Beginning a Game of Craps - The Come Out Roll and The Shooter
The “Come Out Roll” is the beginning of a Craps game. It’s the start of that big moment when the action truly gets underway.
As the Come Out Roll begins a new game of Craps, and can only be made under three conditions: When the previous shooter rolled craps on their own come out roll, the previous shooter made the point, or the previous shooter rolled a 7 after establishing a point. So essentially, when you see a come out roll, a new game has just begun.
When throwing the Come Out roll, there are a few numbers that a player will want to avoid. Those numbers are: 2 (which is also known as “Snake Eyes”), 3, or 12. These are considered “Craps numbers”, and will end the game and pass the dice to the next person.
While we’re on that subject, let’s pause for a moment to talk about the player behind the dice. You know the one: The Shooter. The Shooter is the guy (or gal) who rolls the dice, and when it comes to this game, this is the “VIP” of the table, as this person is what the game is focused on. The Shooter is not only a player, but when they are out there rolling the dice, they are actually a vital component of the game.
How long does the tenure of a shooter last? Just two full rounds of play at most (the first round is when a point is established, and the subsequent rolls, no matter how many there are, are considered the second round). The tenure can last one roll, or twenty. They keep throwing until they lose. And when their time has passed, the Shooter passes their legacy to a new player (the one the left, just so you know), and the game continues on. Also, a player may decline becoming the new shooter – in that case, it keeps going until someone takes up the title.
When the Stickman retrieves the dice, he brings back with him (or her) three pairs of dice. At this point, the Shooter has to make a choice as to which of these three sets of dice could possibly be “their lucky dice”. There’s no way to know which set of dice that will be, so just stick to that “gut feeling” so that you can get ready to roll.
It’s important to make the best roll possible when initially throwing the Come Out Roll. Pretty soon all that excitement and yelling that you hear at the table will be all about you. That’s because when you are the shooter in the game of Craps, you are literally the star of the show!
Now go out there and make that winning roll!
