Betting in Craps
With nearly over forty different types of Craps bets, there’s something for everyone. You have the common “Pass Line bets” that most people play; to the “unlikely to be rolled but high payouts” of “Hard Ways”. So let’s get started on the proper way to make a bet in Craps, and perhaps deduce which bets are right for you.
A Craps table has four staff members involved in helping you bet. There’s the boxman, who oversees the entire table and changes your money into chips so you can bet. The stickman uses his namesake stick to retrieve the dice. The 2 dealers pay your winnings, collect losing bets, and place your bets by placing chips on the layout when needed.
The most common bet is the Pass Line bet where a Come Out Roll of 7 or 11 is an automatic winner and a 2, 3, or 12 loses. Any other number rolled becomes “The Point” – at this point (ha ha!) you want to see this number again before a 7. If you can do that, collect your winnings. Read this again if you must - a pass line bet wins on a 7 in the come out roll, but loses after the come out roll.
“Don’t Pass bets” are near opposites of Pass Line bets. Instead of losing on a 2 or 3, you win! Lucky 7 before the point isn’t so lucky because you’ll lose along with an 11. A 12 is a push and gets your money back. If the round continues, you then switch gears and hope for a 7 to be rolled before the point – this way, you’ll win. See, this isn’t so hard, right?
To give variety, try some other bets as well. “Big 6” and “Big 8” are bets on rolling a 6 or 8 before a 7. “Come” bets are similar to Pass Line bets but you bet after the point has been set. The “Don’t Come Bar” is similar to Don’t Pass bets but are placed after the point. “Place Area to Win” bets are wagers to roll a chosen number before 7. You can make an opposite bet and make a “Place Bet to Lose” and win if a 7 is rolled before you chosen number. Other bets like Hard Ways are unlikely combinations that payout big if rolled. Hey, you never know and it’s fun to make a long shot bet every once in a while!
And remember when betting that you’re not the only one at the table. Some people will lose on ‘your number’ so it may not be the best idea to shout out, “Come on, 7! Daddy needs a new pair of shoes!” and then shriek with delight as people lose. In other words, don’t win money but lose friends!
Good luck on your next Craps bet!
