Tips and information about Craps

THE GAME
Craps is considered by many to be the premier game for gamblers. Craps can elicit an emotional response from casino players while winning. The game of craps has a long history that some believe is very difficult to learn, but the only truly complicating aspect of craps is the variety of different bets. The "Rules" section will explain to you the different bets available in craps.

THE RULES
The first roll of the dice in a craps round is called the "come out roll." The basic opening bet in craps, placed just before the come out roll, is called the "pass line bet." Pass line bets immediately win when the shooter's come out roll is 7 or 11, and lose when the come out roll is 2 (snake eyes), 3 (cross eyes), or 12 (box cars). If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled on the come out roll, that number becomes "the point." The puck labeled "ON" shows that the point has been established, and is located on the craps table over the box for the number rolled as the point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10". The shooter now keeps rolling the dice until he rolls the point or 7 to end the round. If the shooter rolls the point first, a pass line bet wins. If, however, the shooter rolls a 7 first (i.e. "sevens out"), a pass line bet loses.

To end a round of craps and resolve pass line bets, the shooter must roll either the point or 7 after the come out roll. There's always a possibility that a craps game can go on all night if the shooter fails to roll the point or 7. Pass line bets can't win until the point is rolled, and can't lose until 7 is rolled. Because unresolved pass line bets may not be removed, players must wait for a roll of the point or 7 to determine the fate of their pass line bets.

BETTING
Before the dice are rolled, bets can be placed in the various fields of the craps table. First, click on the value of the chip you wish to wager with your left mouse button. Next, place the chip in the desired betting area on the craps table by clicking in the area with your left mouse button. If you desire to alter or remove a bet, click on your wagered chips with your right mouse button. When you are finished placing your bets, click on the ROLL button to roll the dice.

PASS LINE BETS
A pass line bet is placed on the field labelled "PASS LINE" on the craps table before the come out roll (i.e. the first roll of the dice in a new craps round). A wager on the pass line wins if the come out roll is 7 or 11, and loses if 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes "the point." To win a pass line bet, the shooter must roll the point again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your pass line bet loses. A winning pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Once the point has been established, unresolved pass line bets may not be removed or reduced. They must be resolved by a roll of the point or 7.

DON'T PASS LINE BETS
A don't pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet, and is placed on the craps table in the "Don't Pass Bar" before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls 2 or 3 on the come out roll, a don't pass line bet wins. If, however, the come out roll is 7 or 11, don't pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 12, a don't pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don't pass line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, don't pass line bets lose. A winning don't pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Unlike pass line bets, unresolved don't pass line bets may be removed or reduced.

COME BETS
A come bet is placed in the "COME" bar on the craps table before any roll of the dice, once the point has been established by the come out roll. The rules for come bets are essentially the same as for pass line bets. Come bets win if the shooter's next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes "the come point," and the dealer will move the come bet from the "COME" bar on the craps table to the box corresponding to the come point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet pays even money. The come bet will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. Just as with the pass line bet, unresolved come bets may not be removed or reduced. They must be resolved by a roll of the come point or 7.

DON'T COME BETS
A don't come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. A don't come bet is placed after the come out roll in the "Don't Come Bar" on the craps table. Don't come bets win when the shooter's next roll is 2 or 3, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 12, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes "the come point," and the dealer will move the don't come bet from the "Don't Come Bar" to the left corner of the narrow, uppermost bar over the box corresponding to the come point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." After the come point is established, don't come bets win even money if 7 is rolled and lose if the come point is rolled. Don't come bets will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. However, unresolved don't come bets may be removed.

ODDS BETS
Odds Bets An odds bet is a "back up" bet on an original pass line bet, don't pass line bet, come bet, or don't come bet. The maximum odds bet is 3 times your original bet.

PASS LINE ODDS BETS
After the point has been established, a pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the craps table outside of the "PASS LINE" bar, under your original pass line bet. A winning pass line odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original pass line bet, an unresolved pass line odds bet may be removed.

DON'T PASS LINE ODDS BETS
Once the point has been established, a don't pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the right side of your original bet in the "Don't Pass Bar." A winning don't pass line odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don't pass line odds bet may be removed. However, if you click with your right mouse button to remove your don't pass line odds bet, your original don't pass line bet will also be removed.

COME ODDS BETS
Once the come point has been established, a come odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button directly under your come bet within the box that corresponds to the come point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." A winning come odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original come bet, an unresolved come odds bet may be removed. In the Craps game, come odds bets are inactive during come out rolls by default.

DON'T COME ODDS BETS
Once the come point has been established, an odds bet is placed on your don't come bet by clicking in the tiny space directly under your don't come bet within the narrow, uppermost bar over the box that corresponds to the come point: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." A winning don't come odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don't come odds bet may be removed.

