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Craps is a gambling game played by any number of
players, using two dice on a special craps table.
The table has a layout in which different areas
are marked for the various possible bets and is
manned by four attendants. The betting takes place
against the house on the outcomes of the rolled
dice, though side bets among players are not
unknown.
The dice are rolled by the players in turns, with
the player rolling the dice known as shooter. The
changes in the shooter are dictated by the outcome
of the dice. The come-out roll is the first roll
of each round. If the total rolled is 2, 3, 7, 11
or 12 the round ends there but the same player
continues as shooter. Any other total rolled is
known as the point. The round continues till the
shooter gets the point again or gets a 7. If he
gets a point, the player continues as the shooter
for the next round. However if he gets a 7 then
the next player takes over as shooter. This
situation is called 7-out.
The players have to place their bets before the
dice are rolled. The simpler bets are decided each
roll. Some examples of these bets are the ‘yo’,
which wins on a roll of 11 and the ‘ace deuce’,
which wins on a roll of 3. ‘Craps’, after which
the game is named, wins on a roll of 2, 3 or 12.
Yo and ace deuce are paid out at 15:1, whereas
craps is paid out at 7:1. The more complicated
bets, such as the fire bet and the pass line bet,
are decided over a number of rolls. These bets are
usually placed before the come-out roll. The pass
line bet is played as follows. If in the come-out
roll the total of the two dice is 7 or 11 then the
pass line bet immediately wins. If a craps is
rolled in the come-out roll the pass line bet
immediately loses. If a point is established in
the come-out roll then the pass line bet gets
carried forward. It keeps getting carried forward
till either the point or 7 is rolled. If the point
is rolled first the pass line bet wins, but loses
if a 7 is rolled first. The pass line bet is paid
out at 1:1. There is a schedule that specifies the
payouts for different bets.
The game of craps has an etiquette, which is
mandatory for all players. Hence knowing about the
etiquette is as important as knowing about the
rules. For example the dice are to be handled with
one hand only. The proper technique of rolling the
dice is to toss them at the wall on the other end
of the table ensuring that they are below the eye
level all the time. The dice must bounce of the
wall before landing on the table. Sliding the dice
is not allowed. The objective behind the craps
etiquette is to prevent tampering with the
dice.
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