Games of chance involving "dice" have been around since the dawn of civilization. The earliest dice
were probably shaped from animal bone or carved from hardwoods like ebony and oak. We know that Roman soldiers tossed pig
knuckles onto their shields more than two thousand years ago in a game some called "bones". But where did Craps
come from - and how did it get that name?
The answer to both questions is certainly open to debate, but here is
one take on the convoluted journey from pig knuckles to a casino classic:
Arabs adopted the Legionnaire's
pastime of "throwing the bones" (tossing dice) when they expanded into former Roman provinces. They called their
small, numbered cubes "azzahr". At some time during trade with Europeans in the Middle Ages, this dice game came
back across the Mediterranean to be adopted by the French as "hasar" or "hasard". During the interminable
wars between France and England during the 13th and 14th Centuries, English knights brought the game home as "hazard"
- meaning to take a chance or to put at risk (as in "hazard a guess").
As the English played the game,
they called the lowest roll "crabs". In the aftermath of yet another war, French soldiers picked up this variation
from their English prisoners but, maintaining their linguistic independence, used the French word "crabes". Early
in the 18th Century, French colonists took the game to the Canadian wilderness. As England extended its reach north from the
American colonies, some of the displaced French-speaking Canadians migrated to Louisiana where, by the end of the century,
a simplified version of Hazard lost its English name and became known simply as "creps", the Cajun spelling of crabes.
As Cajun riverboat men journeyed up the Mississippi, the venerable dice game was again introduced to English speakers,
this time American frontiersmen, who adopted the game and corrupted the name to "craps". As Americans spread out
across the West, they made craps a mainstay of every saloon and casino in the land. After the U.S. Civil War, a dice maker
introduced an innovation that made imperfectly manufactured dice a non-issue: players could bet for or against the roller.
As the popularity of craps continued to grow, various bets (like the Hardways and Horn bets) were incorporated to add some
spice and give players more ways to win.
Today, craps is one of the most popular games in any casino. Craps tables
are easy to spot on the casino floor - they're the ones where large crowds have gathered round to watch the thrilling
action in rapt fascination.
Bet Options
Pass Line — Also known as the Front Line,
a Pass Line bet wagers that the shooter will roll the Point before a 7. To qualify, you must place your Pass Line bet before
the Come Out roll. (The dealer will announce "Place your bets for the Come Out roll." to let you know when you can
make a Pass Line bet.) A natural Come Out roll (i.e. a 7 or an 11) is an immediate winner for the Pass Line bet. If the Come
Out roll craps out (with a 2, 3 or 12) the Pass Line loses.
Any other Come Out result (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes
the Point, and a puck labeled ON is positioned above the corresponding numbered column to indicate that the Point has been
established. When the Puck is ON, Pass Line bets win if that Point is rolled and lose if a 7 is rolled. Winning bets pay 1-to-1.
Unresolved Pass Line bets may not be modified or removed; they are committed until the end of the round. Once
the Point is established, only another roll of the Point or a roll of 7 can end the round. When the puck is flipped to OFF
and moved back to the upper left-hand corner of the table, you know the round has ended and the next roll will be a Come Out
roll.
Don't Pass Bar — Also known as the Back Line, the Don't Pass is the opposite of Pass: it wins
if the shooter rolls a 7 before the Point, and loses when the Point comes up before a 7. To qualify, it must be placed in
the Don't Pass bar prior to the Come Out roll. On Come Out, Don't Pass wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11 and is a push
on 12 - any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) establishes the point. Winning bet pays 1-to-1.
Come Bet —
Available once the Point has been established, the operation of Come Bets is similar to Pass Line bets. Come Bets win if the
next roll is a natural (7 or 11) and lose if it's craps (2, 3 or 12). Any other total (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) becomes the
Come Point, and the Come Bet is committed to that number until it or a 7 is rolled. There is no puck for Come Points, so the
Come bet is moved from the Come bar to the box corresponding to the Come Point. Thereafter, the Come bet wins if the Come
Point is rolled before a 7, and loses if a 7 is rolled before the Come Point. Winning bet pays 1-to-1.
