Where does the name ‘craps’ come from?

‘Craps’ comes from the French pronunciation of the word ‘crabs’. A dice roll of 2 used to be called crabs by the French sailors who brought the game to New Orleans, however, this proved difficult to pronounce to its spectators.

What are the hardest numbers to throw in craps?

The hardest numbers to throw are 2 and 12 because there is only one combination of the dice to achieve both of these results. The odds of rolling one of these is 1:36.

What is the easiest number to throw in craps?

The most likely total to roll is a 7 as it has it has 6 combinations and you have a 1:6 chance of rolling it.

What are the best bets to make in online craps?

The best bets in craps are easily the ‘pass’ and ‘come’ bets and the ‘don’t pass’ and ‘don’t come’ bets with full odds. The more you can bet on the odds, the lower the house edge will be regardless of whether you are playing real or virtual craps. Whilst you may think that these bets are not quite exciting enough, you are much less likely to lose a lot of money unlike if you played the more risky bets on the table. So in short, the best bets you can make are the basic bets as they have the lowest house edge. But if these were the only bets that could be made, many gamblers would be lost to boredom!

What are proposition bets?

These are one roll bets found in the centre of the board and be warned that the house has a huge advantage. It is a bet on any craps, that is, the bet wins if the next roll is 2, 3 or 12 and loses if any other number is rolled. These are horribly bad bets to make and should be avoided like the plague if you don’t want to lose money fast!

Is there a mathematical or statistical advantage for craps players?

No! Craps is a game of chance and the only way to increase your chances of winning is to bet wisely. There is no system that can overcome a house edge.

Origins of Hazard

The name ‘hazard’ is of Arabic origin. Some contend that the word comes from ‘Al Zar’, an Arabic game which means ‘dice’ in Arabic. Others believe that the game is named after a Arabian castle known as ‘Hazarth’ or ‘Asarf’ where English soldiers who were under siege in 1125 AD created the game as a pastime. These games were then brought to Europe sometime before the twelfth century.

Craps in the 17th and 18th centuries in Europe

Hazard was very popular with the English gentry back in the seventeenth and eighteenth century. From England the game naturally spread across the Channel to France and then to the Mediterranean countries where it was played by members of the European aristocracy. The word ‘craps’ is believed by many scholars to have originated from the French word ‘crabes’, being the nickname for hazard. ‘Crabes’ was the term for losing two throws in a row.

Craps in the 19th century in America

Hazard then travelled across the Atlantic to America with either the first French or British settlers. The game then spread throughout the country on steamships and underwent a number of modifications to simplify the game as we know it today.

Development of craps online

Today online craps is enjoyed by thousands of people around the globe. With the enormous growth of the online casino industry in the 1990s and the convenience offered by online casinos, playing craps on the internet has become the preferred method of playing for many.

The modern game of craps, however, is widely believed by historians to actually have originated from the Middle East. Sometime during the twelfth century, there is historical evidence that the English soldiers in the Third Crusade in Jerusalem learnt to play a dice game played by the local people. They then brought it back to Europe with them where it became known as ‘hazard’. It is now widely accepted that the game we now know as ‘craps’ is a modification of this game, ‘hazard’.

Hazard gained immense popularity during the seventeenth century in western Europe, particularly in England and France, where it was enjoyed by European aristocracy.

By the eighteenth century French sailors brought the game (still referred to as ‘hazard’) to North America via New Orleans. The rules of the game were adapted slightly over the years it was played. The new variations were simpler (which no doubts makes some people laugh!) and faster and new terms were introduced for different dice rolls. The simplified version of the game then travelled up the Mississippi River from New Orleans on steamboats and eventually spread across the continent.

The game, however, was evolutionalized by a man called John H. Winn who solved the game’s vulnerability, that is, the use of fixed dice. He introduced the possibility for players to be bet ‘right’ or ‘wrong’ in the layout of the craps table and included a space for ‘don’t pass’ bets.

During the past twenty years craps has lost some popularity due to the raise of slot machines and other big casino draw cards (that did not require so much thinking). This led some Las Vegas casinos to experiment with a simplified version of the game which was like blackjack but unfortunately failed.

The development of the internet and online casino and gaming in the 1990s was thankfully a new beginning for craps. Online craps has only be around for a few of years, however, the ability to now play craps online has created a resurgence in the popularity of the game as novices can learn to play in private and not be intimidated by playing before a crowd of spectators.

Any craps: A roll where the shooter throws a 2, 3 or 12.

Any seven: A roll that will produce a 7 which helps a shooter become a winner.

Betting right: The usual bets placed on the pass line and come bets which is a bet that the throw will be successful.

Betting wrong: This is the opposite of betting right and bets that the shooter will lose.

Boxman: The casino employee who supervises the game and takes the cash collected by the dealers and deposits it into a drop box.

Big 6: A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7 comes up.

Big 8: A bet that an 8 will be rolled before a 7 comes up.

Chip: A small, flat colored piece of plastic used in casino games to represent a particular amount of money.

Come bet: This bet is similar to a pass bet but is placed at a different time in the game, that is, after the come out roll.

Come out roll: This is the first roll in each betting round made by the shooter and is also the first roll after the point has been established. It is the come out roll that determines whether the shooter wins, loses or continues the game.

Craps: When the shooter rolls a total of 2, 3 or 12 on the come out roll and loses instantly.

