How To Play Online Craps

The seemingly superfluous fuss created by Craps is not as daunting as you might have deemed it to be. This is merely your Craps ignorance that can be, however, easily undone. Learning the game's basics will aid you greatly in playing Craps and consequently redeem you from the game deterrence. You'll love it once you get your feet on the Craps ground!

We advise that the best way to learn is to follow the action in order so here we will show you the beginning steps which are also the easiest to learn and truly are the best odds in the players favor. When arriving at the table and having your money ready, wait for a lull in the action to catch the dealer's attention.

The simplest bets are easy to understand and also provide the best odds for the player to win. A craps table is large and a "crew" of four casino staff is used to operate one. The leader of the crew sits behind the stack of casino chips and is known as the "Boxman". He supervises the table action, watches all the other crew members actions and settles any disputes. Across from the Boxman is the Stickman and his job is to control the tempo of the game and the dice on the table. Using a wooden stick to retrieve rolled dice and returns them to the shooter. A final job of the stickman is to direct the dealers in payoffs of the center table bets. The Stickman is also the person you hear across the casino floor hawking the game to attract players by being loud, sounding excited and using terms such as "HEY eleven" and "five, five no field five" to draw interest. When learning the game watch the Stickman and when you see him pushing the dice to the shooter it is time to finish your betting and get your hands off the table. It is frowned upon to have your hands past the chip rack while the dice are being thrown. The last two crew members are known as the "Dealers". The dealers stand on the inside near the ends of the table, control the changing of cash to chips and back, watches a players chips on the table and are the new players best friend. A good dealer will quickly learn your style of betting and make sure you haven't missed a bet or forgot to collect some winnings when you get distracted.

A dealer is the person who will answer your questions and guide you to different bets. As a new player you should try to get a spot close to a dealer so you can ask any questions about the game play. As mentioned above the dealer will learn your betting style and will most likely move your bets to the correct position. Beyond all that the Stickman is also watching the dealer so, as not to start the action before all the betting is complete. Here is the general order of the action to help you; after the dice are thrown the dealer will take care of any "come bets" first. Watch for the order they take, usually from the inside around to the corner, and as he touches each bet he is looking to the player to see what you want to do. If the bet is moving to a "point number" he is looking to see if you want odds on it, now is the time to give him that money. Next the Dealer will take care of the "Place bets". Usually starting on the corner and moving around towards the Stickman. Have your bets ready for this action and place them on the table and give your instructions when it is your turn. The third action of the dealer is to pay any center table bets as directed by the Stickman. If you are involved in this type of betting it is now your turn to direct the dealer or, collect your winnings. Now is the time to change chips and ask questions or place that last second "I feel this number is coming up" bet. Just remember to watch the stickman because if the dice are moving to the shooter your time is running out and everything is about to start again.

The best way to learn is to follow the action in order so here we will show you the beginning steps which are also the easiest to learn and truly are the best odds in the players favor. When arriving at the table and having your money ready, wait for a lull in the action to catch the dealer's attention. The dealer is the person who will change your money. NOTE- For almost every Craps bet there is an opposite bet, which will pay the reverse of the regular bet. An example would be the "Pass Line" vs. the "Don't Pass Bar". While a bet on the pass line believes a shooter will roll a win, the don't pass believes the shooter will lose. These types of bets are not really against the shooter but are against, or for, the odds of a number coming up. Most Craps players do not play the don't pass and "Don't Come" types of bets. In order to keep things simple here we will not cover this type of action. We believe it is best to start your betting while the "Puck" is OFF, which means a new round of betting is starting and the shooter is getting ready to throw the dice. This is known as the "Come Out" roll. Place your bet on the pass line.

OUTCOME

7 or 11 = Win
2, 3 or 12 =Lose

Any other number becomes the "Point" Once the point is rolled the Puck is "Turned On" and placed on the number that was rolled, this is called the "Point" and is the number to be rolled again before a seven comes up. If the point is rolled again the pass line bet is a winner but if a seven is rolled the pass line bet losses. It is advisable to place odds now on your pass line bet. The odds usually have a minimum of 2 to 1 but can be as high as 100 to 1. From the players point of view the higher the odds the better but remember to base your odds bet in relation to the amount of money you can afford to gamble with.

Odds bets are paid at a higher level than regular bets hence their name, example: a pass line bet paid at 1 to 1 but the odds bet paid at the stated level, say 2 to 1. Odds bets are always a good choice for the player as they lower the house edge in your favor. To place your pass line odds bet put the chips immediately behind your pass line bet just behind the pass line itself. Now that there is a point number, your pass line bet is placed along with your pass line odds bet there are two directions you can go and they are "Come betting" and "Place betting". Both have their advantages and disadvantages. Here we will explain both without trying to give a bias towards one over the other.

Come Betting Terms
This is the same as a come out roll every time you bet. To place a come bet you put your chips in the field labeled "COME". As in the initial come out roll you will be paid on a 7 or 11 and lose on a 2, 3 or 12. Any other number will be another point number, for you only, and your chips will be placed on that number above the COME field. The Dealer will look for you to place odds on your bet now and your odds bet is placed on top of your come bet but slightly offset. For the next roll you will need to place a new come bet to continue your trend. Tip- unlike place bets your come bet can not be taken back and are left on the table until a final outcome is determined. Also you may not raise or lower the amount of the bet.

Place Betting
You can place a bet on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 making them in effect your own personal point numbers. You want these numbers to be rolled before a seven. While placing a bet you give your chip amount plus your odds at the same time. The dealer will place your bet with the odds on top and slightly offset. One advantage to place bets is the ability to remove your bet at any time, known as "taking down" your bet. Another advantage is being able to increase the amount of your bet at any time. If your number is rolled you may increase the amount in two ways- 1-You can "Press it" which means doubling your bet. 2- You can "Raise one unit" which will increase your bet by the initial amount and returning to you the extra amount won. A disadvantage of place betting is having to put a large initial amount out on the line and if a seven comes up on the first roll you will lose everything.

Place Betting Terms
Be sure to include enough chips to cover an equal amount on each number. Inside-A bet on the 5, 6 and 8 Outside- A bet on the 4, 5, 9 and 10 Across- A bet on all 7 numbers. These are the most basic of Craps betting and cover the basics of bets made by players. When leaving the table players should cash out their chips to a higher denomination and this is called "coloring out". Basically it is the same as when first changing your money into chips, just wait until you have the dealers attention, place your chips on the table and ask to color out.