Craps For Dummies
Have you come here to find an answer to the eternal question how to make a killing at a casino? I don’t want to disappoint you, but there is no definite answer to this question. Nobody has and won’t be able to reach such level of skill which could influence on the outcome of rolling a pair of dice during a craps game. The best strategy is managing your bets.
The Game of Craps – A History Firstly, let’s get the name out of the way. While today the game is known as craps, a dice game in which players bet on the outcome of each roll, originally the game was known as ‘crapaud’, the French word for ‘toad’. If the come-out roll is 2, 3, or 12 then the round will end with line bets been lost. However, if the come-out roll is 7 or 11, this will result in a win for all line bets. If the shooter (person who rolls the dice) rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 during the come out round, then the number rolled will become the point.
- A single round of craps is divided into two parts: the come-out roll and the point roll. A player known as the “shooter” rolls two dice to determine results. Each involves the placement of bets, though one is contingent on the other. If a player either rolls a “7” or craps out on the come-out roll, then that round of betting ends.
- Craps is one of the only games in the casino where the player is in charge of the action with their own hand. You can literally grab the dice, give it a blow for good luck and roll it on down. In a single roll of the dice, there are a number of combinations in which a player can wager.
- Like with other casino games, set a loss limit for yourself and decide when to walk away with winnings. If you can’t afford to lose more than $300, you should decide beforehand that $300 will be your absolute limit for losing and then you must stick to that limit. In the horrid event that you lose your $300 bankroll, you should stop playing, as opposed to wagering more.
- It might be a good idea to split your bankroll: If $300 is your loss limit, divide it in half, putting $150 in different pockets. If with the first $150 you win any sum that puts you more than $80 above your starting $150, put $150 back in your pocket and play with your winnings. Try to play exclusively with your winnings, and smart betting can help you achieve it. If, in spite of everything, Lady Luck is not with you, and you lose first $150 bankroll and then a second $150 without a significant win, quit for the night!
- Keeping calm while playing craps is very important. Since all players are betting against the casino, groups of players can get quite noisy when they win or lose together. It is nice to join with enthusiastic displays, however, do not allow you to do so because this will distract you from sensible management of your bankroll and informed betting.
- Try to bet on 1) Pass Line bets backed by free odds 2) Come Bets backed by free odds and 3) Place Bets on 6 or 8. You know there is a wide variety of bets offered on a craps table, but only a few have a reasonable house edge. Dealers and Stick men have been trained to encourage you to make other, less favourable bets; pay them no mind. Betting in craps is rather complex so you should get experience making the basic and more likely bets before risking any of the more unlikely ones. Furthermore, although advanced craps strategy involves multiple simultaneous bets which can earn players more profit in the game, beginners are advised to gradually increase the complexity of their craps betting. This way you can master the skills of craps betting step by step.
Guide to Getting the Most out of Playing Craps
We can’t guarantee you will win every session with these tips, but according to anecdotal reports these tips increase your chances of winning. Your mileage may vary. Good luck and may Lady Luck shine down upon you.
- Dice control. Watch for shooters who don’t shake the dice before each roll, and who roll the same way each time. They have better control over the dice than random throwers. When you find one of those shooters, play at his/her table, and bet with the shooter, if he/she is winning.
- Hit and run. If you understand the advanced wagers and you want to win big and quickly, bet the long odds. Be prepared to lose quickly, as well. Cut and run when you have made your killing. Without the discipline to walk away a winner, it is assured that you won’t walk away a winner.
- Go with the streak – Bet more when you are hot, less when you are not.
- Keep your eye on the player with the most chips. This is so obvious that you might not think of it. Emulate the table winner. There’s no law against being a copycat, and imitation is the highest form of flattery. You can bet smaller amounts than the high roller. Remember the saying, ‘Follow the money!’
- Assess the situation. Before plunking your money down at any old craps table, take the time to assess the table, the players and the current shooter.
- Don’t make Proposition bets. Leave them to others unless you like to play the worst odds at craps, let those who fall for the dealer’s hoopla play the Proposition bets.
- Avoid table minimums over your head. Find a table minimum that is within your budget.
- Pay no attention to the dealer’s appeals. When the dealer induces to make the high house advantage bets, ignore this appeal, and place your money on Odds bets instead.
- Back up your Pass/Don’t Pass and Come/Don’t Come bets with Odds bets. If you are not willing to bet the Odds bets, search for a lower-minimum table or another game to play. Always back up the basic bets with Odds bets to decrease the house edge to a bare minimum and maximize your chances of winning.
- If they lay, they play. If you don’t collect your winnings when the dealer places them in front of you, you’ll wind up parlaying your winnings into the next roll whether you want to or not.
