Winning at Craps

When you first look at all the different bets on a craps table, it can be confusing. But it has basic rules as far as table games go. It just differs if you are the shooter or not.

The shooter is the person rolling the dice. It’s an automatic win if your fist roll is a 7 or 11. You crap out, or lose automatically, with a 2, 3 or 12. Any other number allows you to keep rolling until you hit that number again. The number you first roll is called the pass-line point. In this case, you want to avoid rolling a 7 on any subsequent roll, which is when you lose and the dice is passed to the next player. You win if you match the pass-line point before rolling a 7.

Other players at the table bet that you will match your pass-line point or won’t match it. It’s frowned upon to bet against a shooter that is on a hot streak. You are free to pass on a roll. You can also pass the dice after a pass-line point is decided. Your first roll is called the come-out roll and other players win even money if they bet with you and you roll a 7 or 11. If you establish a point like 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, other players bet if you will roll that again before a 7 comes up.

A craps table can have up to four staff members such as the boxman, two dealers and the stickman. The boxman monitors the game and resolves disputes. The dealers stand at either side of the table to take bets. The stickman gives the dice to the shooter and calls out the roll and betting options. If it’s a light table in terms of players, there will be less staff. A plastic disk known as the puck keeps track of the roll. The black side labeled “off” means it is a come-out roll. The white side labeled “on” means a point has been established and is placed on the numbered box on the table for that point.

The odds of any number hitting in craps is 1 in 36. The odds of a 7 or 11 is 22% and the odds for a crap out is 11%. You will see plenty of people at the craps table because it is a social game at the casino and the house advantage is just 1.5%.