Understanding Craps

A basic understanding of fundamentals of the game of Craps should be understood by now, if not go back or try this easy little game below to practice the fundamentals.

a basic simple game of craps.

The game of Craps can be played by rolling two dice and:

• counting a win with a roll of 7 or 11.
• counting a loss with a roll of 2, 3, or 12

If a 4, 5, 6,8, 9, or 10 is rolled, then that is the point.

If the point is rolled again before a 7, count that as two wins. Now roll again to find another point or a 7 or 11.

If a 7 comes up before the point, it is another loss—trust me you will have more losses than wins.

a basic extended game of craps.

To extend the game further, take six small pieces of paper and write a 4 on one, a 5 on the next, and so forth. This will help in remembering which numbers have been rolled.

Take the simple game above but after a point has been established, keep track of the other numbers that come up before the point or a 7 is rolled.

• If a 4, 5, 6,8, 9, or 10 is rolled, not counting the point as it is a winner already, turn over the piece of paper with that number facing up. Now roll that number or the point again before a 7, if it does come up, count it as two wins, just like rolling the point. then turn the paper over. There may be a time when all pieces of paper are turned over.
• Again, a 7 is a loss for the point and any other number that did not come up—these also count as losses. If two other numbers plus the point did not come up before a 7, then that is 3 losses to count.
• If whilst trying to roll the point again and a 2, 3, 11, or 12 come up, ignore them for now—they will be added to the next little game.

One cannot learn something thoroughly unless one practices, participates, or partakes in the subject—to learn it is to do it / to do it is to learn it!!!!

Now the game would be a bit boring if there were just even money bets like Blackjack, but blackjack does pay 1.5 to 1 for a blackjack, so where is the fun in craps and how can a player increase their winnings? That is if a player gets lucky enough for a streak of winning.

When a player makes a bet on the pass line—the most fundamental and common bet at the craps table—the player is betting on or with the shooter to roll a 7 or an 11 on the come out roll. And if the shooter establishes a point, the player is betting that the shooter will roll that point one more time before rolling a 7. Simple? It should be we went over it already.

There is nothing a player can do about the 7 or 11 Even Money winning on the Pass Line, but there is something the player can do about it after a point is established, it is called True odds or Free Odds. And most casino's allow players to make these bets, and I highly recommend it. If not, why the heck are you even playing Craps? Go play bingo or Blackjack; or stay home.

When the shooter establishes a point on the come out roll, players who have made Don't Pass line wager are permitted to lay the odds, which is exactly the opposite of taking the odds for the Pass Line wager.

Going back to the Dice Combinations Table…

---

6 and 8

We see that the 7 comes up six times and both the 6 and 8 come up five times each; this gives us the odds that you have five ways to win and six ways to lose for both numbers.

So behind the Pass Line bet or Come bet a player can put the True Odds or Free Odds wager down. So for every $5 wagered on the 6 or 8 when it is the point for the Pass Line or the Come, the pay-out is $6 if it is rolled before a 7.

This is important enough to say again so it is truly understood.
A player's original bet on the pass line is $5; the dice are rolled and a 6 or 8 comes up, that is the point. Behind the $5 Pass Line bet, a player wagers $10. When the point, either the 6 or 8, which ever the On/Off Puck is sitting ON, is rolled, the pay-out will be $5 for the Even Money Pass Line bet and $12 for the $10 Free Odds or True Odds wager. Total winnings are $17. It sure beats $5 for that risk.

The first image shows a flat bet of $5 and $10 odds. The second image is the pay-out. $5 for the flat bet and $12 for the odds. Total winning is $17 plus the original $5 bet and $10 odds bet are given back.

5 and 9

Keeping in mind that the 7 has six ways of coming up, both the 5 and 9 come up four ways each. So for either number there are four ways to win and six ways to lose. With a little math we shrink it to two to three. So for every $2 wagered, you win $3.

4 and 10

As for the 4 and 10, they have the probability to come up three times each. So for either number there are three ways to win and six ways to lose. With a little math we shrink it to one to two. So for every $1 wagered, you win $2.

Most Casino's only allow single, double, and if a player is lucky to find, triple odds. But there are a few Casino's in Vegas that will go to 10 times odds and one place is unlimited—this is where real craps players go to, and it is not on the strip.

Note: Individual casinos may pay some of these bets at different “Odds Paid” ratios than those listed below. The pay-out odds listed are the most common throughout North American casinos.

Notice that the house's edge is ZERO (0%) on the Pass Line Odds and Come Odds. This is why a player should always take the Free Odds or True Odds when ever possible.

---