The first roll of the dice is called the 'come out' roll. If you roll a 7 or 11, you win. If you roll a 2, 3 or 12, then you have rolled craps and you lose. If you roll any other number it becomes the 'point'. Since there are no craps rolls, if a 2, 3, 11, or 12 appears on the come-out roll, then it becomes the point. The craps table layout is different than the standard layout. The standard layout has point boxes for the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. The crapless craps layout includes point boxes, in sequence, for the 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12.

Beginning gamblers often shy away from the craps table because the game looks complicated. It’s actually easy to play craps because the math keeps everyone honest. A rule of thumb to live by in any casino game is “the more they pay the less likely you are to win the bet”. Hence, there is no shame and a lot of wisdom in playing a conservative craps strategy. Here is a look at 12 secrets every craps player should learn to improve their game.

1. Why are Casino Dice Special?

Casinos use transparent dice because they hide no flaws. Opaque dice can be manufactured to varying standards and can hide balancing flaws. Unbalanced dice do not roll randomly.

And casinos replace their dice often. Casino dice have machine-tooled straight edges. These edges eventually wear down, accumulating imperfections. Imperfections add bias to rolls.

Casino dice are larger and straighter than board gaming dice because players must throw the dice so far on a craps table. The felt top and lining help the dice bounce more randomly than a smooth table top does.

So while you may be practicing your die throws at home, you’re not going to get the same action as at a casino, especially if you never replace your practice dice.

2. How the 5-Count System Works

Since 1994 craps players have debated whether the Captain’s 5-Count system is legit. This system tells you when to bet on a shooter other than yourself. Here are the 5 counts:

• Any point on the Come Out roll roll.
• Any good roll after the 1^st Count roll.
• Any good roll after the 2^nd Count roll.
• Any good roll after the 3^rd Count roll.
• The first point rolled after the 4^th Count roll.

You begin placing low bets on the shooter after he hits his 5^th Count roll. If he never gets there then you never bet on that shooter. Never bet big on another shooter.

The 5-Count method reduces the number and size of bets you place on other shooters, thus reducing your overall risk. The downside of using the 5-Count method is that you watch more than play, but betting on a drunk guy to throw dice the way you want is a pretty risky bet.

Craps Table With 2 3 11 12 Inch

3. You Can Stop the Game for a Dispute

Sometimes the dice roll funny, or maybe you’re not sure you were paid correctly. Before the dice are thrown again, if you are certain something is wrong, you can stop the game. You can ask the dealers to recount or reconsider or, if you disagree with their decisions, ask to speak to the pit boss. This is an option of last resort when you are sure you are right. Casinos want to keep the table in play and will work to resolve disputes quickly but they’ll also ask troublesome or argumentative players to leave.

Stopping play is a mix of courtesy, privilege, and right. It’s not a gambling strategy, at least not a winning one.

4. The More Bets You Place the Worse Your Chances of Winning

This is true in any table game, but some craps players love to place multiple bets. You’re taking on more risk, not spreading the risk, when you place several bets at the same time.

5. Know the Die Roll Probabilities

In a completely random game the chances of any given number on either die being rolled is 1 in 6. The chance of rolling any combination of numbers on the dice is 1 in 36. This “1 in 36” number can mislead you. There are only 11 possible values (2 through 12) that you can roll.

“7” is the most frequent die roll combination. There are 6 ways to roll a “7”. Some writers say there are three ways to roll a “7”: 1 and 6, 2 and 5, or 3 and 4. However, the math has to account for each die separately; hence, the probability of rolling a “7” in craps is 1 in 6.

In declining order of probability, the possible combinations in craps are:

• 7 (1 in 6)
• 6 or 8 (5 in 36)
• 5 or 9 (4 in 36)
• 4 or 10 (3 in 36)
• 3 or 11 (2 in 36)
• 2 or 12 (1 in 36)

6. The “Pass” Bet is More Likely to Pay on Come Out than the “Don’t Pass” Bet

Both Pass and Don’t Pass pay even money so you can bet either way. Still, when you look at the probability table above, the shooter has 8 chances in 36 of rolling 7 or 11 on the Come Out roll and 3 chances in 36 of rolling a 2 or 3. If you are just hoping to win on the Come Out roll, go with the “Pass” bet.

7. The 6 and 8 Points Pay the Most over Time

The 6:5 odds for the 6 and 8 points are the worst and the 2:1 odds for the 4 and 10 points are the best. But the probabilities are best for the 6 and 8 and worst for the 4 and 10.

The premium on a 6:5 payoff for 6 or 8 is 20% over your bet. The premium on a 3:2 payoff for a 5 or 9 is 50% of your bet. The premium on a 2:1 payoff for a 4 or 10 is 100% of your bet. In a perfect distribution of 36 die rolls your expected total premiums are:

• 5 * 20% = 100% (betting on 6 or 8)
• 4 * 50% = 200% (betting on 5 or 9)
• 3 * 100% = 300% (betting on 4 or 10)

Although the 300% ROI for 4/10 looks great there is a slight edge for 6/8 bettors. Because you are losing all those other bets, you lose the least amount of money with the 6/8 points. Note also that multiplying (bets + premiums) by expected wins across the board results in a 600% return. The distribution with the fewest losses is the way to bet.

