Craps

One of the most easily recognizable games in a casino is craps. Few games encompass the noise, flare, and general excitement of a busy craps table. All of the drama associated with the game- lady luck blowing on the dice, the colorful lingo, and the variation in bets that can be placed make craps appealing to anyone who enjoys a good time. It also appeals to those who love gambling but dislike the intellectual intensity of poker or blackjack, and instead prefer the adrenalin rush of “throwing bones.” While craps is as well known as any other casino game, many people do not have the first idea about how it is actually played. While it appears complicated, craps is actually a fairly straightforward game.

The history of craps is widely disputed, but its aficionado’s basically believe that it is a derivative of some of the earliest dice games. There are two basic varieties of craps- bank craps and street craps. The street variety is self explanatory, as it is a crap-type game that is played on the streets. Players wager against each other, and rules can vary wildly depending upon where you are playing.

The bank variety of craps is the one that is played in casinos. Basically, there is a bank (the house) that covers all players’ bets, and all players play against the bank. In most casinos, four casino employees run craps games. There is the stickman, who uses a long stick to place bets in the middle of the table and to collect the dice. He is also responsible for calling out the results of each roll. The boxman trades chips with players who want to exchange for higher denominations, and generally guards the chips. He is usually the employee who controls the dice as well. In a normal craps game, a player chooses two dice out of a possible five, and the boxman keeps the remaining three in a bowl. If a player wants to exchange dice, or a die flies off the table, the boxman would provide a replacement die. If the player wants to continue using the same die that fell off, it is up to the boxman to inspect it to make sure a rigged die has not been switched in. There are also two base dealers who pay and collect bets, and stand on either side of the boxman.

Play is fairly simple, even though there are countless ways to bet. Basically, a player takes his turn to throw the dice. While it is his turn he is known as the shooter. In order to be eligible to become the shooter, a player must place an initial bet on himself to succeed at least minimally. This original bet is called a “pass line” bet. The player then takes his first roll, which is known as the “come out” roll. The come out roll has three possible outcomes, although there are many ways in which the dice can fall.

The first option is that the player rolls a seven or an eleven. If this occurs, the player wins their pass line bet. In most cases, a player keeps playing until they lose, so a player who wins his pass line bet would likely roll again. Another possible outcome is that he rolls a two, three, or twelve. If a player does this it is said that he “craps out,” and he loses his bet and passes the dice.

If the player rolls any other total (four, five, six, eight, nine, ten,) then it is said that he establishes a point. The dealer would then move a marker, which is known as the puck, to the number on the board that the player rolls. He puts the puck white side up to signify that there is a point in play and that the game is proceeding. If there is not a point in play, the dealer places the puck with the black side up on the number twelve on the board. The purpose of this is to let bystanders and other bettors know what the state of the game is.

If the player establishes a point, they then have to continue throwing until they either roll a total that matches the point, or roll a seven. In the event that a player rolls a seven it is said that they “seven-out,” in which case their turn would be over. Anyone who placed a pass line bet would lose it, and the dice are passed counter-clockwise to the next player. If the player rolls their point before rolling a seven then pass line bets are winners, and the player’s turn continues with another coming out roll.

There are many ways to bet on craps, and all of them have varying odds. Most casinos, in order to maintain an edge and ensure that the game remains in their favor, pay worse odds than the actual odds. For instance, a player can bet that a twelve will be rolled. The odds of this occurring are actually thirty-five to one. The casino, however, only pays thirty-to-one (this is typical of most casinos, although the actual odds that a casino pays vary from place to place). Interestingly, the simplest bets that a player can make are also the ones where the house has the least edge. These are known as pass, don’t pass, come, and don’t come type of bets.

A “pass bet” is basically a bet that the player will not crap out, and if he establishes a point he will not seven out. The odds of winning a pass bet are 251:244, and most casinos pay out at one to one odds. This means that on a pass bet the house typically only has an edge of 1.41 percent. Compare that to the odds paid on the twelve bet which gives the house a 13.89 percent edge, and it is clear which bet is smarter (even if it is not as exciting).

A “don’t pass” bet is essentially the opposite of a pass bet, but offers slightly better odds. In a don’t pass bet, the bettor wins if the shooter craps out or sevens out. The bet loses on a seven or eleven on a coming out roll, or if the player hits his point. The odds of winning a don’t pass bet are 1031: 949, on which the house pays one to one. This gives the house an advantage of only 1.36 percent. While these bets don’t pay as well as the riskier bets, a smart craps player will make them his standard method of playing.

