Craps is a table game with dice. Taking a look at the table layout might make your head spin, but once you figure out the rules, you’ll see it is quite easy. Winning in this game, on the other hand, depends on your skills, experience, and, in the bottom line, luck.
How to Play
The entire wisdom of craps is that you make your wager by betting on a pair of dice. One of the gamblers will roll the dice, and the objective is to hit 7 or 11. If no players get these numbers, they will have to settle for the point number before starting another roll for a 7.
Once the dice start rolling, every player hopes to get the number they placed their wager on. However, there is an option to bet against the table, which means the player will wager on a losing number.
The gambler who hit either 7 or 11 wins. Numbers like 2, 3, or 12 are craps, and they mean that the players will lose. Nonetheless, which number will bring you gain depends on the stage of the game. When players settle the point, 7 becomes the losing number.
The Disc, Pass Line and Point Numbers
Besides dices and chips, a disc will be placed on the table. This object serves the dealer to monitor the game development. If the disc is turned on the side with the “Off” word, it is a sign that the new round is beginning.
The pass line is the essential element of craps wagering. When you bet on it, the 7 and 11 will be the winning numbers. Also, another round will not begin until players make their bets on the pass line.
The other option you’ll see on the game layout is “don’t pass bar.” Putting your chips on this field indicates that you’re wagering against the table. That means that if the dice roll 2, 3, or 12, you will win.
Numbers such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 neither lose or win. These are known as the point numbers, and if they appear on the dice, the game is moving to another phase.
When the point number is established, the dealer will flip the disc on the side with the word “On.” Then the player’s objective becomes to roll that point number. That also includes players who wagered on the pass line. If the roll doesn’t hit 7, the shooter will keep on rolling until they hit either point or 7. The point number will win, and 7 will lose.
Let’s say the point number is 6. The player tries to roll it but hits 7 instead. That means all players that wagered on the pass line lost their bet.
The game continues until gambler hits the point number. When that occurs, a new round of bets can start.
The Come Bet
Here is the thing, when you begin the game, you’ll have to bet on the pass. And, you will lose if you get craps (2, 3, or 12). Now, when the point is settled, and you get the come-out round, the next wise move to make a bet is on the come.
The come is basically the same bet as pass — you win if the dice rolls a 7 or 11, and lose if it hits craps. The point numbers will have no impact on this bet.
Don’t Pass and Don’t Come Bets
These are the bets that represent the opposite of the pass and the come bet. The don’t pass bet means you’re wagering against the table. Same goes for the don’t come bet.
If you make one of these bets, your gain will depend on dice rolling either 2 or 3. In case the shooter hits 7 or 11, you will lose. You will not win if the dice show you 12, even though this is the craps. That bet will actually be a push, and you can take your money back.
If the shooter hits any other number, it becomes the point. The 7 that is rolled before the point number repeats mean that players who wagered on don’t pass and don’t come win. However, if point number comes before a 7, these bettors lose.
The Free and the Lay Odd Bets
To make a free bet, you must first place your chips on either pass or come. When the point is settled, you can make a backup wager — the free odds bet.
This bet can multiply, or be equal to your initial bet. That will depend on whether the casino offers a single or multiple odds. In the first case, the amount of your free bet will have to be the same as what you wagered on the pass or come.
Don’t pass and don’t come players can backup their bet with lay odds wager. This is the bet that comes after you wagered on don’t come or don’t pass. Here you can keep your bets on the table minimum, and then place a higher amount on the lay odds. By doing that, you will give the negligible part of your gain to the house, since there is no house edge on lay bet either. Yet, the house will have their benefits since gamblers will have to bet on the don’t pass and don’t come.
How to Win at Craps
There are a few ways to approach the craps table in order to win. You can use the dice control, keep your pass and come bets at the table minimum, and keep your original bet at the table minimum, and lay your bet on odds later.
Use the Dice Control
This strategy is based on the fact that dice controllers can diminish the frequency of 7 and heighten the possibility of point number rolls. That means the odds can be changed in their favor.
The truth is that dice control is a skill you gain by practicing for hours. Even those that are experienced controllers confirm that it doesn’t work every time. The moment physical conditions change, the gain will be lost.
Keeping the Your Bets at the Table Minimum
Keeping your bets at the table minimum is one of the more realistic strategies. However, you should have in mind that all bets except free odds and lay odds have the house edge.
For instance, if you make your bet on the pass for 20 dollars, you will give the house a little less than 30 cents, since the house edge is 1.41% of your bet. To make a house edge smaller, you can bet five dollars on the pass, and put the rest on free odds bet. This means that the biggest part of your bet will be paid out with no house edge.
Never Wager the Amount You Cannot Afford to Lose
If all that you can bet on is a single odds, then you should do just that. To be reminded, the single odds are the same amount as your pass bet in the first round.
However, if you get lucky enough to start a chain of wins, you will boost your bankroll. That means you can also increase the amount of your wager. If you do want to do that, the wise move would be to boost your bet on odds.
If you’re already betting the maximum amount on the odds, you can consider raising your pass or come wager. Most of the gamblers play multiple numbers while keeping the minimal house edge. You can do that by following your pass bets with come, and then make free odds wager to backup your come bet.
You can apply the same method on don’t pass bets. Keep them at the table minimum, and then back up the don’t pass with lay odds bet.
Newbie Traps
Now, the craps table has all sorts of bets that you can use (as you have noticed in this article), but not all of them are equally good. In fact, the designers of the table have specifically made certain bets more alluring than the others, design-wise. Those bets are the “Big 6” and the “Big 8.” +
Those bets are called that way because that’s exactly what they are. The numbers that you can bet on are closer to you and bigger than the rest of the numbers. For all intents and purposes, these bets are pretty much the same as the “place” bets for the same numbers. But, the payout is just smaller. So, overall, the casino gets to increase the house edge by making certain bets closer to the edge of the table; in fact, the betting minimums for the “Big” bets are even lower than the betting minimums for the rest of the table.
There are also such things as proposition bets which extend to single throws. They can be very fun, but the house edge usually remains too high for the game of craps. Remember, if you play your bets right, you can reduce the house edge to 0%. Unfortunately, you can’t do that with proposition bets, the lowest you can get the house edge is 11% with these.
Final Thoughts
Like other casino games, craps is a game where luck plays the leading role. Whatever approach you choose in order to win, you will have to know the rules and have enough experience to lean on.
However, placing the minimum bet and then backing it up with odds bet is a good move even for the beginners. To ensure the win, a good tip is to place bets on more numbers. That is why you should choose a craps table with multiplier odds, and place your high bets on either lay or free odds.