Craps is one of the fastest games in any casino and the most popular dice game in the world. Many players find it the most thrilling game, as the fast-paced rhythm and non-stop action get their adrenaline going like no other gambling game. The excitement of watching the dice roll and awaiting the outcome of a throw is a rush that compares with few other things in life.
Watching a shooter (a person who rolls the dice) trying to get a winning throw as the crowds cheer him on (since most of them are betting on the shooter) creates an atmosphere that is often similar to the ones found in big sporting events. This makes craps a a focal point on any casino floor and is an indispensable part of gambling folklore.
It’s hard to find a land based casino without a craps table. Many online casinos have them as well. While online craps lack the excitement of playing in a land based casino, for many fans, they are the only option.
Some players claim that playing craps doesn’t requires a betting strategy, but that isn’t necessarily true. There are many craps betting strategies that can be employed, but even the simplest crap betting strategy requires a deep understating of the game. Knowing when to hedge bet, what bets have low house edge, and how to play responsibly are the cornerstone of all the best craps strategies.
How to Play Craps
Approaching a craps table can be an intimidating experience for novice players. At first glance, the craps game can look complex and confusing. To play, you’ll need to familiarize yourself with the various fields and symbols on a craps table, which we’ll cover shortly. But before we do, let us explain the roles of various people around the table.
First, there is the boxperson. They act as a crew chief overseeing the table and are supervising the rest of the team. They also handle chips and act as a mediator in case any dispute flares out.
Then there two dealers, the 2nd base dealer and the 3rd base dealer. The 2nd base dealer stands to the right of boxperson, while the 3rd base dealer stands to the left. Each of them covers half of the table, monitors bets, and is responsible for payout in their zone.
Finally, there is the stickperson. This person stands opposite the boxperson and uses a long stick with a hook on the end and their sole job is retrieving dice and handing them back to the shooter. The stickperson calls out the dice score and is responsible for placing preposition bets, as these are in their part of the table.
Craps table
The shooter is the person that throws the dice. All bets are winning or losing depending on their throws. The rest of the players around the table place bets either with the dice (pass line bet) or against the dice (don’t pass bet). The shooter keeps throwing as long as they are winning. When they lose, ia new shooter takes over.
To win, the shooter has to roll 7 or 11 on the first throw. In that case, people who bet pass line double their money. If the shooter rolls 2, 3, or 12, the don’t pass crowd wins, also doubling their bets. Those numbers are also called craps and the shooter is finished if they come up. Betting even money on both pass line and don’t pass is called a hedge bet, but it doesn’t really get you anywhere.
The remaining numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 – are called points. If the shooter rolls one of these numbers, they keep on throwing. To win, they must score the same number again before rolling a seven. If they succeed, they win and start again. If they roll a seven, they lose, and a new shooter gets to try his or her luck. Again, the same rules for pass line or don’t pass bets apply. If the shooter wins, pass line bets win. If he “sevens out”, people who bet don’t pass win.
Let’s say you start your betting with a $5 bet on the pass line. You place your chip on a field on the table marked pass line. The shooter throws and dice rolls seven. You have doubled your bet and you can either take your winnings or keep playing. If you decide to let it ride, it is called pressing your bet. The shooter now rolls a six, which now becomes the point. To mark this, the dealer places a puck on the number six in the Place Bets section on the table, so everyone knows the point. The puck has two sides, marked On and Off, marking whether come bets are allowed or not. In order to win, he has to roll another six before he hits a seven.
The next dice rolls 4, so the shooter keeps on playing. He now rolls a nine and again nothing happens. His third roll is a charm and he gets six the hard way, meaning two threes. You have doubled your money again and now have $20. You get to decide whether to collect them or press on.
Other types of bets
There are also other bets you can make in craps. The come bet is similar to pass line bet, but it can be placed after the first dice roll, once the point is established. There is also don’t come bet.
Place bets can be made on a specific number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), where you bet that the number will come before seven. Place bets can be made after the come out roll. When placing a bet on 6 or 8, it should be in $6 increments, while place bets of 4, 5, 9, and 10 should be made in $5 increments to account for odds and house edge.
The field bet is placed on a large field on the table near the edge. If the next roll is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12, you win. If it’s 5, 6, 7, or 8, you lose. This may seem like a good strategy, as you have 7 winning numbers, but the odds are actually 5 to 4 against you.
Proposition bets are placed at the center of the table. You can bet on a specific numbers (one roll bets) or on a specific number being rolled in the hard way, meaning both dice show the same number (e.g. two threes to win a bet on 6).
Best Craps Strategy
Before deciding on winning craps strategy, odds bets carry with them. Like all casino games, craps feature house edge, an advantage for the casino built in almost every bet you can make. The reason for this is to allow casinos to keep the lights on. It doesn’t matter if you are playing at an online casino or land based casino, the point is valid for both types. Focusing on bets with the lower house edge is not just a good craps strategy, but a good strategy for all casino games.
