How to Play Craps

Online Craps

Craps is a game that is essentially about just one thing - betting on the roll of two dice. The game is played on its own specially designed table that is reproduced online to look much as it would in a land-based casino. While many people assume that craps is complicated, any apparent complexity only concerns the various ways in which you can bet on the dice being rolled.

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 a game of pure chance, and so it requires no skill to play. There is also no betting strategy that can actually increase the likelihood of you winning. If all of that sounds as good to you as it does to us, let's move on to discuss how to play craps online.

How to Play Craps Online

Craps involve one pair of dice. Your task as a player is simply to bet on what those dice will show when they have been rolled (or 'shot') down the table. The person who rolls the dice in a land-based casino is known as the shooter. When you play craps online, the dice are rolled by the software.

When you place a bet, you are betting 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 you can begin playing the game for yourself.

The basic bets we are talking about here are wagering on the Pass line and the Don't Pass line. These are the safest bets in craps, as you will see in a moment. For now, let's get the game started.

Commencing the Craps Game

Craps games begin when the shoot makes his first roll. 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: a natural, craps, or point.

• Natural means rolling either a total of 7 or 11. When shooters roll a natural, they also have the chance to roll again.

• Craps means rolling a total of 2, 3, or 12, and is deemed a losing roll. Incidentally, the roll of 2 is often referred to as Snake Eyes, as that's what the two 1s resemble.

• Point means rolling a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.

If you do roll the point, a secondary follow-up roll is required. 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

This is where the Pass line and Don't Pass line come in. A Pass line bet is a wager on the shooter rolling a natural or a point. Basically, you won't want him to roll craps.

Similarly, a Don't Pass line bet means you are betting that the shooter will roll craps and lose.

We should mention that, in a land-based casino, the shooter will also bet on their own outcome of their come-out roll.

Should the shooter roll a 7 or 11, 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.

If the shooter rolls any other possible total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), that number 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 you can explore those at your leisure. Until then, the best way to get started with craps is to bet on Pass or Don't Pass.

Craps Bets Explained

Now that you understand the simple way to play craps, you can take a look at the more complex bets that are available. As we said above, these bets can largely be ignored and it won't harm your enjoyment of the game one bit. However, there is something to be said for knowing about all of your options so that you have more to choose from. 

Don't 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, even when you understand them. They might offer more attractive odds, but they also give the house a considerable edge over you, which makes it harder to generate a profit.

More Crap Bets

We said that there were plenty of bets available in this game, and we weren't joking. Some other bets that you can place are as follows:

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

Hop: You can make this bet at any time. It allows players to wager on their own specified dice combination.

Buy: Here you pick one number from 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If the chosen number is rolled before a 7, you will receive true odds minus 5% casino commission.

Lay: You bet on the shooter rolling a 7 before rolling your choice of number. Should you win, you will receive true odds minus 5% casino commission.

Place Win/Place Lose: As above, but without true odds. Your Place Win bet will pay if 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 comes up before 7. Your Place Lose bet will pay if the 7 is rolled first.

Hard Way: Place a Hard Way bet and both dice must have matching numbers and be rolled before the 7. You 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: Here you bet on the shooter rolling an easy way combination of 4, 6, 8, or 10 before a 7 is rolled.

Where to Play Craps Online

As you can see, there are many great online craps options for you to enjoy, so the only thing remaining is for you to decide where to play. Craps is considered a staple casino game and so it is available at most online casinos. If you haven't done so already, take a look at our online casinos page for details of all the main operators, or simply check out any of our recommended casinos below.