Learn how to play craps

Are you intrigued by the game of craps but have no idea how to play?  Look no further as this article will help you learn how to play craps.  Craps is a very basic dice game which can be played in the casinos or online.  When played in the casino it can be quite exciting as players will tend to get very excited, loud and entertaining.  The online game doesn’t have quite the same effect yet is still a very fun way to play craps.  Craps consists of 2 dice making the range of numbers to bet on from 2-12.  Don’t be intimidated by the look of a craps table – it looks more confusing than it is.  There are tons and tons of different bets that can be made in craps but the simplest of bets in craps is the pass line bet.  We will help you learn how to play craps at a very high level, then if you feel you are ready for some more complex strategies you can read through our craps betting strategy article.

For now lets just focus on the pass line bet.  This bet is put on one section of the craps table and you can completely ignore every other section of the confusing craps table.  A basic craps bet means you are wagering money that the person who rolls the dice (the shooter) will roll the correct number to win the bet.  In other words, you are riding the shooters money train.  You go as the shooter goes.  This makes it very fun as you can cheer along with the shooter as they continue to roll.  So this pass line bet will be placed on the table in the area labeled “Pass Line”.  So after the bet is placed we are ready for the “come-out roll” which is the first roll in a potential series of rolls.  This first roll is different because other bets will hinge on the outcome of this come-out roll.

If this first roll is a 7 or 11, congrats you win!  But, if this first roll is a 2, a 3 or a 12 you and all other pass line bettors lose.  This is called a “crap out” by the shooter.  Now lets say any of the other numbers are rolled on the come-out roll (4-5-6-8-9-10).  This creates what is called a “pass line point”.  At this point you could put up another bet on top of your original bet called a “free-odds” bet or an “odds bet”.  This is typically a good idea as the “odds bet” is paid out as true-odds money and the house gets nothing if you win this bet.  Ok, so the com-out roll is done, a pass-line point was created and no bets are won or lost yet.  But the shooter now has to roll the dice for the second time in this series of rolls.  Your hope now is for the shooter to roll this number again before they roll a 7.  If they roll a 7 they have “sevened out” and you lose.  If they throw that point number before a 7, your pass line bet wins (and your odds bet if you made the extra bet).

It’s fun to learn how to play craps isn’t it?  There is just so much to learn and I know it’s overwhelming and a little confusing – but don’t worry.  If you understand this article on how to play craps – you know the basics.  You can have tons of fun just betting the pass line and making odds bets to follow.  More details on odds bets, true odds and other complex bets and strategies can be found in some of our advanced articles.