Basic Craps Strategy for Beginners

So you wanna learn Craps? Then read on for a basic strategy for beginners and craps rules.

Among all of the games available in casinos, both on and off-line, craps is unique. Craps is often known as Casino Dice. Craps is where players wager money against the casino on the outcome of one roll, or of a series of rolls of two dice.

The basic concept of the game is players take turns rolling two dice, and they all bet on the same roll, regardless of who is rolling. The player rolling the dice is called the shooter. The first roll of a new round is called the come-out roll. All bets are based on the total of both dice together, or on the specific combination of the roll.

Craps features a plethora of bets, but the most fundamental is the pass line wager, which nearly all players make. On a come-out roll, the pass line bettors win when either a 7 or 11 is rolled. A 2, 3, or 12 loses, and is called craps.

When any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) is rolled, it is called the point. Once a point has been set, the pass-line bettor wins if the point is rolled again, and loses if a 7 is rolled first seven-out. A shooter will continue to roll, even if they roll craps, until a seven-out, at which point the dice pass to the next shooter for a new come-out roll.

The opposite of a pass line bet is the don't pass bet, which wins on a come-out roll of 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11, ties on 12 and goes to the point round when any other number is rolled.

In the point round the don't pass bet wins if a 7 is rolled and loses if the point is rolled. People who bet on the don't pass are called wrong bettors, while those who bet on the pass are called right bettors, only because most craps players make the pass line bet instead of the don't pass bet.

In an off-line casino the craps table is run by four people. The Boxman guards the chips and supervises the dealers. There are two Dealers who stand at either side of the boxman. These dealers collect and pay out players bets. Finally there is the Stickman who stands directly across the table from the boxman and announces the results of each roll and then collects the dice. He is also in charge of managing the bets made on the center of the table.

A new shooter, who must bet the table minimum on either the pass line or the don't pass line to play, is presented five dice by the Stickman and has to choose two to roll.

The dealers will usually insist that the shooter roll with one hand and that the dice bounce off the back wall of the table away from the shooter. These requirements are meant to prevent cheating attempts by players who may switch the dice or attempt a controlled throw.

The stickman controls the action, and tends to be the noisiest of all the casino staff. Craps is by nature the noisiest of all casino games with lots of shouting and excitement. After seeing that all bets are on the craps table, the stickman gives the dice to the shooter.

If, on the first roll, you make a 7 or 11, you've rolled a natural and you're a winner! What you win is the equivalent amount of chips you have bet on the pass line.

Roll a 2, 3 or 12 on your first throw and it's called craps and you've lost. The dealer picks up your pass-line bet, however, the shooter does not give up the dice and continues rolling until they seven out.

If, on the first roll, you shoot a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 that are you’ve established box point. The object then is to keep rolling the dice until you make that number again. You lose, however, if you roll a seven before making your box point.

Craps is probably the trickiest game you'll find to play in any casino, either on or off-line. It can be a little daunting when beginning craps play but our advice is to try it out and you'll soon pick up the basics.

The best basic craps strategy for a beginner to employ is to play the line and the come, either pass or don't pass. These are the two best areas to bet, offering the best possible odds and will let you check out what's happening on the rest of the table. Of course, with an online casino, you can play for free and learn the rules that way! Much easier to try everything out.

One last piece of advice for a craps beginner is to increase your bets when you win, do not double up on your losses. Craps is great fun and once you've tried it out you'll enjoy it even more. Go online and play for fun until you pick up what beginners craps strategy works for you. You'll find a few of our recommended sites to play in on the left of this page!