How to Play Craps: A Guide for Beginners
There are many gambling entertainments for fans out there, but the most complicated among them is craps game. From the outside, everything looks simple for a beginner: there are only two dice and a field in the game. However, the real difficulties are hidden in the number of combinations and coefficients for each of them. Craps is definitely not for those participants who expect quick wins. This entertainment will require attention and knowledge of the rules. Our team will help you with the second factor.
How to Play Craps: Historical Prologue
Craps has a long history that makes many players puzzle to this day. The first mentions of the ancestor of craps refer to Geoffrey Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales. Despite its fame, craps is just a simplified version of the English game Hazard. Its progenitor dates back to the 14th century. Today’s version of the casino pastime has become popular with the gambling audience, particularly in the United Kingdom. All the fun starts at the table. There is always tension present, because no one knows how the dice throw will end.
What is Craps?
Craps is a luck-based casino game centered around shooting dice, where an individual gambles against the physical house of iGaming operator. Dealers act as intermediaries between punters and the casino to serve gameplay. Like accept bets and announce the results. Participants, in turn, are not opponents. Bets from different people recreating at the same craps table are independent and do not compete with each other. Despite this separation between wagers, up to 20 people can be at the offline table at the same time. Virtual games of this type have no limit on the number of partakers.
The Objective of Craps: To win, a person has to predict which dice numbers will be rolled.
Everything sounds very simple, but our experts convincingly argue that it is far from it. The problem is the number of possible combinations rather than complicated moves. In terms of predictability, the game can be compared to roulette, because here punters also have no influence on anything. Luck alone crowns the victor.
Craps Table Layout at a Glance
Whether a UK enthusiast plays craps offline in the nearby gambling club or prefers digital mode with simulated graphics, the table layout generally has similar look. It is divided into several areas, where different stakes are accommodated. A specific zone, called Proposition, displays combinations required to be rolled for a winning round and associated payout ratios. There is also the area known as a Wing, which embraces the most usable bets of the multi-roll nature.
As an example, below we share a screenshot of a single Wing table made in the Go Craps game, expertly crafted by Play'n GO.
The placement of betting areas often cause confusion among rookies during the first craps games. Beginners can appreciate the simplicity of this pastime only after a detailed acquaintance with all the possible variants of bets, and we are ready to help with this.
Different Types of Craps Bets
There are a lot of possibilities for how a participant can place a bet. Each wager has its own name and principle, which means that the point here is not just to predict the number but also who will get it. It is worth giving more specifics about beating options in craps, as it will prepare readers for the real test. Please check out the chart below:
| Bet Type | Winning Conditions |
|---|---|
| Pass Line | A seven or an eleven must show up on the come-out roll. |
| Come | The number matching the point appears before a seven. |
| Place | The chosen number (four, five, six, eight, nine, ten) occurs before seven. |
| Don’t | Seven appears before the established point. |
| Proposition | Dice shows specific combinations (like four, six, eight, ten with special odds). |
| Field | One of these numbers must occur: two, three, four, ten, eleven, or twelve. |
| Big Six / Big Eight | Six or eight should appear before a seven. |
Many bets and many complex mechanisms involved, – this is how our team would describe craps betting options. In fact, these are just bets, i.e. something that participants usually make based on chance and the amount of money.
How to Play Craps Phase by Phase
Knowledge of the types of bets makes it possible to correctly select them for the chance of better payouts, potentially. However, this is not everything, participants need to know the course and rules of craps action. They are not very complicated, but we feel that the gameplay process should be explained step by step so that every newbie can understand how it all works.
If a beginner is planning to get to the game table, there are two stages that he or she has to be ready to go through:
Stage 1: First Roll
There is always a shooter at the table. His role is complex and unpredictable, but it is this participant who starts the new round. He throws two dice, and the result becomes known to everyone. There are several scenario options for what happens next at the craps table:
- If the roll brings seven or eleven (aka ‘natural’ outcome), then fortune smiles on the participant, because this result signifies their victory. However, a shooter can lose in the blink of an eye. It is enough to have the numbers two or three on the table. The same ending awaits the shooter who accidentally rolls twelve. Outcomes like 2, 3 or 12 are also known as ‘Craps’.
- If the last result was such that other numbers appeared on the table, they become a checkpoint. This is an important point because it is here that the game moves to the second phase. And the ending becomes even more unpredictable.
Stage 2: Setting the Point
Often, beginners wonder how to play craps properly at this stage. The second phase keeps participants in a misunderstanding, because here everything happens completely differently. The goal is to duplicate the result from the previous round before seven shows up, that is, set the Point. This is the main twist – the erstwhile lucky number, 7, turns into a failure. The punter continues to play until they reach the Point, but if there is a seven on the table, they end up as a loser.
Terminology Dummies Need to Know
Each stage of the craps casino game has its own peculiarities, and, whether online or offline, some specific terms will keep cropping up. Indeed, the entertainment requires learning some atypical phrases before one sits down at the table. Below, we break down the meaning of the most commonly used terminology along with in-depth explanatory commentaries. So:
- There is always a special person in the centre of the table, the boxman. He doesn’t roll the dice, doesn’t place bets, but simply makes sure that everything is fair. His role is a bit like that of a judge. If something goes wrong, he intervenes immediately.
