Craps is a game of luck that involves betting on the outcome of two dice being thrown across a purpose-built table. It's a casino dice game that offers plenty of excitement, but the betting layout looks rather complicated, and that sometimes puts people off from giving it a go. In this article, you'll learn that the game of craps isn't nearly as complicated as most people think. We'll take you on a whistle-stop tour of the table layout, explain the main craps rules and explain how to play craps online like an old pro.
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Introducing the Craps Table
We will start our discussion by explaining how the game is set up. At the heart of the game is the online craps table itself. This has a betting layout that is divided into many different zones, each of which represents a different kind of bet. It looks quite complicated at first glance, but when you understand what each zone means, it becomes a whole lot simpler.
Rather than taking you through each section right now, we will first present the rules of the game and how it is played. As we do so, we will talk about various betting options, such as the Pass Line and Come. You will then be able to refer back to the craps table and see that those options have their own zones on the layout. Players place the chips that they want to bet on the area of the table that represents the bet they want to make. It really is that simple, and once you understand how the game of online craps unfolds it won't seem at all complicated.
How to Play Online Craps: Rules of the Game
A game of online craps begins when a player - known as the 'shooter' - rolls two dice down the table. When playing at online casinos, you do this by clicking a Roll button or similar. The aim of the shooter is to roll a first number. This is known as the 'come out' roll. If the total of the come out roll is 2, 3 or 12 (collectively known as craps) the shooter loses. If the total is 7 or 11, the shooter wins. If the total is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, it becomes a point. The shooter must then try and roll the point number before he rolls a seven.
Pass Line
When you play craps online, you must make a bet on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass before the shooter rolls. With a Pass Line bet you are betting that the shooter will win outright by rolling a 7 or 11, or that he will make a point. Wait for the come out roll and the game will proceed as follows:
- If the shooter rolls 7 or 11, your Pass Line will win and you will be paid at odds of 1:1.
- If the shooter rolls 2 or 3, your Pass Line bet will lose.
- If the shooter rolls 12, a Push is declared and your Pass Line bet will be returned.
- If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that total becomes the point and the shooter must try to hit it again before rolling a 7.
When a point has been established, your bet on the Pass Line will stay there. It now becomes a bet that the shooter will make his point before he rolls a 7. At this stage of the game, you can make other bets on how the shooter will fare with his subsequent rolls.
Don’t Pass
When you bet on Don’t Pass you are betting that the shooter will lose by rolling a 2 or 3, or by rolling a 7 before any point he establishes. The possible outcomes here are as follows:
- If the shooter rolls 2 or 3, your Don’t Pass bet will win and you will be paid at odds of 1:1.
- If the shooter rolls 7 or 11, your Don’t Pass bet will lose.
- If the shooter rolls 12, a Push is declared and your Don’t Pass bet will be returned.
- If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that total becomes the point and the shooter must try to hit it again before rolling a 7.
When a point has been established, your bet on Don’t Pass will stay there. It now becomes a bet that the shooter will roll a 7 before he makes his point. Again, at this stage of the game, you can make other bets on how the shooter will fare with his subsequent rolls.
Come and Don’t Come
You can only make a Come or Don’t Come bet when you have previously bet on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass, respectively, and when a point has been established by the shooter. A Come bet is basically like another Pass Line bet, while a Don’t Come is like another Don’t Pass bet. The odds for success are 1:1.
Place Bets
You can bet on any number from 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, and if it is rolled before a 7 is rolled, your bet will win. The odds for success depend on the number you have bet on, as detailed later.
Field Bets
You can bet that 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will be rolled on the very next roll of the dice. The odds for success are 1:1 for 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11, and 2:1 for 2 or 12.
Hard Way Bets
You can also bet that the shooter will roll a pair of matching dice that totals 4, 6, 8, or 10. For example, a hard way bet on 10 will only win if the 10 is achieved by a 5 and another 5. The odds here are 8:1 for 4 or 10 and 10:1 for 6 or 8.
Big 6 and Big 8
You can bet that a 6 or 8 will be rolled before a 7. Whether you side with Big 6 or Big 8, the odds paid for success are 1:1.
Other Bets
You can bet on the next roll being Any 7, Any Craps Online, or on specific numbers such as 2, 3, 11, or 12. Each option will pay its own odds for success.
