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The Ultimate Guide On How To Play Craps

If you want to know how to win at craps, you're in the right place. Our casinos.co.za team has been shooting the dice at the best gambling sites for years. That's why we are perfectly placed to offer some invaluable tips and strategies. Craps is a thrilling dice game that can be played online at the best casinos. It can be complicated to newcomers but with a few basic tips you can come out ahead. Craps may be governed by the roll of the dice, but with some sensible play you can turn the odds in your favour. We have compiled a comprehensive guide to get your started. Ace this exciting casino game by learning:

  • ● How a craps casino table is set up
  • ● How bets are placed before and after a dice roll
  • ● Top tips for beating the house

What a Craps Table Looks Like

How to play craps

Craps is played on a large table with a pair of dice thrown by a player called the “shooter”. In a brick-and-mortar casino, the action is handled by two to three croupiers. Online, the computer does everything.

Essentially, a game of craps is a bet on the outcome of two dice. Bets are placed on a table layout by dragging and dropping chips.

Let’s explore the different sections of an online craps table.

Line Bets

These bets include the Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line. They are placed before a Come Out roll that established a Point.

Bars

These include the Come Bar and Don’t Come Bar. These bets are placed after the Come Out roll.

Multi-roll Bets

These high-odds bets are placed after the Point. They include Hard Way, Easy Way, Big 6/Big 8, Place bets, Lay and Buy, and the Fire Bet.

Single Roll Bets

These are more specific bets on the totals of the two dice. You can bet on Any Craps, Any 7, Snake Eyes (2), Ace-Deuce (3), Yo (11), and Boxcars (12).

Learn The Rules Of Online Craps

Craps rules take a few moments to learn. The most important thing is knowing the difference between the Come Out phase and the Point phase. Here’s what to do.

1 – Select Your Stakes

Click on the chips to select your bet size.

2 – Place Bets (Come Out phase)

To place a bet, click on one of the areas of the table. Some bets are placed before a Come Out roll. Some are placed after.

3 – Roll the Dice (Come Out phase)

Click the Roll button to set the dice rolling. A Point number is established at 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If the dice total 7 or 11, the dice are rolled again.

4 – Place Bets (Point phase)

Once a Point is set, you can place more bets (the Point phase).

5 – Roll the Dice (Point phase)

Click the Roll button to roll the dice again. In the Point phase, you have to try to roll the same number as the Point before a 7 appears. If you match the Point, you win. If you roll a 7, you lose and the game starts again.

6 – Come Out phase

The game starts again with new bets and a new roll.

Different Bets in Craps

At craps casinos, players can place bets on the outcome of rolls before or after the Come Out phase. Payouts depend on the outcome of the dice. Simply select your chip values and click the betting areas you want.

Here are some common craps bets, with payouts:

Pass Line (1/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out roll.

Player wins: If the Come Out is 7 or 11.

Player Loses: If 2, 3 or 12 is rolled.

Don’t Pass Line (1/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out.

Player wins: If the Come Out is 2 or 3.

Player loses: If the Come Out is 7 or 11.

In the Pass Line/Don’t Pass Line bets, if any other number is rolled, it becomes the Point. The bet stays on the table until either the Point is rolled again, or a 7.

Come (1/1)

Placed: After the Come Out roll.

Player wins: If next roll is 7 or 11. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 become the “Come Point” and the bet moves to the Come Box. If Come Point then rolls before a 7 appears, the player wins.

Don’t Come (1/1)

Placed: After the Come Out roll.

Player wins: If a 2 or 3 is rolled.

C&E (5/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out

Player wins: Any Craps (2, 3 or 12) or Yo (11).

Place Win/Buy Bet (7/6 on 6 & 8; 7/5 on 5 & 9; 9/5 on 4 & 10)

Placed: After the Come Out

Wins: Make a total of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 before 7 appears. 

Place Lose/Lay Bet (4/5 on 6 or 8, 5/8 on 5 & 9, 2/5 on 4 & 10)

Placed: After the Come Out

Wins: If the 7 appears before your total does.

Any Craps Bet (7/1)

Placed: After the Come Out

Wins: If a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled next.

Hardway (7/1 or 9/1)

Placed: After the Come Out

Wins: If the next roll is a double totalling 4, 6, 8 or 10 as a pair. 

Big 6 (1/1)

Placed: After the Come Out

Wins: A 6 is rolled before a 7.

Big 8 (1/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out

Wins: A 6 is rolled after a 7.

Field (1/1 to 2/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out.

Player wins: 1/1 if 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 appears. 2 or 12 pays 2/1.

