Craps

I don’t know what popped into your head when you read that heading, but I’m talking about the dice game. Just prior to my recent trip to Vegas, I read up on the game, and was surprised at how easy it is to understand. Well, the basics are easy. The full game is quite complex, but you only need to understand the concept of the game, and the most basic bet to start playing – and more importantly, start winning.

So here’s the basic concept:

The person throwing the dice is called the Shooter. The shooter starts by determining the “winning number”, known as “The point”. In simple terms, the shooter then continues to roll the dice until they roll a 7. That’s the basic concept.

Here’s the table layout:

Craps Layout

When the Shooter begins their turn, they need to place a bet. At this point, everyone can join in and make the first, basic bet. The first bet is either on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Bar. In essence, the Pass Line is a bet for the Shooter, whereas the Don’t Pass Line is a bet for the House ie: you’re betting AGAINST the shooter. I don’t need to tell you, that this is NOT a popular bet to make.

At the start of the Shooter’s turn, you will hear the dealers call “New Shooter coming out”. This means that a new shooter is about to roll their Point. The Shooter rolls the dice from their end of the table to the other. At least one die MUST hit the back wall.

The Shooter will generally bet on the Pass Line (and so should you). If, on the Shooter’s very first roll, they roll a 7 or 11, you win even money. If they roll a 2, 3 or 12, you lose your bet and the Shooter rolls again.

If the Shooter rolls any other number, that number becomes The Point. The dealer will place a disk (called the Puck) onto the corresponding number along the top of the layout. This is so that everyone can remember what the Point is. The Shooter then keeps rolling the dice until they roll a 7.

If you have bet on the Pass Line, and the Shooter re-rolls their Point BEFORE they roll a 7, you win. The bet pays even money (If you bet $10, you will win another $10), the Puck is removed, and the Shooter rolls again to establish a new Point. If they roll a 7 before their Point, you lose your bet and a new Shooter comes out. This means that a single Shooter could potentially continue rolling for an hour or more. As long as they don’t roll a 7, they keep rolling.

If you choose to bet on the Don’t Pass Bar, you’re betting the exact opposite to what I have just explained. You’re essentially betting that the Shooter will roll a 7 BEFORE they roll their Point. Like I said, this means you are betting AGAINST the Shooter, and it means that you will win when everyone else is losing. If you choose to bet like this, keep a low profile.

You might not believe me, but that’s all you need to know to start playing Craps. It really is that simple. Remember that the more you bet, the more you win. But also, the more you bet, the more you lose. Gamble responsibly, blah, blah, blah.

If you want to kick things up a notch, you can increase your winnings (and potentially your losings) without giving better odds to the house. Strangely, Craps has the lowest house percentage of all table games. The way to increase your winnings, is to play Odds.

Once the Point is established, you can place an extra bet, outside the Pass Line, directly behind your Pass Line bet. If the Shooter rolls the Point, then rather than just winning even money on your first bet, you get better odds on the extra bet. It’s complicated to work out, but the higher your initial bet, the bigger the return on your odds.

One night in Vegas, I started playing with $200, and by simply playing the Pass Line with Odds, I walked away with $500 in less than 30 minutes. I actually discovered that by placing more complicated bets, I lost more often. Stick to these bets, and you’re on your way.

The next simplest bet is the Come Bar. You can only place a Come bet once the Point has been established. Let’s say the Point is 8. At any time, before the Shooter rolls the dice, you can place a bet on the Come bar. A simple way to explain what this does, is to say that whatever the Shooter rolls next will become a “Second Point”. So if the Point is 8, then you place a Come bet and the Shooter rolls a 5, you are now effectively playing with TWO Points. If the Shooter rolls either of these numbers before a 7, you win. But if/when they roll a 7, you lose both bets.

If you place a Come bet, and the Shooter rolls anything other than a 7 or the current Point, the dealer will move your bet from the Come Bar to the large number at the top of the layout. It is the dealer’s responsibility to remember who’s money is whose. But don’t worry, they keep track perfectly. Once the Come number is determined, you can then play Odds on that bet, too. Once the dealer moves your chips to the number, toss them your Odds bet (without saying anything), and they will place your bet.

I should point out at this point that the only chip-touching you do is your Pass/Don’t Pass bets, and placing a Come or Field bet. Everything else is done by the dealers. You toss your chips onto the table, say what bet you want, and the dealers do the rest. If you win a Come bet, the dealer will slide you your winnings, but will probably leave the actual bet in place. This is known as leaving the bet Turned On. If you “Turn it off”, they will give you back your original Come bet. Easy, right?

Next is the Field bet. Experts will tell you never to play the Field. The Field is known as a Self-Service bet. You place it, and when it pays out, it’s up to you to leave your bet Turned On (leave your bet there) or Turn it Off (take your original bet). On most layouts, the Field will be printed in red. The red bets on the table are the Self-Service bets.

