How to play Craps

Want to know how to play Craps?

There can be little doubt that, among all the major casino standards, few games hold the kind of allure attributed to craps. There is just something about this game that evokes images of high-rolling glitz in the minds of many gamblers. Perhaps not surprisingly, most people who have never worked up the nerve to play craps seem to think the game is far too complicated - and risky - for them to participate. There seems to be a commonly-held belief that craps is a diversion best suited to experienced gamblers who know how to squeeze maximum value from the dice and avoid financial catastrophe.

In fact, craps can often appear to be more unfathomable from an outsider's perspective than it really is. In the interest of exposing a broader segment of the population to this venerable game, this article will review some basic structural elements, as well as some rules and strategy.

In a traditional casino setting, the table is manned by four people: the Boxman is responsible for managing the chips and overseeing the dealers. A pair of Base Dealers are on either side of the Boxman, collecting and paying bets. The Stickman is directly across from the Boxman, announcing the results of each roll and gathering up the dice with the help of a wooden stick.

Bets are always based on the total of both dice added together, rather than just one die or two separate numbers. Players take turns shooting the dice. A new shooter is offered five dice by the Stickman and chooses two. He or she must bet the table minimum on either the "pass line" or the "don't-pass line." All players bet on the same roll, regardless of who the shooter happens to be. The first roll of a new round is called the "come-out" roll.

During a come-out roll, the pass line bettors win with a 7 or 11. A 2, 3, or 12 loses and is called "craps." When any other number is rolled, it's called the "point." When the point has been set, the pass-line bettor wins if the point is rolled again, and loses if a 7 comes first (which is known as a "7-out.") After a 7-out, the dice go to the next shooter for the next come-out roll.

One critical aspect to always think about during any game of craps is the "expected value" of each bet. More often than not, the expected value is slightly negative. The best bets with the most favorable rules feature a house advantage of as low as 0.18%, but these are not very easy to find. Every bet has a negative expectation, other than the "free odds" bet that the player makes after a point is established on a "flat" bet. Because dice have no memory and there is absolutely no connection between one roll and another, there is no way of establishing a strategy that will assure winning over time. Sorry about that.

Seasoned craps players take advantage of "free odds" in which there is no house advantage. Most modern casinos put limitations on how big the odds bet can be, in relation to the flat bet. Some offer 3-4-5 odds or the maximum multiple of the line bet a player can make in odds for the points of 4 and 10, 5 and 9 as well as 6 and 8. Some casinos have been known to offer limited-time promotions, in which 100% odds bets are available. This reduces the house edge to just about zip, so be sure to jump on one of these if it ever comes your way.