How To Play Craps

Craps is a fun dice-based casino game with a rich history. It is a game where participants place wagers based on the outcome of two dice rolls. In "street craps," players can gamble against each other or the bank. This version of the game can be played in casual settings as it requires little equipment. When playing craps, players may use colloquial language to place bets and take actions.

Once limited to gambling dens and land-based casinos, craps is now rapidly gaining popularity in online casinos. Prime Casino offers a top collection of UK craps games, including those with live casino dealers. In this guide, we will teach you how to play craps in three easy steps.

Step 1: Select Your Game and Make Your Bet

Craps' widespread history has led to the creation of many variations, many of which can be played online:

• In casinos, crapless craps, also known as "B*stard Craps," is a simplified version of traditional craps.
• Bank Craps is the most popular dice game in Las Vegas casinos.
• New York Craps has a unique table configuration
• Street Craps is a street version of casino craps.

All games at Prime Casino can be played on all devices, including mobile ones. Once you’ve selected your game, it’s best to review the general rules of play:

• Establishing the Point: This is done by rolling two dice to establish a point, then trying to roll that number twice before rolling a seven if achieved the player wins. If a seven comes first, it is known as a 'seven out' where the player loses.
• The individual rolling the dice is known as "the shooter." The "point" is represented by "pucks”.
• If the point is scored, the puck is "turned off," and the shooter begins rolling again.
• The initial roll of the game, before the point is set, is known as the "come out roll".
• When the point number is rolled twice or a seven emerges, the next player takes their turn.

Step 2: Place Your Bet

Once the game has loaded, it’s time to place your bet. Craps offers a variety of wagering options, similar to roulette with its inside, outside, and call bets. Bets are assigned specific areas on the table, and players place their chips accordingly.

A simplified definition of the different possible bets is listed below.

Pass/ Don’t Pass

• Pass Line Bet: An even-money wager made before the come-out roll. Players win on a roll of 7 or 11 and lose on a 2, 3, or 12. If another number appears, it becomes the point, and players must roll it again before a seven to win.
• Don’t Pass Line Bet: A bet that reverses the standard gameplay. Players win on a roll of 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11, and tie on 12. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 rolls, it becomes the point, and players must roll a seven before repeating the point to win.

Single-Roll Bets

• Horn Bet: A bet covering 2, 3, 11, and 12.
• Proposition Bets: Bets placed on specific dice totals, such as 2, 3, 11, or 12.
• Hop Bets: A one-roll bet predicting the next roll’s total.
• Any 7: Wins if a 7 is rolled; otherwise, it loses.
• Any Craps: Wins if 2, 3, or 12 is rolled.
• Whirl Bet: A combination of a horn bet and an any-7 bet.

Multi-Roll Bets

• Hard Way Bets: Bets on rolling doubles (e.g., 2-2, 3-3) before rolling a seven.
• Big Six and Big Eight Bets: Wagers that a 6 or 8 will appear before a 7.
• Buy Bets: Bets that a specific number will be rolled before a seven.
• Lay Bets: Wagers that a seven will be rolled before a specific number.
• Place Bets: Wins if the shooter rolls a specific number before rolling a seven.

Other Bets

• Field Bets: A single-roll bet on specific numbers appearing.
• Working or Not Working Bets: Some bets can be temporarily removed from play during the come-out roll.
• Free Odds/Laying the Odds Bets: Additional bets made once a pass or come wager is placed.

Once you’ve made your wager, if playing online craps it is time to shoot. If playing live on real-world casino craps, you’ll need to wait for your turn to be the shooter or for the next round to begin.

Step 3: Time to Roll!

Online and live Craps games can be semi or fully automated thanks to the user interface which can make the shooting (rolling) phase more easy. The player that tosses the dice at the Craps table is "the shooter".

A number denoting the "point" of the game comes from the "pucks." The shooter is trying to reach this figure before a total of 7 is rolled. The point is decided via the "come out roll" The number achieved in this roll is the number the shooter needs to roll twice before landing a total of 7. If they achieve this then they win, if seven lands they lose; which is known as a 7 out and play moves to the next shooter.

Craps uses a lot of unique terminology, generally, doubles (two matching numbers) are dubbed "hard" numbers, while mixed numbers are labelled "easy." The table below lists the possible rolls and their names:

Rolls	Definition
Two Ones	Two is called "loose deuce" or "Snickies" because it sounds like "snake eyes" but is accented. Two are termed "snake eyes" because they seem like tiny, beady eyes.
Three (1+2)	When not on the come out, 3 is called "three, ace deuce, come away single" or "three, Craps three."Three can be "Tracy," "ace caught a deuce," or, less often, "acey deucey."
Four (2+2)	The hard four is two-two ("tutu"), making it a "ballerina".
Four (3+1)	The nicknames "Little Joe from Kokomo" "Little Joe on the front row" or simply "Little Joe"
Five (3 +2) and(4+1)	Five is commonly called "no field five" in casinos because it does not appear on field rolls and is not rewarded in field bets. Fives are called "little Phoebe" or "fever".
Six (3+3) and (4+2)	Six may be called "Jimmie Hicks" or "Jimmie Hicks from the Sticks" using rhymes. When six wins, "666 winner 6" is often followed by "came easy" or "came hard".
Seven (3+4),  (5+2), and (6+1)	When 7 rolls 6-1, it's called "six ace" or "up pops the Devil". Older dealers and players may call the one-roll seven wager "Big Red" because of the huge red "7" in the heart of the layout. During the come out, "Seven, front line winner" is called, followed by "pay the line" and/or "take the don'ts". After establishing the point, "7 out" or "7 out 7" is used to proclaim a seven.
Eight (4+4)	An "eighter from Decatur" is a 4+4 hard-rolled eight.
Eight (5+3) and (6+2)	Some call "easy eight" "Ozzie and Harriet."
Nine (4+5) and Nine (6+3)	Nine has a lot of names and is called a 'Centerfield Nine', "Railway Nine", "Jesse James", "Nina from Pasadena," "Nina at the Marina," "Niner from Carolina", and"Old Mike".
Ten (5+5)	A Hard Ten can be called "dos equis" (Spanish for "two X's"), or "Hard Ten – a woman's best friend” while a pair of fives can be called "puppy paws," "a pair of sunflowers," "Big Dick," or "Big John." "Moose head" is a term for a hard.
Ten (6+4)	Called an ‘easy ten’
Eleven (6+5)	Calling Eleven "yo" or "yo-leven" prevents it from being mispronounced as "seven". "Six-five, no jive" is an older term for eleven, a winning roll.
Twelve (6+6)	Twelve is termed "midnight," which refers to twelve o'clock, and "boxcars"

Is There a Difference on How to Play Craps Online?

While online and live craps follow the same rules, they have different mechanics. Offline craps involves physically rolling dice, while online craps uses a random number generator to determine outcomes fairly. Offline craps is a social experience with cheering players, while online craps is more focused and paced at the player's discretion.

Offline craps may have limited betting options based on casino rules, whereas online craps offers a broader range of bets, allowing players to customise their strategy.

Takeaway

Craps has been woven into the social history of many cultures, with street craps being a common sight in alleyways. Thanks to the digital age, craps can now be enjoyed anytime on your preferred device. In Prime Casino, you can play it as an online game or a live dealer game streamed in HD quality. No matter which version you play, always gamble responsibly.