Crap out: To roll a craps on the come out roll.

Don’t come bet: A bet that a 7 will be thrown before a point throw. This bet is similar to a don’t pass bet but is placed at a different time in the game.

Don’t Pass Line: The area on the craps table where don’t pass bets are placed.

Don’t Pass Bet: A winning bet if the shooter rolls 2 or 3 on the come out roll (and automatically ties on 12). Players are betting against the shooter. Players will also win if a 7 is rolled before the point is repeated.

Even money: The player has the same number of chips when he started the game.

Field bet: This is a one-roll bet that one of seven numbers will be thrown, that is 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.

Hard way: A bet on 4, 6, 8 or 10 that only wins if the dice show the same face, for example, a ‘hard 8’ only wins if the each die shows 4.

Horn bet: A bet that the next roll with be 2, 3, 11 or 12 made in multiples of 4.

House-edge: The advantage towards winning that a house gains depending on the odds.

Inside bet: A bet placed on the 5, 6, 8 or 9 on the table.

Line bet: A bet placed on the line or don’t pass line. These bets are placed at the beginning of the game, before the come out roll.

Marker: This looks like a puck and displays at what stage the game is in. If the marker is black and shows ‘off’ then the player has yet to make his point. If the maker is white and shows ‘on’ and has been placed on a number on the craps table, then that is the point which the player has already established.

Natural: When the shooter rolls a total of 7 or 11 on the come out roll and wins instantly.

Pass bet: This is the bet made by players before the come out roll. They are betting with the shooter and it pays even money. The shooter will win instantly if he rolls a combination of 7 or 11 but will lose if he rolls a combination of 2, 3 or 12. Also known as a pass line bet.

Place bets: A bet on that 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be rolled before the 7.

Point number: The number established on the come out roll and can be either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10.

Seven out: After the shooter rolls a point number, he then rolls a 7 before making the point. Also known as ‘miss out’.

Shooter: The player who rolls the dice. The shooter must place a line bet in order to be eligible to roll the dice.

Stickman: The casino employee who handles the dice and the long stick on the craps table and calls out the results.

Alas, there is hope. We offer you a few tips here to make smart betting choices to greatly increase your chances of winning consistently.

Bets with the lowest house edge

If you are beginner especially, you should only play the handful of bets that offer the lowest house edge which are the pass and don’t pass bets and the come and don’t come bets.

Playing the field

Most people will usually advise you to avoid playing the field because you only have a 44.4 per cent probability of winning. But if you do decide that you want to bet those numbers, there is something you can do to improve your chances of winning. First, do not play the field every roll or you will lose in long term clearly because of the house edge. By waiting to see three consecutive non-field rolls before you place a field bet, however, you will decrease the probability of losing to only 9.5 per cent.

The proposition area

The proposition area is found in the middle of the craps layout and its filled with all the bets you probably shouldn’t make as they have a really bad house edge. So avoid them!

Pass line bets

Provided you can afford it, always take the maximum odds allowed on your pass line bets which is one of the best bets in the casino. Don’t be shy to check with the dealer if the bet you placed is correct. For example, if the point number is an 8, the correct odds bet is $10 and not $12 as it is for place bet.

The basics

Bets are placed on the outcome of the dice and the dice are then set into action. In a traditional game, the shooter begins the game by throwing the dice on a craps table. However, in the online version all you need to do it roll your cursor over the button usually labelled ‘Roll’ to throw the virtual dice. The outcome is determined by a random number generator.

The layout and how to place bets

The shooter must bet on the craps table prior to rolling the dice. A craps table (whether virtual or real) is divided into three separate areas: two identical side areas with a centre area dividing the two. The side areas contain the ‘pass’ and ‘don’t pass bet’ lines, ‘come’ and ‘don’t come bets’, ‘odds bets’, ‘place bets’ and ‘field bets’. Pass bets are betting with the shooter and don’t pass bets are against the shooter.

Just move your cursor over the different areas of the craps table where bets can be placed. You will see the name of the bet and the odds usually displayed below. Just enter the amount of your wager and click the spot where you want to place your bet. You can place as many bets as you wish.

If you are playing in a multi-player game and are not the shooter you will still be playing because you will be placing bets either for or against the shooter. And when you are the shooter you will you have to wait for other players to place their bets after you have which could take some time.

The come-out roll

Based on the combined number of the dice in the ‘come-out roll’ (the first roll of the dice), the shooter can either win or lose the game instantly or neither and the game continues for one or more rounds.

If the combined total of the dice is

• 7 or 11 the shooter usually wins even money, known as a ‘natural’. Pass bets win and don’t pass bets lose.
• 2, 3 or 12 the shooter loses his pass bet, known as ‘craps’. Pass bets lose and don’t pass bets win on 2 or 3 but neither win nor lose if the roll is 12.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 the shooter makes the ‘point number’ and game continues. That same ‘point number’ must be rolled again before a 7 is thrown for pass bets to win. The shooter will lose, that is ‘crap out’, if a 7 is rolled before the point number is thrown. If a 7 comes up before the point number it is called a ‘seven out’ and don’t pass bets win and pass bets lose.

A new round begins every time a natural, a 7 or the point number is thrown.

Bankroll

Money will be added or subtracted automatically from you bankroll (that is, your account with the online casino) depending on whether you win or lose. Beware that most online casinos charge a 5 per cent commission on your winnings when you bet against the shooter.