The rules of play

Craps is a game played by one or more players. Players take turns rolling two dice. The player rolling the dice is called the "shooter." The game is played in rounds, with the first roll of a new round called the "come-out roll."

On the come-out roll, if the total of the two dice is 2, 3 or 12 it is called "craps" and the shooter loses his pass line bet, while a result of 7 or 11 is called a "natural," resulting in a pass line win for the shooter. Either a "craps" or a "natural" ends the round and the shooter must roll a new come-out. When any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled on the come-out roll, this number becomes what is called the "point." If a point is established, then the shooter will re-roll the dice continuously until either a 7 is rolled or the point is rolled again. If the shooter rolls the point again, the shooter wins his pass line bet, the round ends and the game starts over with the same shooter rolling another come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 instead of the point (this is called a "seven-out"), the shooter loses his pass line bet, the round ends, and the dice pass to the next player to the left, who becomes the new shooter.

Players can make any of a large number of bets. Most of these are betting on the way the round will end (point comes or a seven out). Other betting can include betting on a specific total being rolled, or a specific total being rolled before a 7. In a casino players will make bets with chips on a specially made craps table.

A casino craps table is run by four casino employees: a boxman who guards the chips, supervises the dealers and handles coloring out players; two base dealers who stand to either side of the boxman and collect and pay bets; and a stickman who stands directly across the table from the boxman and announces the results of each roll and then collects the dice with an elongated wooden stick. He is also in charge of managing the bets made on the center of the table (hardways, yo, horn, etc).

A new shooter, who must bet the table minimum on either the pass line or the don't pass line to play, is presented five dice by the stickman and picks two.

The dealers will usually insist that the shooter roll with one hand and that the dice bounce off the wall surrounding the table. These requirements are meant to prevent cheating attempts by players switching the dice or making a "controlled shot." If a die leaves the table, the shooter will usually be asked to select another die from the remaining three but can request using the same die if it passes the boxman's inspection. This requirement is used in an effort to reduce cheating the game by players substituting loaded dice for the regulation dice.

Nine is often called a "Centerfield Nine" because 9 is the center of the Field bet. Five is often called "No Field Five" to remind the players that 5 is not paid in the Field bets. In Atlantic City, a 4-5 is called a "Railroad Nine."

• Don't expect to win every roll of the dice.
• Raise as you win, lower bets as you lose.
• If you wish to play and enjoy the game for a longer period of time, stick to the 'pass/don't pass' and 'come/don't come' bets.
• If you're looking to 'hit and run' and winning is a priority, opt for high-odds bets.
• On the come out roll, place a pass bet and an equivalent field bet, that way if the shooter craps out, you still win in the field, if the shooter wins with 7 or 11 you still break even.

Craps Betting Strategy

Good Bets

The best bet in a craps game on the come out roll is the pass line bet. The house edge on this bet is only 1.41%. Most of the other bets on the table offer much worse odds than this. If you're a beginner, or if you just want to minimize your risk, stick with this bet for starters. (If you want to split hairs, the actual best bet is the don't pass bet, which has a house edge of 1.36%, but most people don't like it when you root against them. And I'm not usually willing to antagonize the shooter over a 0.05% mathematical advantage.)

The best in a craps game after the come out roll is the odds bet. Once a point has been determined by the come out roll, you can make an additional bet that's a multiple of your pass line bet. This multiple varies from casino to casino, but 2X is pretty common these days.

The brilliant thing about taking the odds bet is that it pays out at true odds. In other words, the house has a 0 edge on the odds bet. You should always take the odds bet.

When you combine the potential win from the odds bet with the relatively low house edge of 1.41% on the come out roll, your overall disadvantage diminishes dramatically. And the more you're allowed to bet when taking the odds bet, the lower your disadvantage becomes. If you're allowed to take 2X odds, the overall house edge becomes 0.61% instead of 1.41%.

If you're lucky enough to find a casino which offers 100X odds on this bet, you can reduce the house edge to 0.02%, which is about as close to even money as you'll ever see at a table game.

No Good Bets

While the odds bet and the pass and don't pass bets have really low house edges, some of the bets available at the craps table offer terrible odds. For example, the house edge on the "Big Six" bet is 9.1%. (A "Big Six" bet is a bet that a six will be rolled before a seven.) But a 9.1% house edge is worse than the edge on a roulette game. Those are terrible odds.

The "Big 8" bet is just as bad, also offering a 9.1% house edge. Avoiding these two bets, the "Big 8" and the "Big 6", isn't just good craps strategy, it's common sense.

Believe it or not, worse craps bets are available. The "Hard 4" and "Hard 10" bets offer a house edge of 11%+. That's twice as bad as a roulette bet. And roulette offers one of the lowest house edges in the casino. One of the best craps tips you'll ever receive is to avoid these four craps bets.

But guess what. Still worse odds can be found at the craps table in the form of proposition bets. A proposition bet at the craps table is a bet that something in particular will happen on the very next roll. (Most bets ride until the round is over.) The proposition bets that a 2 or 12 will be rolled next offer the worst odds at the table. The house edge is 13.9% on these bets. If you're looking for a worthwhile use for your money, and you're just desperate to give it away, this is a good way to do so, and fast.

Craps Strategy Tips