Craps For Dummies

Craps can seem a bit confusing. This casino game has a lot of strange terms,odds and rules that seem plain weird. As a beginner when you visit a craps table you might be confused by the cheering, the groaning and the shouting of strange words like “Yo eleven” “Horn” “Press my hard 4’s” and all sorts of by the experienced Craps players around you and wonder “what the hell is going on around here?”

If you are confused about Craps, don’t worry. We are going to demystify this strange game for you. Even the most experienced craps players were in your position.

As you start reading out this guide on craps for dummies you’ll soon come to realize that craps isn’t as complicated as it seems. Sure, the dozens of betting options in Craps might seem confusing, you don’t have to place all these bets.

As a matter of fact, many experienced players stick to two or three betting options when it comes to Craps.

We’ll be covering this and much more below. So stick around and find out everything you need to know about Craps!

Here is what we’ll be covering on our guide on how to play Craps and when you are done, you’ll be up and ready to make your first bet on an online Craps table:

history of craps
the basics of playing craps
the most common terms used in the game
the differences between playing craps online vs. at a land-based casino
where to play craps with casino bonuses
the house edge and odds by wager
the best wagers to make
the worst wagers to make
how to create a personal craps strategy
craps myths and various misconceptions
why so many craps players lose

After reading through this guide not only will you have learnt how to play but also how to maximize your chances of winning while playing craps.

Craps History: How Did The Game Originate?

According to Wikipedia Craps was a modified version of an old British dice game called Hazard.When we say, “old”, we mean really old, as in dating back to the era of the Crusades.

Hazard was introduced to America in 1805 in Louisiana.

Hazard is a very complicated game and believe it or not, Craps is a simplified version of Hazard.Craps became immensely popular amongst soldiers in the second world war when soldiers used to play a street version of it.

After the second world war, casinos in Las Vegas and the Carribean capitalized on the nostalgia of these returning soldiers and Craps tables started popping up across the United States.

In the 1960’s a few casinos in Europe began opening opening up Craps tables but the popularity of Craps surged with the onset of online gambling in 2004. Ever since then Craps has grown in popularity across the world.

How To Play Online Craps: The Basics Rules of Craps

A game of Craps follows a sequence of patterns of events.

One of the players acts as the person who throws the dice. This person is always the dealer when Craps is being played in an online casino. This person who throws the dice is called the shooter.

The shooter proceeds to place a round marker on the Craps table which has 2 sides.

The first side has a white background and has “on” written on it and the other side of the market has a black background and has “off” written on it.

The shooter places the round marker with the “off” side facing the players. This means that players can now place their bets.

All the players place a bet on either the “pass line” or “don’t pass line”.

Once all the players have placed their bets, the shooter takes the marker and flips it around so that the players see the “on” side. This means that the game is on and the table will not be accepting any more players.

The shooter then proceeds to throw the dice. In most online casinos, the shooter doesn’t throw the dice himself. The shooter loads the dice on a machine which throws the dice for him. The dice must hit the walls of the opposite side of the table. If one or both the dice fall off the table then or both of them don’t hit the opposite end of the table, the throw is repeated.

If the shooter lands a 7 or 11,you win the bet if you bet on the pass line and you lose if you bet on the don’t pass line.

If the shooter lands a 2,3 or 12 you lose the bet if you bet on the pass line and win the bet if you bet on the no pass line.

The shooter continues to throw the dice if these numbers keep coming up.

If the shooter gets a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10 the number that he rolled becomes what is called “the point”. He picks up the marker, puts the marker with the on side facing up on the point.

When the point is set you get the opportunity to place something called a free odds bet behind the pass line. We’ll be talking about it later. Now, if the shooter rolls the same number as the point, you get paid on both the pass line bet and the free odds bet. If the shooter rolls a 7 you lose both bets.

After the point has been established,you can also place something called bets.These are bets on whether the shooter will roll a 4,5,6,8 or 9 or 10.

You can also wager on something called Place Bets. These are bets on whether the shooter will roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 after the Point has been established, and before rolling a 7.

If the shooter rolls the number you bet on, you get paid on that bet. The shooter then keeps rolling the dice until he lands a 7. When the shooter lands a 7 you lose your place bets along with your pass line bet and free odds bet.

The Craps table is then cleared and the dice are given to a new shooter. When you are playing online Crap the shooter remains the same as it is not possible for players to physically throw the dice when they are playing online.

