A Beginners Guide to Playing Casino Craps

Understanding the Basics of Casino Craps

Casino craps is a popular table game that offers an exciting and social betting experience. It’s played with two main objectives: winning money or simply enjoying the thrill of the roll. To get started, it’s essential to grasp the fundamental rules and basic concepts involved in playing casino craps.

How Casino Craps Works

Casino craps is a game where players wager on the outcome of rolls made by two six-sided dice. The table layout consists of several betzillo casino online betting areas, each corresponding to different wagers or combinations of numbers. Players place their bets either with the shooter (the person rolling the dice) or against them.

The game begins when the dealer pushes in one die and spins it onto a circular table called the craps table. One of the dealers then throws both dice across the felt surface, announcing "shooting" as they do so. The roll is considered valid if at least one of the numbers on either dice lands facing up on the number grid marked on the table’s interior.

Key Terms and Basic Rules

Here are some essential terms to understand when playing casino craps:

  • Come-out Roll : This refers to the first roll made by the shooter. If a 7 or an 11 is rolled, it results in an immediate win for "pass line" bets.
  • Shooting Craps : When a player rolls either a 2 or 3 on their come-out roll and hits before another 6, they’re said to have shot craps. This leads to losing all existing wagers made by the shooter.
  • Natural : In casino craps, rolling an 11 is called making a natural.

Types of Bets in Casino Craps

There are numerous betting options available for players at a casino craps table. The most common types include:

  1. Pass Line Bet : Wager on whether or not the shooter will roll either a 7 or an 11 during their come-out roll.
  2. Don’t Pass Bet : Place a bet against rolling a 7 or an 11 in the initial roll, which is essentially the opposite of the pass line bet.
  3. Come and Odds Bet : A variation of the don’t pass bet where a player places odds on top of their come bet after it wins.

Understanding the Craps Table Layout

Familiarize yourself with the various betting areas marked across the table:

  • Box Numbers (4, 5, 6, etc.) : These represent specific point numbers used in wagers like "hardway" and "easy way."
  • Field Bet Area : Here players place their bets on winning combinations of two rolls.
  • Place Bets : Offer odds that pay when a player wins with designated points (4 or 5, for example).
  • Big/Small/Large/Proposition Bets : Various betting options related to the roll’s outcome.

Basic Gameplay and Common Variations

During gameplay, the shooter starts rolling the dice, announcing their action out loud. After each throw, dealers call bets accordingly based on the rolled numbers:

  • If a natural is rolled (7 or 11), all existing pass line bets win.
  • In case of other points (4 through 10) are hit in the come-out roll, these result in "making point," where players can place odds on either side (pass line or don’t pass).
  • Hardway and Easy Way : When two identical dice numbers appear together during a roll. Wagering on an easy way offers greater payouts compared to placing hardways.
  • Hedging Bets : A secondary bet made in response to another’s loss or gain.

When the shooter rolls out (or "sevens out"), they immediately pass it over and new shooters take turns until one manages to win their initial throw. After a player makes point, they continue shooting till either making natural again (rolling 7), reaching point again, losing a hardway roll, hitting multiple numbers on field bet area in consecutive throws without completing said bets.

The betting process is usually divided into two major phases:

  • Come-Out Phase : Occurs during initial rolls of each turn.
  • Pointing Phase : Continues until either the shooter achieves their objective (winning with specific point value), reaches natural again or misses.