One of the most famous dice games in the world, Craps is available at land-based and online casinos. While the game remains popular, many players shy away from it because of the seemingly daunting table layout and betting options. This introduction to the casino game will help beginners get to grips with the basics of rolling the bones.
What’s In A Name?
When some players first hear the name “Craps,” they can’t help but think that the game has one of the most unfortunate of all names. Far from being a mild expletive used by players who lost bets, the name originated in France, where players played dice on the sidewalks.
Some people thought that the crouching position they assumed when throwing the dice made them look like toads. The French word for toad is ‘crapaud.’ It wasn’t long before the game they were playing became known as Craps.
The Basics Of The Game
There are a couple of phases to a round of Craps. The first part of the betting round is the come-out roll, which is the first roll of the two dice, and the player who throws the dice is known as the shooter.
There are three possible outcomes to the come-out roll. They include:
A Natural, which is when the results of the dice added together result in a 7 or 11. The player who rolls a Natural wins and can throw the dice a second time.
Craps, which is when the player rolls a 2, 3, or 12. They lose the bet but can roll the dice a second time.
The Point, which is when the dice result is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If a player establishes the Point, the dealer marks the number on the table. The player who established the Point can roll the dice a second in time in the hope of rolling the Point number a second time. If the player rolls a 7 at that time, they lose and the round ends.
Popular Craps Bets Explained
The Craps table features a range of betting options, some of the most popular of which are explained below. The centre of the table is where players can find one roll and hardways bets. Players can find Pass Line, Come, Field, Place, and other bets on the sides of the table.
Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line bet is the most popular of all Craps bets. When most beginners learn to play the game, they start by placing Pass Line bets, which have a house edge of 1.41%. Players bet that the shooter will throw a 7 or 11 before throwing a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll.
The bet wins if the result is 7 or 11, and loses if the result is 2, 3, or 12. Any other number establishes the Point. If this happens, the bet stays active until the shooter throws a 7 or the Point number. Winning Pass Line bets pay out 1 to 1.
Don’t Pass Line Bet
The Pass Line bet is something like the opposite of the Pass Line bet. Players win the bet if the shooter throws a 2 or 2 and lose if the shooter throws a 7 or 11. If the shooter throws a 12, the bet pushes. If that happens, the shooter must throw a 7 before any other number for the bet to win. The Don’t Pass Line bet has a 1.36% house edge. Winning bets pay out 1 to 1.
Come Bet
Players can place a Come bet if the Point was established when a Pass Line bet was placed. After the Come point is established, the shooter must throw a 7 or 11 before the Come point for the bet to win. In this respect, the rules are the same for the Pass Line bet. The Come bet has a 1.41% house edge, and winning bets pay out 1 to 1.
Don’t Come Bet
Players can place a Don’t Come bet after placing a Come bet that saw the Point established. When placing a Don’t Come bet, players bet that the shooter will throw a 2 or 3 before throwing a 7 or 11. If the shooter throws a 12, it’s a tie. If that happens, the shooter must throw a 7 before any other numbers for the bet to win. The Don’t Come bet has a 1.36% house edge and it pays out 1 to 1.
The Field Bet
The Field bet is based on a single throw of the dice. The bet wins if the shooter throws a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11. They win a double payout if the shooter throws a 2 or a 12. The bet loses if the shooter throws a 5, 6, 7, or 8. The Field bet has a 5.5% house edge. The bet pays 2 to 1 if the result is a 2 or a 12, and 1 to 1 if the result is one of the other winning numbers.
Laying The Odds/Free Odds Bets
Players can Lay the Odds or place a Free Odds bet after placing a Pass Line or Come bet. The bet sees players wager that the shooter will throw a 7 before throwing a Point number. Laying the Odds is one of the popular Craps bets because it has a 0% house edge, so it’s a lot like when you use strategy when playing Blackjack at big dollar casino. The bet pays out 1 to 2, 2 to 3, or 5 to 6, depending on the result.
Place Bets
Although players can make Place bets at any time during the game, most place them after the shooter has established the Point. When making the bet, player bet on a number that the shooter must throw before throwing a 7. The bet has a 1.52% house edge on 6 or 8, a 4% house edge on 5 or 9, and a 6.67% house edge on 4 or 10. The Place bet pays out 7 to 6 for 6 or 8, 7 to 5 for 5 or 9, and 9 to 5 for 4 or 10.
Classic Dice Action
Craps has been played in one form or another for centuries. As players can see, there is more to the game than meets the eye, but they can get to grips with it easily if they start with basic bets such as the Pass Line.