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Craps is a complex game with many different ways to play.  You can be on a team, or place bets individually.  You can roll the dice or just put money on the luck of other people.  You may win big, small or not at all.  The many different ways to play the game and ignorance as to how to approach the game frequently turns many people away from the table.  Not to worry!  This two-part series will guide you from the basics of beginning craps to the rules of advanced play.


How It’s Played

To begin with, craps is played with dice and chips.  There are 36 possible combinations that can be made from two dice.  This brings us to our first important player in Craps: The Shooter.

The Shooter is the player who is doing the throwing of the dice.  At the beginning of any game, the Shooter will throw the pair of dice from one end of the table to the other, establishing what is known as the point number.  The point number is the number that the shooter will try to roll again and again.  There is no time or throw limit.  Once the point is established, a white chip known as the “puck” is placed on that number so that everyone around the table can clearly what the point is.

Betting Basics

Now that we understand the basic game play, there are many different ways to place bets in craps.  The basic betting scheme has players bet on the number they believe the shooter will roll, and payouts are determined based on the odds that said number would come up against a seven.  Keep in mind that there are six different ways to roll a seven, making it the highest probable roll.  Lets explore the different bets that can be made.

The Pass Line/ Don’t Pass Line

The Pass Line is the most basic bet one can make in Craps.  When betting on the Pass Line, your bet is placed before the shooter throws the first roll of the dice.  If the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11, you automatically win.  However, if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, you lose automatically.  Any other number becomes the point number and your bet stays on the table.

From here, the shooter will roll again and if he rolls his point number before he rolls a 7, you win.  If he rolls a 7 before he rolls his point number, you lose.

The Don’t Pass Line is the opposite of the Pass Line.  If the shooter rolls a 3 or a 12, you win automatically.  If he rolls a 7 or an 11, you lose automatically.  If a 2 is rolled, you get your money back.

From here, if the shooter rolls a 7 before he rolls his point, you win.  If he rolls his point number before he rolls a 7, you lose.

The next installment will elaborate on what you have learned so far with more advanced strategies and gameplay.