Expert Guide to Playing Craps: Top-Ranked Online Casinos for Playing Craps in 2023

The game of craps has a rich history attached to it. According to some literature, it was developed by Sir William from Tyre who wanted to give his generals a source of amusement when they were fighting in the Crusades. There is a term in the game called “roll the bones”, it is believed that this term was coined when the game was played by Roman militia. The Romans used to play with shields and knuckles of pigs.

Like all other gambling games, Craps was introduced in the United States by the Europeans. A rich French landlord by the name of Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, first brought the game to the state of Louisiana. With time, the game molded itself to the local environment and thereafter thrived in the new world.

Street Craps gained popularity in the time of the Second World War, when it was played by Army troops on blankets. It makes us consider that stories regarding the Romans and the Crusaders may, actually have been true.

The Casino version of Craps also gained its popularity during the same time. A gentleman called John H. Winn, pioneered some radical changes in the game including “Don’t Pass Bets”, “Right” or “Wrong” Bet and allowing players to either wager in favor of or in opposition to the shooter.

As with most gambling games in the US, the popularity of Craps started off from the state of Nevada, the first state to legalize gambling. The boom of the internet saw a rise in online gaming which helped to take gambling to a new level. However, since craps is an interactive game by nature, it was not able to get the same level of online success as Blackjack & Poker. As the internet changes the way we live our lives, new ways of social networking are developed, craps is sure to capture its share of online followers.

The game of Craps has a very rich history and thus its terms are reflective of this. The cards have their own epithet; some of these are specific to casinos, whereas others are recognized throughout the globe. A few must know terms are listed below:

Aces: A bet that the next roll will have a value of 2.

Any Craps: A bet that the next roll will have a value of 12, 2 or 3.

Any Seven: A bet that the next roll will have a value of 7.

Boxcars: A bet that the next roll will have a value of 12.

C & E: A bet that the next roll will have a value of 2,3,12 (craps) or 11.

Come Out Roll: Initial throw in any wager round, which locks the point for Don’t Pass Line bets and Pass bets.

Don’t Come Bet: A bet on the number seven coming before the point is made once more.

Don’t Pass Bet: A bet that the shooter won’t make the point, but will roll either a 7 or a craps.

Easy Way: When the roll has a value of 10, 8, 6 or 4 and when the number on both dice are different as well. 

Field Bet: Bet on 12, 2, 11, 9, 4, 10 or 3.

Hardway: A bet on 8, 4, 10 or 6 being rolled as pairs (4/4, etc.) before rolling Easy Way or 7.

Hi-Lo: A bet on the next roll being either 12 or 2.

Natural: A Roll of 11 or 7.

Odds Bet: An addition bet made to Pass Line bet.

Off: A bet that in ineligible for the next turn.

On: A bet that in eligible for the next turn.

Place Bet: A bet that an exact value (e.g. 8 or 10) will be rolled sooner than a 7 is rolled.

Pass Line Bet: Bet on pass line on a Come out throw or Come Out Roll.

Point: Figure as a result by the Come Out throw.

The game starts when the shooter places at least a minimal bet value on either the Don’t Pass line or the Pass line. The dice are then rolled, each of which must strike the table wall before the numbers of the strike can be counted. This move is important and even in online versions of the game; it is replicated on the screen. From there the game moves on in a clockwise fashion.

Every turn in segregated into two parts: Point & Come out. The game starts with the Come out roll. If this throw results in a 2, 3 or 12 then it is called a “craps out” and all the players lose their Pass Line Bets. If the roll is an 11 or a 7 then it is called a “natural” and Pass Line Bets are won by all players in this scenario. Any other digits and it is called a “point” and the game moves in to the next stage. If the shooter successfully manages to roll the same digits again, all players win their Pass Line Bets. If the shooter plays a ‘seven-out’, all bets are lost and a new turn starts.

The table on which craps is played have three parts, two side parts that comprises of the wagers including the Field bets, Don’t Pass bets, Pass bets, Odds bets, Come and Don’t Come bets and Place bets. The center part holds all the offer or proposition bets, these are bets on a single roll and have a huge House advantage and hardway bets.

The game of Craps is complex and intricate. There are countless strategies that can be employed and a number of different techniques by which the game can be played. For beginners, it is important to learn the basics of the game and it is also advisable to play with little money first in the beginning. 

In Craps the simplest wager is the Pass line bet played on the earlier half of every round. When a player makes this bet, he can either lose by a crap out, win by a natural or win if the shooter can hit the point twice in a row, without rolling on a 7.

Amateurs generally like to make a Pass line Wager with a sequence of Come Line wagers, as per the below mentioned method:

• Step one, player makes the Pass Line bet
• Step two, the Shooter plays the dice
• Step 3, player places a bet with double or single stakes
• Step 4, player places a Come Line bet.
• Step 5, the Shooter plays the dice
• Steps 3-4 are repeated.
• The Shooter plays the dice

Keep in mind:

• The game of Craps is all about the house advantage, the standard Pass Line Bet has a house advantage of 1.41%. The rest of the wagers give a higher advantage to the house, but also have a higher payout ratio for the players.
• The game is complex, so it is always a good idea to play a free online version to get used to the rules and regulations of the game and to understand how the playing of the game works. The benefit of this is that you can learn without spending any real money.
• It is also advisable for amateurs to start small, play the standard bets only. Once you get the hang of the game only then move on to the high risk bets.
• The game is like a social magnet, you meet new people, play with a lot of people and it tends to get to you. The results of other players can have an effect on you. Always remember that you are playing against the house and no one else, so their results don’t mean anything to you.