Other smart bets are come/don’t come bets. A “come” bet is a type of two-stage bet that is very similar to a pass bet. A player places a come bet on the pass line, as they are identical bets. If the player wins, the come bet wins. If he craps out the come bet loses. If a point is set, the come bet is moved to the point number and wins if the player hits his point before sevening out. Come bets have actual odds identical to those of pass bets, and also pay one to one. “Don’t come” bets are the opposite of come bets, and share odds with don’t pass bets.

While these bets pay very little, they are the most certain type of bet that you can make at a craps table, unless odds are played. If a player sets a point they can usually put odds on their pass bet. In most casinos, a player can put as much as five times their original bet up. When this happens, the player is paid at actual odds, meaning the house edge on odds bets is zero. If a player has odds on his point, the payout odds are as follows: 1:2 if the point is a four or a ten, 2:3 if the point is a five or a nine, and 5:6 if the point is a six or eight. Since the casino has no statistical edge on odds bets, they are very smart bets, especially if the table is considered hot.

The situation is the same with come bets, although sometimes a player may find he has a come bet with odds on it on the table during a coming out roll. In this case, unless the player states otherwise, the player’s odds are considered “not working.” If the shooter craps out on his coming out roll and a player has come odds on the table that aren’t working, the player will lose his original bet but not his odds bet. This is where the odds are in favor of the players.

These are by far the best bets that a smart player can make. Someone just looking for an adrenaline rush and a big payoff on long odds has a myriad of betting options, and these range from single roll bets to fire bets. These bets are described in any craps instruction book, and are all fairly self-explanatory. What is equally as important, but may not be written in a rule book, is etiquette at the table. Craps is as beloved by players for what goes on around the table as what happens on it. A new player may inadvertently trample on convention and find himself ostracized by other players and casino staff. While breaking these rules may not get you ejected from the building, following them will make for a much more enjoyable gambling experience.

Some of the etiquette rules are to help the casinos protect themselves as well as the other players. Most casinos do not allow “call bets.” This means that a player cannot shout out a bet without actually having the chips on the table. A player may put extra money down and state a bet, and if the dealer acknowledges it, the chips do not actually have to be on the place the player is betting. A player cannot, however, simply throw chips down before a roll and yell his bet out. If this occurs, a dealer will probably say “no bet,” and the chips will be given back to the player. No call rules most likely developed in the early days of craps, when “one twenty five” could have meant one dollar and twenty-five cents or one hundred twenty-five dollars.

Another important rule that casinos employ to eliminate cheating relates to the way in which dice can be handled. Dice should only ever be handled with one hand and never passed from one hand to the other. This is to eliminate the possibility of a sleight of hand artist substituting a weighted die. If a player wants to shoot with their other hand, they should set the dice on the table, and then pick them up with their other hand. Depending on the table a player is at, this can be a very serious rule.

Players should also always throw the dice according to casino rules. In order to eliminate people fixing their throws and controlling the outcome, most casinos require that a throw hit the back wall and bounce back into play. A short throw may not always be counted, and the player may have to re-roll. Players should not slide dice, either. At one point there was a movement of craps players trying to perfect their rolls to influence the outcome of the game, and eliminate some of the element of chance from the dice. One technique that they employed was to slide the dice on the table. Many casinos now have a string across the table to eliminate this practice, but even if they do not it is frowned upon to slide dice.

There are other etiquette rules that are in place simply to make the game more pleasant for all players. Most importantly, players should never interfere with a throw. Most dealers will call for players to put their hands up and out of the way when the shooter is rolling. A player should always be conscious of their environment when they are at a craps table.

Players should also never set anything besides chips on the rail around the table. Nothing will cool off a hot table faster than bourbon on the rocks or a shrimp cocktail spilling onto the playing surface. Additionally, a cigarette will not make a cold table hot, but it may burn a hole in an expensive surface. Neither of these outcomes will positively influence the outcome of a player’s night. They might even get them thrown out of the building.

Players should also never throw chips onto the table. Out of control chips can become lost, move to a place that is hard for a dealer to reach, or knock placed bets into disarray. Players should place bets on the table or hand them to a dealer to place for them. If a player must toss a bet, it is more polite to throw fewer chips- a ten instead of two fives, for example.

Other rules are more superstitious, such as the rule that a player should never switch dice in the middle of a turn. Craps aficionados believe that this is bad luck, and it may draw the ire of serious bettors around the table. If the dice falls off the table on a throw, the shooter may call out for the same dice, and the boxman will inspect them and return them to the player. It is also considered bad luck to say the word “seven” after a coming out throw. If one need reference the number, it can be referred to as “Red” or Big Red.”

Possibly the most important etiquette rules is that a player should always tip their dealers. A player can either place chips on the table and say: “for the dealers,” or they can place a bet for the dealers. It is not considered rude to place a smaller bet for the dealer than a player placed for himself, and often a dollar bet is sufficient. Most casinos require that their dealers collect their tip bets after a turn is over, but if a player declares it his intention ahead of time to control the bet, he may let the dealer’s bet ride.

