How to play Craps | Craps rules for dummies

Craps is a game of chance where you, the player, determine the level of difficulty. It is both a game of chance and a strategic game and has plenty of betting options. Craps is not an everyday game of chance, but the rules are easy to learn. Craps is a giant exciting and very social game of dice. Enjoy the frenzy at the gaming table in a real casino, or play in one of the best online casinos in Canada.

Craps is perhaps the most difficult game to play in online casinos. That's because there are so many different possibilities, each of which is different from the next. This can be quite overwhelming. Still, it need not deter beginners from learning the game.

Some basic tips

Want to learn to play craps like James Bond himself? Then you can go a long way by following some basic tips. The game has been popular since the Second World War because it requires no more than a pair of dice. It all started with the famous pass and although all kinds of possibilities have been added, the pass is still the most popular. The pass is the following.

The first roll, also known as the come out, gives you an immediate answer. If it is 7 or 11 you win, if it is 2,3 or 12 you lose. If the outcome is different, then you are so to speak on point and must be rolled again until the same outcome, or 7, is rolled. If the outcome is the same you win, if it is 7 you lose.

Deeper view on the matter

More than that it is not really. That said, it is smart to take a somewhat deeper look. The probability of winning is just under 50 percent, at 49.29 percent. So the house has just a little more chance.

With the come out roll, that ratio is slightly different. You then have a 22.22 percent chance of winning and only an 11.11 percent chance of losing. Provided you indicate in time that you are going for the pass. This is only allowed for the come out throw. Don't do this wrong because this is the biggest mistake there is in the game.

Modern betting methods

Nowadays in craps it is more and more common to go for modern bets. The opposite of the pass for example. This is aptly called do not pass. In this case the roles are exactly reversed.

Anything that causes a pass is losing, anything that doesn't is winning for you. Only 12 has a different function. This is not a win, but a step up in the remainder of the game. The odds are slightly lower, 47.93 percent to win and 49.29 percent.

The advantages in the game

There are a few small advantages for players to find in the game of craps. The so-called odds bet is an opportunity to gamble without benefit to the house. This is a bet that can be made after the initial bet.

When the point is, this bet can be made, provided a bet has already been made on the come out roll. It is not the case that you can only get in with odds at that point. It is important to keep a close eye on this. Casinos do try to steer you away from this.

Play Craps for Free

Playing free craps is an option offered to you in the online casino these days. Since craps is a game where you need a strategy, it's important that you determine your strategy first. In a real casino, you usually have less room to practice. If you bet a don't pass as a starter, other players might not be so patient.

Practice free craps in the online casino

The online casino is an online environment where you can try craps for free. The only thing you need to do for this is to create an account. This is free of charge and easy to do at the best online casinos. You only have to fill in a few details and then you can start playing right away. Besides, it's the perfect way to play without risk and get the hang of the rules of the game of craps.

Rules of Craps

Up to 20 players can play at a normal craps table. Everyone gets a chance to roll the dice. If you don't feel like rolling yourself, you can bet on someone else's roll and see what the dice will do. The first roll is called the come out.

The come out

Each new game of Craps begins with a ‘come out'. The ‘come out' can only be rolled and placed when the previous thrower of the dice has failed to win with his roll. For example, because he failed to throw a ‘point'. At that moment a new game begins with a new ‘shooter'; this throws a new ‘come out'. According to the rules of Craps, this is considered a continuation of the previous throw.

Beginning of a new round

However, a come out does mark the beginning of a new round. If a shooter does not roll a new point, the dice are for the next player. This player may then try to roll a new ‘come out'. The new shooter always sits to the left of the previous one.

Craps strategy

Beginning players start with Pass Line

Playing craps requires knowledge. As mentioned, learning the rules is fairly simple. Various strategies allow you to increase your chances of winning. There are many Craps betting strategies offered online, and they can differ from each other. The best strategy to win is to choose the right one. The most important craps bet is called the “Pass Line. With Pass Line, you win the moment the dice player rolls a 7 or an 11 in the opening roll. At 2, 3 or 12 you lose your bet. Beginning players should start with Pass Line.

