GAME SUMMARY OBJECT Players bet against the house on the outcome of the roll of two dice. Players may make one or more of several types of bets marked on the table. Some bets are won or lost after a single roll of the dice, others take several rolls. COME-OUT ROLL The game begins with the first or come-out roll. If the player throwing the dice (shooter) throws a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll, he makes a pass (wins). If he throws a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll, he craps-out and does not make a pass. A come-out roll of either 7 or 11 or 2, 3, or 12 ends the shoot, bets are settled and the next roll will be a new come-out roll. MAKING A POINT If the shooter throws a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 on the come-out roll, that number becomes the point. The shoot will then continue until the shooter either throws the point again or throws a 7. If the shooter repeats his point before throwing a 7, he makes the pass. If he throws a 7 before repeating his point he sevens-out and does not make the pass. When a shooter makes his point or sevens-out, the shoot is complete and the next roll will be a new come-out roll. Whenever a player sevens-out, the dice are passed and another player becomes the shooter. BEST BETS The bets listed below give the house the smallest edge and are recommended. The odds bets are especially good because they give the house no advantage. PASS LINE BETS One of the most advantageous bets for the player is the Pass Line bet. This is a bet that the shooter will make the pass. The bet is made by placing chips on the table in the area marked Pass Line. This bet must be made before the come-out roll. If the shooter makes the pass, either by rolling a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll or by making his point, the Pass Line bets win. The payoff is even money (one to one). If the shooter craps-out or sevens-out, Pass Line bets lose and the dealer collects the money. The house has only a small 1.41% edge on Pass Line bets. COME BETS A Come bet is made by placing the chips on the table in the area marked Come. This bet must be made after the shooter has established his point, ie after the come-out roll. The next roll, after the Come bet is made, is important for the Come bettor. If that roll is a 7 or 11 the Come bet wins, but if it is a 2, 3, or 12, the Come bet loses. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes the come point. The dealer will then move the chips to the numbered boxes at the top of the table. Once a come point is established, the Come bet wins only if the point is repeated before a 7 is thrown. If a 7 is thrown before the point is repeated, the Come bet loses. Come bets are paid off at one to one and the house edge is 1.41% PASS LINE ODDS BETS Odds bets are the best bets in craps because the house has no edge. Odds bets can only be made if you first have a Pass Line bet and a point has been established. The Odds bet is not marked on the table. To make this bet, place the chips just outside of the Pass Line area next to your Pass Line bet. If the shooter sevens-out, both the Pass Line and the Odds bets lose. If the shooter makes the pass, both the Pass Line bet and the Pass Line Odds bets win. The Pass Line bet is paid off at one to one as usual, but the Odds bet is paid off at the correct odds as shown below: Pass Line Odds Bet Payoffs Point Payoff 6, 8 6 to 5 5, 9 3 to 2 4, 10 2 to 1 COME ODDS BETS Like the Pass Line Odds bets, the Come Odds bets are the most advantageous for the player. The house has no edge on these bets. The Come Odds bet can only be made if you first have a Come bet for which a come point has been established. That is, the Come Odds bet is made after the dealer moves the Come bet to one of the numbered boxes on the table. To make a Come Odds bet you must give you chips to the dealer. In Craps Academy, this is done by selecting the Come Odds button at the top of the screen. You then select the come point number, and then put your chips in the Come area on the table. The dealer then puts your Come Odds bet on top of your Come bet. If the shooter throws a 7, both the Come bet and the Come Odds bet lose. If the shooter throws the come point before throwing a 7, both bets win. The Come bet is paid off at one to one as usual, but the Come