Craps Rules and Play

Craps is a dice game in which players lay bets on the result of a roll or a series of rolls of two dice. The rules of craps were developed and modified from an old English game called hazard. Players may bet money against each other (street craps) or against a casino. The player who wishes to be the shooter must bet at least the table minimum on either the “pass” line or the “don’t pass” line to begin.

Learn to Play Online Casino Craps

The object of the game is to bet with or against the shooter, the player rolling the dice. Players usually bet with the shooter. The first roll of the dice is known as the come-out roll, and if the shooter rolls 7 or 11, you win. If he rolls 2, 3 or 12, known as craps, you lose. According to the rules of craps, any other number becomes the point number. When playing, you get a craps payout based on the outcome of four basic bets: Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come. Knowing more craps terms is important to playing as well.

The best craps strategy is to stick to tables that have a minimum that you’re comfortable with. Craps is a game of probability, like most casino games, and according to the numbers, a Pass bet gives the house a 1.41% edge, while a Don’t Pass gives it 1.40%. The Come and Don’t Come bets follow the same logic and percentages as the Pass bets. You can further improve your odds by placing bets on Pass/Come or laying odds on Don’t Pass/Don’t Come.

Objective of Playing Craps

The basic objective of the game is to roll the point number before you roll a 7. If this happens, you and your fellow bettors win, and you can collect your craps payout. If you roll a 7 before your point number shows up again, you lose, and the round is over (unless you bet on the don't pass as explained below). If the toss is neither 7 nor your point number, the round continues and the dice keep rolling.

The Pass bet is the simplest and most used. You’re betting that you’ll roll your point number again before you roll 7. Don’t Pass is the opposite: you’re betting the shooter will roll a 7 before hitting the point number. Come and Don’t Come bets are almost the same as Pass and Don’t Pass, except they are played while a round is in progress, and are designed for players who join the game late.

The most frequently used craps strategy is to place free odds on line bets. To do this you simply place chips on your original bet on the line. The odds bet can be placed at any time after the come out roll, and can be removed at any time. The amount you can add for free odds depends on your casino, and it can be anything from twice to 100 times your original bet.