The best bets

If the dice player or shooter has reached a point number on his first roll, then you as a player can place additional craps bets. In this case, avoid bad craps bets and choose the bets with the best win potential. For example, you should never place a Big Six bet. This is because a Big Six has a house edge of 9.1%. You win this bet when the 6 is rolled earlier than the 7. The same goes for the Big Eight bet.

Which bets to avoid at craps?

Other less popular bets are the Hard 4 and the Hard 10 which have a house edge of 11%. This is quite unfavorable for the player. However, the worst bets on a crap table are the proposition bets which have a house edge of 13.9%.

Which bets are most profitable at craps?

The most profitable betting company is the Field bet with a house edge of 2.77%. The craps place bets are also popular.

Setting up a bankroll

Before you make a bet, it's best to establish a bankroll. In a real casino you generally play for larger amounts than in the online casino. Online craps games can also be played with low stakes. This makes online play more accessible and cheaper than playing in a real casino.

Craps betting options

We have already discussed some of the important bets. Below you will find all the betting possibilities of the game craps:

• Pass Line: only possible before a come out. Successful when the come out is 7 or 11. The ‘shooter' loses if the ‘come out' is 2, 3 or 12.
  Result of the dice 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10? Then this figure is the new ‘point'. To win, the shooter must roll the same number again before a 7 is rolled. If the shooter rolls a 7 after the new point is set, he loses his bet. Does the shooter win? Then the bet is paid out once. After a point has been rolled, the bet cannot be changed. Only if there is a new point or the roll is a 7, then the bet can be changed.
• Don't Pass Line: the opposite of a ‘Pass Line'. Is placed before the ‘come out' on the ‘Don't Pass Line Field'.
  • The bet is successful if 2 or 3 is rolled.
  • The win is once the bet.
  • The bet is lost on a 7 or an 11.
  • On a 12 it is a tie, the bet is returned.
  • There is a new point on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. Then the shooter must roll a 7 to reset the point. Does he first throw a point and not a seven? Then the shooter loses his bet.
• Come: Before the dice are rolled, the bet is placed on the ‘Come Field'. After the roll, a new point is established. Successful when the ‘come out' is 7 or 11.
  The ‘shooter' loses if the ‘come out' is 2, 3 or 12. Result of the dice 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10? Then this figure is the new ‘come point'. This box usually shows 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
  You get your bet back the moment the new ‘point' is rolled. The bet remains in place until a 7 is rolled. Bets placed on the come point cannot be removed.
• Don't Come: This is the opposite of a come. The bet is placed on the ‘Don't Come Field'.
  • The bet is successful if 2 or 3 is rolled.
  • The win is once the bet.
  • The bet is lost on a 7 or an 11.
  • On a 12 it is a tie, also called a ‘push', the bet is returned.
  • There is a new ‘point' on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. This box usually shows 4, 5, six, 8, nine, or 10.
  • Then the ‘shooter' must throw a 7 to reset the ‘point'.
  • Does he throw exactly the ‘come point'? Then the shooter loses his bet.
• Odds: A bet on Odds is a so-called back-up bet: you can then bet an extra time on Come, Don't Come, Pass Line or Don't Pass Line. You can place up to 3 times the original bet.
• Odds Pass Line: the moment a new ‘point' is established, you can place a new ‘Pass Line Odds' by placing your bet next to the ‘Pass Line Field'. You win the moment the roll is correct according to the principles of the ‘Pass Line'. You get a payout that depends on the number of points rolled at that time.
  Don't Pass Line Odds: the moment a new ‘point' is established, you can place a new ‘Pass Line Odds' by placing your bet next to the ‘Pass Line Field'. You win the moment the roll is correct according to the principles of the ‘Pass Line'. You receive a payout that depends on the number of points rolled at that time.
• Come Odds: the moment the new ‘come point' is established, a bet can be placed under the ‘Come' bet.
  The bet is placed in the box for the ‘come point', with usually 4, 5, six, 8, nine or 10.
