How to Play Craps

Craps rolls are undoubtedly one of the most exciting things that can ever happen on the floor of a Casino. It is one of the most interesting gambling games that have been here since the Middle Age! If you still don’t know how to play craps, now is the right time to educate yourself on this age-old game. Now that you’ve clicked on this post, it can be taken for granted that you’re a beginner who has no knowledge on this game.

We will give you a detailed description of the tips, tricks, strategies and techniques of this game and that will help you especially if you’re a beginner. Though this has been one of the most-played games in offline casinos, it was never the most favorite one among the online gamers. Without further ado, let’s check out how this game is played.

A beginner’s guide to playing Craps

Are you one of those who have always believed that Craps is a tough game to learn? If answered yes, you will certainly stop believing in this myth after reading this post.

Beginners usually tend to get scared by numbers, the glossary of the game and the array of bets that are available for them. Then there are also few complex tables like those that you’ll find on the Wizard of Odds that may repel you from learning the tricks of this game or playing it.

Actually, playing craps is easy and you’ll not need anything more than a guide for Dummies like the one that we have brought for you. Once you have read this craps rules for dummies, you’re all set to play the game.

The rules for Craps for beginners

Basically, there are 3 main rules that you have to learn in order to know how to play this game. As this is a guide especially made for the beginners, it is better to keep things simple and short so that they don’t feel intimidated again.

The betting round of Craps starts with a come-out roll. This is therefore the first term that the beginners should learn and remember. The come-out roll is the term given to the first roll of the dice or the first after the last betting round has been completed. The player who throws the dice is given the name of the ‘shooter’.

So, the game of craps looks something like this: you, the ‘shooter’, take 2 dice and you throw them on the craps table or press the ‘roll’ button in case you’re playing online. As the number is rolled on the screen, there are 3 things that can happen:

  1. Natural

This is when the outcome is really great. A ‘Natural’ occurs when the result of the first roll is a 7 or an 11. If this happens, you win it and you get a chance to roll the dice once again.

  1. Craps

This is when you roll a 2 (which is also called Snake Eyes), or a 3 or a 12. This is when you lose but that doesn’t mean that the round is over. You get a chance to roll again.

  1. Point

This is when you roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. In a live casino, the dealer would mark this Point on the craps table. In case of online craps, there’s a button that appears when the Point is established. The button is ‘White’ and will read ‘On’.

Next you need to roll the dice once again and hope to throw the same number again. However, it needn’t be the same combination of dice that you had before. If the sum of the numbers is the same, you win!

Do you have any idea about why the above mentioned sequence doesn’t include the number 7? This is because number 7 isn’t lucky in this case. If you roll a 7, you ‘seven out’ or you lose and also end the entire betting round.

Make sure you learn this part by heart so that you can glide on to the other betting options. This is the fun part as you get an opportunity to win.

Playing Craps for Beginners – The Rules

Now that you know how to shoot craps, you have to know the rules of the game. Here are the different betting options:

  • Pass or Don’t pass bets

Firstly, you can bet either on the ‘Pass Line’ or on the ‘Don’t Pass Line’. The former means that you’ll bet and the shooter will pass by rolling a natural or by winning the point before he ‘sevens out’. The latter corresponds to the other type of bet where you bet and the shooter will not pass. This may happen when the player shoots to get a 2 or 3, fails to roll the same point again or the unlucky 7 shows up!

Then if you roll a 12, your bet will be a Push where nothing happens. You neither win nor lose.

  • Come or Don’t Come Bets

Such bets can be made after the point is analyzed. The Come Bet wins only when a Natural is rolled out and will lose when the craps are rolled out. When the point is rolled out, this becomes the Come-Bet point. This works similarly to the Pass line one: in case the come-bet rolls out before a 7, you win. If it doesn’t, it’s an unlucky round for you.

Don’t come bet is like the Don’t pass one: You’re lucky if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3 and not so much lucky if he rolls a 7 or 11. A 12 is a push again in this case. Once you make a point, hope for a 7 before the shooter rolls out the same point again. However, you can add surplus bets on the come-bet point as well.

Hence, it can be said that a game of craps has great odds with the house edge of just 1.41%. That beats blackjack and even roulette when you play them with the basic strategy. Try to grasp and remember the above listed craps rules to win real money.

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