Without a doubt, Craps is one of the most complicated casino games to play – probably the most complicated. However Craps is also one of the funnest casino games, and you are missing out if you don’t try and learn the basic rules so you can play Craps. Ever been at a casino and heard a rowdy crowd, screaming and yelling and cheering? Follow that sound, and you’ll find a bunch of people huddled around a Craps table.

We must warn you – this article is very long, and just by reading it you won’t fully comprehend the games of Craps. We recommend either signing up at an online casino like Rockbet Casino and using their free craps software to play along, or at the very least load up our Craps Flash Casino Game and play as you read.

Craps is a very fast and busy game, and you’ll often find up to four casino employees working a Craps table at one time. You will usually have the boxman, who is responsible for counting all the bets and cash that will be changed by the dealers. The boxman will also arrange the casino chips put in place, and supervise the game.

Two dealers will work the table, each dealer taking half the table. The dealers are responsible for taking all losing bets, paying all winning bets, as well as offering their assistance to players in making bets. The final role is the stickman, who keeps up with the game as it plays out, moves the dice to the designated shooter, calls the dice after they have been rolled, and tells the dealers what payouts they have to make based on the bets placed.

Every player that is playing and at the Craps table, gets a turn at throwing the dice. The person whose turn it is to throw the dice is known as the “shooter”. The stickman will provide the shooter with 5 dice of which he must pick two to use. The shooter will be taking the dice and throwing them towards the opposite end of the table. The Craps betting is based on the outcome of these dice.

The shooter will potentially be throwing multiple times. His first roll of the dice is called the “come-out roll”. If, after he throws the dice, they come out either 7 or 11, this is called a natural and the shooter wins. If the dice come out a 2, 3 or 12 then the shooter loses, and it is the next persons turn to be the shooter. If the dice total anything else, then this becomes the shooters point and this is marked on the table by the dealer. The shooter will then continue to roll the dice until he either throws his point again and wins, or if he throws a 7 and loses.

Still with us? Good, because the next part is where it gets really complicated. Craps itself isn’t a tough game by any means – it’s the betting options that really confuse players. We highly recommend opening up our Craps Flash Game for this next section.

First of all here’s how a Craps table looks:

Now let’s get into our Craps Betting Guide, and how to bet at the game of Craps.

Pass Line / Don’t Pass Bets

The first bet you can make during a game of craps, is whether the shooter will pass or not pass. By this, you are betting on whether or not the shooter will make his point. You place your chips on either the spot marked “Pass line” or the spot just above the pass line which is marked “don’t pass”.

The shooter will then do his come-out roll. If you bet the pass line, you will win if the first craps roll is a seven or eleven, and lose if the shooter rolls a two, three or a twelve. Any winning passline bets, or don’t pass bets, get paid an even money return on their craps bets placed. If a player bets the don’t pass, they win if a two or three is rolled, tie if a twelve is rolled, and lose if a seven or eleven is rolled. The shooter, just like all the players, can bet either way he wants.

Here’s an example to show how this can get a bit complicated, and why it is best to practise. The shooter on his come-out roll throws a seven, so the don’t pass bets lose, while the pass line bets win. Now on the next roll, the shooter throws a five. This means that the point is five. Now, for the people who placed a pass line bet to win, the shooter must throw a five but avoid a seven. And the don’t pass betters it is exactly the opposite – the shooter must throw a seven for them to win, and not throw a five or they will lose. No other outcome of the dice affects the betting.

Come and Don’t Come Bets

Come bets are very similar to the pass line bets. The only difference between a come bet and a pass bet are WHEN the bet can actually be placed. Pass line bets can only be made on a come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a four, five, six, eight or nine then play continues, but players cannot place any more pass line bets.

This is where come bets come into play. It’s almost like a second chance to make a pass line bet. You can now place the bet, and you win if the shooter throws a seven or eleven,and lose if the shooter rolls a two, three or 12, just like a pass line bet. Any other number then your bet gets moved to a numbered box, and you can win if the shooter rolls that number, and you will lose if a seven turns up – whichever comes up first.

A don’t come bet is also very similar to a don’t pass bet. You can only make the don’t come bet when the shooter has established a point, and you will win if the shooter rolls a two or three, have a push if the shooter rolls a twelve, and lose when a seven or eleven is rolled by the dice.

If any other number is rolled, your bet is moved into a don’t come box. This bet is stating that you think a seven will be rolled before the number that your bet is placed in. All payoffs are even money returns.

These are the basic rules for Craps, and the best way to get started. There are of course more betting options in Craps like Odds bets, Field Bets and Proposition bets, however before you learn those you should learn the full functions of Craps and get skilled and knowledgeable with the basics, before taking things further.

You can try out craps for free at Bovada.

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