Craps is one the classic games of luck, where players bet on the outcome of a roll of the dice. It has become a casino favorite as the intensity and pot luck nature draw players to the game. It is a great game for those looking for casual gambling fun but is also suitable for high rollers, but be warned the luck is in the dice.
Being such a popular land based casino standard meant it was inevitable that Craps would make the transition to the casinos internet based cousins. The game is now found one almost all online casinos and gaming sites and if anything the popularity of this exciting game has grown.
Here we will look at how the game of Craps is played and how you can enjoy it as an online experience.
The Basics
Of course looking at a computer screen will mean there is no table in front of you, but the display is the same as it would be if you were at a land based venue. The Craps table is a specially designed gaming surface that has all the possible betting scenarios mapped out on it. The table is home to two dice and there can be as may as 16 players at any one time.
Any player who is currently betting and rolling the dice is called the shooter, and once one round of Craps is played the dice are passed to the next player. The dice move clockwise around the table and it is common practice for the shooter to be presented with five dice, from which he or she will choose two to play with.
The shooter makes a bet and does so either on “Pass” or “Don’t Pass” which are represented by boxes on the table. A round of Craps as two phases called “come out” and “point,” the shooter will begin the round with some come out rolls, and Craps is landed if they roll a 2, 3, or 12, and this will be a losing roll. If 7 or 11 are rolled then this is a win for “pass” bets and is called a natural.
The remaining possible rolls are 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 and a landed throw on these numbers will initiate the point, and that number must then be rolled again, although a 7 will result in a loss. For example if a 5 is rolled the player will then need to aim to throw another 5 while avoiding landing 7.
The Game
Before any Craps round begins the players make their initial bets, and it is at this time of the game that the pass and don’t pass lines are bet on.
The shooter will now be able to begin the game by rolling the two dice in his possession, and this first roll is known as the “come out”. If a wager made is to come out as a winner at this stage the dice will need to land on 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12, and if this is the case the round is over.
If the dice land on the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 then the rolled number will then become the point number for subsequent rolls in the round.
This is known as the point and the player will now need to land the roll to win the game. For example if the dice roll to a 5 then to win the game a player will need to roll the 5 again, and avoid a 7 which is a loss for any point number bet on the pass line, and a win for those on the don’t pass line.
The Pass Line
The pass line bet is the most popular in Craps and is played by placing your bet in the pass line section of the gaming surface. Winning or losing this bet will now depend on the outcome of the dice roll.
- If what is called a natural is rolled then a pass line bet will be victorious. A natural is a roll of 7 or 11.
- A player will lose a pass line bet if the numbers 2, 3 or 12 are rolled, these numbers are also known as Craps.
- If a number of between 4 and 10 comes out on the dice roll then this then becomes the point for further rolls.
- If the point is rolled before a losing 7 then the pass line bet wins.
The Don’t Pass Line
If you wish to predict that the shooter will lose then the don’t pass line is the place to bet on the Craps table.
- A roll of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will set the point for further rolls
- If a 7 or 11 is landed by the roll of the dice then this will result in a loss for the don’t pass bet.
- A don’t pass win is claimed if a 2 or a 3 are rolled by the shooter.
- If the dice land on a 12 then the don’t pass wager maker will have their money refunded.