The Basic Idea of the Game
Unlike blackjack or slot machines, Craps can be intimidating to many people. Never mind that the name itself gets chuckles from schoolchildren (and many adults) everywhere – it’s also the multitude of bets available – Really, what the heck are “Don’t Pass Bets”, “Don’t Come Bar”, or “Pass Lines”? How can anyone know where (and when) to bet? And what’s with the pretty girl blowing on the dice???
The reality is, at its basic level, Craps is a very simple game to play. But its appearance is so intimidating, many people pass it by. So let’s teach you some basics like who’s who, the popular wagers, and etiquette before you throw your pair of dice.
First, let’s start with the people around the Craps table. Aside from the players are the dealers, stick persons, and a box person. Box people are supervisors and oversee everything (including staff), dealers keep track of the bets, and stickpeople handle the dice and encourage players to make bets in a carnival barker style.
Shooters are players rolling the dice and everyone willing to wait can get a chance to be a shooter. Before a game starts, players (and shooters) make their initial bets on the Pass line or the Don’t Pass Line – essentially, they are betting on what the dice will come up as. If a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled (called “craps”), the round is over, and Don’t Pass bets win on the 2 or 3 (12 is a push for Don’t Pass). If 7 or 11 comes up, Pass line bets win immediately, and the shooter rolls again. If a point is established (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) and all bets stay on the table (although once a point is established, they reverse – for Don’t Pass, 7 now wins, and for Pass Line, 7 loses.)
Ok, that’s the first round – essentially, the shooter rolls until a point is reached, or they crap out (cue the giggles from the schoolchildren!)
If a point is established, the shooter keeps rolling until the point is reached again (or a 7). On these subsequent rolls, players can place other bets (come, don’t come, which are essentially the same as pass and don’t pass, except they are made after the come out roll.) You can also bet on the point, whether a certain number will be reached a certain way, and so on. But the general gist is a point is established, and the shooter keeps shooting until they hit that point (or roll a seven).
Now let’s take a quick look at how you should act at the Craps table. The best thing to remember is to not negatively affect the other players. Don’t bump, interrupt, or disrupt. Keep your hands out of the table when people are shooting, don’t hold up bets (Craps is more fun when it’s fast) and be careful about your shouts. Rooting for seven when the point is a six, and Knuckles Mahoney is hoping for that six… well, let’s just say cheer when you win, and be a little less loud otherwise. Also, don’t spill anyone’s drink, and please, if you are the shooter, refrain from yelling “baby needs new shoes” when you throw.
So now you know the basics of Craps. Feel like making a bet?
