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Casino Games: Craps
Craps is one of the most exciting forms of gambling in existence. The next time you are in a casino, cruise by the craps table and check out the action. Players are making bets at blinding speed and the table crew is placing them and paying out winners in flurry of flying chips. Add in the excitement of the dice being thrown and the reaction of the crowd and you've got yourself quite a game of chance.
Craps, in addition to being an exciting game, is also a game where the player can lower the house edge to a very small amount.
Before we begin our treatise on craps, let us first clear up one common misconception about this casino game: You don't always want a "lucky" 7 to be thrown. In craps, a 7 is only lucky on the come out roll. Once a point has been established, a 7 is a craps - not a good thing.
How craps is played
Another misconception about craps is that it is a complicated game. Sure there are several types of bets that can make the game seem confusing. When broken down into it's most basic (and profitable form), craps is really a very simple game.
Craps is a game played with dice. The dice are rolled by a shooter who throws them from one end of the table to the other, making sure to bounce them off the wall of the table. The shooter's first throw of the dice is called the come out roll and is used to establish a point. When a shooter commences with the come out roll, there are three possible outcomes depending on what number is thrown:
- A point is established if a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is thrown. If a point is thrown, the dealer will place a marker on the number thrown.
- The Pass Line is paid if the shooter throws a 7 or 11 on the come out roll. This is the lucky seven that you hear about.
- The Don't Pass Line is paid if the shooter throws a 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll.
When the shooter throws a 7 after the point has been set, she has crapped out and the dice are passed to a new shooter. The dealer will announce very loudly, "Seven out, new shooter. Craps."
When the point has been set, the player with the dice will continue throwing the dice until the point number is rolled, or she craps out by rolling a 7. Much betting takes place between throws as players make wagers on the large number of side bets available on the craps table.
The Pass Line and Don't Pass Line are the best bets in craps
The come out roll, as indicated above, involves the Pass Line and Don't Pass Line. The Pass Line is the most basic bet in craps. It is also the bet that gives you the best opportunity to win at craps. The Pass Line bet pays even money to the player and comes with a very small house edge of 1.4 percent. To make a Pass Line bet, a player puts their chip(s) on the Pass Line before a new shooter makes the come out roll. You win automatically if the shooter throws a 7 or 11, lose right away if the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, and have to wait to see if you win or lose if a point is set.
The point is set when the shooter throws a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. After the point is set, the shooter must roll the point number before rolling a 7 in order for the Pass Line to be paid. If a 7 is rolled before the point, then you lose the Pass Line bet.
Some craps players like to be contrarian and play the Don't Pass Line. The Don't Pass Line is the opposite of the Pass Line. If the shooter throws a 3 or 12 on the come out roll, you win automatically. The 7 or 11 that had you winning with the Pass Line is now a loss. If the roll is a 2, you push (tie) and the bet is returned to you. If a point is set, the Don't Pass Line gets paid only if the shooter rolls a 7 before making the point.
Taking odds is an important add-on bet after the point has been set
After the point has been set, players are allowed to "take odds" on their pass line bet.
Craps was a wide variety of bets available to risk-averse players
Come bets are very similar to Pass Line wagers. The difference is that they are made after the point has been set. Come bets pay even money. To make a Come bet, place your chip(s) in the appropriate field - marked COME - before any roll of the dice, excluding the come out roll. Come bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, and lose if the shooter rolls 2, 3, or 12 (sound familiar?). If the shooter rolls a point number - 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10 - that number becomes the come point. If the come point is rolled before a 7, the Come bet wins.
Don't Come bets are the opposite of Come bets and similar to the Don't Pass Line bet. The Don't Come bet wins if the shooter throws a 3 or 12 on the first roll after the bet is placed, and loses if the same throw is a 7 or 11. A roll of 2 is a push. After the come point is made, Don't Come bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before the come point is rolled.
Place bets are bets made on any of the point numbers - 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10. They are paid at house odds as follows:
- 4 and 10 - 19/10 odds
- 5 and 9 - 7/5 odds
- 6 and 8 - 7/6 odds
Unlike Pass Line and Come bets, Place bets can be placed or removed between rolls. Like the other bets, Place bets also have a contrarian version. These bets are called No Place bets, so named because you are betting that a 7 will be rolled before the number you choose for the No Place bet.
Field bets are another simple bet. You are simply betting that one of the numbers 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12 will be thrown on the next roll of the dice. Payouts for Field bets are even money on the 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 and either 2/1 or 3/1 on the 2 and 12. We do not recommend that craps players make field bets. Field bets lose when the shooter rolls 5, 6, 7, or 8. The likelihood of one of these four numbers being rolled is greater than for one of the other seven numbers being rolled.
Proposition bets should be re-named Sucker bets. There are several types of Proposition bets. These bets are commonly referred to as hardway bets, horn bets and craps bets.
- Hardway - A bet that the next roll will be 4, 6, 8 or 10 that wins only if a pair is rolled. The payouts for each number are listed on the table and vary from 15/2 to 33/1.
- Craps - A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12. A Craps bet pays 15/2 and the house edge is 11.1 percent.
- Horn - A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 11, or 12.
- Snakeyes - Also called Aces or Bullets. A bet that the next roll will be a 2.
- Seven - A bet that the next roll will be 7. This is a terrible bet. It pays 4/1 odds and the house edge is 16.7 percent.
- Big 6 - A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7. A Big 6 bet pays even money and the house edge is 9.1 percent. To show what a bad bet this is, consider that you can make a Place bet on the 6. The Place bet will pay 7/6 with a house edge of only 1.5 percent.
- Big 8 - The same bet as the Big 6 but with even worse odds and a larger house edge.
- Boxcars - Betting that a pair of 6's will be rolled.
- Yo - A bet that the next number rolled will be 11.
- Hi-lo - A bet that 2 or 12 will be thrown on the next roll.
- Hi-lo Yo - A bet that 2, 11 or 12 will be thrown on the next roll.
Proposition bets are not good wagering opportunities. Each of them has a heavy house advantage that will drain your bankroll. Be stubborn if you wish, but don't say that we didn't warn you.
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