  • The win is 2:1 when the outcome of the roll is 4 or 10
  • 3:2 when this outcome is 5 or 9.
  • 6:5 when the outcome is 6 or 8.
  • Based on the initial ‘Odds', this bet is determined.
• Don't Come Odds: After the new ‘come point' has been determined, you can place a bet in the so-called ‘Bar', above ‘Don't Come'. This ‘Bar' is the same box as 4, 5, six, 8, nine or 10.
  • In case of a win, you get 1:2 times your bet when 4 or 10 is rolled.
  • 2:3 when there is a 5 or 9 outcome.
  • 5:6 when there is a 6 or 8 on the table.
  • When a ‘Don't Come Odds' is undecided, it remains on the table.
• Field: a ‘Field' bet is placed by people the moment you think the next roll will have a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 outcome. You place this bet on the ‘Field' box before the dice are rolled. If the outcome is 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, the ‘shooter' is paid out once the bet.
  • If the outcome is 12, the payout is 2 or 3 to 1.
  • In the case of 2, you receive 2 times the bet.
  • If the outcome is 5, 6, 7 or 8, a player loses his placed ‘Field' bet.
• Big 6 & Big 8: A bet on a ‘Big 6' means betting on a rolled point total of 6, before a 7 appears on the table. The same is true for the ‘Big 8', only an 8 must come on the table before a 7. You place this bet in the ‘6' or ‘8' box.
  • You will be paid out once if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8 before a 7 appears on the table. The bets that are undecided are removed from the table.
• Place: with a bet on ‘Place Win' you bet on when 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled. You win the moment this point number comes up on the table. The only condition is that a 7 has not yet appeared on the table. You place this bet in the box with 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
  • Winnings are paid out in the following manner: 7:6 for a roll that results in 6 or 8.
  • 7:5 for a roll that yields the numbers 5 and 9.
  • 9:5 for a throw that results in 4 and 10.
• Place lose: with a ‘Place Lose' bet you bet on the moment a 7 is rolled. This must be before the moment a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled. You place this bet in the box with the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
  If you win, you are paid 4:5 the moment 6 or an 8 is rolled.
  5:8 for 5 and 9.
  5:11 for 4 and 10.
• Buy: a ‘Buy' bet means a bet on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 before 7 comes on the table. You place it on the box of the same name, with the values 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
  • There is a 5% margin, which is taxed on the profit you make with this bet.
  • The payout is 6:5 for the 6 and 8.
  • 3:2 for 5 and 9.
  • 2:1 for 4 and 10.
• Lay: A ‘Lay' bet is the opposite of a ‘Buy' bet. You bet that a 7 will be rolled first before a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 appears on the table. You place it above the box that says ‘Lay' and corresponds to the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.
  • There is a margin worth 5% which counts as tax on the winnings.
  • The payout is 5:6 for 6 and 8.
  • 2:3 for 5 and 9.
  • 1:2 for 4 and 10.
  • A ‘Lay' bet that is undecided is removed from the table.
• Any 7: In a bet on ‘Any 7' you bet that the outcome of the next roll will be exactly 7. If the outcome is 7, the bet is paid out to the player 4 times.
  Any Craps: In a bet on ‘Any Craps' you are betting that the outcome of the next roll will be 2, 3 or 12. Any bet is valid here, as long as it is placed in the ‘Any Craps' box. If the outcome is 2, 3, or 12, you get 7 times your bet back.
• Hardway: In a Hardway bet, you bet that the shooter rolls a double number of dots that add up to 4, 6, 8, or 10 (2+2, 3+3, 4+4, 5+5) before a 7 appears on the table. This ‘Hardway' bet is placed in the box where double dice are.
  • According to the ‘Hardway', if you roll a double digit twice and thus a 4, 6, 8 or 10, you roll this point total. For example, the ‘hardway' 8 is the throw of 4+4, while you can also throw 8 by 5+3 or 6+2.
  • If you win with a ‘hardway' 8 and you have placed a bet, you will be paid 9:1 times your bet. The same payout applies for a hardway 6.
  • If you roll a hardway 4 or 10, you receive a payout of 7:1.
  • If you do not win, then the ‘Hardway' bet is removed from the table.

