Craps is the most fascinating casino game out there. Why is it, that most people are intimidated by it and scared to death to try it? Basically it is simple. All you have to do is walk into a casino and look for a crowd of guys standing around an oversize pool table with high sides. Then drop some money on the table and ask for some chips. Then throw a chip on the pass line… wait, stop right there. What's a pass line? How do you ask for chips? Who are these guys in white shirts and bow ties and why does one of them have a stick in his hand?
I guess we better start over! When you approach the crap table, you see the man with the stick with his back to you. He is called the stickman. He controls the flow of the game and uses that hooked stick to rake in the dice after each toss. He directs payoffs from the center of the crap table and calls the numbers that are rolled. He also places your "crazy crapper" bets of which we will discuss later. The stickman determines weather your toss of the dice is legal by hitting the far end wall of the table. If you are losing, he might let you get by a couple of times with weak tosses. If you are winning, he sure will be quick to tell you to hit the back wall with the dice.
The lazy guy sitting down across from the stickman is called the boxman. His job is to spread out your buy-in money for the camera up above and then stuff it into a little slot in the table in front of him called the drop box. The boxman checks the dice when they fly off the table to make sure they were not switched when returned to the table. He also watches the dealers on each side of him for correct payoffs. When you cash out of the game, he will count your chips and color them up for you, so you don't have to carry so many chips to the cashier's window. The boxman also will make sure the floor manager gets your player card so they can track your play for comps.
The two persons on each side of the boxman are called dealers. They are your best friends. Each dealer works half of the crap table. He handles your place bets and come bets. He will make your payoffs on wins and snatch your chips when you lose. The dealer is your main contact with the crap table. Get to know him and befriend him. If you are a beginner crapper and you are, or you wouldn't be reading this chapter, you will find that the dealer can be very helpful. Ask him questions. They are always aware of the weather, wind conditions and hot and cold running tables.
Behind the boxman you will see the floorman. He's the guy in the suit with a cup of coffee in his hand. He's the one who will check in your player card and solve any problems the boxman can't handle.
This is the crew you well be faced with at the crap table. There also is the pit boss, but he is not important to us. Let's go over this one more time. While you are at the table throwing the dice, the stickman watches you. You watch the dealer so you get the right payoff. The dealer watches you for proper betting. The boxman watches the dealer for correct payoffs. The floorman watches the boxman so that all that money goes into the drop box. The pit boss watches the floorman watch the boxman watch the dealers dance to the tune of the stickman's banter and the camera up above records it all. Got that? Let's move on and see what the shooter is all about.
The Shooter Coming Out
The shooter is the cat with the dice. The dice move around the table clockwise. The shooter gets to choose two dice from five or six that the stickman pushes in front of you when it's your turn. As soon as you select a pair of dice, you are expected to throw them immediately. Handle them with one hand. That's so the crew will know you are not trying to slip some loaded dice into the game. If you are not ready to shoot, don't pick up the dice. Once you are ready to shoot, set your dice in one hand and throw them toward the other end of the table. Be sure to hit the back wall.
You are now the shooter. You keep throwing the dice until the stickman says in a bored voice, "Seven and out." That's it! You're done! Next shooter! If you throw a seven on the comeout roll, you shoot again.
The come-out roll is the shooter's first roll. Once he throws a number other than 7, 11, 12, 2, or 3, a point is established. The shooter then keeps throwing until he makes that number or throws a seven. If he makes the number known as the point, he still keeps throwing the dice and is coming out again. He keeps the dice until a seven is rolled after a point is established. How do we know what the point is and if someone is coming out? Well, there is this puck that has white on one side and the word "ON." The other side is black and has "OFF" printed on it. When you arrive at the table, just look for that puck. If it is sitting on a number with the white ON side up, that's the point and we are in the middle of a roll. If the black side is up and sitting in the don't come box, the shooter is coming-out.
Craps Table Layout Decoded
Now that we know who is doing what at the table, let's find out what we can do.
