Casino Dice Rules: How to Play Craps

Another name for casino dice is craps. Craps has several areas you can bet but most avid players agree that if you bet on the pass line and place an odds bet, you'll have the best odds against the house. Craps is one of the noisiest games in the house. Even excited slot players don't generate close to the same noise as an active craps table. It's an easy game to learn and play and particularly good for socializing in a casino.

Pass/Don't Pass

The shooter is the man that throws the dice. Before the shooter throws you have several options the easiest is Pass or don't pass. Pass means you play with the shooter and don't pass means you think he'll lose. The shooter loses if a 2, 3 or 12 appear on the dice and the don't pass bettor wins. If he hits a 7 or 11 the shooter and the person betting on the pass line wins. If the shooter hits any other number, it becomes the point.

The Point

The shooter must hit the point before he hits a 7 again. If you bet "pass" then the stickman, the casino worker, puts the large black button on the number the shooter rolls if its other than 2,3,12,7 or 11. You can put an odds bet down on that number. The odds bet gives the true odds of hitting the number and reduces the house odds. If the table has 2 times odds, it means you can play twice as much as your original bet on the odds bet.

Come/Don't Come

This is the bet that you make after the shooter makes the first point. It's just like the pass/don't pass bet. If you want to be cautious with your money, you don't have to make a come/don't come bet. You simply follow your previous bet. If the shooter hits a 12, 3, or 2 the come bet loses but the pass bet isn't affected. If they hit a 7, the come bet wins but the pass bet on the point loses.

The Field

Bet the field and you get additional money for some of the numbers if they hit. If you bet the field, the group of number in the center and your shooter hits a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11 you get 1-1 payment and 2-1 on 12 or 2. The field bet is just for one roll of the dice.

Big Six/Big Eight and Hard Way

This is a bad bet for the table and you'll look like an amature if you bet it. It works like a point bet but pays less. Hard way bets are like Monopoly, you get more when you roll doubles. If the shooter gets a 4/4 for a total of 8 before it's made using a 6/2 or 5/3 you win the hard way and get a high return on your money.

Proposition Bets
Veteran craps players don't make proposition bets but crazy gamblers do. Since there's only one way to make snake eyes, a 2, the house pays 30 to 1 for the one time roll. It's a high payout but also highly unlikely it will pay. Other proposition bets, also one time bets include 3, 7, 11, 12, and a bet that pays if the shooter hits any craps 2,3, or 12. The proposition bets are also single rolls.