Craps has to be one of the most exciting games that take place in a casino. The fun at the table usually makes this one of the loudest games on the floor, always getting heads to turn towards the action. Craps is a game where you will find groups of players standing at a table, all participating in active bets. The game itself is pretty straightforward, you throw the dice and you simply have to guess the value of the outcome. If you don’t have your favorite craps strategy yet, it would certainly be the best practice to be equipped with the necessary knowledge about Craps strategies used and the craps bet types that are available to you. If you don’t know them, then don’t worry too much as the betting types are pretty easy to get used to and usually you have one type of bet with the next type being the exact opposite. JohnniePoker site was created to help you understand and choose the best craps strategy. You just need to get used to the game and you’ll realize just how much fun it can be!
Craps Rules
Playing craps online is a very fun alternative and it’ll give you better odds than real/offline casinos. You just need to start by getting acquainted with the people at the table — there are four who are in charge.
You have the ‘BOXMAN‘ who is the boss. The ‘boss’ sits right behind the middle of the table and is there to see and monitor everything that goes on during the craps gambling game.
Then you have ‘THE DEALERS‘. There are two dealers placed on either side of the ‘Boxman’ and they are in charge of handling players on their respective sides. Their main job is to pay the winners and withdraw chips from the losers.
There is the ‘STICKMAN‘ – the fancy guy with the stick- who is in charge of the dice. As soon as all of the bets have been placed, the ‘Stickman’ grabs sets of dice and directs them towards the shooter. At this point, the player can decide which set of dice they want to use and then will be ready to play. The player has to then roll the dice across the table and they have to hit the wall on the other side.
Everything else you need to know will be explained throughout the detailed information below. Read on and get Craps suave!
One of the best betting options in any casino is by far the game of Craps. The house edge in craps is around 1.41%and this works out at more than triple that of roulette and considerably better than slot machines. Keeping this in mind, you are more likely to get an expected return of around 99c in this game. However, to do this and get great odds, you would need to only make the best bets and avoid the “crap” ones. Delve into our Craps lessons and we will reveal all the tricks that you need to watch out for.
Here is a game that is bound to offer you heaps of entertainment, as it’s pretty normal to see and hear players shout and scream when they win at Craps.
Since this is a game where you actually roll the dice yourself, it gives you that feeling of determining whether you’re going to win or lose, you’re in control! In all other table games, you have someone else in charge of dealing you the cards or spinning the little marble. That’s why Craps is so much better!
(Read more about bet types, win rates and payouts in the Craps Bet Types section below and also the Craps Glossary at the bottom of this page)
How many different bets can you make in Craps?
There are so many different bets a player can make in Craps that if we had to try to cover them all, we would still be here explaining all of them many months down the road. So keeping this in mind, be aware that there are only a few bets that are ‘must know’, the rest aren’t worth concerning yourself with anyway. So how do you master this game? Simple, print the picture (to the right), then follow the examples below by moving the chips and a marker around on the printout. Now it’s time to get down to business and see how the game is played.
How to roll the dice?
Every player will get a turn at rolling the dice. A person that rolls is called a ‘shooter’. Whether you’re a shooter or not, you still bet on the same roll of the dice. A shooter gets to keep rolling until he actually ‘sevens out’. From here on another player gets to roll. When a player ‘sevens out’ it means they have rolled a seven at the wrong time.
What sort of game is Craps?
It’s a game of rounds. The game starts off with a Come-Out Roll meaning the first roll of a round, the round that may last for just a single roll or for several rolls, depending on the type and time of the roll. If you get mixed up, don’t worry the following Come-Out Roll would be on the way where everything starts over. When the dealer turns the hockey puck on the table to ‘OFF’ and says ‘coming out’, this would mean the game is on the verge of a come out roll, meaning a new round would be starting – awesome!
What does a Craps table look like?
The Table
All craps tables are covered in feeling, very similar to other poker or blackjack tables in a casino. On it, you will find the craps betting types that would be printed on felt. Here you will have the spaces where you can place your bets. In the center, one can find the area where One Roll Bets and Hardways can be placed. At the end of Craps’ tables, you will notice the sections where Come, Place, Pass Line, Field, and other bets are placed. Both ends of the table are identical. The normal colors of a craps table would be green felt with white lettering, however, sometimes you get casinos that would change them.