Crap tables are like blackjack tables. They have minimum and maximum amounts that you can bet. To find out what the table minimum is, look for the plastic sign on the table wall next to the dealer. Table minimums vary from $2 to $25 depending on your location. On the Vegas strip, they run from $5 to $25 minimum. If you are not sure of the minimum, just ask any of the crew.
The first and most important section on the table layout is the PASS LINE. If you do nothing else but put a $5 bet on the PASS LINE, you are now playing craps. You can stand there and wait until there is a decision on that bet. You will either win or lose $5. How do you win? If the shooter (the cat shooting the dice) throws a seven or eleven, you win $5. If he throws a 2, 3, or 12, you lose $5. If he throws any other number, nothing happens but a point is established. If the shooter throws that number again, before a seven is rolled, you win $5. After a point is established, if a seven is rolled, you lose $5. On any come-out roll, the PASS LINE is your best bet. You have 8 chances in 36 of winning! You only have 4 chances in 36 of losing.
The next area you see is the Don't Pass. It is located above the PASS LINE. Don't Pass is just the opposite of the PASS LINE. A $5 bet on the Don't Pass area will win $5 when a 2 or 3 are thrown. The only way you can lose is if a 7 or 11 appear on the first roll. Keep in mind that the seven will show more than any other number. After the point is established, the only way you can lose is if the shooter makes his point. The odds are in your favor that the seven will show before the shooter makes his point.
Here's another way to look at it. On the come-out roll, you have 3 chances in 36 of winning and 8 chances in 36 of losing when you play the Don't Come.
The Don't Come Bar 12 means just that. You don't win or lose if a twelve is thrown.
Above the Don't Pass area you will see the Field betting area. This is a one-roll bet that one of the Field numbers (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12) will show. You have 16 chances in 36 of winning. You also have 20 ways to lose. This is a bet for "Flapjacks." Not a good bet! The bet looks tempting with the two and twelve paying double, but your chances of hitting is 2 in 36. The other numbers in the Field area all pay even money. Next above the Field area is the COME betting area. The COME bet can be made after a number is established. After you place your $5 chip in the COME area, the next roll of the dice will determine what will happen to your bet. If a box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) is thrown, your bet is moved to the box with that number in it. It stays there until the number is made and then you win $5 or a seven is thrown in which case you lose $5.
If a seven or eleven appears while your chip is in the COME area you win $5 and your bet can stay in the COME area for the next toss or you can pick it up and cash in. Two, three or twelve will lose your COME bet, in the COME area. Now pay attention! If your bet now up in one of the COME box numbers wins, the entire amount of your bet plus your winnings will come down and be placed in the COME area closest to you. It's your responsibility to pick up your chips from the COME area and decide if you want to put another COME bet. If you already had a second COME bet put down, then you would be paid just your winnings and the first COME bet would remain in place. This is call off and on. As long as you keep a COME bet on board, the other established COME bets already in their box will stay up. When the seven appears, all the COME bets in the COME box will lose.
You will win your COME bet that is in the COME area. If you think that was easy, wait till we get to the "Odds" bet. Let's jump right into the Don't Come bet.
That's the little box just to the left of COME box numbers. The Don't Come bet is just like the Don't Pass bet except it can only be made after a point has been established. It works just the same as the Don't Pass bet except you are betting the shooter does not make his point. Don't Come bets are placed in the very top of the point box.
Place betting is next on our agenda. The Place Bet area is at the bottom and top of the point number area. It's a narrow strip that says Place Bets. You so far, have placed all bets in their area. The dealer must handle the Place Bet. Simply put your chips on the table and say, "Place the six for $6." The dealer will put your chips in the six-box in a precise location to tell him who made the bet. That's right! Your chips are placed in the six box directly related to where you are standing at the table.
All Place Bets and COME bets are handled this way. Now you know how they know whom to pay off on winners. We will go into Place betting in great depth a little later. Just outside the big box in the center of the table you will see a bunch of circles with C and E's in them. The C stands for Craps (2, 3, 12) and the E stands for eleven.
