Craps Casino Game
Craps attracts players with its lively pace and the steady roll of the dice. A round can deliver plenty of action in a short time. The game is played at online and land-based casinos around the world and remains a familiar casino-table choice.
Craps results are based on chance, although players may use betting approaches and money management to structure their play. Understanding the rules clarifies the available choices, but cannot make the game reliably profitable.
History
One account traces craps to the Holy Roman Empire, where soldiers tossed pig knuckles onto their shields in a game linked to the phrase “to roll the bones.” A later game called hazard is said to have been devised by English noble Sir William of Tyre in 1125 AD, during the Crusades, as he and his knights waited to besiege Hazarth.
Early craps spread across Europe during the Middle Ages. The game was also referenced in “Canterbury Tales,” a collection of stories written between 1387 and 1400 by Geoffrey Chaucer and Percy MacKaye. During the 1600s and 1700s, it became popular in English gambling houses, where noblemen played it as a pastime.
By the 19th century, the game’s name had reached America with some of the first English settlers aboard the Mayflower, and it acquired its modern name, craps. Its popularity grew through the 20th century and continues today. Played in person and online around the world, craps has endured as one of the longest-running table games.
Rules
Whether the table is physical or online, the basic layout is similar. A standard craps table uses a marked diagram showing the different betting areas. One Roll and Hardways bets go in a central section, while the ends include spaces for pass line, field, come and place bets, among others.
To begin, the shooter wagers on either the pass or don’t pass line, then rolls the dice toward the far wall, which they must hit. The right to shoot moves clockwise around the table. Players who do not want to roll can still place bets.
A craps round has two stages: the come-out and the point. The shooter begins with one or more come-out rolls. A total of 2, 3 or 12 is called craps and ends the round, with pass-line bets losing. A total of 7 or 11 is a natural, so pass-line bets win.
Rolling 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 establishes the point and begins the next phase. If the shooter rolls the point again, pass-line bets win. Rolling a seven ends the round, and those bets lose. Craps offers several types of bets, including:
- Pass Line Bet
- Don’t Pass Line Bet
- Come Bet
- Don’t Come Bet
- Big Six, Big Eight Bets
- Odds on Come Bet
- Odds on Pass Line Bet
- Place Bets
- Proposition Bets
- Field Bets
Strategy
Many betting systems and strategies are promoted as ways to improve a craps player’s position. But chance determines the outcome, and no approach can guarantee a win or overcome the house edge. Some players still prefer specific strategies to give structure to their play.
One approach is to watch for winning or losing streaks and try to follow their momentum. Another is to take free odds alongside line bets; the source describes this as reducing the house edge to 0.8%, compared with 1.41% for a pass-line bet.
Bankroll
Before you start a craps session, choose a loss limit—the amount you’re prepared to lose—and stop if you reach it. Because rounds move fast, take regular breaks to keep an eye on your spending. You can also set a win target and walk away when you reach it instead of carrying on.
Gameplay
Many online casinos offer craps, a game with a long history and a lasting place in casino gaming. If you’re new to it, start by learning the rules and practising before deciding whether to play for money. Knowing how the bets work can make the options easier to understand, but outcomes are still unpredictable.