Who else can you spot the table?
A craps table can be spotted by the numerous number of people that stand around it, it easy enough to tell you that there is a minimum of four casino workers standing around a craps table. This will help you identify these tables even on a rather quiet night. The tables are also rather longish.
You choose which craps to play
For many online fanatics, there are many aspects they are in favor of when playing in online Craps casinos and there is much more reason they love this apart from the fact of never having to leave their home. On the other hand, however, players who spend time at offline craps casinos will tell you that the atmosphere of live craps games can simply never be matched. They also like to let it serve as an outing and they tend the find the game more realistic when dealing with live dealer craps.
Craps Online Casinos Advantages
By playing craps online there are many other advantages that online gaming brings with it. There is the mobility of giving you the chance to take your favorite craps games with you wherever you choose to go, and there is also the advantage of all craps games being as close as your computer. The play is always available to you after just a few clicks or loading time and the time that you save from traveling to physical casinos results in longer gambling sessions.
In addition, money that you would usually spend on transportation, fuel, and meals can be put towards a bigger gaming bankroll. When visiting online casinos however do not just be lured in by the welcome bonuses on offer, be sure to check out all the wagering requirements as these will obviously vary between one casino and another. It is always beneficial to look out for high bonuses and low wagering requirements because this way your chances increase. See our ranking of selected bonuses for an online casino where we combined highest welcome offer you can get when playing craps with lowest wagering requirements. That would allow you to maximize the chances to not only lose as little as possible but even to withdraw some cash.
These are our suggestions on how to start the play: Search for free no deposit bonus and play to minimize the house edge of online craps casinos.
Pick the craps strategy which will reduce the house edge to less than 1%. There are three-bet types that allow you to do this best, and these are the [passline], the [come]and [taking odds]. Ideally, if you want to increase your chances of winning at online craps we suggest placing a come bet or a new pass line bet on each roll. This is a system where you will see a lot of money going from one player to another so there will be winning days as well as losing ones. This is the system that most prolific craps betters use, a system that keeps you hot in the action with a chance for winning big while playing with the lowest house edge.
There is one alternative system that provides odds that are slightly better and you can achieve this by placing a bet that is opposite to the one we just explained above. Here you would need to place a Don’t Pass or Don’t Come bet on each roll and follow this by laying the maximum odds possible. When you lay odds don’t forget that it will cost you more than taking odds. This kind of craps strategy can drive you towards bigger swings with a higher risk.
Here you can check other winning strategies and learn all about bet types.
Number Generation
In a land-based casino, craps is a very fast game played by the throwing of a set of dice and the same notion and intense action can also be found via online craps. The same great game was invented for players who choose to play online in the virtual form using software simulators. Have a read through the below information where we speak about number generation. When a player is wagering at craps in an online casino the dice are not rolled from a physical dealer. It is a software that simulates all of the actions. When using software the outcomes have to be such that they cannot be predicted in order to ensure fairness. This is known as the random number generator (RNG), the component of the software that makes all this possible. When talking about live casinos, however, the process that generates the outcome is performed by physical processes.
With the online RNG, the events on the screen happen easily and promptly. However, when you look at the sequence of happenings within the software, this is a bit more complicated. The RNG is activated when the event is set off, this happens by the throwing of the dice. Here the software generates a number by chance which in return is linked to a particular event. In craps, this will happen by the RNG generating two numbers for the two dice that have been rolled. Each number would obviously be from 1 to 6.
When an online casino uses such software, once installed, the software, including the RNG are deeply tested and after this has been done and approved, it is sealed.
No online casino powered by the software or the software provider itself can tamper with the software. In fact, as a more elaborate precaution, online casino gaming authorities demand that the RNG is checked every now and then for randomness. This way, more peace of mind is given to casino players that the games are probably fair and safe.
