Craps Rules

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Craps appears to be one of the most complicated games in the casino, and it can be if you choose to play it that way. But craps can be played simply too, and just as effectively. The complicated bets that more seasoned players like to throw in usually have a very high house edge and aren't probable to pay off. My craps rules page will guide you through the best and the rest when it comes to betting, but before you decide on how you're going to put down your money, it's a good idea to get familiar with the hardware, that is, the dice, and the software, that is, the odds.

Dice Talk

Craps is played with two six sided dice, identical in every respect. The chart below shows the different totals you can achieve with two six sided dice, and the number of ways to make each total. Notice how seven is the most likely number to be rolled, with each other number symmetrical about it. Craps rules, odds, and outcomes are all determined by these basic relationships.

Odds Talk

So we already knew craps is played with two identical six sided dice, now we can extract from this. With this knowledge we can predict the odds of any particular number coming up on a roll, and understand why craps rules have been put together the way they have. For instance, the odds against (which is how odds are most often expressed) rolling a 4 on your next roll are 11 to 1. You can figure this out by taking the number of ways a four can be made with two dice (with a one and a three, a pair of twos, or a three and a 1) compared to the number of combinations that two dice can make, which is 36. So we have a 3 in 36 chance, or 1 in 12 chance that a 4 will come up on any given roll. To express these odds as 'against', you would say the odds against rolling a four are 11 to 1 (think of it as 11 non 4's to one 4 for a total of 12 rolls). The calculation we've just done determines the 'true odds' of rolling a 4. As many of you may know, the casino doesn't like to pay back its players with 'true odds', it prefers to alter them. Craps rules, like so many other casino game rules, pay back odds which guarantee the house a profit in the long run. Say for instance you were to place a bet on 'any sevens', meaning you're betting that the next roll will be a seven. The odds against hitting a seven on the next roll are 5 to 1 (you can calculate that out the same way we did for 4), which means that if you bet one dollar and win, you deserve to win 5 bucks, but the casinos only pay you 4. Most bets in most games at the casino have been altered in this way. In fact, this is exactly the phenomenon that gives the casino a house edge in many situations. To read about free odds, read my section on the best bets, it will also cure you of any fears you have of the craps table layout. Once you are familiar with the best bets, the table layout, and the cycle of play, craps rules will seem to fit into place naturally. To read about the best bets on the table, read more craps rules