HOW TO PLAY
CRAPS
01
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//Introduction
table of
CONTENTS
So, you want to learn how to
play Craps?
F
rom the moment you step into a
casino, the location of the Craps
table is unmistakable. Shrieks of joy
and excitement extend far beyond
the table and Craps becomes the hub
of the casino floor. Unlike Poker, Blackjack
and Baccarat (games that call for a players
undivided attention), Craps is a game that
demands for players to let loose and enjoy
themselves. If we had to personify the game
- Craps would be the popular kid in school.
1 Introduction
1 A Short History of the Game
2 Lets Talk Craps
2 The Rules
3 Bets in Craps
10 Winning Craps Strategies
13 Wrapping It Up
The Basics
Craps is a played in rounds where the
shooter places his bet on the outcome
of the round. Each player will have a
turn to throw the dice. A player is called
the shooter when it’s his turn to throw. At
first glance the layout of the Craps table
can appear over-whelming to a newbie,
but don’t despair because once you get
to know your way around, you’ll feel a lot
more content with the table markings and
the game in general. Remember that whilst
the felt seems over-populated with words
and numbers, it’s in fact a double layout –
the one side is identical to the other.
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Craps
I
01
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//A Short History of
the game
Craps’ origins begin with
an Englishman named Sir
William of Tyre and his
Knights during the Crusades.
One of the castles stormed
was named either Hazarth
or Asart, thus contributing to
Craps’ first name – Hazard
(If you sound both the castle
names you’ll find either one
sound like the word Hazard).
From Britain the game made
its way to France, where a
variation known as Crapaud
-meaning toad, was played.
The name came from the
toad-like resemblance of the
hunched over position of
the participants playing on
sidewalks, with stairs used as
the back-stop for the dice (the
need for a back-stop will be
explained a little further on in
the guide). During World War
II Crapaud became known
as Street Craps and was
popular amongst the soldiers.
Craps as we know it today can
be accredited to Bernard de
Marigny, a landowner, gambler
and politician from New
Orleans.
// Lets Talk
Craps
Dealers and Gadgets
The Rules
Holding the Dice
How to throw the Dice
In short, Craps is a game centered on the
outcome of the throw of two dice. The
Dice in Craps don’t have rounded corners
to ensure precision. When throwing or
holding the dice, only use one hand –
don’t cup or grasp the dice in such a way
that they cannot be seen. Make sure your
hand is partially open so that the dealer
can see the dice at all times. The purpose
of holding the cubes in such a manner is
to stop players from cheating by swapping
the dice for instance. As you’ve probably
seen in most casino movies – ladies often
blow on the shooter’s dice for good luck.
If you’re superstitious and believe that
blowing on the dice will give you good luck
then by all means, feel free to do so but
make sure the dealer can see the dice
when in your hands.
Now that you know how to hold the dice,
let’s talk about how to throw them. As
holding the dice has a particular technique,
so does throwing them. The dice must hit
the back wall of the Craps table. They can
first hit the felt, then the back wall and fall
back onto the felt or they can hit the back
wall first and then fall back onto the felt.
The former is said to be the best technique,
because you have more control over the
dice and the chances of them flying off the
Craps table are infrequent. Don’t throw the
dice too hard because it’s bad etiquette for
a player to throw dice that too often land
on the floor instead of on the felt – throw
with confidence and control.
At the table you’ll notice four casino
dealers. They may appear stiff in nature,
but this is not true by any means. They’re
there to assist you and deal on behalf of
the casino. You will notice a Boxman sitting
between the two dealers - his job is to
supervise the game. There are two Base
Dealers who are placed on either side of
the Craps table whose job it is to organize
the bets made by the players. A Stickman
is responsible for using the mop (stick to
collect the dice) to return the dice back to
the shooter. The Stickman is also the guy
who calls the action.
When you arrive at the table you’ll notice
a couple of gadgets used during play. A
black and white on/off marker (looks like a
Hockey puck), is used to signal change in
different stages of the round, a mop used
to collect dice and the star of the show the dice.
//The Mop/Stick
//The On/Off Markers
Craps
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Bets in Craps
The Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line bet is the most important
bet in Craps. Before the dice is thrown, the
shooter and players make a bet on the Pass
Line by placing their chips on the table in
the area marked Pass-Line, (the Pass and
Don’t Pass Lines can also be called the
win and don’t win or the right and wrong
bets). A dealer will give the shooter five
dice of which he must choose any two to
throw and then place the remainder of the
dice in the stickman’s bowl . In the mean
time, the other players will place their chips
in the marked out sections on the felt. As
mentioned before, a marker that has On
written on one side and Off written on the
other is used to signal in which stage the
game is in. At this time, the marker will be
on the Off side.
