Craps Rules & Strategy

Perhaps you're hesitant to play craps because the craps rules seem so complicated. True, at first glance, a craps table layout looks quite confusing. There are a variety of bets that you can make, and everything seems so puzzling. Actually the basic game is quite simple. It's easy to learn. And the odds are great for the player.

Craps rules involve rolling a pair of dice. The player who rolls the dice is known as the shooter. When two dice are rolled, any number between 2 and 12 can come up. Basic probability results in some numbers appearing more often than others. For example there are six different ways to roll a 7, but only one way to roll a 2 or a 12. The number 7 has a better than 16% chance of coming up on each roll, whereas there is less than 3% chance of rolling a 2 or 12. Probabilities for other numbers are as follows: 6s and 8s under 14%, 5s and 9s nearly 11%, 4s and 10s almost 8%, 3s and 11s slightly less than 6%.

As you can see, 7 is the most frequently rolled number, that's why the craps rules revolve mostly around the 7. When a new shooter rolls the dice the first time, it's called the come-out roll. The number 7 wins only if it comes up on the come-out roll. If a non-7 number is rolled on the come-out roll, that number becomes the point number. In this case, the shooter continues to roll the dice until his point number repeats or he sevens-out (rolls a 7 when trying to achieve his point number). When either of these two things occur, that particular round of play is over. A new shooter then makes a new come-out roll.

Craps table layouts at online casinos usually show only one half of the table. In a live casino the second half is exactly the same, making it a bigger table so that more players can join in and place bets.

The game is tracked using a plastic marker. This marker is black on one side, and white on the other. When the marker is turned black side up, it indicates that the shooter is making a come-out roll. After the shooter makes his point, the marker is flipped over, with the white side up, and placed on the number that corresponds to the point.

While this is going on, you can place your first bet. On the table layout you'll see two lines, one marked pass, the other don't pass. Pass basically means you are betting on the shooter, and don't pass means you are betting against the shooter. Pass and don't pass bets are basically direct opposites of each other but carry about the same odds. Betting on the pass line is typically the more popular of the two, because the player is given the opportunity to increase his odds, and also because it's typically frowned-upon to bet against the shooter.

To place your bet, simply put your wager somewhere on the pass line. If the number rolled on the come-out is 7 or 11 you win and are paid 1:1. You would then bet on a new come-out roll. However, if the dice thrown on the come-out total 2, 3 or 12 (a crap), you lose your bet. If the total is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the point.

Now we are going to discuss the most favorable bet for a craps player: an odds bet. Let's say you have made a pass line bet and a point of 5 has been established. Craps rules now allow you to bet an amount equal to your pass line wager by placing it behind your pass line bet, but outside the pass-line strip. This means it's an odds bet on 5. If a 7 turns up before a 5, you lose both bets. If 5 is thrown before 7, you win both bets.

The odds bet is the best bet you can make because the house has absolutely no edge. The casino will pay you true odds. For example, if you've bet pass line with odds and the point is 10, you will receive a 2-1 payment on your odds bet. Strict craps rules determine the amount you win. It depends on what the point is, and how difficult it is to roll that point number. (See the percentages in an earlier paragraph.) On points of 4 or 10 the pay-off is 2 to 1, on points of 5 and 9 it's 3 to 2 and on points of 6 or 8 you get 6 to 5.

The casino edge on a pass line with odds bet is less than 1%, which makes craps one of the most favorable casino games for the player. There are many other types of bets on a craps table, most of which have too great a house advantage and are therefore called sucker bets. If you can stay disciplined and stick to pass-line bets with odds, you will greatly increase your chances of walking away a winner.

GOOD LUCK!