Craps 101 – Making it Work

Craps is one of those casino games which captivates our attention. It’s fast-paced, glamorous and pretty impressive in its style of play. Let’s face it - Craps is the preferred game of many an online casino player too. And there’s no lack of excitement about a Craps table. It’s raring to go and the stakes are high.

Invaluable Craps Pointers

Before we get down to the nuts and bolts of this fantastic game, a word or two is in order. Firstly there is no way of changing or even predicting the outcome of a roll of the Craps dice. Unless of course a player physically manipulates them by cheating – which of course is illegal.

Now we’re about to get down to an exciting version of the selfsame game – online Craps. This is the numero uno pastime of many an online casino player. What happens when those dice leave our hands is anybody’s guess, but be sure that everyone will be interested in the outcome.

Winning at Craps is a fabulous feeling. While it’s tough predicting an outcome with any certainty whatsoever, there are fortunately many statistical means of increasing the probability of lower loss rates and higher winnings ratios. Below are some percentages alluding to which bets to make and the names associated with them.

• Pass Line Bet: Here the house edge is only 1.41%
• Don't Pass Bet: Here the house edge is only 1.40%
• Come Bet: Here the house edge is only 1.41%
• Don't Come Bet: Here the house edge is only 1.40%

Your ultimate goal in online Craps is to try and minimize the house edge. This really increases your odds of not losing. When you place your wager, you are betting on the Pass, Don’t Pass bets and the Come, Don’t Come bets. And you can buy square on the point number which of course has the effect of lowering the House edge.

As a player you can also place Odd Bets, which also lower the House edge further. Here you place more cash on your ‘Point’ from the Pass/Don’t Pass bet or the Come/Don’t Come bet. These moves can lower the House edge by a further 40%. And the profits are bound to follow.

• The Field Bet: Here the  House edge is 5.6%
• Hard Bets: Here the House edge is 12.5%
• Craps 2 or Craps 12: Here the House edge is 13.9%
• Big 6 or Big 8: Here the House edge is 9.1%
• Any 7 is 16.7%

The Craps table looks like a daunting prospect but it’s relatively simple to understand. The Shooter rolls a pair of dice and their outcome determines whether he and the other players win or lose. That’s it – no magic tricks, no spells – just a good old roll of the dice.

The Shooter's first roll of the dice is called the ‘Come Out Roll’, and he can win or lose with that throw.

• If the shooter rolls 7 or 11 then the shooter and the players who chose to bet with him, win.
• If the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12, that is Craps, then he and the players bet with him will lose.

Now it gets a little interesting. If the dice roll totals 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, that new number becomes the Shooter's pre-established Point. The Shooter must continue rolling the dice until he makes the number again so that he can win. There is always the likelihood that the shooter rolls a 7 and Sevens Out and loses. But that’s Craps – you have to love it – because Lady Luck may just be smiling down upon you.