How to bet/play Craps

Online Craps

Played on its own specially designed table, craps is a game where, even at its most complex, it is only about one thing, betting on the outcome of rolled dice. Any issues of complexity come not in the gameplay, but in the variety of all the different dice-rolling outcomes.

There are more than five types of bets in craps, and some of these can be a little hard to remember. Most craps players choose to bet on only the most basic and simple of the bets available, which keeps the game super simple, so there is no need to fret over any parts of the game you do not yet fully understand.

Craps is one of the casino games of chance, that requires no skill or advanced craps betting strategy to play or to master, so let's take a look at how to play craps.

How To Play Online Craps

Craps involves only a solitary pair of dice and all that players need to do is bet on what will happen when these dice are rolled, or shot, down the table. Money is bet on the shooter either winning or losing. If we ignore for the time being some of the more complex dice combinations, there are only a few simple bets that need to be understood before we can begin playing the game for ourselves.

The basic bets we are talking about are wagering on the pass line and don't pass line. These are the safest bets in craps and will become clear in a moment. For now, let's get the game of craps started.

Commencing the Craps Game

Craps games begin when players – which in craps are referred to as shooters – make their first role. This starting roll is called the come-out roll and gets the game underway. Shooting two dice down the table, the shooter can expect to have three possible outcomes: natural, craps and point.

To break these down, a natural means rolling either a 7 or 11. When shooters roll a natural, they also have the chance to roll again. If the shooter rolls craps, that means they have scored a 2, 3 or 12, known in the trade as Snake Eyes and is unfortunately deemed a losing roll. 

Then there is the point, which means to roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Rolling a 7, does, of course, mean rolling a natural, hence its omission from the previous sequence. 

If you do roll the point, a secondary follow-up roll is required and, if you manage to hit the same number, then you will have to roll the dice all over again before you roll a winner.

Wagering on Dice Rolls

OK, so remember the pass line and do not pass line bets we mentioned a moment ago? Well, this is where they come in. A pass line bet is a wager on the shooter rolling a natural or a point.

Basically, not rolling craps. So it figures then, that a don't pass line bet means you are backing the shooter to roll craps and lose. We should mention that the shooter will also bet on their own outcome of their come-out roll.

Again, should they throw a 7 or 11, then all pass bets win, but if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12, they have rolled craps, and the don't pass line bets win. Any other possible total - 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 - becomes the player's point. In this case, the shooter will carry on rolling the dice until they pass.

And that's it! There are other bets, lots of them, in fact, and we have listed them below, but these can be worked on at a later date, not least because of their casino advantage. Until then, the best way to get started with craps is to bet on whether or not the shooter's dice will make a pass or not.

Craps Bets Explained

Now that you understand the simple to play betting in craps, you can take a look and learn these more complex, single and multi-roll bets for extra thrills. As we said above, these bets can largely be ignored, but it is better to know all of your options and have more in your bettor's arsenal. 

Do not worry if these bets don't make much sense at first; once you're at the table, things will become much clearer. Do not go overboard with these bets, though, as they do offer some of the higher betting odds on craps, they do also offer a large house edge and are hard to turn a profit with.

More Crap Bets

Other bets include:

Horn High Bets: Players can double Horn bets but must nominate one of four numbers as their high number.

Hop bets: Can be made anytime and allows players to wager on their own specified dice combination.

Buy bets: Players pick one of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the number comes before a 7 is rolled, players receive true odds minus 5% casino commission.

Lay bet: Players bet on the shooter rolling a 7 before making their choice. Should they win, they receive true odds minus 5% casino commission.

Place Win/Place Lose bets: As above but without true odds. Place win bets pay if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 are rolled before 7, while place lose bets payout if the 7 is rolled first.

Hard way bets: Both dice must have matching numbers and be rolled before the 7. Players can bet on the outcome of the dice resulting in a 4, 6, 8, or 10. Hard way bets will be deemed losers if an easy way form is made or if a 7 is rolled.

Easy way bets: As above but betting on the shooter rolling an easy way combination of your 4, 6, 8, or 10 before a 7 is rolled.

Where To Play Online Craps

There are many great online craps options for players to enjoy. What we would say, however, is that it is worth playing craps online free at first (unless you are an old hand, of course) to make sure that you fully understand the game and all of its quirks. Reading about the game can only take you so far, and you will need to try some actual games to get a hold of things. 

The craps sites we recommend all come fully vetted and certified. The appropriate authorities regulate online casinos. This means that they are safe, secure, fair, and can be trusted with your money as well as your more sensitive information.

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