Once committed
to a Come Point, the Come Bet will stay in place until the Come Point or a 7 is rolled. Unresolved Come Bets may not be removed
or modified - they must be resolved by a roll of the Come Point or a 7. Thus, a Come Bet will persist after the end of a round
if the round is concluded by a roll of the Point (when the Point is a different number than the Come Point). If the round
is concluded by a 7, all Come Bets lose.
During a round of Craps, you can make as many Come bets as you like.
Note that when you place a Come bet and the next roll matches an existing Come Point, the pre-existing Come bet is resolved
as a win, and the new Come bet is moved up to take its place in the Come Point box.
Don't Come Bet —
Don't Come bets are available once the Point has been established. They are similar to Don't Pass bets and the opposite
of Come bets: they win when the next roll is a 2 or 3, lose on 7 or 11 and push on 12. If a Come Point is established (4,
5, 6, 8, 9, 10), the Don't Come bet is moved to the top box corresponding to the Come Point number. From then on, the
Don't Come bet wins if a 7 is rolled before the Come Point, and loses if the Come Point is rolled. Once established by
a Come Point, Don't Come bets will stay in place until resolved (therefore they may also persist beyond the end of a round),
but unlike Come Bets they may be removed or modified prior to being resolved. Winning bet pays 1-to-1.
Field Bet
— A Field Bet is a special one roll bet that wins if the total on the next roll is among the numbers shown in the Field
box (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12), and loses if the roll is a 5, 6, 7 or 8. It pays even money on 3, 4, 9, 10 and 11, and pays
double on 2 and 12. Field Bets can be placed before any roll.
Big 6 and Big 8 Bets — A Big 6 is a
bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7, and a Big 8 bets that an 8 will be rolled before a 7. Big bets pay even money if the
shooter rolls their respective number before a 7 and lose if a 7 is rolled first. Big bets are active during the Come Out
roll as well as any other roll, and they may persist beyond the end of a round (i.e. when a round ends on a Point roll of
4, 5, 9 or 10). They may be placed, modified or removed at any time before any roll.
Place Bets — With Place
Bets you are either betting for or against a specific point number to appear before a 7. Place Bets may persist beyond a round
and are always active, even during the Come Out roll. They may be placed, modified or removed at any time before any roll.
Place to Win — This bets that the chosen number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will appear before a 7. The
bet is placed in the bottom box for a given number as indicated by the Place Bets: To Win label. Place to Win bets are resolved
according to the following table:
Bet Win On Lose On Win Pays No Action On
4 4 7 9:5 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11,
12
5 5 7 7:5 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6 6 7 7:6 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
8 8 7 7:6 2, 3, 4, 5, 6,
9, 10, 11, 12
9 9 7 7:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
10 10 7 9:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Place
Against — This bets that a 7 will appear before the indicated number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10), thus placing the bet against
that number. The bet is placed in the second highest box for a given number as indicated by the Place Bets: Against label.
Place Against bets are resolved according to the following table:
Bet Win On Lose On Win Pays No Action On
4 7 4 5:11 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
5 7 5 5:8 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6 7 6 4:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10,
11, 12
8 7 8 4:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12
9 7 9 5:8 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
10 7 10 5:11 2, 3,
4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Buy Bets — A Buy bet wagers that the indicated number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) will appear
before a 7 is rolled. Buy bets are similar to Place to Win bets in that they win if the chosen number appears before a 7.
The difference is that winning Buy bets pay true odds after a 5% vigorish (fee) is taken from the wager amount. Unlike most
casinos that collect vigorish when you place your bet, we don't collect it until you win. Buy bets may persist beyond
a round and they are always active - even during the Come Out roll. They may be placed, modified or removed at any time before
any roll. Buy bets are resolved according to the following table:
Bet Win On Lose On Win Pays No Action On
4 4 7 less 5%, 2:1 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
5 5 7 less 5%, 3:2 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6 6 7 less 5%,
6:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
8 8 7 less 5%, 6:5 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12
9 9 7 less 5%, 3:2 2, 3, 4, 5,
6, 8, 10, 11, 12
10 10 7 less 5%, 2:1 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 11, 12
Lay Bets —
A Lay bet wagers that a 7 will appear before the indicated number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), thus you lay against the number.
