How to Play Craps Part 2: Yes! It Really Is That Simple!

When you stroll by a craps table in any Las Vegas casino, you always notice that the players are screaming, laughing, and sometimes, cussing. The dealers are in constant motion moving checks (that’s right, Kids. They are “checks”, not “chips”) around the table, collecting on lost bets and paying the winning players. Basically, it appears to be in a constant state of chaos. To the novice, it appears to be the last place you want to bet your money.

But, as with most things in Las Vegas, things are not always as they seem. In craps, the underlying game is very simple! It’s the betting that is complicated, but, we’ll get into that in a later article.

Side note: A “hand” of craps is like a hand of poker, or blackjack, or old maid. There is a beginning, a middle, and an end. I only make this observation because we will use the term “hand” from time-to-time, and I don’t want anyone to get confused.

Okay, let’s play…

A hand of craps begins with the first rollout by the shooter. On this initial “toss of the dice” one of three things will happen.

• If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, he wins the hand then and there.
• If he rolls a 2, 3, or 12 the hand is lost.
• If the shooter rolls any other number, then, that number becomes the “point” and the shooter will continue to roll until either he again rolls his point (winning the hand), or, throws a 7 (losing the hand).

Any of these things will cause the hand to be over.

And, that, Grasshopper, is the game of craps.

Now, if you remember our little chart from Part 1 you’ll notice that the only time that the odds favor the player is on the initial rollout. On this roll there are 8 ways to win outright by throwing a 7 or 11, while there are only 4 ways to throw a 2, 3, or 12. Rolling any other number and getting your “point” causes the hand to continue, and, since there are more ways to throw a 7 (6 ways) than any other number, the odds are that you will lose the hand. The odds of winning depend on the point…

Explanation: Let’s say your “point” is five. From our chart, we see that there are 4 ways to throw a five (1-4, 4-1, 2-3, 3-2). That makes the odds of hitting a five on any single roll 4 in 36, or 9:1 against making your 5. Since there are 6 ways to throw a 7, thus losing the hand, that makes your odds of losing 6:1, or 33% higher than your odds of winning.

These odds make no difference in how the basic game is played, but, they are the only thing that matters in betting. We are going to open that can of worms in our next article, so stay tuned…

How To Play Craps:   Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 Part 5 Part 6