Odds bet is paid off at the correct odds. The odds payoffs are exactly the same as those for Pass Line Odds bets. DONT'T PASS BETS The Don't Pass bet is the opposite of a Pass Line Bet. This is a bet that the shooter will not make the pass. The bet is made by placing chips on the table in the area marked Don't Pass. This bet must be made before the come-out roll. If the shooter makes the pass, either by rolling a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll or by making his point, the Don't Pass bets lose. If the shooter throws a 2 or 3 craps on the come-out roll, or if the shooter sevens-out the Don't Pass bettor wins. A craps roll of 12 on the come-out roll does not win or lose for the Don't Pass bettor. The table is marked "Bar 12" to remind players of this. By barring the 12, the house gets a small 1.40% edge on Don't Pass bets. DON'T COME BETS This bet is made by placing the chips on the table in the box marked Don't Come. This bet must be made after the shooter has established his point, ie after the come-out roll. The next roll, after the Don't Come bet is made, is important for the Don't Come bettor. If that roll is a 7 or 11 the Don't Come bet loses, but if it is a 2, or 3, the Don't Come bet wins. As with Don't Pass bets, the 12 is barred, ie it is a standoff. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes the don't come point. The dealer will then move the chips to the numbered boxes at the top of the table keeping them separate from the Come bets. Once a don't come point is established, the Don't Come bet wins only if a seven is thrown before the point is repeated. If the point is repeated before a seven is thrown, the Don't Come bet loses. Come bets are paid off one to one and the house edge is 1.40% DON'T PASS ODDS BETS Don't Pass Odds bets also give the house no edge. To make a Don't Pass Odds bet you must first have a Don't Pass Line bet and a point must have been established. The Don't Odds bet is not marked on the table. To make this bet, you must give your chips to the dealer, telling him you want odds on the don't. In Craps Academy, this is done by selecting the Lay Odds button at the top of the screen. Then select Don't Odds, and the don't odds point. Then put your chips in the Don't Pass area. The dealer will then place the odds bet on top of your Don't Pass bet. When you make a Don't Pass Odds bet you are laying the correct odds that the pass will not be made. Because statistics are in your favor, you must bet more than you stand to win. If the shooter sevens-out both the Don't Pass and the Don't Pass Odds bets win. If the shooter makes the pass, both bets lose. The Pass Line bet is paid off at one to one as usual, but the Odds bet is paid off at the correct odds which means you will win less than you bet as shown below: Don't Pass Odds and Don't Come Odds Bet Payoffs Point Payoff 6, 8 5 to 6 5, 9 2 to 3 4, 10 1 to 2 For example, suppose the point is 9 and you have a $3 Don't Pass bet and a $3 Don't Pass Odds bet. If the shooter sevens-out the dealer pays $3 on the Don't Pass bet and $2 on the Odds bet. DON'T COME ODDS The house has no edge on these bets. A Don't Come Odds bet can only be made if you first have a Don't Come bet for which a point has been established. That is, it is after the dealer moves the Don't Come bet to a numbered box on the table. To make a Don't Come Odds bet you must give you chips to the dealer. In Craps Academy, this is done by selecting the Come Odds button at the top of the screen. You then select Don't Come Odds, the come point number, and then put your chips on the table. The dealer then puts your Odds bet on top of your Don't Come bet. If the shooter throws a 7, both the Don't Come bet and the Don't Come Odds bet win. If the shooter throws the don't come point before throwing a 7, both bets lose. The Don't Come bet is paid off at one to one as usual, but the Don't Come Odds bet is paid off at the correct odds which means the payoff will be less than the bet just like the payoffs for Don't Pass Odds bets. OTHER BETS The bets in this section give a larger edge to the house. Some of them are just plain sucker bets. PLACE BETS Place bets are a wager that a particular number will be rolled before a 7 is rolled. Place bets may be made on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. If a player wants