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If you've ever been curious about the game that everyone seems to crowd around at the casino, you don't need to be in the dark any more. That game is craps and there is a reason why it is so popular and why the excitement of the game draws such big crowds. Playing craps online allows you to enjoy the thrill of the game from the comfort of your own home.
Before you try your hand at craps, though, you need to understand the Craps Rules and learn how to play the Craps game. The game may seem to be a bit confusing at first, but once you learn the rules, there is no reason why you shouldn't be able to play.
The point of the game of craps is to correctly guess the numbers or combinations of numbers that will come up when a pair of dice is thrown. Players place bets on these predictions.
In a game of casino craps, each player places a bet which the bank of the casino "covers." The casino also offers a number of other proposition bets for the players. We will look at all of the bets that are available in a game of casino craps.
Four people are actively involved in running a game of craps:
- The "boxman" is the overseer or boss in a craps game. He sits behind the craps table, in the middle, and watches all the goings on of the game.
- There are two dealers who stand on either side of the boxman. Each dealer is responsible for the craps players on his side of the table. Their job is to pay out chips to the winners and to collect or "rake in" any losing chips. The craps table is divided down the middle of the proposition bets, as well as by the stickman who stands on the players' side of the table.
- The "stickman" is the one who really controls the agame. He sets the pace of the game and has the important job of looking after the craps dice. The stickman keeps an eye on the bets and once they have all been placed, he pushes a few pairs of dice over to the game's shooter.
- The shooter is the player who actually throws the dice. He chooses one of the sets of dice that the stickman pushed over to him and throws them right across the length of the craps table. They must hit the wall at the table's other end. In a nutshell, if you get a 7 or 11 on the first throw, that is known as a "natural" and you win. You will win what you bet on the pass line. If, on the other hand, the outcome of the first roll is a 2, 3 or 12 you will have thrown "craps" and you will lose. Your chips from the pass line bet will be raked by the dealer. The shooter will then carry on throwing the dice until the point when he "sevens out". The results of these throws are important for the rest of the game. If on his first throw he rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 it will become the "box point." He will continue to throw the dice until he rolls the box point again, in which case he wins, or until he throws a seven, in which case he loses.
Craps table layout:

The most common bets are the line and the come – pass or don't pass. These bets offer the best odds making them the best gamble and the bets placed most often by players. Make sure that you take your full odds in back of the pass line bet if you bet on the pass line. You may be lucky enough to double odds or higher offered at an online and you should jump at the chance. An important tip to mention here is that you should always boost your bets on wins – not on losses!
Now let's have a closer look at each of the bets available in craps:
- Seven – This is a one-roll bet that pays out odds of 4 : 1, with true odds of 5 : 1 and a house edge is 16.66%.
- Eleven – This is also a one-roll bet. It pays out odds of 14 : 1, but true odds are 17 : 1 and it has a house edge of 16.66%.
- Pass Line – This is one of the best bets that you can place in craps with a very small house edge of 1.414%. It pays out even money.
- Don't Pass – The don't pass bet has even better odds than you will find with the pass line bet as it has a house edge of 1.402%. It also pays out even money.
- Come Bets and Don't Come Bets – A large section in the middle of the craps table is made up of the come bet area. The come bet is basically the same type of bet as the pass line, with the exception that it can be placed after the come out roll has a point already established. As the name suggests, the don't come bet is the opposite of the come bet, similar to how the pass line bet and the don't pass line bet are opposite. They are also similar to the pass line and don't pass line bets in terms of their house edge with 1.414% house edge and 1.402% house edge respectively.
- Buy Bets – The player can choose to pay 5% "vigorish" in order to receive true odds on all bets. Buy bets are only worthwhile on the 4 and 10 as they reduce the house edge to 4.76%.
- Place Bets – There are a number of different place bets. The 4 and 10 pay out odds of 9 : 5, with their true odds being 10 : 5 creating a house edge of 6.66%. The 5 and 9 pay out odds of 7 : 5, with their true odds being 7.5 : 5, creating a house edge of 4%. The 6 and 8 pay out odds of 7 : 6, with their true odds being 6 : 5, creating a house edge of 1.51%.
- Hard Ways – Players can place a hard ways bet on the numbers 4, 6, 8 and 10. They pay out odds of 7 : 1 on the 4 or 10 with a house edge of 11.11% and 9 : 1 on the 6 or 8 with a house edge of 9.09%. Not a good bet.
- Any Craps – This bet is another one-roll bet. If 2, 3 or 12 are rolled you will be paid out odds of 7 : 1 with a house edge of 11.11%. Another bet to avoid.
- The Field – This is also a one-roll bet that pays out even money or 2 : 1 if a 2 or 12 are rolled. It has a house edge of 5.55%.
- Horn Bet – As we've seen above, the 2, 3, 12 and 11 can be bet on individually, but these bets also make up a zone that is referred to as "the horn". Player can place a bet on all of the numbers collectively by giving his bet to the dealer and calling out, for example, "$8 horn bet." In other words, he is placing a $2 bet on each of the numbers in the horn. This type of bet pays out 30 : 1 on a 2 or 12 with true odds of 35 : 1 and it pays out 15 : 1 on 3 or 11 with true odds of 17 : 1. The house edge for the four bets works out 16.66%. A bet better left avoided!
- Big 6 and 8 – There is a specific section on the table for these bets. They pay out even money, but have true odds of 6 : 5 which translates to a house edge of 9.09%.
- Odds – A player can get the odds when a point is established (whether it is on the first roll or the come point from a later roll). You will be paid out 2 : 1 on 4 and 10; 3 : 2 on 5 and 9 and 6 : 5 on 6 and 8. If he bets against the point he will have the same odds.
Proposition Bets can be placed any time the player wants and they are all classified as one-roll bets, except for the hardways bet.
- Seven – Pays out 5 : 1 when a 7 is rolled
- Eleven – Pays out 16 : 1 when an 11 is rolled
- Any Craps – Pays out 8 : 1 when a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled
- Ace Deuce – Pays out 16 : 1 when a 3 is rolled
- Aces or Boxcars – Pays out 30 : 1 when a 2 or 12 is rolled
- Horn Bet – This bet wins when any of the numbers 2, 3, 12 or 11 is rolled. The payout is specific to the number that wins and the remaining three numbers lose.
- Hardways – This bet pays out if the outcome is a hard throw (sum of pairs: before it is thrown easy and a 7 is rolled). It pays out 8 : 1 on hard 4 and 10 and 10 : 1 on hard 6 and 8.
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