The Don’t Pass Line
The Don’t Pass line is the opposite of the
Pass Line bet: if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3
- the Pass Line bets will win even money
(1:1). The shooter will lose if a 7 or 11
are rolled and a bet is known as a Push
if a 12 is rolled. Once the Point has been
established – you’ll win if a seven is rolled
before the Point is made.
The come-out & the Point
Within each round there are two stages
that take place – a Come-out and a Point.
The start of a round begins by the shooter
making one or more Come-out rolls. A
Come-out roll is the first roll in the round
and the roll must total a 2, 3, or 12. These
numbers are known as Craps and are also
referred to as Crapping out - any player who
bet on the Pass Line will lose. If the Comeout roll totals a 7 or an 11 it’s known as a
Natural and players who bet on the Pass
Line will win. Bettors know this is a Comeout roll by the fact that the marker says Off.
We then have the Point numbers which
are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. When the shooter
is throwing for a Come-out roll and he rolls
one of these numbers, he’ll achieve the
Point (let’s say the Point was 8). At this
time, the dealer will signify the second
phase of the round by turning the marker
so that it shows On and the dealer will place
the marker on-top of the Point number (8)
that was rolled. From here on the game
changes as it goes into its second stage.
The shooter now has a new goal - to roll
the same number he rolled that was above
8. If the shooter rolls an 8, he then wins his
Pass Line bet. If he shoots a 7, he’ll lose.
The Pass Line bets, as well as the Point
stay in play regardless of the establishment
of the new Point.
Once the shooter has finished his round (a
round is complete when the shooter has
either won the round or lost the round with
a 7), the dice are then given to the next
player in a clock-wise direction and the
procedure starts again.
//Craps Bets
Pass Line Bet
Don’t Pass Line Bet
The Come Bet
Craps
01
The Come Bet
The Dont Come Bet
Similar to the Pass Line bet, except it cannot
be made on a shooters Come-out roll (first
roll). A player will therefore bet on the first
Point number of the second roll made by
the shooter. This is known as the Come
bet. In other words, this wager can only be
made once a Point has been established.
If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on his first
round, players who made Come bets
will win. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 –
players who made Come bets will lose. If
the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 then
the base dealer will move the Come bet
onto the number the shooter threw and
this number becomes the Come bet point.
Once the Come bet point is established,
the player can then add his Odds bet to
his Come bet. The dealer will then position
the Odds bet on top of the Come bet,
but slightly askew so that the Come bet
and the Odds bet can still be told apart.
The Don’t Come bet is played in a total of
two rounds. This bet can only be made after
the Come out roll when a point has already
been established (the Don’t come point). It’s
the opposite to the Come bet: If the shooter
rolls a 7 or 11 – the Don’t Come bet loses
and if a 2 or 3 is rolled – the Don’t Come bet
will win. If a 12 is rolled it’s known as a Push
(a Tie). The purpose of this Tie is to remove
the player from being in the valuable position
of the house (the Don’t Come bet puts the
player in this position) and reverses the
positions to restore the house advantage.
In the second round, players will win when
the shooter rolls the Come bet point number
again, but only if it’s before a 7 is rolled.
Come bets that are won are paid out even
money on the original bet and it pays true
odds for the Odds bet – it’s the same pay-out
as winning Pass Line bets. If the 7 is rolled
before the Come bet point then players
who placed their bet, will lose not only the
Come bet, but the Pass Line bet as well.
Another way to view the Come bet is that
it’s similar to taking insurance. The Come
bet acts as a safety net against Sevening
out because if the shooter rolls a seven,
the Come bet will pay out 1:1. What’s
dangerous about this type of game plan is
that if a shooter doesn’t roll a seven on a
number of occasions, it’ll lead to multiple
Come bets that will be lost when the shooter
eventually does roll a seven.
05
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If the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 – the
dealer will then place the Don’t Come bet
onto the block which represents the same
number that the shooter threw. A player
wins in the second round if the shooter rolls
a 7 before the Don’t Come point.
It is especially important to remember that Odds bets are a
series of bets that stay put until a point number or a 7 is rolled.
