Craps Strategy – The Comprehensive Guide to Playing Craps

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Craps is an entertaining dice game that you should definitely give a try. Besides being entertained, you can make easy cash through this game by placing wagers on the outcome of the roll or a series of rolls of a pair of dice. With the right craps strategy, trust me, it is easy to beat many opponents because many players do not have one. Instead, they just play for the sake of it.

Today, I am going to teach you how to play craps with the best winning strategy and how to make easy money betting on the outcome of the roll(s). Without further ado, let us go straight to the gameplay:

How to Play Craps

The best way to learn a game and be able to play like a pro is to first know the common terminologies and the basic rules involved in that particular game. Learning the technical terms and the rules helps you understand the game better.

Common Terminologies Used in the Game of Craps

Shooter: Refers to the player that rolls the dice.
Come out roll: Refers to the first roll of the dice to establish a point.
Point: It is the number established by the come out roll.
Pass Line Bet: Also known as “Front Line”, it is a wager made on the come out roll whereby you are betting that the shooter will make the point.
Seven Out: Refers to when a shooter rolls a seven before making their point, thereby losing the pass line bet.
Craps chips: These are small discs provided by casinos to be used in the game of craps in lieu of currency.
Box Point: This is the area in the center of the table where the center bets are placed.
Dealer: Dealers are casino employees whose job is to handle the chips and the money. They exchange cash for chips, pay out winning bets and clear the table after losing bets.
Marker: It is the plastic disk used to mark the point. It is printed “on” on one side and “off” on the other.
House: In gambling, the term house refers to the people that are running the casino. It is basically the controllers of the money that belongs to the establishment and what is being betted with.

You can read the history of craps here.

Basic Rules of the Craps Game

You are definitely eager to know the craps strategy but if you are a new player at this game, then starting out without knowing the basic rules would be foolish mistake.

The game of craps has multiple wagers available, but it is structured around the pass line bet.
To bet, you simply place chips on the pass line. Certain bets may require that the dealer moves your chips though.
The pass sequence begins with a comeout roll and the shooter rolls the dice.
You win a pass line bet if the roll is 7 or 11 and lose if it is 2, 3 or 12. Any other number becomes the point.
If you roll a point number on the comeout, you keep rolling until either you roll the same number again or roll a 7. If you roll the same number again, its a win! But if roll a 7, it’s a loss.
If you make your point, you keep rolling with a new comeout. If you do not, you “seven out,” and the dice rotate to a new shooter.

How to Play the Game of Craps

Place your craps on the first line before the first roll. On the comeout roll, the pass line bet pays even money if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11. You lose if he/she rolls craps 2, 3 or 12. But if the person rolls any other number such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that number becomes the box point. Then what happens next is that the dealer turns over the marker to the white side that says “on” and places it on the box with that number. Then if the shooter rolls the same number before rolling a 7, you win cash. But if he/she rolls a 7 before the box point, you lose your pass line back.

After the box point has been established, you can make a pass line bet plus place an extra wager that the box point will be rolled before a 7. This is the best bet in the game of craps since the house is without the upper hand. So casinos will curtail how much you can bet here in relation to your pass line bet. Most casinos allow what is called “three, four, and five times odds”. This bet pays true odds. So you want to take advantage of these types of odds as much as you can whenever possible. So you want to take advantage of these types of odds as much as you can whenever possible.

The game of craps looks quite complicated for many new players even though it is not. This game is not about complexity and does not require any complex strategy either to win. Craps is about betting on one number and either winning/losing or making a bet, waiting until the shooter rolls a target, then hoping he/she can roll the same number again so that you win money.

What Is the Best Winning Craps Strategy?

Even though the game of craps is all about simplicity and betting on correct numbers or hoping that your opponent rolls a wrong target so that you can win, this game also requires some strategy. When I say some strategy, I do not mean a complex one or anything of that nature.
The best craps strategy is to avoid betting against everyone at the table because it will not put you in a better position to win. Although some players think that “do not pass and do not come back” is the best winning craps strategy in this game, the reality is the opposite of this. It is the best losing strategy.
Don’t come bets is established following the come out roll and is positioned on the ‘Don’t Come Bar’. The ‘don’t come point’ is established if the shooter rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. You win here if you roll a 2 or 3. But if you roll a 12, the bet is restored to the player in a push and your opportunity to win goes away.
The don’t come bet is then repositioned from the ‘Don’t Come Bar’ to the box marked with the ‘don’t come point’ in the top left corner. Once the point has been determined, you win if a 7 is rolled and lose if the “don’t come” point is rolled. These bets pay even money (1:1) on a win.
Another sure craps betting strategy is to pay attention to the betting options available to you. The table features a number of betting options from which you can select. A good rule is to avoid the bets on the bets on the middle of the table, which look more attractive though. The reason we are saying that is that these bets have worse odds than those on the outsides of the table. Pick outside bets to increase your chances of winning.

4 Interesting Craps Facts

Apart from the best craps strategy you should know some past facts as well. The following facts have been established based on some past winning craps case studies.

The Longest Craps Record Was Accomplished By a New Jersey Granny in 2009

In May 2009, Patricia Demauro, a resident of New Jersey, achieved the record for the longest craps dice roll. For 4 hours and 18 minutes, and 154 consecutive rolls, Demauro defied the odds by rolling every combination except for a 7. As a matter of fact, nobody has ever smashed that record up to date.

Craps Dice Are Transparent for a Reason

If you are ever keen, then you have noticed the fact that the dice used in the game of craps are transparent. For your information, they are not so by chance. The reason why these dice are transparent is so that the box person can tell if dice has been tampered with or smuggled into the casino.

It Is More Advantageous to Play Craps Online than At a Traditional Casino

It is better to play craps online than at a physical casino. Why? First, playing craps online does not entail standing up as is the case in relation to playing the game at a physical casino. When playing online, you are allowed to sit, which ensures comfort, relaxation, and more fun. But when playing at an actual casino, you must do so while standing up, which can be uncomfortable, especially if you have stood for too long. Second, online casinos allow you to practice craps until you are good to go. Physical casinos do not give you an opportunity to practice and therefore you could lose a lot of cash to them in the first few weeks of gaming.

Craps Can Be Traced Back to the Medieval Period

Records of craps that date all the way back to between the year 500 AD and the year 1500 AD have been found. The original game was called “Hazard” though and it was remarkably similar to the modern game.

Final Thoughts

Craps is an extremely interesting dice game that is very easy to learn and it is even more interesting when you have craps strategy like this. It is a great way to make easy cash too. Now that you know how to play craps, it would not be such a bad idea to give it a try online. You can play craps online now. All you need to do is find a reliable online casino that offers the game. There are many such websites anyway. Try the craps betting strategy above and feel free to tell us how it went.

Also keep in mind that this is gambling and just because you know some craps strategy and tricks, it doesn’t guarantee that you will win every time. You will get better at it with time and experience.