Casino Game Article
Craps
Rules of Craps
Craps is the loudest, fastest, and most exciting game in the casino. Craps strangely enough also boasts better odds than any other game excluding our card counters at the blackjack table.
Check out these topics:
- How to Play Craps
- How to Make Craps Bets
- Who's at the Craps Table?
How to Play Craps
Playing craps is not as hard as you might think. Do not let the noise and excitement around the craps table intimidate you. And don't get overwhelmed by the layout of the confusing craps table layout.
The first time you ever get to a craps table, make a small bet on the pass line. The pass line is the strip that runs all around the craps table's layout.
Betting on the pass line is a bet that the first throw of the dice and is a bet on a come-out roll. A come-out roll is the shooter rolling a 7 or 11. On the come-out roll, 7 or 11 is automatically a winner. This will make your pass line bet a winner.
On the other hand, if the shooter rolls 2, 3, or 12, then he's rolled "craps", which is an automatic loss.
Any other number establishes a pass-line point. The shooter's goal at this point is to roll this number again before rolling a 7. If he does roll the pass-line point before rolling a 7, then you win again. But if he rolls a 7 before rolling the pass-line point, then you lose, and the hand ends. In this case, the dice move to another player, who becomes the new shooter.
One very important rule to know about craps. If the dice fly off the table, land on the railing, if they wind up in the dice bowl or on top of the chips in front of the 'boxman', the 'stickman' will call a "no roll". That throw of the dice no longer counts. No bets are exchanged, and new dice are given to the shooter to throw.
How to Make Craps Bets
You can place each of the following bets yourself:
- Pass-line bets
- Don't pass bets
- Come-line bets
- Field bets
- Big-6 bets
- Big-8 bets
You may place any of the above bets yourself, simply place the amount you want to wager on the labeled section of the craps table.
You may however not place your own bets on the numbered spots nor on the proposition bets. To place a bet in one of thee areas, pitch your chips on the table and call your bet. Either the 'stickman' or the dealer will put the bet in the appropriate place.
Who's Who at the Craps Table
'Right' and 'Wrong'. You'd think that was a question for philosophers interested in ethics, but at a craps table, those words have specific meanings. A player who bets on the shooter to win is called a 'right bettor'. No one's going to think you're immoral or amoral if you bet against the shooter, but if you do bet against the shooter, you're called a 'wrong bettor'. Most people like rooting for a winner though, so most players at a craps table lean towards being a right bettor.
Besides the players surrounding the table, there are also several employees, usually a team of five:
- 2 dealers
- a relief dealer
- a stickman
- the boxman
The 'boxman' supervises the craps table, if there are any disputes, the boxman adjudicates. He's also in charge of the cash at the table. There may be two 'boxmen' at the table, usually when there are many players or if there is a high-rollover at the table.
The 'dealers' are on either side of the boxman. They pay the winning bets, pick up the chips on losing bets, and they make changes when a player wants to change chips in for different denominations.
The 'stickman' is a very important role, he sets the tone and pace of the game. He announces every dice roll, and calls out the different bet options available on the table.
Like a roulette table, the employees around the craps table rotate, but in this case into different positions around the craps table. Thus their roles change accordingly when they rotate.
