Among the many games of chance that exist, Craps is one of the oldest and simplest. Rolling dice has long been a favourite pastime for millions of people around the world. It is played in casinos, but also at gatherings with family or friends. While luck plays a major role in this game, there are strategies and rules that players can apply to improve their chances of winning. In this blog, we explain how to play Craps, a game that has entertained enthusiasts for centuries, and we take a look at some of the most common rules and tactics.
Basic Rules of Craps
This dice game is played with two standard dice, each of which has six sides, as is commonly known. The player—also referred to as the thrower or shooter—throws the dice on a Craps table. This is a green playing surface marked with all the different betting options. The objective is to predict the outcome of the dice roll before the dice are thrown.
These are the basic steps of the game:
- Placing bets: Before the shooter rolls the dice, participants place their bets predicting what the outcome of the roll will be. Bets can be placed on specific numbers or on more complex combinations.
- The roll: The shooter rolls the dice towards the far end of the table, aiming to hit the wall of the Craps table.
- Establishing the point: If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the first throw, they win automatically. If they roll a 2, 3 or 12, they lose automatically. Any other number becomes the “point”.
- Continuing to roll: Once the point has been established, the shooter continues to roll until they either roll the same point number again (a win), or a 7 (a loss).
Betting Options in Craps
- Pass Line Bet: This is one of the most common and straightforward bets in Craps. A player bets that the shooter will roll a 7 or 11 on the first throw. If the shooter succeeds, the player wins. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12, the player loses. Any other number becomes the “point”, and the shooter continues to roll until either the point or a 7 is rolled.
- Don’t Pass Line Bet: This is the opposite of the Pass Line bet. Here, a player bets that the shooter will not win on the first roll. If the shooter rolls a 2 or 3, the player wins. If they roll a 7 or 11, the player loses. Rolling a 12 results in a draw. If a point is established, the player wins if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point number again.
- Come and Don’t Come Bets: These are similar to the Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line bets, but they are placed after the point has already been established. With a Come bet, the player predicts that the shooter will roll a 7 or 11 after the point is set. With a Don’t Come bet, the player is betting on a 2, 3 or 12 being rolled instead.
- Field Bet: With this bet, the player predicts that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. If any of these numbers appear, the player wins. If the shooter rolls a 5, 6, 7 or 8, the player loses.
- Any Craps Bet: This is a one-roll bet where the player wins if the next roll results in a 2, 3 or 12. Any other outcome means a loss.
- Hardways Bet: With this bet, a player wagers that a specific number (4, 6, 8 or 10) will be rolled as a pair (e.g. two 2s for a 4) before it is rolled in any other combination or before a 7 is rolled.
Strategies and Tips for Playing Craps
- Know the odds: Understanding the probability of each outcome is very useful when it comes to making informed betting decisions.
- Manage your budget: As with any other casino game, it is important to set a budget and stick to it in order to avoid large losses.
- Study the betting options: Just like in roulette, Craps offers a variety of betting choices, some of which offer better odds than others. By learning about these options, you can increase your chances of winning.
- Observe and learn: Practice is your best ally if you want to become a good Craps player. Observe other players and learn from their strategies to improve your own gameplay.
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