There is very little you can do to influence the outcome at craps. Therefore, rather than try to influence or predict the outcome, a good strategy would be to ride on the outcome and vary the intensity of betting appropriately; more as you win (when the table is 'hot'), less as you lose (when the table is 'cold').

The numbers people say that a Pass bet gives the house a 1.41% edge. And a Don't Pass yields slightly less than 1.40% to the house. These are the Line Bets and they're the heart of a winner's strategy because everything else gives too much away. For example:

* The Field gives away 5.6%.
* Big 6/Big 8 gives 9.1%.
* Horn: 12.5%.
* Craps 2/Craps 12: 13.9%
* Any 7: 16.7%.

See what I mean? Craps is about dice and dice are about percentages. The smart money gives as little away as possible and that means Pass/Don't Pass at around 1.4%. Those bets and how to improve them is what this article is about.

While we're at it, it's worth keeping in mind that Come/Don't Come bets follow the same odds and logic. The only thing different about them is the timing as to when they're placed.

Improve Your Bets

Okay, so the smart bets are Pass/Don't Pass (and Come/Don't Come). Now how can we improve the best bets in Craps? The Odds, that's how -- either by Buying Odds when you play "right" (Pass) or Laying Odds when you play "wrong" (Don't Pass). These are placed in addition to your initial bet after the Come Out roll and the reason they improve your initial bet is that the house takes no edge on Odds. That's right, zero house. All you're betting against is the straight dice. But you could spend a long time looking at the felt trying to find where the Odds bets are supposed to go. The truth is they're not marked. It's a "hidden" bet, so to speak.

The word is that in Vegas the big houses simply take the position that it's not their responsibility to inform the players of all their betting options, so the Odds stay unmarked. Needless to say, our online friends are not in the business of correcting Vegas so they take the same approach: no Odds to be seen. No biggie, it's an easy bet to make and it will improve your original Line bet by almost halving the house edge or better, if the house let's you do it.

Placing an Odds Bet

An Odds bet is made by supplementing your original Pass/Don't Pass bet by an additional amount after you've made it past the Come Out roll. The bets are placed right beside your initial bet on the Pass/Don't Pass line. In Vegas it's typical for the house to restrict these bets to Single Odds, meaning you can match your Come Out bet with an equal amount. And as I said, that'll about half the house edge on your initial bet.

The good news is that the online casinos I've sampled let you bet double your initial Line bet. This is called Double Odds and it cuts their edge even further, to a little more than 40% of their initial edge. So that 1.4% they originally had is now down to about 0.6%. It's a smart play. Generally speaking, and assuming you can handle the gaff, buy the biggest Odds you can find because the larger the Odds bet, the more you shave off the house edge on your initial bet.

Testing the Strategy

Most players are going to prefer playing right and Buy the Odds because the payouts look larger, but then you're playing against slightly higher odds. If you're hardcore about playing to win you'd be well advised to look seriously at playing wrong, taking the smaller house edge, and grinding it out. The gurus sum it up by saying that playing right and Buying Odds is the more popular and a bit riskier. Playing wrong and Laying Odds is considerably less popular with the Craps crowds, shaves the house edge to a minimum and is for players with a large roll and the patience to grind out the winnings over extended play.

So I tested the strategy on a number of online casinos. What I found was the playing wrong and Laying Odds was definitely to my tastes, which is no surprise because I have always preferred the Don't Pass bets. Now when it comes to kicking out for the Double Odds I have to say that I found it better for my peace of mind, if not strictly for the best edge, to not Lay Double on every round.

If you look at the Point frequencies you'll see that there are three ways to roll a 4 or 10, four ways to roll a 5 or 9, and five ways to roll a 6 or 8 and, finally, six ways to roll an Out 7. In other words, when betting wrong and always placing Double Odds, those 6's and 8's are gonna turn up fairly frequently and you're going to lose your bets. In short, it's a game of nerves to play that way and, speaking for myself, I don't like it. So what I've done is Double Odds on the 4 and 10 and let the rest ride. What I'm doing, of course, is betting exceptionally conservatively since the 4/10 Points are the least likely to show and are therefore the safest wrong bets to Double up on. It makes for a slow game but I was almost always able to better my holdings if I stuck with it. It might not be everyone's cup of tea, but I like it when the chips pile up and I don't like it when they drain away. It's basically a style of play that suits my temperament.

Conclusion

So there it is: Pass/Don't Pass (or Come/Don't Come) only, while playing the highest Odds you can get will help you shave the house edge to a minimum. Modify to suit your tastes, as I did in standing on every wrong bet save the 4/10 Points. And finally, don't give the house your fractions. Shooters up!