In that sense, Lay bets are similar to Place Against bets. The difference is that winning Lay bets pay true odds, less a 5%
vigorish (fee) on the net winnings. Lay bets may persist beyond a round and they are always active - even during the Come
Out roll. They may be placed, modified or removed at any time before any roll. Lay bets are resolved according to the following
table:
Bet Win On Lose On Win Pays No Action On
4 7 4 1:2 less 5% 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
5 7
5 2:3 less 5% 2, 3, 4, 6, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
6 7 6 5:6 less 5% 2, 3, 4, 5, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12
8 7 8 5:6 less 5% 2,
3, 4, 5, 6, 9, 10, 11, 12
9 7 9 2:3 less 5% 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8, 10, 11, 12
10 7 10 1:2 less 5% 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8,
9, 11, 12
Hardways — These are bets that the shooter will roll the indicated number (4, 6, 8 or 10) as a
matched pair (doubles, i.e. the hard way) before either a 7 or the indicated number the easy way (i.e. not as a double. For
example: a Six as 5+1or 4+2 rather than as a 3+3). Hardway bets are always active - even during the Come Out roll. They may
be placed, modified or removed at any time before any roll.
One Roll Bets — This is a group of high payout
bets that are valid for one roll only, thus they do not persist beyond the next roll. They may be placed, modified or removed
before any roll.
Any Seven — Bets that the next roll will be a 7, made from any combination (1+6, 2+5, 3+4,
4+3, 5+2, 6+1). If a 7 comes up on the next roll, bet pays 5 for 1 (4-to-1). Loses on any other number.
Any Craps —
Bets that one of the craps numbers (2, 3 or 12) will hit on the next roll (can be any roll, doesn't need to be a Come
Out roll). Winning bet pays 8 for 1 (7-to-1). Bet loses if any number other than 2, 3 or 12 comes up on the next roll.
C & E Bets — The C bet is just another way to place an Any Craps bets. Clicking any C spot will place that
bet on the lowermost C, and it pays 8 for 1 (7-to-1) on any craps (2, 3 or 12) and loses on all other numbers. Similarly,
the E Eleven or Yo bet is just another way to place an 11 Horn bet (5+6 or 6+5). Clicking any E spot will place that bet on
the lowermost E, and it pays 16 for 1 (15-to-1) if the next roll is 11 and loses on all other numbers.
C &
E Split — Placing a chip on the horizontal bar connecting the C and E spots allows you to cover both Any Craps and Any
Eleven bets with a single wager. Clicking any C-E bar will place that bet on the topmost C-E bar. Bet wins if 2, 3, 11 or
12 appear on the next roll, and loses on any other result. Winning bet pays 4 for 1 (3-to-1) on craps (2, 3 or 12) or 8 for
1 (7-to-1) on Yo (11).
Specific Horn Bets — Bets that the next roll of the dice will be a 2, 3, 11 or 12
as indicated by the bet location showing that number total from two dice.
4-Way Horn Bet — Placing chips
in the box marked Horn Bet covers all four individual Horn bets with a single wager (must be a multiple of 4). If either a
2 or 12 hits on the next roll, the wager will be paid 31 for 4 (27-to-4), or if either a 3 or 11 comes up on the next roll,
it pays 16 for 4 (12-to-4). This is an easy way of covering all four horn bets with a single click, and is equivalent to placing
1/4th of the wager in each of the four individual Horn Bet locations.
4-Way Horn Bet — Placing chips in
the box marked Horn Bet covers all four individual Horn bets with a single wager (must be a multiple of 4). If either a 2
or 12 hits on the next roll, the wager will be paid 31 for 4 (27-to-4), or if either a 3 or 11 comes up on the next roll,
it pays 16 for 4 (12-to-4). This is an easy way of covering all four horn bets with a single click, and is equivalent to placing
1/4th of the wager in each of the four individual Horn Bet locations. |