a Place bet on the 4 he gives his chips to the dealer and says "Place the 4". In Craps Academy, Place bets are made by selecting the Place button at the top of the screen, then selecting the number to place and then putting the chips on the table. The dealer will then move the bet to the selected numbered box. Place bets are off or not working on the come-out roll. This means that the Place bets will neither win nor lose on come-out rolls. The player has the option of turning Place bets on or off at any time. This is done by selecting the Change Bet button at the top right of the screen. Place bet payoff are as follows: Place Bet Payoffs Number Payoff House Edge 6, 8 7 to 6 1.52% 5, 9 7 to 5 4.00% 4, 10 9 to 5 6.67% Because of the large house advantage, Place bets on the 4, 5, 9, and 10 are not recommended. Place bets are left up after a payoff. If a player wants the bet down, he should click on the Change Bet button and then select, Take Down. BIG 6 AND BIG 8 A bet on the Big 6 or the Big 8 works like a Place bet on the 6 or 8. It wins if the number is thrown before a seven comes up. It loses if a seven is thrown first. There is a big difference however, the payoff is even money giving the house a big 9.09% edge. It is much better to Place the 6 or 8 where the house edge is only 1.52%. BUY BETS Buy bets may be made on the 4, 5, 6, 8 ,9 or 10. Like Place bets they win if the number is rolled before a 7 is thrown and lose when a 7 comes up. The buy bets payoff at the correct odds, but the house extracts a 5% commission which makes them poor bets. Buy Bet Payoffs Number Payoff Commission 6, 8 6 to 5 5% 5, 9 3 to 2 5% 4, 10 2 to 1 5% Buy bets are off on the come-out roll unless the player tells the dealer that they are on. Turning bets on or off is accomplished by selecting the Change Bet button at the top of the screen. LAY BETS Lay bets are the opposite of Buy bets. They win if a 7 is thrown before the number bet against comes up. They lose if the number is thrown before a 7. Players lay true odds and pay a 5% commission. As shown below, payoff are less than the amount bet. Commissions are based on the amount that could be won. Lay Bet Payoffs Number Payoff Commission 6, 8 5 to 6 5% 5, 9 2 to 3 5% 4, 10 1 to 2 5% FIELD BETS The Field bet is a one roll bet. Field bets win if the next roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. If 5, 6, 7, or 8 is thrown, Field bets lose. The payoff is 1 to 1 except when a 2 or 12 is rolled. Casinos differ on the amount they pay on the 2 and 12. Most pay double but some pay triple on the 12. The house advantage is 5.55% when 2 and 12 pay double, and 2.78% when either 2 or 12 pays double and the other pays triple. HARD WAY BETS This is a bet that a particular number will be rolled as doubles. That is the hard way bet on the 4, 6, 8, or 10 is a bet that the dice will come up 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5. These bets lose if the 7 is thrown or if the number comes up but is not doubles (easy way). One dollar hard way bets are allowed. Hard Way Bet Payoffs Number Payoff House Edge 4 (2-2) 7 to 1 (8 for 1) 11.11% 10 (10,10) 7 to 1 (8 for 1) 11.11% 6 (3-3) 9 to 1 (10 for 1) 9.09% 8 (4-4) 9 to 1 (10 for 1) 9.09% When a hard way bet is won, the original bet is left in place (up). If the player wishes to take the bet down, he should click on the Change Bet button and then select Take Down. ANY SEVEN This is a one roll bet that the next roll will be any combination adding up to 7. The payoff is 4 to 1 (5 for 1) which gives the house 16.67% edge! This is the worst bet on the table. The minimum bet is $1. ANY CRAPS This is a one roll bet that either 2, 3, or 12 will come up next. The payoff is 7 to 1 (8 for 1) giving the house an 11.11% edge. A $1 minimum bet is allowed. ELEVEN This is a one roll bet that an eleven will be thrown. The payoff is 14 to 1 (15 for 1). The minimum bet size is $1. C and E (CRAPS AND ELEVEN) The C&E bet is two bets in one. When you make a C&E bet you are making a bet on Any Craps and a bet on the Eleven. Half your chips are considered to be on each of these bets. Of course only one of these bets can win since they are both one roll bets. The minimum bet is $2. CRAPS NUMBERS These are bets that the chosen number will be rolled on the next roll. The minimum bet is $1 and the payoffs are as shown: Craps Number Bet Payoffs Number Payoff House Edge 2,12 29 to 1 (30 for 1) 13.39% 3 14 to 1 (15 for 1) 16.67% HORN BET This is really a simultaneous four way bet on 2, 3, 11, and 12. The minimum bet is $4. The chips are considered to be split evenly, between the four bets. All of these bets are one roll bets. At best, only one of them can win. Each die of a pair of dice can come up in one of 6 possible ways. Therefore there are 36 possible out comes as shown below: DICE ODDS Total First Die-Second Die Ways 2 1-1 1 3 1-2, 2-1 2 4 1-3, 2-2, 3-1 3 5 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, 4-1 4 6 1-5, 2-4, 3-3, 4-2, 5-1 5 7 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 5-1 6 8 2-6, 3-5, 4-4, 5-3, 6-2 5 9 3-6, 4-5, 5-4, 6-3 4 10 4-6, 5-5, 6-4 3 11 5-6, 6-5 2 12 6-6 1 Total Ways 36 Craps is based on the odds of the occurance of the various totals. It helps to understand what the odds are that a given total will come up. For example, of the 36 possible ways of rolling two dice, only two of them will total three (1-2 and 2-1). There are 34 ways which have some other total. That means the odds of a 3 being rolled are 2 to 34 which is the same as 1 to 17. Therefore the correct odds are 17 to 1. If the casinos paid off bets on the 3 at 17 to 1, they would have no advantage. Insted they pay off at 14 to 1. STRATEGY The winning strategy for craps is to only make the best bets available. Only 4 bets give the house no advantage: Pass Line Odds Don't Pass Odds Come Odds Don't Come Odds The objective is to make these bets whenever possible. The basic strategy is the same for players who bet on Pass and Come (right bettors) as it is for those who bet on Don't Pass and Don't Come (wrong bettors). Because most players choose to be right bettors, we will describe the strategy from that standpoint. A winning strategy should include a simple money management scheme. Bet sizes should be chosen based on this scheme. See Money Management below to determine proper bet sizes. The basic strategy is to make Pass Line bets and Come bets and to back them up with Odds bets when the rules allow. The objective is to have six bets on the table: a Pass Line bet and two Come bets each backed by Odds bets. On the come-out roll make a standard-size Pass Line bet. Once the point is established, back it up with a Pass Line odds bet and make a Come bet. If a Come point is established, back it with a Come Odds bet, and make a second Come bet. If a point is established for the second Come bet, back it with a Come Odds bet. At this point you will have reached the six bet objective: one Pass Line bet and two Come bets each backed by odds. As the points are rolled and the bets are won, make new Pass Line bets or Come bets and back them with Odds bets to re-establish the 6 bet objective. When the shooter sevens out, start over with a new Pass line bet. The only other bet with a reasonably small house percentage is a Place bet on the 6 or 8. At 1.52% house edge, this bet is worth considering when things are going well. MONEY MANAGEMENT The first principle of money management is: Don't gamble with money can't afford to lose. You cannot expect to win, but you can expect to be entertained. The purpose of money management is to minimize the cost of the entertainment. CASINO PAYOFFS Casinos round off their payoffs to an even dollar amount. For example, a Pass Line Odds bet pays 3 to 2 when the point is 5 or 9. For a $3 odds bet the the proper payoff would be $4.50, but the casino only pays $4.00. Odds bets pay 6 to 5 when the point is a 6 or 8, which means the casino only pays the proper amount if the bet is a multiple of $5. In general, casinos allow you increase the size of your odds bet so that you can avoid the loss due to even dollar payoffs. The allowed increase is based on the denomination of the chips you are using. SINGLE / DOUBLE ODDS The basic rule for single odds tables is that an odds bet cannot be larger than the bet it is backing. For double odds tables, an odds bet cannot be larger than twice the bet it is backing. Because the casinos round off their payoffs, they let you make slighly larger odds bets. For example, at a single odds table if your Pass Line bet is $3 and the point is 5 or 9, they will allow a $4 odds bet. If the point was 6 or 8 they allow a $5 odds bet. BET SIZE MANAGEMENT