FIELD BETS
A field bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It is placed in the "FIELD" bar on the craps table before any one roll of the dice. If the next roll is 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, the field bet wins even money. If 2 or 12 is rolled, the field bet wins 2 to 1. If 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, the field bet is lost.

BIG 6 AND BIG 8 BETS
A big 6 bet is a bet that 6 will be rolled before 7. Likewise, a big 8 bet is a bet that 8 will be rolled before 7. A big 6 or a big 8 bet is placed in either the "6" or "8" box located in the left corner of the craps table. A big 6 or big 8 bet wins even money if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8 before rolling 7. Unresolved Big 6 and big 8 bets may be removed.

PLACE BETS
There are two types of place bets: A place win bet is a bet that either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a seven. A place win bet is placed in the narrow, unlabeled bar located just under the box with the corresponding number on the craps table: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." Winning place win bets are paid according to the following ratios: 7 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 7 to 5 on numbers 5 and 9, and 9 to 5 on numbers 4 and 10.

A place lose bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. A place lose bet is placed in the narrow, unlabeled bar located just above the box with the corresponding number on the craps table: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." Winning place lose bets are paid according to the following ratios: 4 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 5 to 8 on numbers 5 and 9, and 5 to 11 on numbers 4 and 10.

BUY BETS
A buy bet is a bet that either 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before 7. A buy bet is placed in the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." The buy bet will be covered by a "BUY" marker to distinguish it from a come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when placing the buy bet. Buy bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 6 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 3 to 2 on numbers 5 and 9, and 2 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10. If a buy bet is lost or removed, the 5% vig. is returned. In the Craps game, buy bets are inactive during come out rolls by default.

LAY BETS
A lay bet is essentially the reverse of a buy bet. A lay bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The lay bet is placed in the top, unlabeled bar above the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: "4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10." A lay bet will be covered by a "LAY" marker to distinguish it from a don't come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% vig. is charged when placing the lay bet. Lay bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 5 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 2 to 3 on numbers 5 and 9, and 1 to 2 on numbers 4 and 10. Lay bets are active even during the come out roll, and unresolved lay bets may be removed.

ANY 7 BETS
An "any 7" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 7. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the "Seven" field on the craps table. If 7 is rolled, you win 4 times your bet.

ANY 11 BETS
An "any 11" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 11. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice that add to 11. If 11 is rolled, you win 15 times your bet.

ANY CRAP BETS
An "any craps" bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, or 12. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the "Any Craps" field on the craps table. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, you win 7 times your bet.

HORN BETS
A horn bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be either 2, 3, 11, or 12. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice that add either to 2, 3, 11, or 12. A winning horn bet pays 15 to 1 on numbers 3 and 11 and 30 to 1 on numbers 2 and 12.

HARDWAY BETS
A hardway bet is a bet that the shooter will roll either a 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles (2+2, 3+3, 4+4, or 5+5) before rolling a 7. The hardway bet is placed in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice corresponding to the number. Rolling a number by doubles is said to be rolling the number "the hard way." For example, a roll of 4+4 is a called a "hard 8," while a roll of 5+3 or 6+2 is called an "easy 8." A winning hardway bet pays 7 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10 and 9 to 1 on numbers 6 and 8. Unresolved hardway bets may be removed.

In the Craps game, hardway bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your hardway bets active during come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. In the menu, click on the box next to "Hardway bets." A check mark in the box will activate hardway bets in come out rolls. Then click OK.

BETTING LIMITS
The minimum limit is set at $5 for all bets except for hardway and horn bets which will have a maximum wager of $25.00 and which have a $2 minimum limit. The maximum limit for the table or any one bet is $100.

CRAPS SYSTEMS
Online craps offers the gambling buff the chance to make money in the exact same way the online casino itself does: On small percentages that pay off over long periods of time. This is an extremely grinding and tedious long term strategy that isn't for those on a limited budget, but at the same time it is as close to a sure thing that gambling, especially online gambling, gets.

BETTING WITH THE HOUSE
Craps, alone among the various games common to casinos, allows the gambler to but right along with the house, with no penalty. As long as you are not rolling the dice, you are not required to put money on the "Pass" the line. A bet on the "Don't Pass Line" is essentially a bet with the house. You both need the shooter to lose in order to make money.

THE MAGICAL NUMBER 7
The number most likely to come up when two 6 sided dice are thrown is 7 but it isn't necessarily going to come up "all the time". You make your bets based on this. After you have put your bet on the Don't Pass Line you will lose on any 7 or 11 rolled, however if the shooter throws anything other than 7 or 11 you will win on the next subsequent 7 thrown. So you will also place a bet on the number 7 in the come area, and be sure to bet maximum odds behind it.
By playing this way most of your losses will be minimal on the Don't Pass while your wins will slowly mount up. Once you have got the trick of it, try betting on other numbers in the Come, 6 and 8 for instance, especially if that is the shooter's point it is a nice way to cover a loss.