To make a C & E bet, just toss a couple chips to the stickman and say, "C & E please!" This gives you a one-roll chance at winning. The "C" will pay you 7 to 1, but you only have one chance in nine to win. The "E" will pay you 15 to 1 but you only have one chance in eighteen to win. Each pair of C & E circles represents a player location at the table. By themselves, these bets are bad news. Beginners should stay away from them.
Proposition Bets
On the corner of the table layout, you will see a Big 6 and 8. This bet can be made any time and is a working bet until a seven is thrown. It pays even money and should never be bet. Put simply, it's a dumb bet. Placing the six or eight will win you more money. If you get caught making the Big 6 or Big 8 bet, you will be rated something less than a beginner. Don't play it.
Proposition bets are located in the center of the table layout. First you have the HARDWAYS. Hold it! What's a HARDWAY? When pairs of two, three four or five show, it is called making the point the hardway. For example if a two shows up on both dice, that's a hardway four. It pays 7 to 1 and the bet stays working until a seven is thrown or the four is made with a one-three or three-one. A pair of fives pays 7 to 1 and the bet works until the seven shows or a four-six or six-four pops up. A pair of three or four's works the same except they pay 9 to 1. The reason for the higher payoff is because you lose when the 2-4, 1-5, 4-2, 5-1, or seven shows. In case of the eight, you lose when 3-5, 2-6, 5-3, 6-2 or seven shows.
Here's some thing to remember if you must make those bets! If you win, the stickman will leave your initial bet up unless you ask for it to be taken down. It is also the stickman's job to point out your winnings to the dealer so he can pay you. I do not recommend playing HARDWAYS at any time.
That's not to say that I never played a HARDWAY. A few years back, before I began "smelling the roses" at the crap table, I was losing a few chips when my son showed up at the table. He is a notorious HARDWAY player. He doesn't have the patience to play a "wait and fire" game. As soon as he got the dice, he told me to jump on the HARD SIX. Just to humor him, I put $5 on the HARD SIX.
As you probably guessed, he threw a HARD SIX. I was paid my $45 and forgot I still had the $5 chip on the HARD SIX. Darn if he didn't come right back with another HARD SIX. He said, "Leave it there, I'm hot."
Two throws later he rolls another HARD SIX. Now I was impressed, but I was starting to think about the odds of this continuing. I told the stickman to move my HARD SIX to the HARD EIGHT. A couple of rolls later he popped with the HARD EIGHT. I was $180 ahead on just HARDWAY bets when he seven-out. This was a rare event and won't happen very often.
Back to some more bad bets that are located in the center of the table. Any Craps pays 7 to 1. Bad bet!
Any Seven pays 4 to 1. Bad bet! Two or Twelve will pay 30 to 1. Bad bet! Three or Eleven will pay 15 to 1. Bad bet! All these bets are one-time rolls. Don't make them! They are the worst bets on the layout.
You are going to hear someone make a Horn bet. It's a oneroll bet on the 2, 3, 11, and 12 on the next roll. Four chips must be bet. If you should get lucky and hit on one of those four numbers, you lose the other three bets. Another very bad bet!
Free Odds Bet
What in the world is a free ODDS bet? It's not even marked on the table layout. The ODDS bet is the best bet you can make at craps. It's so good that the casinos want you to be confused as to where and how to play it.
If you have noticed, all the bad bets are clearly marked with the odds. The worst bets are in the center of the table. Wouldn't you think they would mark the area below the PASS LINE as the ODDS betting area? The most frequent question I get by players alongside of me when I am playing is, "Why are you putting chips behind the PASS LINE?" Now try to explain to a beginner in the middle of a crap game about true odds on each number and why you should bet it. I hope this book will clear up all those questions.
The ODDS bet is made behind your PASS LINE bet after a point has been established. Remember, the point can only be a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. Once a point has been established, you may put an ODDS bet below the PASS LINE, just behind your PASS LINE bet.