8. The More Complicated Your Strategy the More Risk You Take

The more you have to think about where your money goes, the odds and probabilities, and when you can bet, the more likely you will make a mistake. High risk strategies pay off less often than low risk strategies. Most experts agree that the long, slow game works best in craps, especially for non-expert players. Keep your money on the Pass Line until you’re way ahead.

9. Avoid Hedge Bets

Ignore dealer calls for “any craps” bets. Your expected return declines your risk grows when you hedge bets. “Any craps” betting is a bet on a bet. This just adds conditions to your Pass Line bet. The strategic way to gamble is to minimize risk while maximizing potential return on bet. The house will drain your bankroll any way it can and hedge bets are a favored gimmick.

10. Use the Tower of Hanoi Method to Manage Your Betting

The Tower of Hanoi is a math puzzle about moving stacks of disks among three pegs. You can never place a disk on a smaller disk. The Tower of Hanoi rule assumes you are willing to lose everything in your bankroll. To conserve your money and manage risk, begin by making minimum bets. Increase your bets only when your bankroll is above its starting value.

Many craps players only risk 5% of their stakes on any bet. The 5% method works well enough but you’ll eventually run into the table minimum. The Tower of Hanoi method starts with the minimum bet as a floor, not 5%. As long as your bankroll is growing you can increase your bets toward the table maximum.

11. Never Return to Your Starting Stake

Let’s say your betting strategies have paid off enough that you have doubled your money. Once you reach that goal you should set a new floor. Walk away from the table if your stake drops to 150% of your original bankroll. This way you walk away a winner.

But there is another reason to do this. If you play any game too long you become tired, especially if you have been drinking. Your decision-making suffers when you are tired. Take “winner’s breaks” as often as possible so that you can give your brain a chance to rest.

12. The House Edge is not Determined by the Odds

Some gamblers assume the house loses more money on the basis of the odds on a given bet. It doesn’t work that way. The game is designed to pay about the same over time on any basic bet but to dilute your return with extra bets. In other words, the house edge is determined by the math behind the game. The odds are just what they are willing to pay you to maintain that edge over time.

Conclusion

Craps is a fine game for any gambler who enjoys taking risks, but you do need to understand the game. Fortunately, craps is designed for players of all experience levels. You don’t have to play all the different types of bets. And isn’t it interesting that the best strategies favor beginner-level bets anyway?

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Table Of Contents

• Craps rolls are one of the most interesting events that happen on the Casino floor.
• This Craps strategy guide for beginners helps you understand the ins and outs of the pass or come bet.
• Read it before your round begins to understand your chances to win playing online Craps.

Craps is one of the most exciting gambling games since the Middle Age. If you don’t know how to play Craps and you haven’t played online yet, now it's your chance.

What you see here is the only craps for dummies guide you'll ever need to learn the game.

This is an all-in-one Craps for beginners resource where you find the best Craps strategies, the best Craps Casinos to play online, and all the proposition bets you should avoid.

Also, I added the basics of Craps etiquette because placing one or two winning bets doesn't authorize you to do everything you want or behave like Will Ferrel, Amy Poehler, and Jason Mantzoukas in The House.

Although it's one of the most popular and played games at land-based casinos, the game of craps not one of the top favorites of online players.

Some believe craps is a complicated game with rules and bets that do not fit the speed of online gambling. They get confused by concepts like odds bets, betting on the pass line, comeout roll, snake eyes, and lay odds- and that’s why they often skip this table game.

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How to Play Craps for Dummies

How to Play Craps for Beginners?

Beginners are often so intimidated by the numbers, the terms, and all the different bets available in a game of craps. Also, complicated tables like the ones you find on Wizard of Odds might push you away from the craps tables and not play the game.

Playing craps is easy. You don’t need anything more than a guide for Dummies like this one to move from beginner to expert.

If you don’t know how to play craps, make sure you read the part that follows carefully enough to pay attention to all the different elements that compose a game of craps.

When you are done with my Craps for Dummies guide, you are ready to play the game.

Once you pass the learning part, the game is simple. So, let’s not beat around the bush and get to the good part – craps rules for dummies, that is.

Learning Craps Rules for Dummies in 3 Minutes or Less

Why three minutes? Because there are three main rules to learn to know how to play craps. This is a guide for dummies - meaning we like to keep things short and simple.

That’s why three minutes is more than enough to learn how to play craps.

Craps betting round starts with a come-out roll.

That’s the first term beginners need to learn and add to their vocabulary.

The come-out roll is the first roll of the dice or the first one after the previous betting round has finished.

The player who throws the dice is called the 'shooter'.

A game of craps plays as follows: you, 'shooter', take two dice and throw them on the craps table - or press 'roll' button if we are talking about online craps.

