If you walk onto a casino floor, it is usually incredibly easy to locate the Craps pit; just follow the noise.
Adding to the stress, there are four different casino employees managing the game, shouting commands and moving stacks of money at lightning speed.
This is a massive mistake, because beneath the chaotic surface, Craps actually offers some of the absolute best mathematical odds in the casino.
In this article, we are going to completely demystify the game of Craps for the absolute beginner.
The Foundation: The Pass Line Bet and the Come-Out Roll
To play Craps flawlessly, you only need to understand one single bet: The Pass Line.
On this initial Come-Out Roll, there are only three possible outcomes that immediately affect your Pass Line bet.
A 7 or 11 on the Come-Out Roll is an instant winner for the Pass Line. The dealer will pay you even money (1 to 1) on your bet immediately.
Rolling Craps on the Come-Out roll is an instant loser for the Pass Line. The dealer will sweep your chips away, and you must place a new bet for the next roll.
The dealer will take a large, physical plastic puck (which is white on one side and black on the other) and place it directly on that number on the layout, white side up.
The Goal of the Game: Chasing the Point
The entire goal of the table is for the shooter to roll the Point number (an 8) again BEFORE they roll a 7.
If the shooter rolls a 4, 9, 10, or 2, absolutely nothing happens to your Pass Line bet; the game just continues, and the shooter rolls again.
Once the Point is established, the number 7 transforms from your best friend into your absolute worst enemy.
The dealer sweeps all the chips off the table, the shooter passes the dice to the next player in line, and the game resets.
The House Edge on the Pass Line bet is an incredibly low 1.41%, making it one of the absolute best bets in the entire casino.
The Best Bet in the Casino: The Free Odds Bet
Once a Point is established, the casino allows you to place an additional wager directly behind your original Pass Line bet (outside the printed line).
The Odds bet is the ONLY bet in the entire casino that carries a 0.00% House Edge.
If the Point is 5 or 9, the true odds are 3 to 2. The Odds bet pays exactly 3 to 2.
To take advantage of this incredible mathematical anomaly, professional players always keep their initial Pass Line bet as low as possible (the table minimum).
Never play Craps without taking Odds. It is the smartest, most mathematically sound decision you can make in any casino on earth.
The Craps Cheat Sheet for Beginners
Phase 1: The Puck is "OFF". You are hoping the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11 to win instantly. The Danger Zone: During this phase, if the shooter rolls a 7, everybody loses (Sevening Out). The Secret Bet: The Odds bet has a 0% House Edge. Always take the maximum odds the casino allows. The Golden Rule: Stick to the Pass Line and the Odds. Let the tourists throw their money away in the middle of the table.
The Math of the Dice: Why the 7 Rules the Game
The NumberPossible Dice CombinationsWhy Some Points are Harder to Hit 3 or 11 (Yo)Only 2 ways each (1-2, 2-1 or 5-6, 6-5)Very difficult to hit. 7 (The Most Important Number)6 ways (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1)The most mathematically probable roll with two six-sided dice. The True OddsThe payouts are based perfectly on these specific combinations.Understanding this table reveals the absolute genius behind the design of the Craps layout.
Do not let the complex layout and the shouting dealers intimidate you from experiencing the best game in the building.
If you stick rigidly to this simple strategy, you will be playing with better odds than 95% of the other people in the casino.
Welcome to the most exciting, chaotic, and profitable fraternity in the casino world.