Taking the Odds
Laying the Odds
In Craps, think of the odds as a side bet
that is made after a Point is thrown. The
odds are very fair as there is no house
edge and odds pay 2:1 on Points 4 and
10, 3 to 2 on a 5 and 9, and 6 to 5 on a
6 and 8. Making an Odds bet is simple –
it’s usually made at the same time as your
Pass Line bet is made and anytime after
the Come-out roll. The player places his
Odds bet behind his original Pass Line bet
and outside of the Pass Line area closest
to you. If you’re not sure how many odds
you’re allowed to take, there is a sign to the
left of the table that will tell you. If a Point is
made (shooter throws the dice that match
the previous Point) before a 7 is rolled,
you will win your Pass Line and Odds bet.
Laying the odds gives players the
opportunity to wager on a 7 being rolled
before a Point is thrown. Only players who
have wagered on the Don’t Pass Line, can
place a Laying the Odds bet. There is also
no house edge, thus making your chances
of winning your Odds bet very reasonable.
An odds multiplier is used to set the limits
of the amount of odds the player can bet.
This is how the Odds bet will pay out:
•
4 or 10 pays 1:2
•
5 or 9 pays 2:3
•
6 or 8 pays 5:6
Don’t Come and Pass Line Odds
As with odds placed on Pass Line bets, an Odds bet can also be placed on the Don’t
Come bet. The dealer (not the player) puts the Odds bet on top of the bet in the box
(the Don’t Come bet), positioned in an offset position to show the two separate bets.
Don’t Come bets that win are paid in even money for the original bet and true odds for the
odds lay – winning Don’t Pass bets are paid with these odds as well.
NUMBER
4
5
6
8
9
10
POSSIBILITIES
3
4
5
5
4
3
POINT BEFORE 7
2 to 1
15 to 10
12 to 10
12 to 10
15 to 10
2 to 1
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7 BEFORE POINT
1 to 2
10 to 15
10 to 12
10 to 12
10 to 15
1 to 2
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This is how the Odds Line bet will pay out:
•
6:5 if the Point is six or eight
•
3:2 if the Point is five or nine
•
2:1 if the Point is four or ten
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Craps
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Face Cards:
Picture Cards:
Cards 2 through 9
hold their face value.
Ie: The card “5” of
diamonds has a value
of 5.
The 10, J, Q, K each
hold the value of “10”.
The Ace can hold the
value of either “1” or
“11”.
Bets in Craps
Place Bets:
Single Roll Bets:
These bets are valid for one roll only and can also be referred to as Service bets. The
bets are placed in the centre of the Craps table and only the stick man or one of the other
dealers can place a Single roll bet.
Below is a table showing the various Service bets and how they win:
TYPE OF BET
HOW THE BET WINS
2
3
11
12
2 or 12
Snake Eyes
Ace-Deuce
Yo
Boxcars, Midnight or Cornrows
Hi-lo
2,3 or 12
Three-Way
C&E
7
Any seven/ Big red
Wins if the shooter rolls a 2
Wins if the shooter rolls a 3
Wins if the shooter rolls an 11
Wins if the shooter rolls a 12
Wins if the shooter rolls a 2 or 12. Stickman places the bet
on the line that divides the 2 and the 12 bets.
Wins if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12
A combined bet, in which a player bets half their bet on
Craps and the other half on Yo (11). One of these will definitely lose and the other might win.
Wins if shooter rolls a 7. Nicknamed Big Red because it’s
bad etiquette to say seven.
Players can bet on one unit for each of these numbers: 2,
3, 11 and 12 at the same time on one roll. The bet makes
up four separate bets, and pays depending on which number is rolled, minus three units for the other three losing
bets.
A five-unit bet combined of a horn and any seven bet. If a
seven is rolled the bet is a push/tie.
Place bet in the centre of the table. A single roll bet made
on any combination of the two dice on the next roll.
Player bets and tries to guess the exact numbers on each
of the dice will be.
The Horn
Whirl or World
On the Hop
TYPE OF BET
Lay Bets
Place Bet
Players can bet on any of the
points. If the number player bets
on is rolled before a 7 he’ll be
paid out.
PAY-OUT
4 and/or 10 pays 1:2
5 and/or 9 pays 2:3
6 and/or 8 pays 5:6
4 and/or 10 pays 9:5
5 and/or9 pays 7:5
6 and/or 8 pays 7:6
Multi-roll bets can’t be settled on the first roll. These bets need a number of successive rolls
before an outcome is determined. Rules on Multi-roll bets may vary, but generally on these
bets a Point is determined by the shooter before the outcome of the Multi-roll bet is decided.
Because on the new Come-out roll these Multi-roll bets are said to either be working or
not working – the dealer will often say if the bets are working or not. If the bet is declared
not working, the player will be refunded or the bet is moved to another number for free.