3 or 11 (15/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out

Wins: If a 3 or 11 is rolled.

Craps 2 (30/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out.

Wins: If the dice total exactly 2.

Craps 12 (30/1)

Placed: Before the Come Out.

Wins: If the dice total exactly 12.

The Best Craps Bets To Use

In online craps, different bets have a different house edge. The bigger payout bets have a higher house edge. Some even money bets have zero house edge.

If you are new to online craps in South Africa, stick to simple bets like Pass/Come and Don’t Pass/Don’t Come. They have a low house edge and enable players to learn the rules.

However, the Odds bets offer the best long-term prospects. Both bets pay 1/1 and have zero house edge. The Odds bet is placed after a Pass/Come or Don’t Pass/Don’t Come wager.

Type of BetPayoutHouse Edge
Pass Line1/11.41%
Come1/11.41%
Don’t Pass1/11.36%
Don’t Come1/11.36%
Pass or Come Odds 4 or 102/10%
Pass or Come Odds 5 or 93/20%
Pass or Come Odds 6 or 86/50%
Don’t Pass or Come Odds 4 or 102/10%
Don’t Pass or Come Odds 5 or 92/30%
Don’t Pass or Come Odds 6 or 85/60%
Place to Win 4 or 109/56.67%
Place to Win 5 or 97/54%
Place to Win 6 or 87/61.52%
Place to Lose 4 or 102/52.44%
Place to Lose 5 or 94/73.23
Place to Lose 6 or 84/54%
Field Bet 2 or 122/12.78%
Field Bet all other1/12.78%
Hardways 48/111.11%
Hardways 610/19.09%
Hardways 810/19.09%
Hardways 108/111.11%
Any 74/116.67%
Any Craps7/111.11%
Big 61/19%
Big 81/19%

When you play online craps, you can try the tables for free. This gives you a chance to play with zero risk while learning the rules. So, while you grasp how to play craps, why not try out a betting system?

The Iron Cross pays out if any number other than a 7 appears. If the 7 appears, you lose. There are four bets in the Irons Cross: the Field, plus bets on 5, 6 and 8. Because you are covering so many numbers, the chances of a return are higher.

If you like using a system at a craps casino, try the 3-2-1 strategy. In this system, you place a Pass Line bet and wait for a Point to be set.

If the Point is a 6 or 8, you increase your Pass Line bet with three chips. If the Point is 5 or 9, you bet two more chips. If the Point is 4 or 10, you bet one extra chip. The idea with the 3-2-1 is to lower the risk and ensure a long-term profit.

A Guide To Basic Craps Terms

Hopefully our craps guide has started you off in the right direction. Here are some classic craps casino terms you will need to know before you play:

Any 7: Bet on the next roll being 7.

Back Line: The Don’t Pass Line

Bones: Slang term for the dice.

Come Out Roll: First roll of the dice that establishes the Point.

Hard Number: 4, 6, 8 or 10 that wins if the dice make a pair

Hop Bet: Wager on the next roll making a specific combination.

Marker: A puck that indicates the Point number.

Natural: A Come Out roll of 7 or 11.

Outside Numbers: Bets on 4, 5, 9 or 10.

Place Numbers: A bet on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 being rolled before a 7.

Point: Number established by a Come Out roll.

Put Bet: Place a wager.

Right Bettor: Gambler with a Pass Line bet.

Seven Out: Rolling a 7 before the Point is made.

Shooter: Player who rolls the dice.

Stickman: The dealer who handles the dice in a land-based casino.

Wrong Bettor: The gambler betting against the shooter.

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Craps Guide FAQs

Different bets pay different odds in craps. The Pass and Come bets pay 1/1, but the riskier Hard bets can pays as much as 35/1.

Chips are placed on sections of the table before the two dice are rolled. Once a “point” number has been set, further bets are placed on the outcome of the dice.

If you bet the Pass bet, you will win if a 7 appears. A winning Any 7 bet also pays out. The odds of an Any 7 bet are 4/1 but the house edge is 16.67%.

‘Dice Setting’ in a brick-and-mortar casino is a way of manipulating the dice to get an edge. However, casinos will act against this by changing the dice after every roll. Online casinos utilize Random Number Generators (RNGs) that govern the outcome of the dice. The throw of each dice is totally random. Legitimate and reputable casino sites will only use the best audited software that protects players.

Yes. The Field bet pays out 1/1 if you roll 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, 2/1 if you roll 2, and 12 if you roll 12. The odds are 5/4 but the payout is 1/1. The low house edge of 2.78% makes the bet a sensible one. However, a higher payout of 15/1 can be found on the 3 or 11 bet.

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