Like most casino games, craps is a game of chance. To pick the best craps strategy, you need to understand true odds for all bets. Let’s consider how dice combinations affect your chances. For example, 2 can only be rolled with two 1s, but 4 can be rolled with either a 1 and a 3 or two 2s. That means you have twice the chance of rolling a 3 as you do a 2. Because it has the greatest number of combinations, six o be exact, 7 is the score that has the possibility to come up most often. This is why seven is so important in craps. In total, two dice can produce 36 combinations.
| Score | Number of combinations | Combinations |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1 | 1 – 1 |
| 3 | 2 | 1-2, 2-1 |
| 4 | 3 | 1-3, 3-1, 2-2 |
| 5 | 4 | 1-4, 4-1, 3-2, 2-3 |
| 6 | 5 | 1-5, 5-1, 2-4, 4-2, 3-3 |
| 7 | 6 | 1-6, 6-1, 2-5, 5-2, 3-4, 4-3 |
| 8 | 5 | 2-6, 6-2, 3-5, 5-3, 4-4 |
| 9 | 4 | 3-6, 6-3, 4-5, 5-4 |
| 10 | 3 | 4-6, 6-4, 5-5 |
| 11 | 2 | 5-6, 6-5 |
| 12 | 1 | 6 – 6 |
These odds are also referred to as true odds for each number and they determine your chance of winning on both come out roll or point roll. However, this is not what the casino pays if you win. Remember house edge? This is where it comes into play. Unless you are playing free odds on top of your original bet, the house edge will be deducted from your winnings. In effect, free odds serve to reduce the house advantage. While it is true that different casinos can have different house egdes, the differences will be minuscule. The same rule applies to online craps in online casinos.
Free Odds
One of the best craps strategies is to always bet on free odds. This significantly lowers the house edge. For example, the house edge in a Pass Line bet is 1.41%. Add in a free bet, and that house edge goes down to just 0.8%.
You can reduce house edge further by increasing your free odds bet. If you place double odds, the edge is 0.6%. Free odds can be placed at any time and you put your chips behind your original bet on the line. They can also be removed at any time. Depending on a casino, you can place from twice to 100 times your original bet.
Rhythmic or Controlled Shooting
Another popular craps strategy is rhythmic or controlled shooting. In essence, it is an attempt to increase the odds of getting the desired roll by using practiced hand movements. The idea is to place the dice with numbers you want on the upside, squeeze them tight enough so they don’t change position, but not tight enough that they don’t rattle, and throw them in one smooth motion. While the results can’t be guaranteed on every roll, experts claim that experienced shooters can increase their odds dramatically using this craps strategy.
Getting reliable results will take a lot of practicing though, which is why you don’t see many shooters using this technique. All that time and dedication can be used for learning more profitable craps strategies. And of course, those who managed to master it are understandably reluctant to share all the secrets with other people.
Follow the Streak
The basic craps strategy relies on streaks. While there is no reliable math behind it, most experts concur that shooting streaks exist in craps. If you stumble upon one, stick with it and ride it out. Elated cheers from people around the table should clue you in on the streak happening at the moment. The trouble with this crap strategy is that you never know how long it will last. It may end as soon as you place your chips on the table. On the other hand, it can last for the next half an hour. After all, playing craps is testing your luck, as well as that of a shooter.
Managing Your Money
The most important part of gambling is probably managing your money. Here are some tips that will help you with it.
Set the Goal
When setting your goal for the evening of craps, you should be realistic. Winning enough to buy a new car is probably not something you can achieve. Most professional craps players agree that winning between 104 and 20% of your starting money is an excellent result. Of course, if you start with thousands of dollars, we could be talking about real money here.
Pay Attention to Table Minimum
Casinos have craps tables with different table minimums, designed to cater to different crowds. Choose the one you are most comfortable with, as you will need more money for tables with high minimums.
Losing Limits
This is probably the most important rule of all. Never bet money you can’t afford to lose, or you risk ending up like just another cautionary table we see every day. Gambling away your kids’ college fund on craps is not something you want to live with. Set losing limits and never, under any circumstances go below it. No matter how tempting the situation is or how sure you are that the next dice roll will be in your favor, when you reach your losing limit, walk away from the table.
Points of etiquette
For the end, we have some pointers on what is considered appropriate behavior at the craps table.
- Regardless of what you have seen in Hollywood movies, never, ever, blow at dice or ask someone else to doit, especially during the pandemic. It’s considered bad form and you will be warned by the staff. Simply shake the dice and roll them on the table.
- Place your bets only the pass line, don’t pass the line, field, come, or don’t come. Every other bet must be placed for you by the dealer. This is to stop players from reaching and possibly moving the chips already on the table.
- Never touch the dealer. It is considered bad luck and, in some casinos, security will immediately escort you out.
- Ensure the dealer understands your intended bet. Misunderstandings can lead to issues.
- Follow the rules for when bets can be placed. For example, don’t place come bets if the marker is off.
Superstitions in the Game of Craps
Just like in other gambling games, many players believe superstitions can affect their chances of winning:
- Never say “7” at the table; refer to it as “it.”
- Female first-time shooters often experience a hot streak (this superstition doesn’t apply to men).
- If dice fall off the table, the next roll will be seven. Depending on the desired outcome (if it was a comeout roll or not) the shooter will insist on either the same set of dice or a new one.
- Dice hittin someone’s hand is considered bad luck.
- Never touch the shooter if they are on a hot streak, you might jinx them.
- Stickmen avoid sliding dice showing a seven, as it is considered bad luck.
