History
The game of modern day craps game developed from an English games dating back to the time of the Crusades known as Hazard. Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny is credited with developing the first American version of the game. He was a wealthy landowner in Louisiana during the late 1700s. Blacks in the south during the late 19th century are given credit for developing modern day craps. During this time playing the game of craps was popular on riverboats. John H. Winn revolutionized craps during the early 1900s. He changed the game so players could bet right or wrong, changed the layout of the board as well as introduced Don’t Pass bets and more.
Game Operators
*Boxman – The person who is responsible for supervising the game. They are the ones handling the cash.
*Stickman – This person will use a stick to push the dice around and call the results of the game. They are the ones who control the tempo of the game.
*Dealers – They manage the bets and pay the winners as well as collect money from the losers.
Craps Lingo
There are certain phrases used during a game of craps players should recognize.
*Craps – two, three or twelve
*Natural Winner – seven or eleven on the come-out roll
*C and E Craps – Eleven
*Hard Ten or Puppy Paws – Two fives
*Snake Eyes – Two ones
*Center Field – Nine
*Boxcars – Two sixes
*Skinny Dugan – A loser seven
*Little Joe – Four
*Skate and Donate – Eight
*Jimmy Hicks – Six
Starting A Game
The shooter in a game of craps is the person rolling the dice. A game of craps only begins when the shooter has placed their bet on the pass line. At this time, all other game participants can place their bets, but it’s not necessary for them to place a bet. The shooter’s first roll is called a come-out roll. Should the shooter roll the numbers seven or eleven for their come-out roll, players who placed a bet on the pass line will win even money. The other players will lose money. Should a shooter roll a two, three or twelve this is known as craps. In this case, all the players with pass line bets lose. Should any other number be rolled on the come-out roll, the number is now referred to as the point.
Play the Point
When a shooter rolls a four, five, six, eight, nine or ten all of the bets on the pass line remain. People who are playing the point are not required to place any more bets. The dealer will take the amount and place it on the point number. Should the point number be six, the shooter will try to roll his point number before he rolls a seven. If the shooter rolls any other number, it does not matter. Should the shooter be able to roll his point, he’ll start a new game with a come-out roll. A shooter can roll different points before reaching a seven or they may roll a seven on their first roll after establishing their first point. Anything can happen.
Odds Bet
This is one of the bets during craps that will give a player fair odds at winning. Once a shooter has established a point, a player can place another bet behind the pass line. This type of bet is only possible if the player is also playing the pass line. This is an additional bet on the point. If the shooter wins their point, the player will win their pass bet, as well as their odds bet. This bet will pay true odds, which is determined by the established point. It is possible for a player to change their bet or remove their odds bet at any time. Players doing an odds bets will follow the same rules that apply to their other bets.
Come Bet
Should the shooter throw a come point prior to throwing a seven, the player wins. If the shooter throws a seven, the player and the shooter will lose their pass line bet as well as come bet. Should the shooter throws his point prior to throwing a seven, the shooter and player will win their bets. Once a player has placed their bet on a come point, they can place more bets to establish more come points.
Don’t Come Bet
This happens when a point has been established. A player can place a don’t come bet by placing their bet on the don’t come space. When this is done, the next roll a shooter throws is the player’s come-out roll. This means the same rules will apply for this bet as they do with a standard come-out roll. Should the roll after placing a bet be a four, five, six, nine or ten, the number rolled then becomes the player’s come point. The dealer will move the bet to the appropriate number. The player’s pass line bet will remain dependent on the shooter’s point, so the player has two points on the table.
Conservative Play
When a person starts playing craps, it is best they play conservatively. It is important to invest the necessary time and effort to master the basics of playing the game. This will then get a person comfortable with playing more advanced aspects of craps. It’s important people realize craps is a fast-paced game. Knowing the simple bets can enable a person to be comfortable when making more complex bets . Many people who love playing craps recommend new players research the odds of various type of bets and study successful betting strategies. It’s possible to win large amounts of money by making bets with lots of risks, but it’s also possible to lose money. It’s important a person understand everything involved with craps before making significant bets.