FIND THE BEST ODDS
Online casinos offer different "odds" with online craps. They are usually in a multiplication format like "10x Odds Craps" or "4x Odds". Shop around and find the games with the best odds payouts to maximize your wins.

ADVANCED CRAPS SYSTEMS
Is it possible to have a betting edge over the casino? No. Are there secrets to winning consistently? Yes!

You may have heard of claims from individuals that they have the "magical system" that is guaranteed to win. Do not believe it. Although there are better systems than others, it is mathematical impossible to create a system that would give a player an edge in any game of chance.

Okay, tell me how to win consistently playing craps! I am going to share with you the secrets of winning consistently. Winning consistently is easy to understand once you know why people loose consistently. Casinos strive basically on four types of players:


1 Players with unrealistic winning goals (greedy).

2 Players who rely strictly on luck (as oppose to skill).

3 Players with little (or no) discipline.

4 Players who play not to lose (as oppose to playing to win).

Assuming this is the case (bet on it), it stands to reason that the key to winning consistently is by Playing Smart.

Playing smart starts with making good bets. Look at the topic on "Calculating Odds" to determine the odds the House has over each bet. Obvious making the best bets and staying away from the bad bets will increase your chances of winning. However, there must be more to winning than making good bets or more people would be winning, right? The other parts to the puzzle of winning consistently are:

1 Having a solid game plan

2 Effective money management

3 Having the discipline and confidence to execute your plans

The next time you visit a casino, try this exercise:
Exercise:
1 Watching the Table
2 Minimum Bank Roll: $100.00.
3 Maximum bet is: $15.00

TIPS: Get your chips in order. I like to separate my $5 chips in-group of 5 separated by $1 chips. Use what ever makes you feel comfortable. The point here is to always be able to KNOW how much money you are ahead or behind. Avoid making a bet while a roll is in progress. It is hard to get a feel of the game without first observing the action.

GETTING COMFORTABLE
Place one unit ($5) on the Pass Line
Place odds on the shooter point as follows:

If the shooter point is 4 or 10 place single odd. In this case you would put an additional $5 behind your Pass Line.

If the shooter point is 5 or 9 you will place $6.00 behind the Pass Line.

If the shooter point is 6 or 8 you will place double odds or $10.00 behind your Pass Line bet. In either case, your maximum risk is only $15.00. You will repeat this process twice before implementing your system(s).

The purpose here is for you to get a feel of how things are moving on the table. This will help you decide which strategy you would like to execute.

Here are three popular and easy to remember strategies:

STRATEGY #1: Classic Regression.
Goal: To make a profit on one hit.

In this strategy, you wait until the shooter has made his/her point before placing your bets. After the Point is made you will place two units or $12.00 on both the 6 and 8. After one hit, you will ask the Dealer to come down one unit on both the 6 & 8.

Results: You now have a $2.00 profit and can no longer get hurt by the Seven. In addition, you now have $12.00 working for you. After another hit, bring down all bets and wait for the roller to make his/her point or 7 out, then start the process over.

On two hits your net profit is: $21.00. Now depending on how confident you are, you can come down after the first hit profiting $14.00 or keep betting on the 6 & 8. If you prefer to keep your bets riding make sure that both the 6 & 8 are covered.
Behind the Strategy: There are ten combined ways to make a 6 and 8 and six combined ways for a seven.

STRATEGY #2: " Three Point Molly"
Goal: To have three numbers working for you at all times.

In this strategy you will make a Pass Line bet and two Come bets.

Make a Pass Line bet.

Backup your Pass Line bet with single or double odds.

Make a Come Line bet.

Backup each Come Bets with single or double odds (two Come bets maximum).

When one of your Come Bets wins, place another Come Bets.

Continue this process until the shooter makes his/her Point or Seven-Out.

Behind the Theory: Each times you make a Come Bet you are protecting your Pass Line bets and taking advantage of a hot roller.

STRATEGY #3: "Anything But Seven"
Goal: To win on any number thrown except a Seven.

Don't place any bets on the Don't Pass or Pass Line, but wait until a point has been established.

Place two units on 5, 6, & 8.

Place one unit on the Field.

Results: This method is a little riskier than the previous strategies, since your total monetary risk is: $39.00. Therefore, it is suggested that you remove all bets after three rolls. Should the shooter hold the dice for at least three rolls, you will stand to win anything from $15.00-$27.00(more if the numbers 2 or 12 are rolled).

Behind The Strategy: The average roller rolls the dice 4 to 6 times before rolling a 7.

Source: Dr Jerome Nelson http://www.allcraps.com