The first time you load up Craps into your casino software you’ll wonder what on earth’s going on! The good news is that the rules of craps are very simple. It’s fast-paced and exciting and it conjures up mental images of Las Vegas. It’s the huge range of bets that puts newcomers off playing craps games but you only need to know the basics, and which bets to avoid.

Craps Rules:

• The shooter steps up to the table and rolls two dice.
• If the total of the scores on the dice is 7 or 11 then he wins immediately.
• If the total of the scores on the dice is 2, 3 or 12 then he loses immediately.
• If the total of the scores on the dice is any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) then this number becomes Point. A white puck is placed above the point number on the craps table to make the game easier to follow. The game is on.
• The shooter then continues to roll the dice, for as long as it takes until he either scores the point number or 7.
• If he scores a point, he wins.
• If he scores 7, he loses.
• A winning shooter stays at the table and starts again, a losing shooter hands the dice to the next player, and the game starts again.

Basic terminology:

• Shooter: the current dice thrower.
• Come-out roll: The shooter’s first roll.
• Pass: If the shooter wins his game, by any means, he is said to Pass.
• Don’t Pass: The term used if the shooter loses.

The following illustration depicts the left half of a craps table. The bets to the bottom right, therefore, are referred to as the center bets, as they are actually in the center of a full-sized table.

The Bets:

• Pass line: Wins if the shooter wins the round.
• Don’t Pass Bar: Wins if the shooter loses the round.
• Field: Pays Evens if the shooter rolls 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11. Pays 2:1 if he rolls 2 or 12. This bet only lasts for one throw.
• Come: Works like a Pass Line bet but starts from when you place the bet. Can’t be made on a shooter’s come-out roll.
• Don’t Come: Works like a Don’t Pass bet but starts from when you place the bet. Can’t be made on a shooter’s come-out roll.
• Big 6, Big 8: The same as a place bet on 6 or 8 but with a lower payout. Then why bother?
• Place Bet: Place a bet on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If your number is rolled before a 7, you win.
• Hard Way Bet: Hard way 6 is 3+3. Bet is live until the player rolls the required combination in which case you win, or the number is attained by another combination, or 7 is rolled. You lose. Large house edge. Avoid this bet.
• Other Proposition Bets: Again located in the center of the table, they are mostly self-explanatory and carry a large house edge.

Essentially, the bets on the center of the table give the casino a high edge and should be avoided, as should the Big 6 and Big 8. The other bets represent better value, both in terms of returns and entertainment as all bets stay live until the game is either won or lost, with the exception of the Field bet, which is a one-shot bet.