How To Play Craps: A Guide
Craps is believed to come from a variation of the Old English game called Hazard and a spin-off of the French Crapaud. In craps, the players wager money against the casino and bet on the outcome of one or a number of rolls of two dice. Learn how to play craps online with our handy guide by reading on.
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Online Craps Variations
There are three major forms of online craps today:
- Street craps: The informal version of the game usually played by groups of people in alleys or in rooms.
- Casino craps: The most popular in land casinos today, which differs from street craps.
- Online craps: The newest version and an exciting combination of both forms that has been slightly simplified to enable the online player the opportunity to experience the thrill.
Understanding The Online Craps Game
The Online Craps game is played with dice and chips and players must understand the layout of the craps table in addition to the craps rules and craps strategy.
Although the craps table may look complicated and can be a bit intimidating to beginners, it is not as complex as it looks. One needs to understand that the table is designed to give players on either side of the table the same view.
Craps Table Layout
The craps table has two side sections which are identical and a middle section. Each side section is assigned a dealer and the middle is manned by a stickman. Because the side sections are similar, only the side you are on affects you.
- The side section is shared between the players and the dealer.
- The players’ section includes the Pass Line, Don’t Pass, Field, Come and Don’t Come bets. The players’ section is also known as the “self service” area because players can place their own bets with help from the dealer.
- Players at both ends share the middle section which, unlike the side sections, can only be operated by the stickman or dealer.
Players simply place their chips on the block with the bet they have chosen. If the player wins from the bet they placed, they need to remove their chips from the section that they bet on. If the player does not move his chips, it is assumed that he or she is placing all his chips on the same bet when the next dice is rolled.
Using One-roll-bets On A Craps Table:
- On the right side of the table there wil be an area for one-roll-bets.
- Here you bet on a specific roll (naturally).
Online Craps Rules
Online Craps is a betting game played with two dice, where a first throw total of both dice is seven (7) or eleven (11) is an instant win.
- A first dice throw with a total of two (2), three (3) or twelve (12) loses the bet.
- If the first throw is any other number than those listed above, that number becomes the “Point”. However, the Point Number must be thrown before a seven (7) is thrown in order to win.
- If a seven (7) is thrown before the Point Number is thrown the player loses the bet (Crapped Out) and the dice must be passed to the next player that places a bet on the “Pass Line”.
Craps Bets And Terms
- Pass Line: If the come out roll is a 7 or a 11 the pass line bet wins. If the result is a 12 , 3 or 2 it’s a loss. When the come out roll is any other value that is not the loss or win it becomes the point. The dice is rolled again until the point is repeated or a 7 comes up again. This ends the round, and the shooter tosses a new come-out roll.
- Don’t Pass Line: As the name suggests, the opposite of the Pass Line bet. If you place your chips on this bet you’re betting that a 7 will be rolled before the point.
- Come: This bet is made after the come out roll. It is based on the same rules as the pass line bet.
- Don’t Come: This is a bet made after the come-out roll. It is works on the same rules as a don’t pass line bet. The Don’t Come bet is the opposite of the Come bet.
- Field: This is betting on a number you think will be rolled amongst the following; 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. A 5, 6, 7 or 8 is a loss.
- Place Bets: A bet on the following numbers ; 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 being rolled before a 7. A winning bet here will land you a big pay off.
- Big 6 or Big 8: This is just like a field bet of 6 or 8, only that you’re betting on a giant 6 or a giant 8. This bet is not available in all craps casinos as most players won’t play this bet as it has a considerably great house edge.
- Hardways: In this case you’re placing a bet that the shooter will roll an identical pair of numbers. E.g id you bet a hard 5 you are betting that a pair of fives will roll before a 6 and 4. If you bet a hard 8 and a pair of fours is rolled you win, if you roll a 6 and 2 or 5 and 3 it’s a loss. If a 7 is rolled it’s an automatic loss.
- Any Seven: This is a bet that the next roll will be a 7.
- Any Craps: This is a bet that a 2, 3, or 12 will drop next.
- Natural: this is a come-out roll that results in a 7 or 11.
Online Craps Strategies
- The “Do not” Craps Betting Strategy: Ideal for beginners, with the “Do Not” craps betting strategy you stop betting when the shooter throws a point or a natural and start betting when another 7 is rolled.