I sometimes play probabilities with the Field, but one night when my Fiance had a bad run, my theory cost me about $200. Here’s how it works.. You’ll notice that the Field covers a good range of numbers. When the Shooter rolls numbers that are NOT Field winners, two or three times in succession, I place a bet. The theory is that the probability of the Shooter continuing a “Losing Streak” reduce after every roll. If their next roll is not a winner, you will lose your bet, but you counter that loss by betting more. Once again, the theory being that if they have now rolled 4 losing numbers in a row, their odds of rolling a fifth losing number are reduced. Note that there is no science behind this concept, it is only a theory. Hence the night my Fiance rolled about 7 losing numbers in a row!

The section on the right side of the layout (where pairs are displayed), is known as the “Hardways”. They pay much higher odds than anything else. The way they work is also quite simple. Say you wanted to place a bet on a pair of 2’s. You would toss your bet to the Stick Man (that really is his job title) and say “Hard Four”. The Stick Man will place your bet, and it is his responsibility to remember which bet is yours. This isn’t difficult, because most people don’t bet the Hardways.

When you place a Hardways bet, you’re betting that the next time the Shooter rolls that number (in this case, a 4), you’re betting that it will be rolled as a pair. If they roll a 1 and a 3, you lose your Hardways bet. Hardways bets are uneffected by 7’s, so once you place a Hardways bet, it will stay there either until the number is rolled again, or you Turn if Off. You would do this by telling the Stick Man you want to Turn Off your Hardways, and he will hand you back your bet.

You will notice that the odds on Hardways vary, depending on the combination of the number. What I mean is that if you bet on Hard 8, the odds will be higher than a hard 4, because there are more combinations for rolling an 8 (2-6, 5-3, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2) than a Hard 4.

There are other bets in Craps, such as the BIG 6 or 8, Place bets and Buy bets. Mostly, these bets give better odds to the house, and are bets that are usually only placed by the hardcore gamers that have their lucky numbers and don’t want to wait for them to appear as a Point or a Come bet.

So, you only need to understand the Pass Line bet, and Odds if you want to increase your winnings and you can start playing. Everyone at the Craps table knows that the game can be confusing, so don’t be afraid to walk up to a table and just watch. And don’t be afraid to ask the dealers what’s going on, or for them to clarify a bet or rule for you. I find that if you position yourself next to the Stick Man, or close to one of the other dealers, you can discreetly ask them a question without feeling stupid at the table.

The beauty of the game is that you only need one person to play. You can walk up to an empty table and start playing by yourself. Or a table where the only person there is the Shooter, and join in.

Just remember the etiquette: Wait until the Shooter finishes a roll before buying chips or placing a bet. After each roll, the Stick Man will slide the dice in front of the guy sitting opposite him (known as the Boss Man). This is an ideal time to have your hands on the table and conduct your business. Once you are done, get your hands clear so that you are not interfering with the roll. You might hear the Stick Man call “Hands High” to remind people to get their hands out of the way. Some Shooters will get VERY angry if your hands are in the way.

In Las Vegas, you’re kind of expected to include casino dealers in your gambling – especially if you’re winning. This doesn’t happen in Australia, so this next bit is just for gambling in America.

There are two ways to tip at a Craps table. You can wait until you leave and then toss some chips on the table as you say “Thanks” and walk away. Or, you can include the dealers in your playing. To do this, you basically make a bet on the dealer’s behalf. When you place your Pass/Don’t Pass bet on the table, place a second bet next to yours, and as you place the bet, look at a dealer and say “This one’s for you”. You’ll get a “Thanks very much” from them for including them.

It’s important to note that any bet you play for the dealer should be the same as your average bet, and played in the same way. If you’ve been betting $25 on your bet and adding $100 for odds, and then you make a $10 bet with no odds for the dealer, you’re kind of insulting them. If the dealer bet loses, your chips go back to the house, but if it wins, you will see that they keep the chips separate for a while.

One thing I did notice was that by placing a bet for the dealers every now and then, they become more friendly and chatty with you. They will also give you reminders about your regular bets (like if you often place Come bets, they might suggest it if you seem to have forgotten), or sometimes they will help you out. Odds on Come bets work differently, so sometimes by adding $1 or $5 to your odds, you can maximise your return by a few extra dollars. So if you bet the “wrong” amount, they might say “Give me two more dollars” so you get the best return if you win.

Craps really is a fun and exciting game. It’s nowhere near as daunting as it first seems, and if you consider your first time at the table as “an investment”, you’ll have a lot more fun. Start betting low (I started with $10 minimum bets with no odds) so you can get the hang of things and then work up.

Just remember that regardless of what game you play, you should never hand over money in a casino unless you’re prepared to go home without it.