Craps: Rules & Basics of playing Craps

THE PERSONNEL:

Boxman: the Casino employee in charge of the table and the casino chips set on the table just in front of him.

Dealers: A dealer is situated at both sides of the boxman (two dealers per table), each one takes care of bets made on his half of the table.

Stickman: The stickman calls out the dice rolls and returns the dice to the shooter. He also pays and collects the bets.

Players: Up to 16 people can play at once, depending on the size of the table. All players play against the casino.

THE "HARDWARE":

The table: a felt layout is set inside a table with rails around the side so the dice can be bounced on them.

The Dice: Casino craps use normal dice: each side has a different number of spots from one to six.

Marker Puck: a plastic disk which used to mark the "point" on the Craps table (the "point" will be explained later).

PLAYING THE GAME:

Buying chips: You begin your play day by changing cash money into gaming chips. You do this by placing your money on the table and calling, "change". Try to do this between rolls of the dice.

Rolling: Two dies are rolled by a player called the "shooter". The dice are rolled from one of the short ends of the table, making sure that both dice hit the opposite side wall of the table. The shooter must place a "pass" (win) or a "don't pass" (non winning) bet in order to be to roll the dice - no risk, no game dude!

"The roll": The total outcome of the dice after the shooter has rolled. A game consists of a series of rolls.

"Come-out roll": The first roll by the shooter during a game.

"Craps": A roll of 2, 3, or 12.

Betting: Each player must bet a minimum amount set by the table. Winning depends on the different possible outcomes on any roll of the two dice, and on which of these possibilities you bet. The two dice roduce many different number combinations; some can be made in many variations, others in less or even one way only. Numbers such as 7, which can be rolled in many ways, don't pay as much as numbers which can be rolled only one way, unless you are betting that the number will be rolled in a specific way, such has 3/4. A good rule of thumb says that the harder the combination is to roll, the more it will pay!

Craps is a game where players bet, either, that the shooter will make winning rolls, or that he or she will not make winning rolls. Betting that the shooter will make winning rolls is called betting "with the shooter" and betting that the shooter will not make winning rolls is called "betting against the shooter".

Betting with the shooter, you place your bet in an area marked "pass line", this is also called a "line bet". To bet against the shooter, you place your bet in an area marked "don't pass", this area is situated just above the pass line.

During a game, bets on the Pass line cannot be removed but you are allowed to increase them. Bets on the Don't Pass line may be decreased or removed, but not increased.

You should place your bets before the shooter roles the dice. The easiest and most common bets to make are the pass line and don't pass line bets.

Betting the don't pass line is the exact opposite of betting the pass line. The don't pass bet is not recommend for the everyday player since it requires a respectable amount of odds consideration as well as considerable game skills. Betting with the shooter is a much easier way to grasp in a short time, it also offers many advantages.

Winning/losing roles:

If the come-out roll is 7 or 11 it is a winning roll! Wins are given out and for the unlucky chips are taken away... Bets on the "Pass line" win 1:1 (that means you get your bet back plus an amount equivalent to your bet). Bets on the "Don't Pass line" lose it all and the game is over.

If the come-out roll is craps - it is not a winning role. Bets on the "Pass line" lose. Bets on the "Don't Pass line" win, unless: The "Don't Pass" line says "Bar" and the roll is the indicated value, in which case the bet pushes. The game is over in any case.

Establishing a point - If the come out roll is not 7, 11 or craps (therefore it must be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) - it becomes the "point", and a large white marker (marker puck) is placed on the number representing the point.

If a "point" is established, the shooter rolls again. Winning depends now on whether the shooter will roll this same number again before rolling any 7: If the roll is the point - it is a winning roll: Bets on the "Pass line" win 1:1. Bets on the "Don't Pass line" lose - and the game is over. If the roll is 7, it is a losing roll: Bets on the "Pass line" lose. Bets on the "Don't Pass line" win 1:1 and the game is over. If the roll is not a 7 or the point, the game continues and the shooter rolls again.

After the shooter establishes a point, you can place an additional bet behind your pass line bet. This is called "taking odds". Taking odds once a point is established, you can usually bet up to double the amount of your pass line bet. This is called "taking full odds". Some casinos offer up to 10-times odds which means that you can bet up to 10 times the amount of your pass line bet.

Use of the puck: When a point is established the dealer will place the puck on the point number on the table and turn it the white side up. The puck stays there until the shooter either makes his point or until he loses by rolling a seven. If he sevens out, the puck is moved to the don't come bar 12 area and turned black side up. The use of the puck is only for tracking the game. White side up over a point tells all that this box number is the point. Black side up - get ready: a new come out roll is about to take place!

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