- Fibonacci Strategy: Named after a mathematical term, with this strategy you make a series of bets in which the next bet is the sum of the two previous bets.
- Parlay Betting System: This betting strategy aims to create maximum wins. When you win, you bet your winnings and your original bet. It’s high-risk but in can produce high rewards.
Remember to check the casino odds before you start playing so that you can choose the best strategy to use.
Playing Craps Online Vs. Playing at Land-based Casinos
Playing craps online versus playing at a land-based casino can be quite a different experience even though it’s the same game.
Online Craps vs. Craps at Physical Casinos
Online Craps
- It allows you to curate the atmosphere you want to play the game in
- The game feels faster-paced because you can adjust the speed to suit your pace
- No need to wait for other players to start the game or make bets
- You may feel less intimidated by more seasoned players or a real casino crowd
- You already know the house edge, so you can strategise and pick the most profitable game
Land-based Casino Craps
- You enjoy the land-base casino atmosphere, but must adhere to it too
How to Play Craps And Win
Craps is a fun exciting unpredictable game. However, the fact that it is unpredictable does not mean there are no steps you can take to improve your chances of winning. There are different ways to approach Craps, but the following tips will help improve your odds:
- Practice: The more you play the more confident you will be.
- Be consistent: Do not carelessly jump from one strategy to the next . Follow through with a strategy for at least a round or two before switching.
- Place smaller bets: The excitement and fast pace of craps can tempt you to place excessively large bets;
- Remember the house edge: Place your bets with consideration for the house edge.
- Set a time limit for yourself: When you play online it’s easy to lose track of time and bet more than you anticipated. Set a limit and stick to it.
How to Play Craps As A Beginner
Learning how to play craps online as a beginner is not difficult. Firstly, you need to find a good craps casino to play at, which can be any of the recommended casinos we have thoroughly checked and listed. Once you have found your craps casino there are three things you must arm yourself with:
- Understand the Craps rules
- Practice
- Pick a good craps strategy and test it
How to Play Craps As An Intermediate Player
Once you understand the rules and have had a few runs of practice, you may feel comfortable with playing craps online at real money casinos. At this level you should know tips that will improve your chances or odds of winning. These tips will not guarantee wins, as craps in an unpredictable game, but that’s part of what makes it so exciting. The following tips will improve your odds:
- Pay attention to the game as it progresses
- Don’t take too much time placing your bets
- Toss the dice down the center of the craps table
- The word ‘seven’ is considered bad luck in craps, use “Big Red” instead
- Always tip the dealer, it’s good etiquette
- Enjoy the game!
How to Play Craps Like A Pro
When you’ve mastered the basics of how to play craps and have mastered a strategy, you likely want to play like a pro.
To play craps like a pro, you need more than just knowing craps rules and craps strategy. A craps game pro knows and understand:
- the different types of craps bets
- craps terms and lingo to play and sound like a pro
- Knowing the various craps bets, rules and strategies will allow to approach the craps game with useful tactics that will help you win more real money
Craps: A History
The history of craps seems to be fairly well documented and accepted. Historians have managed to trace its origins back to the Crusades in the 12th century. At the time, British soldiers were known to play a game with a pair of small dice called Hazard, although the rules of this game were quite a bit more complicated than the game we know today.
Hazard was an extremely popular game and easily made its way to France. It didn’t take long for the game to cross the ocean and reach the colonies in America, where the rules of Hazard were simplified and the game spread around many different social levels of society.
Historians can’t say exactly when the game of Hazard got its new name of Craps. However, they claim that this title is derived from the French word for ‘frog’, because of the way people looked when playing it in the streets, crouched around the game.
Craps as we know it came out in 1907. John H. Winn updated the game’s layout and he made some other rule changes that turned out to be a huge success. During the course of the 20th century, the game gained and lost its popularity. It wasn’t until the 1990s when online casinos came around that it truly secured its spot as one of the most popular games around.
Craps Online Overall
Playing craps online can be a really rewarding experience once you know how. More so, this exciting dice game can be enjoyed at any of our top gambling sites for Aussies. So, for more about playing craps online, visit our guide.