How much can you put there? Again we can refer to the plastic sign telling us the table minimum. The bottom of the sign will say Double Odds, 5 X Odds or even 100 X Odds. If it says "Double Odds," you may put twice the amount behind the PASS LINE that you bet on the PASS LINE. How do we benefit from making the ODDS bet? The bet pays true odds on the number trying to be made. If the point was ten and then made, we would win twice the amount we bet behind the line because the true odds are 2 to 1. At the same time we only win even money bet on the PASS LINE.
How do we come up with 2-1 odds on the four and ten? Since there are six ways to roll a seven, and only three ways to roll a four or ten, the result is 6 to 3 or 2 to 1 odds. The five and nine would pay 3 to 2 because there are six ways to make seven and four ways to make a five or nine, resulting in 3 to 2 odds.
The six and eight would pay 6 to 5 because there are six ways to make a seven and five ways to make a six or eight resulting in 6 to 5 odds.
We should note that once this odd bet is made, it could be taken down at any time. I don't suggest you take your odds down, once placed. By making the bet, you have reduced the house advantage to about 0.6% at a double odds table. Now that you are totally confused, let's jump to taking Odds on the COME bet.
Once your COME bet goes up to one of the come boxes, you can take your double ODDS on that bet. All you have to do is set two chips on the table and say to the dealer, "ODDS on my ten" or what ever number your COME bet is going to. The dealer will take your two chips and place them on top of your come bet in the box, hanging ¼ over the edge of the original come bet. If you play the PASS LINE or make COME bets, you should always take your ODDS.
Many times I have witnessed a player put three chips or $15 on the pass line and then place three chips or $15 behind the line for his ODDS bet. Don't let me catch you doing that. Think about it! You're at a double odds table! The point is ten and is rolled. You would be paid even money on the pass line, $15. You also would be paid 2 to 1 for the ODDS bet or $30. This would result in a total payoff of $45.
Now, let's back up and only put $10 on the pass line and take $20 ODDS instead. We are betting the same amount of money, $30. Now we win $10 even money on the pass line if the point is made. We also win 2 to 1 or $40 on our ODDS bet. This is a total of $50. Which is the better bet for the same amount of money wagered? This is Basic Craps 101. In later chapters, we will cover good money management.
Taking ODDS on the Don't Pass and Don't Come bet works the same way except you receive less payoff because the odds are reversed on those bets. For example, if you bet $5 on the Don't Pass line, you would have to bet $20 ODDS if the point was four or ten. For the total $25 bet you would be paid $15. That's because the odds are 1 to 2. Remember? There are three ways to make a four or ten and six ways to roll seven.
When you lay odds on the Don't Pass, place them along side your bet, or tilted against your bet. If the point is five or nine, a bet of $5 would entitle you to place $15 ODDS for a 2 to 3 payoff of $15 for both bets. If the point were six or eight, a bet of $5 would entitle you to place $12 ODDS for a 5 to 6 payoff of $10 for both bets.
If you are taking ODDS on the Don't Come, you must lie your odds bet down in the Don't Come area and ask the dealer to place your ODDS bet.
Taking your ODDS on PASS and COME bets is the smart way to play for the "right better." A "right better" is one who always bets with the dice, not against them. The "wrong better" is one who bets against the dice. In a later chapter we will discuss the plus and minus of wrong betting.
Table Review
Let's review our first visit to a crap table. If you have made
it
this far in this book, you are ready to make a couple of simple
bets.
We approach one of the tables and look for a comfortable spot to jump in. We want to make sure we are at the opposite ends of the table from the guy with the big fat cigar. But first we check the sign next to the dealer to see if we can afford the table minimum. We also note that it is a double odds table.
Next we get out one of those crispy $100 bills and throw it on the table and ask for chips. If we have a player card, we lay that on the table with our money. The dealer will snatch up the $100 bill and throw it to the boxman. The boxman will carefully lay the $100 bill out in front of him so the camera in the ceiling can witness your buy in. The boxman then shoves the $100 bill into the slot in the table, which descends into the drop-box. Now we know why he is called the boxman. The boxman then hands your player card to the floor manager.