Bonus Money Guide for Craps
The ability to manage your money is very important when playing craps. Everyone is eager to leave the casino a big winner, however, more likely than not, you will go home with a slight loss. The casinos might go broke if everyone left casino with a win. That’s why the casino always has an advantage over the player. Fortunately, craps has the best possible house edge if you place the Pass/Don’t Pass, Come/Don’t Come bets and the Odds bets.
But that’s not all there is to winning. If you want to win, you must be disciplined and have a proper mental attitude. If you can make good use of your bets by placing the Odds bets, manage your money and keep your head in the orchestrated chaos we call craps, you will surely have a great time and get the highest chances to walk away with some extra money.
Money Management Made Simple
There are lots of money management schemes around, but not all of them successful. Try to find the one that will work for you, and stick to it. You can use several in combination as well. Do whatever that can bring your losses to nothing or leave the casino with some of the money won during a game of craps. Try to be strict with yourself. You’ve declared war to the casino gods whose only goal is to take away your money.
When playing craps you can make and lose fortunes in a flash. In the event that you have managed to somehow win big money (not something you sometimes pull off when you play at a casino); get the heck out of Dodge. Don’t stay a minute longer. Just get out of there. Run; don’t walk, as fast as you can, and don’t look back.
Establish your bankroll, and abide by it. When your bankroll runs out, you should go away. You should never bet with money that you can’t afford to lose.
Printable Instructions On How To Play Craps
If you are on a winning streak, try to put away at least half your winnings, and play only with your original bankroll. Once the original bankroll is gone, you still go away with some money. You can also use this strategy in reverse: put your original bankroll away and only play with your winnings.
Beginners Guide To Craps
Divide your bankroll by 50, and you can probably have a good time for hours. For example, if you have $100, wager no more than $2 per round.
Money Stretching Strategy
Assume you start with a stake of $100, and you want to play as long as you can.
- Divide the $100 into two stacks worth of $50 each.
- Play with only one stack, and try to play at a table with a $2 minimum.
- If you win $50, take the $100 off the table and cash in the chips. Put the $100 away somewhere.
- If you lose, only play with the $50 until it runs out. Leave the table and cash in your chips. You can’t play without chips. Save the remaining $50 until after you have taken a break.
How To Play Craps For Dummies
If you go away with some money in your pocket, you will be in a good mood realizing you have had a good time at the craps table.
Play with Your Head Screwed on Right
Craps is a vivid and fast-paced game that wants concentration and fast reflections amidst the chaos. Play craps only when you feel you are up to the task. Your energy level probably affects your play, and your play will surely affect your mental attitude. Make sure you are on firm ground when you are going to sit down at the craps table. If you aren’t, consider another less vivid game or go to some other place to have fun until you are up to the craziness that is the favourite of the impetuous crowd – craps!
Understanding Craps
Look for the rowdiest crowd in any casino and you’ll find them by the craps table – whooping and yelling and loudly enjoying every minute of every game. You might not have much luck quietening them down, but it’s very possible you’ll have a huge amount of luck at the table, and walk away a winner too. But what exactly is craps? How do you play it? Why does the table look so complicated? And WHAT is with that name? Stay tuned as we reveal all the inside info you need to win with every roll of the dice.
The Game of Craps – A History
Firstly, let’s get the name out of the way. While today the game is known as craps, a dice game in which players bet on the outcome of each roll, originally the game was known as ‘crapaud’, the French word for ‘toad’. In its early days, craps was played on the floor, no fancy table needed, which meant people had to squat down in order to play – a position that gave them a distinctly toad-like appearance. So now you know.
What you may not know is how far back the history of craps stretches – all the way back to the Roman Empire, in fact. While soldiers didn’t have access to modern dice, they were able to carve small cubes out of pigs’ knuckles instead, giving rise to the craps term, ‘rolling the bones’.
Later moving to France by way of returning soldiers from the Crusades, craps was known as ‘hasard’, derived from the Arabic game of ‘azzahr’, or ‘the die’. Having taken on a French influence, the game then migrated across the Channel to England, where it evolved into ‘hazard’ and quickly spread in popularity – so much so that mention of it was even made in Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.
From England to the New World and then to New Orleans, craps moved even further across the globe, undergoing changes in order to make the outcomes more fair. With amendments made to the betting structure in the form of the ‘Don’t Pass’ option in 1865, the modern version of craps was born – the game that is still played in casinos throughout the world to this day.
But craps wasn’t done there. Not content with taking over the casino floor, it decided to take over cyberspace too, in the form of online craps. With the introduction of online gambling in the 1990s, craps underwent yet another transformation into a virtual game, opening itself up to a wider audience, and drawing new crowds just as excited, and just as eager to see what fortunes a single roll of the dice could bring. That’s why if you’re feeling lucky, there’s no need to travel to an actual casino anymore. Just open up your laptop, logon, and let the winning begin!