Part 2: Playing and Betting on Craps
Shake ‘em up. Shake ‘em up. Shake ‘em. Craps has rich origins and anecdotes on the name as we discussed in a previous article. The game is always a hot spot of wild action on the casino floor filled with yells, chips flying around, and dice being tossed. The noise and sheer number of bets can make craps intimidating to the unitiated, but, once the basics are understood, a new player can confidently step up to the table and see where the dice fall. (A great place to try out craps are the fun and inclusive tables at Planet Hollywood in Las Vegas.)
Come-out Roll
First thing to know, and the fastest way to win, is the first roll called the “come-out roll;” and you win if the shooter’s dice land on seven or 11. The bet on this roll is usually at the “pass-line” or “win line.” Rolling a 2, 3 or 12 is craps, thus, equaling a loss. The house edge on a pass-line bet is about 1.4%.
Take Odds
On the come-out roll if the dice land on a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the "Box Point" and the shooter must roll that number again before they roll a 7 in order to win. In the case of a win, the game starts over with a new come-out roll. In the unfortunate instance of a shooter rolling craps, they get to keep the dice until they seven-out.
Onlookers can make bets on the pass-line or behind. Where they put the bets determines how they are paid for it. Bets placed on the line are paid at even money, and bets behind the line (chips lined up behind the chips placed on the pass-line) are paid at true odds. That is, there is no house edge on this bet. The odds for 'behind the line bets' are different for each of the numbers and are paid as follows:
- 6 and 8 pays 6 to 5
- 5 and 9 pays 3 to 2
- 4 and 10 pays 2 to 1
It’s true that casinos offer various odds multipliers behind the line; however, it is common for casinos on the Las Vegas strip to offer 3, 4, or 5 times the odds. You can get better craps odds in Historic Downtown Las Vegas at a place like The Golden Nugget Las Vegas.
Other methods of placing bets are aptly named: place betting. During the point cycle, after the come out roll where the point number is rolled, the better can bet that the point number will hit again on the next roll or on any of the other six numbers. The dealers put the chips on the numbers the betters choose. Place bets are non-contract; therefore, you can add, change, or remove them at any time. This is not the case for bets placed on the line. They must remain in place until they have been decided. The odds behind the line are different from the odds placed at the line. Check with the facility to find out what is offered at each establishment.
Final Tips
For the best results when playing, make sure you understand what the odds are for each bet. They may be confusing in the beginning; especially, because they vary from place to place. Another basic tip would be to avoid bets that have low odds. The better the odds, the more like you have a chance of hitting it big. Crap shooters have the tradition of never mentioning “7s” once a point number has been made. There is no worse luck for the player.
Craps is classically a tough game to learn. But, once players get the hang of it, the craps table is one of the liveliest tables in any casino. There are people yelling at the dealer, tossing chips, flinging dice, and relying on the betters to offer a bit of luck to the shooters. The best time to ease into the game is to spend time at the tables during the early afternoon when the tables typically aren’t so busy. Once your comfort level rises, try the tables when it comes to life and hopefully the payout with be high too. For added flavor, you can play craps on a river boat in Louisiana, where Craps was born in the US, at L'Auberge Lake Charles or Baton Rouge.
