Playing craps is fun. Craps is fun and engaging for the gambler for many reasons, chief of which is the complexity of the game. Even the craps dealers enjoy the game much more than other casino jobs. A rousing game of craps finds dealers and players fully engaged in an interesting and profitable game.
Craps is a fun game because it is a complex game, with many rules, and a bewildering number and style of bets available to the player. A smart player will come to understand early on that he or she would do well to learn the game before spending a lot of money at the table.
You don't need to learn the whole game before you play, but you DO need to
know what not to do, and a couple of simple plays to make. The good
thing about craps is that
- Approach the table, and find a place at the rail with plenty of elbow room. Don't push anyone aside. It's best to learn at an empty table, if you can find one. Take your cash out, and when there is a calm period at the table, before the dealer has handed the dice to a player, place your cash on the table gently, and clearly state to the dealer across from you "Change please." Do not be shy, and state it clearly so your money is not mistaken for a bet. The dealer will then give you chips (technically, checks) with which to bet in denominations such that you can make the minimum table bet.
- Place the chips in the rail in front of you, and count to make sure the amount is correct.
- If you are asked to be the shooter (because of your position at the table - the dice are passed from one player to another in clockwise fashion) do it! Shooting is the best part of craps.
- Wait for the Stickman or Dealer to announce "Coming Out." That is when you want to place your bet. Place a chip (or chips) amounting to the table minimum on the table area marked "Pass Line" or simply "Pass".
- The shooter will now throw the dice towards the opposite end of the table, hitting the back wall, resulting in a number from 2 through 12 showing up.
That's it! You are now playing craps.
After the Come Out roll, your bet will win if a 7 or 11 is rolled by the shooter. If a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, your Pass Line bet will lose. Rolling a 2, 3, or 12 on the Come Out roll is "craps".
If a craps number or 7 or 11 is rolled on the Come Out, the shooter will be Coming Out again.
The Come Out roll stops when the shooter rolls a "Point" number. The point numbers are those numbers in the boxes near the dealer; 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10.
When the shooter rolls a Point number on the Come Out, the object of the game changes a little. Craps numbers and 11 no longer have any winning or losing value for the Pass Line player. Most players are betting on the Pass Line.
When the point number is established (the shooter rolled it), the dealer will place a marker behind the number, and announce that it (the number rolled) is "The Point". As I mentioned before, the point can be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10.
Once the point is established, the Pass Line bets win if the Point Number is rolled again. The Pass Line bets lose if a 7 is rolled prior to the Point Number. Rolling a 7 before the Point Number is rolled again is called a "Seven Out".
Seven Out is the signal for the dealers to collect all Pass Line bets, and for the dice to be passed on to the next player. The new player will then begin with a new Come Out.
All the other bets on the table, and the confusing behavior of the other players may tend to make you wonder about what is going on. For now, just pay attention to your Pass Line bet. That's all. It's a good bet, with a very low House Advantage of only 1.41%. That is one of the best bets in all casinos. Keep playing, and enjoy the camraderie, and as you feel more comfortable at the table you can begin looking into making better bets, and having more fun.
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