If you visit your local casino or perhaps Las Vegas, then amongst all the people quietly playing the many different forms of games on offer, you will usually find one table where there is a group of people enthusiastically enjoying the game and making considerably more noise than at any other table.
If you've witnessed this and the people are throwing a pair of dice as part of the game, then you have just seen the game of Craps in action.
As well as being slightly more boisterous than other casino games, the craps table can be very intimidating to a player who approaches it in a real world casino. There are several reasons for this, chiefly due to the seeming complexity of the game with the amount of bets available, how the bets are placed and then following the etiquette that comes with shooting Craps.
So while playing Craps in the casino may take a good while to master, the great news is that if you play online, then this is a game that is much easier to learn and play because while the betting options are the same, playing from your own home means you don't have to worry about many of the other issues that can make casino-based craps so daunting.
It is fair to say that seeing as the online version of craps is a single player game, it is a much simplified version of the game you will play in a real world casino.
So let's begin by first gaining an understanding of what the game is and how it was developed, before we take a look at how you actually play the game to win.
What is Craps?
At its most basic level, Craps is a game played with dice where the player places bets on what the outcome of the roll of two dice will be. However, it is a more complicated game than simply betting on what the total outcome of the two dice will be.
In the online casino version of the game, a player plays the game by placing his chip or chips on the bets they wish to make on the layout; the layout being the baize upon which all the possible bets you can make in the game are displayed.
Craps is played in rounds where a player establishes a 'Point' using a Come Out roll, which establishes a point. Once the shooters point is established, the round continues until the player either rolls the same total again with the dice (which will usually see them win their bet), or they roll a seven, upon which the bet is lost.
Within that process however, players at the table have the ability to place a number of different bets.
Essentially, the process of placing a bet in online craps (by placing chips on the layout) is the same as placing a bet in the online casino version of roulette, although of course, the bets you are making are different and pay out at different odds compared to roulette.
After the come out roll is thrown the bets are settled and the game moves onto the next throw depending on what the outcome of the previous dice throw was.
That is the basic process that powers the game of craps, however understanding how to play the game is considerably more complex than this, so let's learn a little more about how you can play the game.
How do I play Craps?
In online craps, the player is always assumed to be the shooter as they are the only player at the virtual table. The key to playing craps is understanding what bets are available on the layout so you know exactly what you are betting on when you place your chips on the table.
Let's examine each of the common bets found in online craps in more detail.
Pass Line Bet - If the come out roll of the dice is 7 or 11, the bet wins. If the roll is 2, 3 or 12, then the bet loses. If the roll of the dice is any other number then this establishes the 'Point' for the shooter. The shooter then continues to roll the dice until they either roll their 'point' again (whereupon they win the bet), or they roll a seven, which sees them lose the bet.
Don't Pass Bet - This is essentially a bet that is the opposite of the Pass Line Bet, where 7 or 11 sees the bet lose, 2 or 3 sees the bet win and a 12 sees the bet 'pushed'. Some casinos will push on a roll of 2, rather than 12. If any other total is achieved from the roll, a point is established and if a player rolls the point again, the don't pass bet loses, however if they roll a seven, the bet wins.
The pass line and don't pass bets are the easiest and simplest Craps bets to understand and both pay out at even money. Once a point is established players can also take Pass Odds Bet (at a range of odds, usually around 2/1 to 3/1, depending on what the point rolled was) and a Don't Pass Odds bet (the opposite of the Pass Odds bet).
Come bet / Don't come bet - These bets can only be made after a point has been established and they are similar to Passline and Don't Pass bets, only these bets allow a player to take odds, which the dealer places on top of the come bet, slightly off centre. The Come bet is won if the shooter rolls the Come bet point again before they roll a seven. The opposite is true for don't come bets, where the bet is lost if the shooter rolls the point before a seven and won if they roll a seven first.
Single Roll Bets - These are bets where the player wins if they predict the total of the roll of the dice. Some of the easiest to understand are those where the player bets on what the total of the dice will be with the odds for a successful bet clearly shown on the layout (for example, backing the shooter to score a total of three or eleven would pay out around 16/1, whereas backing them to score 2 or 12 would pay out at 31/1). Another common single roll bet is the Field bet which sees players win if the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 are rolled. Usually bets are paid out at odds of 2/1 or 3/1 if 2 or 12 is rolled, and even money if 3, 4, 9 or 10 are rolled.
Although the real world casino has many different variants of bets available to bet with and there are many other bets based on players using multiple chips to cover a range of specific numbers, a beginner player can learn the basics and still enjoy craps to the full by learning and understanding these most basic forms of bet initially.
What are my chances of winning at Craps?
If you stick to Pass/Don't Pass and Pass Odds/ Don't Pass Odds bets then the good news is that the casino has only a small house edge of around 1.4% on Pass/Don't Pass bets, and there is actually a 0% house edge on Pass/Don't Pass Odds bets. These are amongst the best odds a player can find in a casino.
Although Craps is still weighted in favour of the house, it is a game that is more benevolent to players in terms of the house odds. The key is understanding which of the bets offer you the best odds and which are the bets to avoid.
What is definitely true is that trying to explain Craps is much more difficult than simply loading up a free to play version and playing for yourself. I would strongly advise any player considering giving Craps a go to spend some time playing a free to play version so you can see how all the different bets work and where you need to place the chips on the layout in order to make specific kinds of bets.
Where to play online Craps?
A recommended table game destination is Jackpot City, check it out.
Next Post: What are my chances of winning at Baccarat (Punto Banco)?
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