In recent years, the rise in online casinos has meant that more people than ever are able to access casino games. Groups that never would have thought of visiting a brick-and-mortar casino are now able to try out new games from the comfort and privacy of their own home, before having to face any real-life opponents.
Learning to play craps can be tricky and requires knowledge on strategy in order to stand a good chance of winning. Yet, the good news is that there’s a wealth of online resources where new players can learn how to play, without feeling judged or under pressure like in a brick-and-mortar casino setting.
Below, we’ll break it down into simple steps to show you how to play craps.
What is Craps?
Craps is simply a dice game where players bet on the outcome of a pair of dice. There are two main options for the game in which players can either wager money against each other or against a bank. While it seems like a game of chance on the surface, the game actually requires a great deal of strategy.
The History of Craps
Craps, or simply also known as Kraps back in the 1700’s, evolved from an original game called Hazard in Europe. Hazard was an early English game that was played with two dice and had a complex system of rules. Craps, on the other hand, is a simplified version of the game which was first taken from London to Colonial Louisiana where it was played by wealthy landowners in New Orleans.
However, the complex game was quickly rejected by the higher classes and instead became popular with the lower classes in the region. The modern game of craps today developed from a deviation of the underclass version of the game in New Orleans.
While the game made it to casinos, there was a time where casinos used unfair dice in order to turn the odds in their favour and avoid paying out. In 1907, a new version of dice was created by dicemaker John H Winn, making the game much fairer from then on out.
The game boomed during World War II in which it was highly popular amongst the military community. After this, casinos across Las Vegas and the Caribbean began to offer the game frequently. From 1960, a few casinos in Europe, Australia and Macau began offering the game too. From here, it began to spread across the globe and by 2004, it became a popular casino game that appeared in almost every casino worldwide.
How to Play Craps
The game of Craps has a simple concept in which the idea is to roll a number with two dice, then roll the same numbers again before a seven is rolled. The person who rolls the dice is commonly referred to as ‘the shooter’.
There are a few simple terms that you need to remember before starting to play the game.
The puck: When a number is marked by the pucks, it means that the numbers are the point of the game. The shooter is trying to make this number before they roll a 7.
Come Out Roll: A Come-Out Roll is a game that has no established ending.
After this, if the next number is either a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10 then the point of the game is reached. The shooter then tries to shoot for the point again before rolling a 7.
Seven Out: If the shooter rolls a 7 before reaching the point of the game, it is known as a Seven Out. It is then considered that the shooter has lost control of the dice and they are given to the next shooter.
A new shooter will then make a point, before getting another chance to make a point before rolling a 7, in the same way that the previous shooter had the opportunity to do so.
Different Strategies for Playing Craps
There are a number of different strategies that can be applied to the game of Craps. Some of these include:
- Pass Line Bet: Players are betting that on the first roll 7 or 11 rolls to win, 2, 3, or 12 loses. If a number such as: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 rolls, the number must repeat before a seven to win.
- Proposition Bet: One roll bet with the numbers 2, 3, 7, 11 and 12.
- Field Bet: If any of the numbers that are in the field box come out, the player wins.
Where to Play Craps
While Craps is traditionally played in brick-and-mortar casinos at a craps table, the rise in online casinos in recent years means that players now have a wealth of options for playing online, no matter what their location is.
Overall, the game of craps is one of the oldest casino games around, yet it still remains a highly popular game today. While it can be difficult to learn at first, with a little perseverance and knowledge of where to find the best online resources, you’ll be sure to pick up the game and be making wins in no time.