Craps payouts

Craps payouts
Turn	Opportunity	Payout
Pass Line of Come	251:244	1:1
Don’t Pass of Don’t Come	976:949	1:1
Buy, 4 of 10	2:1	2:1
5 of 9	2:1	2:1
6 of 8	6:5	6:5
Lay, 4 of 10	1:2	1:2
5 of 9	2:3	2:3
6 of 8	5:6	5:6
Field, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11		1:2
2		2:1
Place, 4 of 10	2:1	9:5
5:9	3:2	7:5
6:8	6:5	7:6
One Roll, Any craps	8:1	7:1
2 craps of 12 craps	35:1	30:1
3 craps of 11	17:1	15:1

How to play craps on your mobile

Playing craps on your cell phone is a must in today's casino landscape. Playing whenever and wherever you want without interruption is something that more and more fans of this game of chance value. In the early '90s craps started to find its way to online casinos. This was the starting point for a whole new form of gaming. In the best online casinos you also have the opportunity to play craps on your mobile phone. The process is the same as when you choose the online version. The game adapts itself to the screen of your phone.

Craps Tips

• Read everything about the game of craps that you need to know before starting the game.
• Discover craps first in the flash casino and get familiar with the basics and betting options of the dice game.
• In craps, you also play against other players. Don't be influenced too much by the bets of others, but base your choices on your own game and bankroll.
• Wait a few rounds before joining the crap table. This way you will get to know the flow of the game before you start;
• Choose a crap table where you like the atmosphere. After all, the important thing is that you enjoy the game.
• As a new craps player, start with the general bets in craps; these are the Pass Line and Don't Pass Line.
• Decide beforehand how much you want to bet at most. Craps is also a game of luck. Be aware of that. That will prevent disappointments;
• Take care of entertaining money management. Set a fixed bankroll for each game session.
• The higher your stake on a bet, the higher your potential payout.
• Play deliberately at one of the best online casinos!
• You now know the basics of the casino game Craps. Time to put your luck to the test.

History of Craps

To learn more about the history of the game of Craps we have to go back to the ancient Crusades. In all likelihood, the game dates back to the 11th or 12th century. It originated in England under the leadership of Sir William of Tyre and his knights. They played the game as a pastime during the siege of Hazarth or Asart castle in 1125. Initially, the game was called Hazard, after the castle. Other voices claim that the term had a completely different origin, and that the name ‘Hazard' was a derivative of ‘Azzah' meaning ‘the dice'.

First for the rich, now for everyone

Craps first became known among wealthy aristocrats, but soon found its way into other layers of society. Slowly the game gained ground. It found its way to France where it acquired its current name. The word “craps” means “losing throw. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the game spread to the US. Here it was most likely played by French and English immigrants. Especially in the south of the US the game was popular.

When Las Vegas also adopted craps

The legalization of gambling in the US influenced the growth of craps. It was played on the Mississippi steamboats. A new form of the game was also developed during these years by dice maker John H. Winn. This new form was intended to reduce the number of cheaters; initially a major problem of the game. From this new variant emerged the ‘Don't Pass bet' which made it unattractive to mess with dice any longer. It is this variant that we still know and play fanatically in online casinos today. In its latest form, the game also blew over to the larger casinos in Las Vegas.

The dice combinations in craps

Very important when playing craps is, of course, to know how exactly it works with the different dice combinations. Indeed, 2 dice are rolled, which in practice means that certain combinations are more likely to appear than others. Just think about it: the only way you can make a 2 is if both dice land on the 1, there are no other options. With the 3, the situation is different again. For example, you can make a 3 with a 1 on the first die and a 2 on the second or a 2 on the first and a 1 on the second die.

Odds differ per die combination

For the same reason, as a craps player you should know what the odds are of a particular value being rolled. This affects the probability of a particular bet and thus your approach. The chance of winning a bet with a 6, for example, is much higher than with a 2. Reason for me to present you with a complete table of the different combinations of the dice in craps.

Frequently asked questions about craps