Drawbacks of playing online craps
If on the other hand, you are a person who loves being out, loves crowds and likes a bit of action, then online craps might have some drawbacks. For instance, online craps do not come with interaction, there is no dice throwing, no people to cheer when something happens and no live energy. A real-life casino allows you to feel more energy while playing.
Basic Play
The first thing you need to do is find a craps table and be sure that the minimum bet amount is within your budget range ( here you can check how to manage the money when playing craps). Then you need to put down on the table the money you are ready to bet so that the dealer will exchange it for chips. When changing chips back to money, however, this cannot be done at the table, you need to go to the cash desk.
Players take it in turns to roll the dice and if you walk up to a table and someone is rolling, you then have to wait until the following “come out” roll prior to placing your bet. As soon as a shooter rolls a seven after a point has been established better known as ‘sevening out’, the next player will become the shooter.
In order to lay down a Pass Line Bet, you put your bet on the Pass Line prior to the shooter rolling his come out roll. For instance, if you bet $10. The shooter starts off with a hot hand and rolls a seven straight away, this would mean that you have doubled your money and you now have $20. At this point you can choose to either collect your winnings and leave your original bet on the table or else you can do what is called ‘ pressing your bet’. Let’s say you decide to do this.
At this point the shooter happens to roll an 8, therefore the 8 becomes the point. Remember before you see a 7 now, you would want to see another 8. Here the dealer places a white puck on the number 8 in The Place Bets section to mark the point. If instead of a white puck there is a black puck showing, then this means that no point has been set.
Now the next roll happens to be a 3, after that a 5 and last but not least two fours or better still an 8 the hard way. This would mean that you have just doubled your money one more time. Here you can choose if you want to collect your winnings or put down another one for the next roll. And there my friend is all you need to know about the most basic craps game.
For anyone to whom the basic play is already known, we have also explored some of the more advanced tactics and strategies to win at online craps in the section titled Winning Strategies.
Table Etiquette
- When you’re rolling dice, don’t polish them or blow on them, simply shake them in one hand and roll them to the back wall down the table.
- When you roll them, try and keep them on the table because if you don’t the roll will not count.
- Except for the Pass Line, Field, Don’t Pass Line, Don’t Come or Come, never reach into portions of the table, you place your own bets in those areas. For the other areas, the dealer must place the best for you.
- Unless you are leaving the table, don’t exchange lower denomination chips for higher denomination chips.
- Never touch the dealer.
- When you’re telling the dealer how much and where you want to bet, speak clearly.
- While the dice are still in the middle of the table make sure you get your bet in early. Late bets can give the impression as though you are past posting. As well, after the shooter has the dice, most dealers won’t take bets.
- According to your position at the table, dealers usually have systems for paying winnings, just be calm and wait for your turn to be paid.
- While you’re waiting to be paid, be sure not to touch your chips.
- It’s best to place your best on the table closest to where you are standing.
- Just as the dealer would be about to pay you, now is the time to tell him if you would want to press your bet. This would save him having to count out your chips twice.
Craps Table with No House Edge
I mentioned that the pass line bet at the craps table has a house edge of only 1.41%, and that’s a great deal. But there’s an even better bet at the craps table that isn’t labeled. It’s called the “odds bet” or the “free odds bet.” When a shooter makes a come out roll in craps and sets a point, you can place an additional bet called the odds bet. This bet pays off at the same odds as you have of winning the bet. This means that the bet has no house edge at all.
The following are the possible point numbers in craps:
- 4
- 5
- 6
- 8
- 9
- 10
The odds bet pays off when the shooter makes the point before rolling a 7. If the point is 4 or 10, the bet pays off at 2 to 1 odds. If the point is 5 or 9, the bet pays off at 3 to 2 odds. If the point is 6 or 8, the bet pays off at 6 to 5 odds. I should point out that you’ll lose the odds bet more often than not, but when you win, the payoff is enough that in the long, you’ll break even.
The more you can bet, the lower your cumulative house edge becomes. The pass line bet plus the free odds bet is the best bet in the casino that doesn’t involve any kind of skill. (Counting cards plus basic strategy is a better bet, but it takes tremendous skill. Video poker requires being able to choose the right pay table and then making the right decisions on every hand.)