Unravelling the Layout of the Craps Table
You’re not the only person to be confused by the busy Craps table layout. What’s the meaning of “Pass lines”, “Field”, or “Don’t Pass”? All I want to do is bet on Lucky Seven! Where do I place my bet?
Well, don’t worry! We’ll have you at the Craps table - and rolling winners - in no time!
The first thing you may notice about the Craps table are the identical layouts on each side. This allows more people, and smoother play since nobody has to reach over other people to reach the dealer. Another unusual feature is the wall to keep dice from rolling on to the floor.
Now, let’s look at each part of the Craps table in detail. At the outer edge, we have the Pass Line area for Craps most popular bet. Rolling a 7 or 11 right away makes you a winner. 2, 3 or 12 takes your money. Any other number becomes the point number and must be rolled again before a 7 for you to collect your winnings.
A little bit more inside, you’ll see the Don’t Pass Bar which is Pass Line’s mirror twin. Here you’re betting against the dice or against a roll. 7 or 11’s are automatic losers while a 2 or 3 is a winner. A 12 neither wins nor loses and you get your money back. Here you’re hoping against rolling the point number and are hoping for a 7 instead (there’s your lucky number 7 bet – but only after a point is established!)
Big 6 and Big 8 are between the two Don’t Pass areas. Here you’re betting a 6 or 8 will be rolled before a 7. A little deeper into the layout, we have a series of numbers above the word, “Field”. This is a one roll bet on a single number.
Above the Field we have the Come section. The bet is similar to Pass Line bets but you can make them after the point has been established. The Don’t Come area is above the Come section and you’re looking for rolls identical to Don’t Pass bets.
At the top are Place Areas. Making a Place Bet to win is hoping for your number to be rolled before a 7. Making a Place Bet to lose wins with a 7 and loses on the number chosen. On some tables you may see Hardways, which are bets toward a certain combination before rolling 7. One Roll Bets are usually offered with high payouts for unlikely combinations.
That’s it – that’s the basic layout of the Craps table – not so bad, right? Now that you know, give a quick blow on the dice and let em’ fly! Good luck!