By this time the dealer has put a pile of chips in front of you. Now it's your turn to do something. You pick up your chips and place them in the grooved rack in front of you. If someone is in the middle of a roll; you can just stand around and watch the action until the shooter sevens-out. If a shooter is about to come-out, you can make your first bet. Just put a red chip on the PASS LINE. You are now shooting craps.
When the shooter establishes a point, you put two red chips behind the PASS LINE, directly behind your PASS LINE bet. That's called taking your ODDS. At this point the floor manager will hand you back your player card and wish you good luck. What he really means is, "Hurry up and lose the $100 so we can get at those other $100 bills in your wallet."
Should you show up at the table during a good roll, don't hesitate to join in. Just Place the six and eight for $6 each. There's a good chance you could win a couple bets while waiting for the shooter to make his point or seven-out.
At this point in your crap career, I don't recommend any other bets until you have digested this entire book. Stay away from the Flapjack Field bets and the Big 6 and 8 on the corner of the layout. Playing the HARDWAYS will get you to the highway in a hurry. When the dice come around to you and it's your turn to roll, you are in charge. Set the dice the way you want and then throw. Make sure you hit the back end of the table. You control the pace of the game. Don't be intimidated by the stickman trying to rush you. Usually they leave you alone until you get hot with the dice. Then the stickman will try to hurry you to throw so the other players don't have time to press up their bets.
What's pressing your bet mean? Say you have a $6 Place Bet on board and you want to increase it! Just say to the dealer, "Press my six one unit." Now you have $12 on the six.
Pass and Come Odds Review
Most new crapshooters have a hard time remembering all the various odds and their payoffs on all the numbers. We will go over this several times, until it sinks in. Hopefully you will have a workable knowledge of all the odds.
First let's look at the PASS LINE betting. When a seven is rolled on the come-out roll, your bet on the PASS LINE will pay even money. You have 6 chances out of 36 of seeing the seven on the come-out roll. You also will win even money, if an eleven is rolled. The eleven has 2 chances in 36 of being rolled.
If a box number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the point and you make your odds bet behind the PASS LINE, you will receive true odds payoff if the point is made. If the made point were six or eight, you would be paid 6 to 5. For you "Flapjackers," that's $6 for every $5 you bet behind the PASS LINE. There are five ways to make a six and five ways to make eight out of 36 chances.
Remember now, if you are at a double odds table, you can only take your odds two times that of your PASS LINE bet. If the made point were five or nine, you would be paid 3 to 2. That would be $15 for every $10 bet behind the PASS LINE. There are four ways to make a five and four ways to make 9 out of 36 chances.
If the made point was four or ten, you would be paid 2 to 1 or $20 for every $10 bet behind the PASS LINE There are three ways to make a four and three ways to make a ten out of 36 chances.
The Don't Pass betters will face the same odds in reverse. Taking ODDS on the four or ten would cost you four chips for every one chip you bet on the Don't Pass line. To make this bet, you would put your four-chip stack halfway on top of your Don't Pass bet. For the five and nine you would put three chips for every two bet on the Don't Pass line. For the six and eight, Don't Pass betters would take $6 ODDS for every $5 bet. Which means you win only $5 for every $6 bet. In later chapters we will discuss the pros and cons of Don't betting.
COME bet odds pay the same as the PASS LINE odds. You are entitled to take your odds on your come bet when it moves up to the COME number box. To make the odds bet on the COME bet, just tell the dealer you want ODDS on your COME after you place two chips in the COME area. The alert dealer will grab up your bet and place it covering half of your COME bet chip in the COME box for that number. You will notice that the COME bets go to the box with that number in it.
