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What is the Best Way to Play Craps?

Are you on the lookout for the best, most profitable way to play craps both in the real world and online? Then you need to read this right now! That's because there are some strategies you can make really good use of to give your chances of winning a surprising boost.

In fact there are ways in which you can play this popular casino game that might be worth your while adopting in your own strategy. It makes good common sense when you join a table and place your bets, that you give yourself a good chance of winning while having a good time as well. Remember, you're playing to enjoy this game every bit as much as you're going for the win!

So it makes a lot of sense to know the rules of the game and some of the best ways of playing it long before you roll your first bones. A good knowledge of the game will give you more confidence as well as set you in the right direction for avoiding foolish bets and poor strategy. This article will help you to do that.

Understanding the Betting Rules of Craps

When you first see a craps table, it can seem a little daunting with all the different areas mapped out, numbers and words that will have little meaning to the complete beginner. Even stranger when you see people placing chips in the different places and then the apparently unruly and illogical system of payouts each time the dice are rolled.

So let's get an understanding of what's going on before we talk about playing and betting strategy. Look at the layout image of the craps table and we'll go through each part of it for you.

First of all, you'll notice our image only shows one half of the table. That's because a full table is set out as a mirror image of each half (with the center section common to both) to make it easier for more people to get around a table and place bets. The side sections contain the Pass and Don't Pass Line; Come and Don't Come; Odds; Place and Field bets. The center section contains the Proposition Bets.

We'll look at each set of bets and explain them for you.

Pass Line

The pass line is the most popular part of the craps table from a bettor's angle as this is where most of the play happens. Pass (or Don't Pass) is also where you need to place a bet if you want to have a turn at being the shooter (person who gets to roll the dice) in a real world casino game.

A game comprises a series of rolls of the dice. The shooter's first roll is called simply the "Come Out Roll" and sets the game, determining if there will be further rolls or not. Here's how it goes:

If the come out roll equals 7 or 11 (also called a "Natural"), it's the end of the game. Bets on the Pass Line win at 1:1 (evens), so a $10 bet wins $10. Bets on Don't Pass lose.

If the come out roll equals 2, 3 or 12 (this is called "Craps" or the shooter "craps out"), it's the end of the game. Bets of the Pass Line lose. Bets on Don't Pass win at 1:1 except where there is a "bar" and the roll matches that value, in which case the bet is a push (the bet is returned). In our image example, there is a Bar 12 (double six).

If the come out roll equals any other value, that value becomes the "Point". A marker is put on the corresponding number in the row above the area marked "Come" so that all players can see the point. The game then continues.

If the subsequent roll equals the Point, it's the end of the game. Bets on the Pass Line win at 1:1. Bets on Don't Pass lose. When the shooter makes Point, he may stay in play and roll the next Come Out, or new game.

If the subsequent roll equals 7, it's the end of the game. Bets of the Pass Line lose. Bets on Don't Pass win at 1:1. A roll of 7 at this stage signifies the end of the shooter's turn and he must pass the dice to the next player to his left.

If neither Point nor 7 is rolled, the shooter rolls again.

While a game is in play, Pass Line bets cannot be removed, although they can be increased after each roll before the game ends. Conversely, Don't Pass bets may be removed or decreased but not increased after each roll.

When playing craps for the first few times, the easiest bets to make are on the Pass Line or Don't Pass once you have become confident with the betting rules. After a while, you're sure to be curious about the other sections of the table and want to try out some of the other bets.

Come or Don't Come

This gets a little more complicated, but essentially a Come (or Don't Come) bet is similar to Pass or Don't Pass except this bet is placed after the come out roll. A player bets on the first point to come from the shooter's next roll. A Natural wins and Craps loses (or the opposite for a Don't Come bet).

However, if any one of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 is rolled the Come bet is moved to a number box representing the roll and becomes the "Come bet Point". Players can now place odds on this bet. The bet wins if the shooter rolls the Come Bet Point before a 7. If a 7 is rolled first, the bet loses.

Trying to figure out the odds bets on Come bets can get more complicated than the average player can be bothered with. After all, the idea is to enjoy the game, not get bogged down in trying to figure stuff out with every roll. That's why most players stick to Pass line bets!

