Official Craps Rules

The rules of Craps are pretty easy to follow once you learn the basic principles of the game. This article will take you through step by step on how the game works. We will be using the most popular bet as an example. Once you learn this bet and understand how it works you can then expand your knowledge by reading our other articles on the individual Craps bets.

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How to Play Craps

It doesn’t matter whether you’re playing Craps at a land based casino or online; the rules of the game are almost exactly the same. Obviously the main difference between the two is that when you are playing at a casino you are physically making the bets yourself. Online it only takes a click of the mouse.

The first thing that you should know is that the person rolling the dice is called the shooter. On their first roll of the dice it is commonly called the come out roll. Each time a new round begins it is called the come out roll; not just when there is a new shooter.

On the come out roll there are two combinations that will make you win and three that will result in a loss. If you roll a 7 or an 11 then it is called a natural and you win. This ends the round and the shooter keeps on rolling.

If the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 on the come out roll then this is called craps. This results in a loss and will also end the round. When the shooter loses the round a new shooter will begin to roll the dice.

By now you are probably thinking to yourself that there are a lot of numbers unaccounted for. The numbers that we haven’t yet discussed make up one of the most interesting parts of the game. It can also be quite confusing for new players.

If a 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled on the come out roll it is referred to as establishing the point. Once this point has been established you keep on rolling until you roll that same number again or a 7. If the point number is rolled first then you win. If on the other hand a 7 is rolled first, then you lose. When either of these numbers is rolled the round will finish.

Craps Rules to Remember

There are a few craps online rules that you should learn and understand before you start betting your hard earned cash on the tables. I will take you through each of the main points you should take into consideration while playing because you will save yourself a lot of money in the long run.

  • Pass Line Bet - The Pass Line Bet that we described above is one of the safest bets that you can make in the game of Craps. It only has a house edge of 1.41% so you will be making a solid bet if you wish to play this one.
  • Read Craps Strategy Articles - If you want to learn about how the rest of the bets work in Craps then I recommend you reading about them first. Some of the bets in Craps have a house edge of more than 16% so you need to know what you are doing before you hit the tables.
  • Play Within your Bankroll - Never play with money that you cannot afford to lose. The other point to remember here is that you want to be betting an amount that will allow you to take the impact of a large swing. If you are betting too much you will lose your bankroll quickly. You cannot recover from a bad swing if you don’t have any money left.
  • Online Craps is Different - Even though I said earlier that the rules are almost exactly the same online to the land based casinos; there are some obvious differences. The first one to think about is the fact that the rounds will be finishing a lot faster. You don’t have to wait for all the bets to be placed and for the other players to stop stuffing around before they roll the dice. When you play online all you have to do is make your bet and then roll the dice. When the rounds are flying along you will have to adjust your betting strategy as well as your bankroll management strategy.

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Free Craps Player

If you have never played the game of Craps before, either online or in a brick and mortar casino, then you should try out our free integrated Craps player to learn playing Craps before choosing an actual online casino to place your bets. Our free game is identical to the real thing, but doesn't cost you a penny and you don't have to provide any details as well.

When you're just new to playing Craps online then I suggest getting used to the software by using the free money option that is available at most online casinos. Once you are feeling comfortable with how to make the bets and the way it works in craps casinos, then you can begin to bet with real money. This means you don’t have to lose money while you get over the learning curve factor.

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