Don't Come bets work the same as the Don't Pass bets. They are placed in the top box above your COME box numbers. This all seems pretty intense, but don't give up. The dealers will do most of your thinking for you. After a couple of bets, the dealers in Vegas are pretty good and will note your style of play and remind you of taking ODDS etc
Reviewing Place Bet Odds
Now we go into a whole new set of odds for Place Bets. After the point has been established, you can make a Place Bet at any time. Placing the six or eight will cost you an extra dollar for every $5 you bet. Why? So you can receive the correct odds payoff when your six or eight hits. The six and eight pays 7 to 6 for every $6 bet. This is a very good bet for beginners and I highly recommend it. In fact it's so good, it's an intricate part of the "Wait and Fire" method of play we will discuss later. "Flapjackers," repeat after me! "There are ten ways to make a six and eight out of 36 chances." The two numbers played together, give you the best chance of winning, after a point is established. That's a fact Jack and we will pound on it later. Placing the five or nine will get 7 to 5 ($7 for every $5 you bet) and the four or ten will pay 9 to 5. If you are infatuated with a 2 to 1 payoff on the four or ten, you can buy either one for a 5% tax to the casino. Don't do it!
Receiving fewer odds on Place Bets is the penalty you pay for being able to pick what number you want and not having to go through the COME.
Reviewing the One Roll Bets
Field bets pay even money except for the two and twelve, which usually pay double. The Big 6 and 8 will pay even money. These are one roll bets and should be avoided at all cost. If you are thinking about betting the six or eight, Place it. It will pay you more.
Another one roll bet is the C & E bet. The C means any craps (2, 3, or 12) and pays 7 to 1. The E stands for eleven and pays 15 to 1. They are usually played together on the come out roll. Don't do it.
Any Seven pays 4 to 1. Any Craps pays 7 to 1. Two and twelve pays 30 to 1. Three and eleven pays 15 to 1. The Horn Bet, 2, 3, 11, and 12 must be bet with four chips. If one wins, you lose the other three. All these one roll bets are bad news. Don't bet them.
Hardway Review
The final bet is the Hardways. Crazy Crappers love them. They have that need to shout out, "Hard Six," or "All the Hardways." I guess it helps their ego.Let's review them! Once again the Hardway can only be made one way, 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, or 5-5. If you bet the Hard 6 and 5-1, 1-5, 2-4, 4-2 or seven comes up, you lose. You only have one chance in 36 of winning. The Hard 4 or Hard 10 pays 7 to 1. The Hard 6 or Hard 8 pays 9 to1. The only good thing about the Hardway is they stay working as long as the Hardway number doesn't come up. Once the number comes up and it isn't hard, you lose. If the seven shows, you also lose your Hardway. You can bet as little as $1.
A lot of players will tip the dealers by making Hardway bets for them. The dealers would much prefer you made a PASS LINE bet for them. At least they would have 8 chances in 36 of winning.
Table Exit
As they say in poker, "Know when to hold them and know when to fold them!" If you have a bad time at a choppy table, don't hesitate to take your action elsewhere. How do you know it's bad? If everybody has only a few chips in their rack and your chips are dwindling, it's time to leave.
If you have lost 75% of your buy-in, be ready to exit left. Don't chase your losses! Remember this! Scared money loses and smart money wins. Above all, don't gamble with money you cannot afford to lose.
Now, if someone has just finished a hot roll and your chips are piled up, it's also time to think about making a discreet exit. Unless you have spotted a good roller coming up, I would suggest you color-up your chips and cash in.
Now, what does color-up mean? When you are ready to leave a table with all your winnings, just ask the dealer to color you up. Place your chips in neat stacks on the table so the dealer can slide them over to the lazy guy sitting down, called the boxman. The boxman will count your chips and tell the dealer to give you larger denomination chips to carry to the cashier's cage.
It's always smart to count your chips before handing them over to the dealer. The boxman will look at you and give you a total. It should jive with your count. If you have a sizable win, toss the dealer a chip and head for the cashier's cage. Where in the devil is the cashier's cage? You will usually find it in some remote spot in back of the casino. This is so maybe you will lose some of those chips before finding the cashier area.
Now that we have cashed in our chips, let's see if we can find the front door! We will have to go through a maze of slot machines, poker machines, blackjack tables and other games waiting to sidetrack our exit. We might even stumble into the sport's book or keno area. This is all by design to keep you gambling. Try finding a window or clock in a casino. I have enough trouble just finding the restrooms.
Once you learn Craps 101, you will be ready to take the next step towards Dice Influencing. Good luck!