- Before the game goes any further, it all starts with the first throw, aka the come-out roll. The first player, whom everyone calls the shooter, picks up the dice and rolls. This moment is very important because it is the start of the action. Shooting craps numbers, something like a two, three, or twelve, means that the gambler craps out. All bets are lost, and everything starts from scratch.
- But some numbers are considered a success, such as four, five, six, eight, nine, and ten – the point. They are like keys that open the way to the next stage of the game. If something from this list falls out, then all players start placing new bets and try to “catch” the result again.
- If one is lucky and gets the same number again, they win according to the rules of craps. If a seven suddenly appears, the previous result burns, the punter ‘sevens out’, and the round is considered lost.
- There are also bets for daredevils. For example, a player can gamble that both dice will show the same numbers, say, two fours or two sixes. Such bets are called ‘hardways’ because it is difficult to throw them, but if one manages to do that, the prize will be big.
- There are also those in the game who play against everyone, the Don’t bettor. They do not believe in the victory of others and bet on defeat. It’s risky, but sometimes you win when everyone else loses.
- There is even a special situation when both dice come up with a one. This is a rare case. Players came up with the name ‘snake eyes’ because these two circles on the dice really look like a snake’s intense gaze.
Exotic Variations of Craps Game
When a game becomes popular for decades, its variants appear one way or another. If we talk about what craps is in the general sense, it is a super complicated game for those fans who are not afraid of challenges. However, is there anything easier? To answer this question, our team tried several varieties of this entertainment, and we have something to say about them.
Crapless Craps
- The rules of this type may please participants because the road to victory is less Spartan.
- The main difference from the classic format is that all numbers except 7 take the game to the Point stage, and thus the table layout has no ‘Don’t’ areas.
- The reason why this variation emerged, in our opinion, is that fans are simply tired of sitting at the first level for too long. Punters want the gameplay to develop, and such a regulation contributes to its dynamism.
Street Craps
- This variant has breathed new life into classic entertainment. A traditional setting requires certain conditions, such as a clear field and knowledge of all possible combinations, along with bets.
- The street modification is much simpler, which is why beginners like it a lot. The bottom line is that you just need a flat surface and two cubes. One player recreates as a shooter, while the rest of the involved audience bets on the outcome. No points or transitions, no complicated bets = everything is straightforward.
- The only thing this variant inherited from the classic craps games is the rule of the big seven. If a 7 appears on the table, the round is over. Otherwise, beginners can simply roll the dice and guess the numbers, getting maximum pleasure with minimum effort.
How Does Craps Work Online
In the online mode, craps can be played by both fans of entertainment with live dealers and connoisseurs of loneliness in front of the monitor. Most important is to pick a safe online casino.
Regardless of which caste readers belong to, we strongly recommend that they familiarize themselves with all the craps rules before sitting down at the table.
There are two options available to participants:
- Live dealer streams. Some live casinos from our top list offer the possibility to play with a host online. In such cases, the only difference between an offline club and a real-time broadcast is that the participant joins the table and plays while staying at home. The best in this niche are Evolution products.
- RNG version. In this case, an enthusiast has just one companion, a computer or a mobile device. All throws are robotic as the punter only presses the appropriate buttons, and outcomes are instant. The random number generator creates the random result right when you start a new round. This way, the uncertainty and tension for the participant are preserved. Play’n Go releases are the way to go if one values sharp visuals.
Where to Apply Rules of Craps on Practice
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Quick Summary
Regardless of the chosen type and format, answering the question of how to play craps will have similar steps. It doesn’t matter if a beginner plays the online version or visits a physical establishment; the main rule is to keep gambling responsibly at all times.
FAQ
🎲 How do you play the game craps?
To play the game, a participant has to roll the dice if they are a shooter or place their bet. Then look at the numbers and, if the round is not over, bet points. By rolling the right numbers, the player gets money or loses.
🎲 What is craps called in the UK?
Sometimes British people with little gambling experience call it simply a dice game. Generally, it is called craps in the UK, just like in Australia or the US.
🎲 What is double 2 in craps called?
If a participant gets two 2s on the dice, it is called Hard 4. This result can be very rich, especially if the bet was on double numbers. Also, often called ‘ballerina’.
🎲 What is a horn bet in craps games?
This bet is special because it has difficult conditions for the participant. The player bets on four numbers and wins if 2, 3, 11 and 12 come up.
🎲 Is a casino craps game skill or luck?
This entertainment depends on chance, regardless of whether it is gambled online or offline. Nobody knows how the dice will fall, and in online casinos, randomness is confirmed by the RNG technology.
🎲 Which version of craps is better for beginners?
If beginners want to master craps, it is better to start with the street version. This is simple entertainment without a large number of bets, rules, and additional complexities described in the classic version.
