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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. |