Base your bet unit on the amount of money you take to the table (your bankroll). While playing craps you should expect to have periodic ups and downs in your bankroll. You must keep your basic bets small enough to avoid being wiped out during a short term down. A rule of thumb is to limit your basic bet unit to about 1/200 of your bankroll. At single odds tables make three unit bets. This allows you take full advantage of the increase in bet size allowed on odds bets. For example, if your bankroll is $200 then your betting unit is $1 and at a single odds table you would make $3 bets. If the point was 6 or 8 you would back the bet with $5 odds. If the point was 5 or 9 you would make a $4 odds bet. At a double odds tables, make 2 unit bets. For example, if your bankroll is $200, your betting unit is $1 and you would make $2 bets. If the point is 6 or 8 you would back the bet with $5 odds. If the point was 5 or 9 you would back it with $4 odds. CHANGING YOUR BET SIZE Because of normal fluctuations it a good idea to stick with your basic betting unit. If you find you are well ahead, say 100 units, you may want to increase your basic bet unit. More importantly, if you find your bankroll has been reduced to half its original size, you should cut your basic betting unit in half. If your bankroll ever gets below 1/3 third of its original value, its time to leave the table. Never increase your bet size when you are down. Never allow yourself to get wiped out. SYSTEMS There are plenty of systems. There are no systems that work. Even the suggested strategy in Craps Academy could be considered a system, but it cannot guarantee you will win. It only promises to minimize your loses in the long run. PROGRESSIVE SYSTEMS Many system are based on doubling your bet when you lose. For example, your first bet is $2, if you lose you make a $4 bet, if that loses you make an $8 bet and so on. At first glance this looks good because you know that sooner or later you will win and all your loses will be retrieved and you will win the amount of your original bet. The flaw in this reasoning is that all casinos have a table limit. If the doubling continues until the limit is reached, then when a win does finally occur, the losses on the earlier bets will not be covered. WAITING FOR SEQUENCES Many other systems are based on watching for a particular sequence of rolls like 4 passes in a row. Once a sequence like this occurs, the systems say, you should make a large bet on the opposite outcome (don't pass) because the odds of getting 5 passes in a row are very small indeed. If for some reason the dice pass once again, you should make twice your bet on don't pass since the odds of getting 6 passes in a row are incredibly small. There are two flaws in this scheme. First, it is a progressive system and will bump into the table limit as described above. Second, it assumes the outcome of a shoot is influenced by previous outcomes. There is no way the dice can be influenced by what has happened before. Each time the dice are rolled, the probablility of a particular number comming up is exactly the same as every other time the dice are rolled. (See DICE ODDS). GLOSSARY Ace - The side of a die with one spot. Any Craps - A one roll bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12. Any Seven - A one roll bet that the next roll will be any combination of dice totaling 7. Action - The betting. A lot of action means a lot of bets. Back Line - The Don't Pass Line. Bar - Stand off on don't bets. Bar 12 means if a 12 is rolled the don't bettors neither win nor lose their bets. Bet the Limit - To bet the maximum bet size for the table. Big Eight - A bet located at the corner of the table layout which wins if the 8 is thrown before a 7 comes up. Pays even money. Big Six - Like the Big 8 but wins if a 6 is thrown. Boxman - Craps table operator who sits at the middle of the table and supervises the game. Box Numbers - The rectangular areas at the top of the table with numbers in them. Used by the dealers to locate come, place, buy, and lay bets. Buck (Puck) - A round marker used by the dealers to mark the shooters point. Buy Bets - A bet that a particular number will be rolled before a seven comes up. paid off at the correct odds but the house extracts a 5% commission. C & E - same as Craps Eleven or Craps and Eleven. Call