Craps is an absolute blast, and one of the most exciting games in a casino, but it can be intimidating to new players.
As a beginner, there are only a few bets you need to know about when learning to play craps. The most common bet on the craps table is the Pass Line bet. It is on the outside of the table and creates a somewhat border around the layout. This bet is saying that the dice are going to “pass”, meaning win. Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other (street craps, also known as shooting dice or rolling dice) or a bank (casino craps, also known as table craps).
We’ve slapped together 10 common craps mistakes made by newbies.
1. Trying to hand cash to a dealer.
Dealers aren’t allowed to take cash from your hand, so simply lay your money on the table. The dealer will give you chips, and you’re ready to stick it to the house.
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- Land-based craps has always been a noisy game that attracts huge crowds. Since playing online craps is a solitary experience, it is a quieter game. Beginners stay away from craps because of its rather complicated betting rules, but the truth is that you can still play and enjoy craps if you know a few basic rules.
- This video briefly covers how to approach the game and the most basic bet of the pass line. Enjoy and subscribe! Leave comments and questions below.
2. Not holding the dice over the table.
There are lots of rules in casinos, typically intended to either keep people from cheating or employees from stealing. Always keep the dice in sight of the dealers and boxman. We’d explain what a “boxman” is, but it’s not that kind of list.
Want to make $1,000 from a $1 investment? Bet a “hard six.” Hit it three times before you “seven out” and you get a grand!
3. Touching the dice with two hands.
It’s exciting shooting the dice, and if you’re a craps virgin, experienced players are going to love having you shoot the dice, too. Just make sure to only use one hand to shake or throw the dice. Using two hands makes the house nervous (as some cheaters try to switch the dice for loaded ones).
4. Not hitting the back wall.
Throw the dice all the way down, or the dealers will let you hear about it. This ensures each roll is truly random, and there’s no funny business (sometimes called “dice control” or “precision shooting”) going on.
Just look for these bad boys at the opposite end of the table, and hit them with the dice. No pressure.
5. Not knowing the chip denomination colors.
We saw this one at a downtown casino recently, and it was adorable. Before you begin play, make sure you know the colors associated with each denomination of chip. Red chips, for example, are typically worth $5. Green are worth $25, and so on. This helps a lot when a helpful dealer says, “If you’d like to bet on 6 and 8, I’ll need $12.” Otherwise, chaos.
6. Holding a drink over the table.
Yes, people sometimes drink when they gamble. That leads to spills, and the felt on table games is especially vulnerable. So, take a sip and place your drink on the special “rail” down below (and don’t forget to tip your waitress). The chip rail is on top, by the way, with ample room for your winnings.
See the drink rail? It’ll keep your cocktail out of harm’s way.
Craps For Beginners Reddit Online
7. Dangling hands over the table.
Seasoned gamblers are very superstitious, especially craps players. Avoid their hard stares by keeping your hands out of the way of the dice. Hands are better put to use clapping in support of hot shooters.
8. Shouting out late bets.
“Get your bets in early!” is a common saying among dealers. Waiting until the last minute to make a bet can cause confusion and delays at the table. Make your bets when the dice are in the middle of the table, before they’re pushed to the shooter.
9. Mistaking dealer placed bets for self-serve.
Some craps bets are made directly by players, and others are made by the dealers. For the most part, anything within arm’s reach is your responsibility. Otherwise, set your chips in the middle of the table (the area marked “Come” is a good spot), and tell the dealer your bet. If you’re confused about which bets are which, just watch and ask questions. You’ll find other players and dealers are very helpful. Note: It’s best not to ask lots of questions during a hot roll. You’ll mess with the mojo.
Craps tip: Don’t bet the Big 6 and 8. The same bet pays more if you “place” those numbers with the dealer. You’re welcome.
10. Saying “seven” at the table.
Speaking of mojo, this is one of the worst transgressions a new craps player can make. Don’t say the word “seven” out loud at the craps table. Our hands are actually shaking just typing that word. Part of the fun of craps is learning the rituals of the game, the jargon, the ridiculous rules and superstitions. This isn’t one of the ridiculous ones, by the way. Don’t say “seven”! Just trust us, we are a Las Vegas blog.
Now that you know some of the gaffs new craps players make, you can avoid them and take part in one of the most thrilling casino games, ever.
Remember to have fun stick to the basics of the game when you’re first starting out.
Catch a hot roll and you could reach legend status in a mere three to four hours. Actual results may vary.
Introduction
In California the dice alone may not determine the outcome in craps. So a combination of dice and playing cards, or cards alone, are used. There are numerous ways this is done. Here are some methods I am aware of.
Agua Caliente
Twelve cards are used, an ace through six from two separate decks, with different color back sides. The cards will be shuffled and spread across the table face down. The first card of each color from one end shall be used to represent the roll. The odds are the same as with dice.
Barona
Six cards are used, numbered one to six. They are randomly placed in six positions on the table. The roll of two dice will determine which card(s) are turned over, that shall deterine the outcome for betting purposes. With each new shooter, the cards are re-arranged. The odds are the same as conventional craps.
Fantasy Springs
Same method as the Agua Caliente.
Harrah's
Two separate six-card decks, one red and one green, are used. Each shoe consists one each of ranks A, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6. Aces count as one, all other ranks count according to its pip value. Six cards are dealt from each shoe. Two ordinary dice are thrown, one red and one green. The outcome of the dice determine which cards are turned over, which represent the roll. The odds are the same as conventional craps.