At this stage, it should be clear that the game of craps isn’t nearly as complicated as most people think. While it is more involved than some other casino games, it certainly isn’t rocket science, and now that you understand how it is played and the various betting options that are available, the craps table layout should make a lot more sense to you.
Online Craps Game Variations
The game of online craps is fairly standard, so there aren't nearly as many variants as there are of games like roulette or keno online. That said, there is plenty of variety in how the game is presented, which means that you'll never run the risk of getting bored or lacking choice.
One type of craps game that is a little different is Live Craps. While most online craps games are driven entirely by software, there are some that are operated by professional dealers, just as they are in land-based casinos. They use real dice and a real table, and the game is broadcast via video link so that you can bet on the action as it unfolds.
The rules of Live Craps games are generally as we have described earlier, but you should always check the rules before playing, just in case. The biggest advantage of Live Online Craps online over software-driven simulations is that they are a lot more realistic, so they can be even more exciting than their virtual cousins.
Craps Odds & Payouts
We have already mentioned the odds that are paid for several different types of bets, but it can be helpful to have them all in the same place for easy reference, especially when you're playing online. Here, then, is our ready-reference Craps Odds & Payouts table. This gives you the name of each bet, the odds paid for success with it at most casinos and the associated House Edge figure so that you can see which bets are skewed more heavily in favour of the casino.
Below list is showing Bets, odds paid and house edge:
Betting Options and Craps Strategy
One of the great things about craps is that you can make the game as simple or engaging as you want it to be. At the simplest end of the scale, you can place a bet on the Pass Line or Don't Pass and leave things there. At the other end, you can bet on the Pass Line or Don't Pass and then place several other bets as the shooter strives to achieve his established point before rolling a 7.
Because the outcome of every online craps game is determined entirely by the rolling of the dice, there is nothing that you can do to influence it. Craps is a game of pure chance, and skill has no bearing on it whatsoever.
Having said that, you can improve your chances of winning by being selective about what you bet on. As you saw in the chart presented in the previous section of this article, the house edge varies quite significantly between different bets, and that tells you how much money the casino expects to retain from bets over the long term. A casino can therefore expect to retain $1.36 from every $100 bet on Don't Pass, and it can expect to retain $16.67 from every $100 bet on Any 7. Those are average figures, of course, and they apply over the long term, but they do illustrate how some bets are more player-friendly than others.
Perhaps the best craps strategy around is to keep things simple and focus on the bets that give the house its smallest advantage. That means betting on the Pass Line or Don't Pass, and optionally, Come or Don't Come. The Don't Pass and Don't Come options are very slightly better than the Pass Line and Come options, but because they involve opposing the shooter they are not quite as popular with players. After all, who doesn't like to see the shooter beat the house?
Craps Tips for Beginners
Craps is one of the most popular dice games around, and as you have seen, it isn't nearly as complicated as many people initially believe. Even so, if you are only just becoming familiar with the game it makes sense to get involved slowly and steadily so that you can learn to play at a comfortable pace. We will therefore end this article by presenting a handful of craps tips that should help you to get off to the best possible start.
Play Free Craps Online
One of the best ways to start playing craps online is to focus on free play opportunities. Either play regular online craps games in demo mode, if that option is available, or take advantage of casino promotions to get some bonus funds and play with those. This will give you experience at the craps table, and if you make a mistake or two it won’t cost you any real money.
Remember Craps Strategy
While you can’t influence the odds of the game, you can improve your chances of making winning bets by focusing on opportunities that give the house its lowest edge over you. Stick to the Pass Line and Come if you want to take the side of the one shooting craps, or to Don’t Pass and Don’t Come if you want to oppose the shooter.
Don’t Be Superstitious
Many players can get very superstitious with games of chance, but that is always a big mistake. There is nothing that you can do to influence the outcome of any roll of the dice, and there is no reason why a game will respond differently for one player as it will for another.
Manage Your Bankroll Wisely
Playing online craps can be a lot of fun, but – like any online gambling game – it should never be viewed as a way to make money. Only play with money that you can afford to lose and manage that disposable sum carefully so that you get maximum entertainment value from it. For example, you’ll have more fun at the craps table by making 50 bets of C$1 each than you will by making 5 bets of C$10 each.
Study the Game of Craps
In this article, we've given you all you need to know about how to get started with craps online, but if you want to get really serious about the game it is well worth studying it in more detail. Read through the craps rules given for any game you play online, as each game explains things in its own unique way. Also, read books and articles, or watch YouTube videos that discuss craps in depth.