Bet - Verbal bet. No longer accepted by casinos. Check - another name for a chip. Center Bets - Also called proposition bets. Refers to a group of bets located in the center of the craps table layout. Chop - Alternating win - loss sequence of dice. Come Bet - A bet made after a point is established. Works like a Pass Line bet. Come Out Roll - The first roll of a shoot. Made before a point has been established and after a pass line decision has been made. Comming Out - Call made by the stickman to indicate the next roll is a come out roll. Correct Odds - A payoff amount which is mathematically correct to result in no advantage for the house. Craps - A roll of 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll. A loss for the right betttor. Also the name of the game. Crap Out - A roll of 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll. A loss for pass line bets. Craps Eleven - A simultaneous one roll bet on both any-craps and the eleven. The bet amount is split between the two bets. Dealer - Casino craps table operator. Dice - Two six sided cubes marked with 1 through 6 spots such that opposite sides add up to 7. Don't Come - The opposite of a come bet. Made after the point is established. Don't Pass - A bet made before the come out roll. A bet with the house that the shooter will lose. Double Odds Table - A craps table that allows odds bets to be made at twice the size of the pass line or come bet it backs. Easy Way - Throwing a 4, 6, 8, or 10 without throwing a pair (doubles). The opposite of the hard way. Edge - The odds or statistical advantage the house has over players on the monetary outcome of the game. Even Money - One to one payoff. Field Bet - A bet that a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 will be rolled on the next roll. Often pays double or triple on the 2 or 12. Free Odds Bet - Odds bet backing a line bet, a come bet or a don't come bet. Front Line - Refers to the pass line bet area. Full Odds - The maximum allowed odds bet. Hardway - A 4, 6, 8, or 10 made with a pair (doubles). Horn Bet - A four way simultaneous bet on the 2, 3, 11, 12. paid off as if 1/4 of the bet was placed on each of these center bets. Hot Hand - A series of several passes. Hot Roll - Same as hot hand. House - The casino. Lay Bet - A bet that a 7 will be thrown before a particular number will come off. paid off at the correct odds, but the house takes a 5% commission. Layout - The bet area markings on the table top. Line Bet - Either a pass line bet or a don't pass bet. Limit - The maximum bet size for the table. Long Hand - A long series of rolls before a seven is thrown. Marker - An IOU. Marker Buck - A marker disk used to indicate the shooters point. The word "on" appears on the disk to indicate that come bets are on. Marker Puck - Same a marker buck. Miss Out - A losing hand. Not making the point. Odds - The amount paid on a winning bet. When the odds are correct, there is no advantage for either side. Off - A bet that is not working. Bets neither win nor lose while they are off. Come bets and place bets are off on the come out roll unless the player asks for them to be on. On - A bet that is working. One Roll Bet - A bet that will be won or lost on the next roll. Parlay - The practice of taking the winnings from one bet and using it to make another bet of the same kind. Pass - A win for pass line bettors. Pass Line - The bet area on the table used for making pass bets. Point - The number which must be repeated to resolve line and come bets. Point Numbers - Same as box numbers. Place Bet - A bet that a particular number will be rolled before a 7 comes up. Paid off at less than the correct odds. Press - Increase the size of a bet. Proposition Bet - Same as center bet. Puck - Same as buck. Push - A standoff or tie. Right Bettors - Players that bet on the pass line and the come. Seven-out - The throw of a seven after a point has been established. Shooter - Player throwing the dice. Stickman - Craps table operator who uses a hooked stick to retrieve the dice after a roll. Toke - A tip for the craps table operators. Unit - A fixed measure of a player's bet size. Vigorish (Vig) - The commission (5%) the casino charges for buy bets, and lay bets. Working - A bet that is on and can be won or lost. Wrong Bettors - Players who bet on the don't pass and don't come.