Normandie
Two partial decks are mixed together, each consisting of all four suits ranked ace to six. So, there are 48 cards total. Two cards are drawn without replacement. If they are the same suit, then there is no action. Otherwise, the two cards represent the roll. This is mathematically equivalent to using dice. There is also a 'No Call' bet, which pays 3 to 1 on two cards of the same suit. The house edge on that bet is 6.38%. As usual with the Los Angeles county casinos, the player must also pay about a 1% fee on all bets.
Pala
The following equipment is used: (A) A red die numbered with three 1's, and three 4's, (B) a blue die numbered with three 2's, and three 3's, and (C) A 36-card deck featuring all possible permutations of two dice. Two cards are drawn at random and placed face down over red and blue regions of the table. The dice are thrown. If the red die is higher then the red card is turned over and used as the roll, if the blue die is higher then the blue card is used. Note that there can be no ties. Also the blue die is irrelevant. A 1 on the red die will always lose to the blue die, and a 4 will always win. The odds are the same as conventional craps.
The 'Super Field' pays if both cards are the 1-1 and 6-6, in either order. Wins pay 500 to 1. The probability of winning is 0.154%, for a house edge of 22.685%.
Pechanga
Pechanga currently follows the Barona method (at least as of 7/26/16). They have previously used other methods so please don't write in to correct me unless you have very current information.
Pauma
A 73-card deck is used, consisting of 12 each of cards ace to six, and one joker. Two cards are drawn to determine the roll. If the first card is the joker, there is no action, and two new cards are drawn. If the second card is the joker, it shall match the first card. The odds are the same as conventional craps.
The joker side bet pays 60 FOR 1 if the first card is a joker. The probability of winning is 1.389%, for a house edge of 16.67%.
The four suit bets, one for each suit, win if both cards are the suit specified, and pays 14 FOR 1. The probability of winning is 5.822%, for a house edge of 18.493%.
San Manuel
Same procedure as Viejas, except 312 cards are in the shuffler and they call it just 'craps.'
Sycuan
The Sycuan follows the same procedure as Barona.
Viejas
The game is dealt at a blackjack-size table called 'Card Craps.' I'm told a 264-card shoe is used, consisting of 44 cards each of ranks ace to six. They start with five 54-card decks (9 cards each numbered 1 to 6), and then remove one of each face (5×54-6=264), to accomodate the shuffler. Two cards are drawn to represent the roll. Due to the effect of non-replacement, the odds will be slightly different from conventional craps.
The maximum win on odds bets is $1,000. If the player wishes to get that limit, with 10X odds after a pass or come bet, then he should not bet more than $10 on a pass or come bet, and $100 on a don't pass or don't come.
For more information, see my page on Card Craps.
Southern California Odds Survey
Here is what I know of the odds allowed in the casinos of southern California.
San Diego County Craps Survey
| Casino | Odds Offered | House Edge | Last Surveyed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Agua Caliente | 3x-4x-5x | 0.37% | Sep. 2013 |
| Augustine | No craps | N/A | Sep. 2013 |
| Barona | 5x | 0.33% | Dec. 2008 |
| Chumash | ? | ? | Never |
| Fantasy Springs | 3x-4x-5x | 0.37% | Sep. 2013 |
| Golden Acorn | No craps | N/A | Dec. 2008 |
| Harrah's | 2x | 0.57% | Dec. 2008 |
| La Posta | No craps | N/A | Dec. 2008 |
| Morongo | No craps | N/A | Sep. 2013 |
| Pala | 5x | 0.33% | Dec. 2008 |
| Pauma | 3x-4x-5x | 0.37% | Dec. 2008 |
| Pechanga | 10x | 0.18% | May 2014 |
| Santa Ysabel | No craps | N/A | Dec. 2008 |
| Soboba | ? | ? | Never |
| Spa | No craps | N/A | Sep. 2013 |
| Spotlight 29 | No craps | N/A | Sep. 2013 |
| Sycuan | 5x | 0.33% | Dec. 2008 |
| Valley View | No craps | N/A | Dec. 2008 |
| Viejas* | 10x | 0.18% | Dec. 2008 |
* The Viejas 10X odds game has a maximum odds bet of $600.
'3x-4x-5x' means the player can bet 3 times his pass/come bet with a point of 4 or 10, 4 times with a 5 or 9, and 5 times with a 6 or 8. Assuming the player always takes the maximum odds, under this rule, his odds win will always be 6 times his pass line bet. The house edge column is the combined house edge between the pass/come bet and full odds.
Disclaimer: The Barona Casino hired me to perform surveys of San Diego casinos for backjack, roulette, and craps. The table above summarizes my findings.
Oklahoma
It seems that Oklahoma also has card craps. Here is what little I know about it.
Winstar
The Winstar uses a 36-card deck, one card for each two-dice combination. It is my understanding that the cards look ordinary, except for a bar code, which corresponds to the dice roll.
Craps For Beginners Reddit Free
Other Games Surveyed in San DiegoInternal Links
- How the house edge for each bet is derived, in brief.
- The house edge of all the major bets on both a per-bet made and per-roll basis
- Dice Control Experiments. The results of two experiments on skillful dice throwing.
- Dice Control Advantage. The player advantage, assuming he can influence the dice.
- Craps variants. Alternative rules and bets such as the Fire Bet, Crapless Craps, and Card Craps.
- California craps. How craps is played in California using playing cards.
- Play Craps. Craps game using cards at the Viejas casino in San Diego.
- Number of Rolls Table. Probability of a shooter lasting 1 to 200 rolls before a seven-out.
- Ask the Wizard. See craps questions I've answered about:
- Simple Craps game. My simple Java craps game.
External Links
Craps Tips Reddit
- Las Vegas craps survey — The max odds bet allowed at each casino.