Below are the various types of Multi-roll bets you can choose from:
TYPE OF BET
Big 6/8
Double dice win pays 30:1
A self-service bet is placed by the player and not a dealer
or stickman. Bets are place as close to each player as possible. Players bet that 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 will show on
the next roll of the dice.
Buy Bets
Hard Ways
Craps
NUMBERS PLAYER BETS ON
Opposite of a buy bet. You bet
on the odds of a 7 being rolled
before any of the points.
Multi-roll Bets:
Single dice win pays: 15:1
Field
That the place numbers in Craps are: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. Place bets allow the player to
cover all or some of the place numbers at one time without having to wait for the Come-out
roll. During the Come-out roll, place bets are not allowed and the marker will be turned so
that it faces Off to indicate this.
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NUMBERS PLAYER BETS ON
Player bets that a 6 and/or 8 will
be rolled before a 7
Same as place bets – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9,
and 10
4, 6, 8 and 10 – must arrive at
these numbers with pairs: two 4’s
= a hard 8
PAY-OUT
Even money
1:1 minus 5% house commission
Hard 4 or 10 pays 7:1
Hard 6 or 8 pays 9:1
Proposition Bets/Sucker Bets:
Proposition, also known as sucker bets, are placed in the center section of the Craps table
layout – near to where the stickperson is positioned. These bets are placed on the second
roll after the Point has been established.
Below are the various proposition bets:
TYPES OF BETS
Craps 2
Craps 3
7
11
Craps 12
Any Craps
Field Bet
NUMBER BET ON FOR SECOND ROLL
2
3
7
11
12
2, 3 or 12
2, 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11
PAY-OUT
30:1
15:1
4:1
15:1
30:1
7:1
3, 4, 9, 10 and 11 pays even money
Making the Pass Line your best Bet
By now you’ve probably realized that this is not only a very important bet, but it’s also the
easiest bet you can make in Craps. For a beginner, betting on the Pass Line is a great
way to play it safe (for now at least) until you develop more confidence and feel more
comfortable placing the other kinds of bets.
1 and 12 pays 2:1
Winning Craps Strategies
Here’s why betting on the Pass Line is beneficial:
Whether a particular bet is part of a good strategy or not it’s still valuable to know
about each one and how to use them to their best potential. A winning strategy is
one in which the player know what bets to use and what bets should be avoided:
Here are some options:
tip:
Bet wisely. Pass Line and Come
bets that are followed by odds
bets, are the smartest and most
rewarding bets you can make n
Craps. It’s a good idea to stick
with these.kinds of bets.
•
•
•
•
The best odds are found on the Pass Line bets, as a player can get a 2:1 advantage on the first roll of the Pass Line.
The house advantage on the Pass Line are 1.41%
The house advantage on the Don’t Pass Line is only 1.36% (The Don’t Pass Line is also a great option).
The Come and Don’t Come bets should not be out-ruled and are also good choice.
Taking the Odds
Taking the odds is always a great idea because the odds bet has a 0% house advantage.
Laying the odds has higher payouts
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Safest Betting System
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The Safest betting system is not only a good Craps strategy to use, but is also very simple
and easy to learn. On the roll that takes place after the Come-out roll, when the Point has
been established, the player will match their own bet that they placed on the Don’t Pass
Line. The purpose of placing this matching bet is to protect your Pass Line bet and prevent
any losses. If a 7 or an 11 is rolled in the Come-out roll, your matched bet will not offer any
protection from loss.
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// Wrapping It Up
Low House Advantage
No matter which bets you place, all have a house advantage so it’s considered a good
strategy when you place wagers on bets that have the smallest house advantage as it will
reduce you average loss rate. The Pass Line has the lowest house edge as well as Don’t
Pass Line, the Come and Don’t Come bets, the six and the eight Place bets and the Buy bets.
Now that you’ve read through this guide, you should be feeling more at home with the game and
starting to get a feel for which bets to place when. Whilst Craps is definitely one of the trickier
games out there, it’s by far the most enjoyable and studying this guide has hopefully eased the
fear of a game that can often be daunting to beginners. Now that you know the basics and have
some great strategies to play with, perhaps give Craps a go and be a part of the excitement .
Hooroo Mate.
When the house advantage is low it’s much easier to make your profits than what it would
be on bets where a high house edge exists.
On Proposition bets, the player will bet that a 2 or a 12 will be tossed on the next roll and
these are bad odds to bet on. Thus, Proposition bets do not have good odds so rather keep
away from these types of bets.
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