Once the number rolled is on your screen, there are three possible outcomes:

1. Natural

Here’s when things get really good. A 'Natural' means that the result of your roll is a 7 or an 11. When this happens, you win and get to roll the dice again.

2. Craps

You roll a 2 (also known as the Snake Eyes), 3, or 12. Here’s when you lose.

BUT the round is not over, and you get to roll again.

3. Point

You roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

In a live casino, a dealer would mark your Point (the rolled number) on the table.

In online craps games, there is a small button that appears once the Point is established. It’s white and says 'On'.

What you need to do now is to roll the dice once more and hope you’ll hit the same number again. It doesn’t have to be the same combination of dice as you had before. As long as it’s the same sum – you win.

Do you know why the sequence above misses a seven?

Craps Table With 2 3 11 12 Months

The number 7 is not a very lucky one in this case since if you roll a 7, you 'seven out' – you lose and end the betting round.

Once you learn this part by heart, you can move on to the betting options.

That’s the fun part. Because that’s the one that can make you win a lot.

Playing Craps for Dummies: Betting Rules

If you take a look at the craps table, both online and offline, you can see that it’s not only dice and numbers.

Now that you know how to shoot craps and how to evaluate the result of your roll let’s have a look at how to bet in a game of craps.

Remember: this is a craps guide for dummies, so I am going to analyze everything looking at a game of craps as a beginner would do.

The layout has a handful of areas for different betting options.

Pass or Don’t Pass Bets

First, you can bet either on the 'Pass Line' or the 'Don't Pass Line'.

The Pass Line bet means you bet that the shooter will pass (win) by rolling out a natural or by winning the point before seven-ing out.

The Don’t Pass Line corresponds to the opposite bet. In this case, you bet that the shooter will not pass (lose). It can happen if the player shoots to get a 2 or 3, or fails to roll the point again before a 7 shows up its ugly head.

And then there is a 12. If it’s rolled now, your bet is a Push – meaning nothing happens. You don’t win, but you don’t lose either.

You can make these bets only before the point has been established on the table. Once the point has been rolled out and the shooter needs to roll the sum again, you can make a come or don’t come bet.

Come or Don’t Come Bets

These bets can only be made after the point has been determined.

The Come Bet wins if a natural is rolled out and loses if the craps are.

If the point is rolled out, it becomes the Come-Bet point.

It works just like the Pass line one: if the come-bet point rolls out again before 7 does, you win. If not, it’s not your lucky round, pal.

Don’t come bet is just like the Don’t pass one. You’re in luck if the shooter rolls a 2 or 3, not so much if it's a 7 or 11. A 12 here is a push again.

Once the point is made, you should hope for 7 before the shooter rolls out the point again.

Neither Pass nor Come bets can be turned off. You bet and wait until it plays itself out. But you can make additional bets on the come-bet point, too. And those you can withhold or increase at any time.

Proposition Bets in Craps

These are one-roll bets (with one exception, as you can see in the table below) that you can place on any roll.

Bet	Wins if
Any Seven	The shooter rolls a 7
Any Craps	The shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12
Ace Deuce	The shooter rolls a 3
Aces	The shooter rolls a 2
Boxcars	The shooter rolls a 12
Horn	The shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11, or 12

The exception I mentioned earlier is called Hard ways. In this case, you win if you roll a 4, 6, 8, or 10 (depends on which one you bet) with the pair of same numbers (2 and 2, 3 and 3, and so on) before any other combination that makes that sum or a 7

Other Possible Bets in a Game of Craps

Place Bets:Once you know the point, you can bet on any number on the table. You win if it’s rolled out before a 7, you lose if it isn’t.

Field Bets: This type of bet is only active for one dice roll. You win if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 is rolled. A 5, 6, 7, or 8 makes you lose.

Big 6 and Big 8 bets: If you want to bet that 6 or 8 will be rolled before 7, These are the two bets for you.

These bets only pay 1:1.

Practice Craps Online: Where Beginners Should Play Craps

The best way to learn craps online is to practice craps online.

Now that you know about the different bets and outcomes of a roll, you should be ready to move from asking how to shoot craps to playing craps online.

And if you don’t want to risk your cash on real money games until you are 100 per cent sure that you know how to win at craps - that’s not a problem.

The best online craps sites for beginners five you the chance to play and practice craps online for free for as long as you need.

You can also use the Casino bonuses you receive on most sites when you sign up but, given the house edge of this game, you should start for free.

The best site to play craps online for free and get a hang of the game is this one.

I suggest you open a free account on this page to find the best Craps tables online and play the game. That’s the best way to learn craps if you don’t have a brick-and-mortar casino next door to go to.

Craps Table With 2 3 11 12 Volt

That’s what I did when I first played Craps.

It all will look a lot easier once you practice craps online.

And once you feel that online, free practice has made it perfect, you can move to real money craps games.

The game of craps has really good odds with the house edge of only 1,41%.

That beats roulette and even blackjack when it's played with the basic strategy. There’re many betting rules to remember at first but they come naturally later on. And they actually make the game even more exciting.

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