1, 12 pay 3:1 | 1:1 except 2 & 12 | 2.77% |
| In practically all casinos, odds on proposition bets are quoted as "x for y", which means that the casino takes your winning "x" bet and pays you "y", in contrast to what is done for other winning bets (e.g., if the "Any 7" bet is "5 for 1", when making a $1 bet and winning the casino will take your $1 and give you $5, for a "real" payoff of "4 *to* 1"). The numbers below are quoted as "x:y", not "x for y". |
| Proposition Bets | |||
| Bet | True Odds | Casino Payoff | Casino Advantage |
| Any 7 | 5:1 | 4:1 | 16.67% |
| Any Craps | 8:1 | 7:1 | 11.1% |
| 2 or 12 | 35:1 | 30:1 | 13.89% |
| 3 or 11 | 17:1 | 15:1 | 11.1% |
| Hard 4 or 10 | 8:1 | 7:1 | 11.1% |
| Hard 6 or 8 | 10:1 | 9:1 | 9.09% |
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1. The best bet in craps for the player betting with the shooter is the Pass Line or Come
with Odds. But the best way to make this twofold bet is to put the minimum on the Line or
Come and then, once a number is established, put as much as you can afford to in odds.
Since the casino has no edge on the "odds" bet, the overall edge on you will be minuscule.
2. A money-management rule-of-thumb for craps players is to have 10 times the amount of their bet for a session stake. So if you are going to be up on three numbers with $15 on each when all your numbers are working, then you should have $150 for a stake for that session. |
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