Games    

Craps Rules

 

Much of what is involved in the game of craps involves (a) waiting for what the "shooter" is going to do and (b) hoping that one number gets rolled before another one does. In this game as it is played at a land-based casino, there are a number of people stationed around the table, making bets, while there is one person, at the head of the table, holding a pair of dice.

A round of play starts when that person rolls. This is called the "come out roll." But first people make their bets. There are many wagers that can be made at a craps table. The most popular are the pass, Don't Pass, Come and Don't Come. They are the easiest for the beginning player to understand, insofar as any of the craps wagers are easy.

Let's illustrate these bets. When you make a Pass line bet, you are betting on some numbers and against others. If, on the come out roll, the shooter throws a 7 or an 11, you win right then and there. If a 2, 3 or 12 is thrown, you lose immediately. Any other number establishes the "point" and play continues. When you have a Pass bet out there, that point number - whatever it is - needs to be rolled again BEFORE a seven (7) gets rolled for you to win. Otherwise, you lose. This is a very common bet, with a rather low house edge.

Then there is the Don't Pass bet. This essentially works the opposite of the Pas bet, but with a small exception. Here, when the shooter throws a 7 or 11 on the come out roll, you lose. When the 2 or 3 is thrown, you win. But that is not the case with the 12. When that number is rolled, nothing happens at all. Again though, you will win if a seven (7) is rolled before the point number.

A "Come" bet works in somewhat similar fashion to the Pass bet, except this bet is not active on the come out roll. It can be made after the point is set. If the shooter throws a 7 or 11 you win; when a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled you lose. Anything else that is rolled becomes the point, and you win the Come bet when the point is rolled again before a seven. The Don't Come bet, like the Don't Pass bet, works in a reverse fashion.