You might still be a bit confused after reading this if you have never played Craps before. But trust us,we’ll be telling you where you can play craps online for free so that you can get some practise.

Craps Odds, Tips and Strategies

This might sound strange but Craps is a game that can be as simple or complicated as you want to make it. As we mentioned earlier, you can play Craps without placing all the complicated betting options out there.

In this section we will be talking about how you can play Craps in a straightforward way.

This is how you do it.

You start off by placing a pass line bet and once the point is established you make something called the “odds bet”.

An odds bet is a bet that you place behind your pass line on the table. The payout for this bet is 1x or the same amount as your bet (for example if you bet $10 you win another $10).

This type of Craps bet is not very well known. There is no marking on Craps tables for these bets so you should know about this type of bet before placing it.

There are many other craps bets you can make but at this point as a beginner you know about the most important ones.

A Quick-Reference Glossary Of Craps Terminology

The craps table is usually the liveliest section of a casino. If you’re playing blackjack, Pai Gow or Three Card Poker, and hear people yelling and clapping, you can bet the racket is coming from the craps tables.

When you approach the tables, you’ll hear people calling out things that seem to make no sense (at least to the novice). Craps has its own language. It’s one of the reasons newbies feel intimidated.

Below, you’ll find the most common terms used at the craps table, along with their respective meanings. Keep in mind, you don’t need to be fluent in the language. You just need to be familiar with the following phrases.

Any seven – a bet placed on whether the next roll is a 7.

Big 6 / Big 8 – a bet placed on whether a 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7.

Come Bet – like a Pass Line Bet, but made after the come out roll.

Come Out roll – the first roll made by a shooter.

Free Odds Bet – bet placed behind your Pass Line Bet after the Point has been established. It is the best bet in craps.

Pass Line Bet – bet placed before the Come Out roll.

Point – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 rolled during the Come Out roll.

Seven out – the shooter rolls a 7, thus ending the round.

Snake eyes – pair of ones (1s).

Yo – number 11.

Again, there are many other terms used in craps. But if you familiarize yourself with 10 phrases above, you’ll know as much as you need to in order to play the game with confidence.

Playing Craps Online Vs. Land-Based Casinos

You can play craps both online and in a land based casino. The only notable differences would be the fact that in a land based casino you would get a chance to see the other players and get to throw the dice and be the shooter yourself.

7 Advantages To Playing Online

Playing craps online comes with some cool advantages that you might have as a beginner compared to playing craps in a land based casino.

You don’t have to travel to a traditional casino

Gambling might be illegal in your country and you might have to cross borders, rent a hotel room and spend money on plane tickets, all of this can reduce your profit margins even if you have a lucky night while playing craps.

You can play at your own pace rather than trying to keep up with the dealers

That’s invaluable if you’re learning the ropes and need time to find your rhythm.

You can play craps whenever you want from the comfort of your own home

Unlike playing at land based casinos where you have to spend time and money traveling and feeling obligated to spend time at the tables just because you went to the trouble of getting there, you can play craps online in the comfort of your own home any time of the day and any time of the week!

You don’t have to be worried about making mistakes

When you are playing craps in an online casino, the rules are clearly visible and the system prevents you from making mistakes and makes it easier for you to place your bets.

You don’t have to tip the dealer

It is common etiquette in land based casinos to tip your dealer but when you are playing craps online you don’t have to do it. This helps you save money.

You can play craps online for as little as $0.50.

Most of the casinos on the strip on the Strip in Las Vegas have a minimum bet of $5. That might not sound like a small amount but you will be surprised at how much money can be lost during the night when the minimum bet is $5.

In online casinos however, many Craps tables have a minimum be that is only $0.50.

You can get casino bonuses for Craps in online casinos

In online casinos you can get casino bonuses which effectively fetch you the same amount of money that you deposited. So for example if you decide to grab a bonus of 100% upto $500 and deposit $500, the casino gives you a bonus of $500!

This is not possible in most land based casinos.

Playing Craps online does have it’s limitations though..

First, you won’t be able to enjoy the crazy atmosphere of the crowd when a shooter is on a winning streak. (Of course, you also won’t have to endure the inevitable groans when the shooter rolls a 7.

Second, you won’t be able to receive your winnings immediately. You have to request a withdrawal from the gambling website. Your funds will be sent to you in the form of a check.

Those two drawbacks are a small price to pay given the advantages of playing craps at home.