The
Basics of Play:
Craps revolves around the player holding the dice - the
shooter(you in this case) - and everyone at the table
essentially is betting either for or against him. That
is, wagering that the shooter will make a pass and win
or fail to make a pass and thus lose.
As an example, let's suppose you first place a bet either
on the pass line - wagering that you will win - or on
the don't pass line, which is a wager that you will lose.
There are of course many other bets, but let's start off
with these.
Once you have placed your bet, you throw the dice.
Let's assume that you have bet on the pass line. If you
throw a 7 or 11 on your first roll, which is known as
the come-out roll, you have made a pass and will win your
bet, which is payed at even money. If you roll any craps
- which is a total of 2,3 or 12 - you will lose your bet.
If any other total (4,5,6,8,9 or 10) is rolled, you have
established a point and will now continue to shoot the
dice until you either repeat the point number or throw
a 7. If you repeat the point number before rolling a 7,
you again have made a pass, and your pass line bet will
be paid at even money. However, if a 7 comes up before
your point number, you have sevened-out and will lose
your bet.
Once a point has been established, only that point number
or a 7 will determine whether you win or lose your pass
line bet. Any other numbers that you may roll - including
the 11 and the 2, 3 and 12 craps numbers - have no bearing
on this particular wager.
As you have probably guessed, when your pass line bet
wins, wagers on the don't pass line lose, and vice versa.
Thus, if you throw a craps on the come-out roll or seven-out
before repeating your point number the don't pass wager
will win.
All the Bets:
"Right" Bets
Wagers that the shooter will make a pass are called "right".
The Pass Line Bet
The basic bet that the shooter will make a pass. Wins
if you either throw a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll or
repeat the point number before rolling a 7. The pass line
bet loses if the come-out is a 2,3 or 12 (known as "craps")
or if a 7 is rolled before repeating the point number.
The pass line bet is payed at even money.
Taking the Odds
When the shooter establishes a point, a player who has
made a pass line bet is allowed to "take the odds".
The limit on the amount you can bet on the odds is 3x
your pass line wager if the point is 4,5,9 or 10, or 4.5x
your pass line wager if the point is 6 or 8. The odds
bet wins if the point is repeated before a 7 is rolled
and is payed 2-to-1 if the point is 4 or 10, 3-to-2 if
the point is 5 or 9 and 6-to-5 if the point is 6 or 8.
Come Bets
A come bet is identical to a pass line bet, except it
may be made on every throw once a point has been established.
Once you have placed a come bet, the next throw becomes
the come-out roll for that wager. Thus if the shooter
throws a 7 or 11, you will win, and if he throws craps,
you will lose.
If another number is rolled, this number becomes the point
for this particular wager. To win the come bet, you must
now repeat this point number before throwing a 7.
Odds wagers may be placed on come bets in the same way
as for pass line bets.
"Wrong" Bets
Wagers that the shooter will fail to make pass are called
"wrong".
The Don't Pass Line Bet
The basic bet that the shooter will fail. Wins if a 2,3
or 12 is rolled on the come-out roll, or if a 7 is rolled
before repeating the point.
The don't pass line bet loses if a 7 or 11 is thrown on
the come-out roll, or if the point number is repeated
before throwing a 7.
The don't pass line bet is payed at even money, except
when a 12 is rolled on the come-out. In this case it is
a stand-off, and your bet is returned.
Laying the Odds
Just like you may take odds on the pass line bet, you
may lay the odds on the don't pass line bet.
The limits on the amount you may place is 6x your don't
pass line bet if the point is 4 or 10, 4.5x your don't
pass line bet if the point is 5 or 9 and 3.6x your don't
pass line bet if the point is 6 or 8.
This bet wins if a 7 is rolled before repeating the point
and is payed at 1-to-2 if the point is 4 or 10, 2-to-3
if the point is 5 or 9 and 5-to-6 if the point is 6 or
8.
Don't Come Bets
Identical to a don't pass line bet, except may be placed
on every throw once the shooter has established a point.
The next throw becomes the point for this particular bet.
Thus if the shooter rolls a craps number you will win,
and if he rolls a 7 or 11, you will lose. If a point is
established, the bet will win if a 7 is rolled before
repeating the point number.
Odds wagers may be placed on the don't come bet in the
same way as for don't pass line bets.
Place Bets
Place bets are wagers that a particular number will be
rolled before a 7. Place bets on the 6 and 8 are payed
off at 7-to-6. Place bets on 4 and 10 are payed off at
9-to-5. Place bets on 5 and 9 are payed off at 7-to-5.
You may also bet that a particular number won't be rolled
before a 7. Lose bets on the 6 and 8 are payed off at
4-to-5. Lose bets on 4 and 10 are payed off at 5-to-11.
Lose bets on 5 and 9 are payed off at 5-to-8.
Big 6 and Big 8 Bets
The Big6 and Big8 bets are wagers that a 6 or 8 will be
rolled before a 7. These bets pay even money.
Hardway Bets
A hardway bet is a wager that a 4,6,8 or 10 will be rolled
by pairing the dice - that is, by rolling 2-2, 3-3, 4-4
or 5-5, before either throwing a 7 or the particular number
comes up the easy way.
The payoff is 7-to-1 on the 4 and 10 and 9-to-1 on the
6 and 8.
The Field Bet
A wager that either a 2,3,4,9,10 or 12 is thrown on the
next roll of the dice. Pays even money if a 3,4,9 or 10
is rolled and 2-to-1 if a 2 or 12 is rolled.
Number
Bets
A number bet is a wager that a particular number will
be thrown on the next roll. It may be placed on 2,3,7,11
or 12. A wager on 2 or 12 pays 29-to-1, on 3 or 11 14-to-1
and on 7 4-to-1.
You can also bet that any of the craps numbers (2,3,12)
will be rolled. This wager is payed at 7-to-1.
The C-E Bet
The craps-eleven bet, also known as the C-E bet, is a
bet that a 2,3,11 or 12 is thrown on the next roll of
the dice. If a 2,3 or 12 is rolled, it is payed of at
3-to-1. If an 11 is rolled, it is payed off at 7-to-1.
"Off" Bets
On the come-out roll, some bets are "off" which
means they will neither win nor lose no matter what number
is rolled.
The wagers that are affected are the hardway bets, the
place and lose bets, and the odds wagers on come and don't
come bets.
GOOD LUCK!