The next time you are in the casino stop and listen when you approach the table games. From the Craps pit you will probably hear whooping and hollering as you see high-fives and other animated gestures coming from the players. Craps is by far the most exciting game in the casino and the players are not afraid to let their emotions show. The game is fast moving and at times very loud. It is for this reason that craps is probably the most intimidating game to new players. If you feel this way you are not alone. Many players would like to learn how to play craps but the thought of approaching a craps table scares them.
Craps is not as confusing as it looks. It is an easy game to learn. An understanding of the basics of the game and how to make a passline bet will get you started on your way. You don’t have to be concerned with any other of the craps bets when you begin to play craps. There are about 40 different bets that can be made on a craps layout but most of them like the proposition and hardway bets have terrible odds that you should avoid. To get started playing craps, all you need to understand is the basic passline bet.
PASSLINE BET
A simple bet works like this. You place your bet on the passline before a shooter begins his roll. This is known as the comeout roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 you win. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12, you loose. If the shooter rolls any other number, that becomes the point number. The shooter must roll that number again before a 7 is rolled. If that happens, you will win even money for your passline bet. If a 7 is rolled before the point number is rolled again you loose.
EXAMPLE
A new shooter rolls the dice for the first time and they land on a 4 and a 2. The total is 6, which becomes the “point”. The dealer places a marker that looks like a hockey puck on a number 6 on the craps layout. The shooter must now roll a 6 before he rolls a 7. If he rolls the 6, the passline bet wins and the shooter rolls again. This is a new comeout roll and the same procedure applies as the first time the shooter rolled the dice. If the shooter rolls a 7 before the 6 the passline bet loses and the dice are passed are passed to the next shooter.
ODDS BET
Once the point is established the bettor can make an additional bet behind the passline bet. This is known as the “Odds Bet”. It is the only bet in the casino that does not have a house edge as it is paid off with true odds.
Most casino’s offer double odds, which means you can make a bet twice the size of your passline bet, If your passline bet is $5 you are allowed to make an odds bet of $10.
A passline bet is the simplest bet you can make on at the craps table and it will get you on your way to playing this exciting game.
THE BIG 6 & BIG 8 BETS
You are betting that 6 or 8 will be rolled before a 7. These win even money.
FIELD BETS
You are betting that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. These pay even money, except 2 or 12 pays 2-1.
PLACE BETS
If your point number comes up before a 7 you win, if a 7 comes up first you lose.
HARDWAY BETS
Making a hardway means to make the total of 2 dice on doubles. E.g. If you wanted to hit hard 6 you would need to roll two threes. The payout on these vary.
ONE ROLL BETS
Bets placed on ‘any craps’ covers numbers 2, 3 & 12. The payout is 7-1. Bets placed on 3 or 11 pay 15-1, Bets on 2 or 12 pay 30-1, any 7 pays 4-1.
HORN BETS
A one roll combination of craps (2, 3, 12 or 11) should you throw any of these combinations on the next roll you win.
Let 'em roll