When one walks onto a casino floor and hears a roar of excitement or a collective groan of despair, it's a safe bet there's a craps table at the center of the commotion. This can be a very intimidating atmosphere for someone who has no idea what is going on at the table or how to even begin to join in. Yet, craps is, in many ways, a very simple game.
Walking up to the Craps Table
Craps tables have room for twelve players, six on each side of the croupier--the guy/gal with the funny looking L-shaped stick. If there are fewer than twelve people with chips in front of them around the table, there is room for more. A new player should wait for the the dice to be rolled and then put money down on the table in front of him. Once the dealer has exchanged cash for chips, the chips should be placed in the rack directly in front of the player. There are bets that can be made right away regardless of what is happening at the table, but for new players, the best strategy is to wait until a seven is rolled and someone new prepares to roll the dice.
The Pass Line Bet
The simplest bet at the craps table and one that provides players some of the best odds of winning is the pass line bet. As a new player (called the shooter) prepares to throw the dice, put the minimum bet allowed on the pass line. If the shooter rolls a seven or eleven, pass line bets win. If the shooter rolls a two, three or twelve, pass line bets lose. A four, five, six, eight, nine or ten and that number becomes what's called the "point." If the shooter rolls that same number again before rolling a seven, pass line bets win.
Play the Odds to Win
Without complicating matters too much, there is one more bet even beginners should take advantage of and that's the odds bet after a point is rolled. After a point is rolled player are allowed to place an odds bet behind their pass line bet of anywhere from 3x to 100x the value of the pass line bet. To best increase one's chance of walking away a winner, do not pass on this opportunity. Odds bets pay off at better than 1 to 1.
Craps does not Have to be Complicated
That's it for the basics of craps. One can spend a long time at the table and enjoy the camaraderie and uips and downs of the game making only the best described above. Sure, it can get a lot more complicated and there is a language all its own for serious players, but that's for another article.`
Simon Etcher - Simon Etcher has spent the past twenty years working with and listening to America's CEOs, university leaders and top government ...
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