Other Bets on the Craps Table

There are other bets available to player on the craps table if the simplicity of the Pass Line is not enough for you. Other than the complex Come bets, there are simpler single bets that you can place after the come out roll has been made. Here is a break down of those bets:

• Place Bets work after the Point has been established and it is possible to bet on any subsequent dice roll. Place your chip on a single number in the numbered boxes above the Come box to bet on one of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 being rolled before a seven. You win if your number is rolled before the next 7. However, if a 7 is rolled first, you lose.
• Field Bets are placed in the boxes below the Come box and are made on a single roll of the dice only, at any time in the game. If you bet on any one of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 and the next rolls matches your bet, you win. If the next roll is a 5, 6, 7 or 8 you lose. The payout odds for Field Bets are slightly different. A 2 pays 2:1, while a 12 can pay 2:1 or even 3:1 on some tables. The other numbers pay 1:1.
• Big 6 and Big 8 win if 6 or 8 is rolled before a 7 and pays at 1:1 odds.
• Proposition Bets can be found in the center section and can be placed at any time during a game (except hardways bets) and are single-roll bets. They are as follows:
  • Any Craps pays 8:1 is Craps (2,3 or 12) is rolled.
  • Any Seven pays 5:1 is a 7 is rolled.
  • Eleven pays 16:1 if an 11 is rolled.
  • Ace Deuce pays 16:1 if a 3 is rolled.
  • Aces/Boxcars pays 30:1 if a 2 or a 12 is rolled.
• Horn Bet allows a player to hedge their bets across any one of four different numbers (2, 3, 11 and 12) being rolled. In its simplest form, or Craps Horn Bet, the money is split four ways between each number. For example, if you bet $4, then $1 is effectively placed on each number. If any one of the four numbers is rolled on the next roll, you win the odds for that number. So if a 12 is rolled, your dollar wins at 30:1 ($30).
  
  There are several variations of the horn bet where the amount divided between the four numbers is varied. This gets complicated, so once again this article won't go there!
• Hardways is a chance to bet on exact "double" combinations of dice being rolled for greater winning odds. So a pair of 2s is rolled, you win at 7:1 odds. A pair of 3s pays 9:1, a pair of 4s pays 9:1 and a pair of 5s pays 7:1.

Now that you know how the betting and payout structure works, you can start playing with more confidence and enjoy the game much more. In essence, this is the best way of playing craps as besides knowing and understanding the betting methods there is little additional skill needed to play and enjoy the game.

How Does Online Craps Differ from Live Casino Craps?

The best way to play craps online is to simply follow the strategies pointed out above for the real brick and mortar casino version. The only difference is that there is only one player (you) which effectively makes you the shooter every time.

As long as you are sensible with your bets, avoiding rash wagers and overly complicated betting strategies, you will enjoy playing the online version of craps in the comfort of your own home on your computer or laptop. You can also enjoy playing with the convenience of a smart phone or tablet when you're away from home as there are many apps which allow you to play on these devices.

Where is the Best Way to Play Craps Online?

If you got this far, you're probably wondering where to play and what the best place is on a number of different levels. Sure, there are many Internet casinos out there that serve up some great games and I could go on about the amazing graphics and the lightening fast in-play response all I want and I'd be describing most of the top sites without needing to name any names. That's just because so many offer great games!

But you might be wondering about the level of trust in a site. Or maybe you weren't really considering that question but now that I mention it, it strikes you that it could actually be pretty important!

Well a lot also depends where you are in the world.

Playing Craps Online for US Players

If you're in the US, you're going to have to find sites that allow US players and run the risk they won't be there tomorrow because the Feds took them down for breaking the gambling laws! Or you might be lucky and live in one of the states that has legalised online gambling intrastate at the time of publishing this article. So trust is maybe not so much an issue as is legality.

However, there are always choices and if you're looking for a reputable and reliable onlibe casino for playing craps in the US, it would definitely be worth your while checking out either of the sites below:

Playing Craps Online for NON-US Players

But for European players and particularly those in the UK, times have never been better! Not only is it legal, you get the added security that sites are regulated - and that is a BIG trust factor. And if we're talking trust, think about a bigger company that has a bigger reputation to maintain, like William Hill for example. They have massive trust because they're not going to risk their reputation by ripping anyone off, are they?

Of course, you need to have choices and just to show you that there are several top brands to choose from, here is a list of what we consider some of the best online:

So I personally believe that aiming for the "best" casino out there to provide you with not only a great game but also a trustworthy environment to play it in adds up to a real result, right? I'm going to put my money where my mouth is (in a virtual sense) and recommend any one of the above as my preferred "best" place to enjoy a great game of craps online.

And just to show that there are more reasons to choose one particular brand over another, just take a look at an advertising banner for one of our examples above to see their latest special bonus offer in the image that you can click, below:



PS: You can click that advertisement and it will open the site for you where you can down load the casino software (if you don't already have it) and sign up as a new member to take advantage of the welcome bonus. Can you say no to free money to spend on some great games of craps, for instance? Didn't think so... go for it!

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