Craps rules for competition with the main options
Craps Rules
Casino Craps Rules — Overview
In
Craps, a shooter throws a pair of
dice to establish a Point - and
bets are made as to whether the shooter can repeat the Point before
a 7 is rolled.
The series of throws to establish and repeat the Point is called
a round. Each round starts on a
Come Out roll. This is the roll
where the shooter attempts to establish the Point. A pair of dice
can make totals ranging from 2 (
)
to 12 (
),
but only totals of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 can be the Point. Totals of 2
(snake eyes), 3 (cross eyes) and 12 (box cars) are called craps, but
a total of 7 or 11 is called a natural.
During Come Out, rolling craps or a natural will immediately end the round, whereas a total of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 establish the Point to keep the round open. If the Point is established, we move into the midgame part of the round and the shooter continues to throw the dice until either the Point is rolled again or a total of 7 is rolled - either of which will end the round.
There can be any number of throws between the Come Out roll and the end of the round. If a 7 comes before the Point, the shooter sevens out and the dice are passed to another player for the start of the next round. On the other hand, if the shooter hits the Point, he or she can elect to keep rolling for the next round. A shooter who rolls a 2, 3 or 12 on the Come Out roll craps out and passes the dice to the next player. Rolling a natural on Come Out (7 or 11) lets the shooter keep the dice for another Come Out roll.
There are a variety of bets that can be made on each throw, some are conditional and some are bets against a specific result. Some bets can stay on the table for the entire round, some bets span rounds and some are only viable for a single throw. All the variability makes craps interesting, fascinating and fun to play.
The best way to start playing Craps is with a Pass Line bet on the Come Out roll. A 7 or 11 on Come Out make it an immediate winner, paying 1-to-1. If a Point is established, then the Pass Line bet will pay 1-to-1 if the Point is repeated before a 7. The next section explains all bet options in detail.
Casino Craps Rules — Bet Options
Pass Line — Also known as the
Front Line, a Pass Line bet wagers
that the shooter will roll the Point before a 7. To qualify, you
must place your Pass Line bet before the Come Out roll. (The dealer
will announce "Place your bets for the Come Out roll." to let you
know when you can make a Pass Line bet.) A
natural Come Out roll (i.e. a 7 or an 11) is an immediate
winner for the Pass Line bet. If the Come Out roll
craps out (with a 2, 3 or 12) the
Pass Line loses.
Any other Come Out result (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes the Point, and a puck labeled ON is positioned above the corresponding numbered column to indicate that the Point has been established. When the Puck is ON, Pass Line bets win if that Point is rolled and lose if a 7 is rolled. Winning bets pay 1-to-1.
Unresolved Pass Line bets may not be modified or removed; they are committed until the end of the round. Once the Point is established, only another roll of the Point or a roll of 7 can end the round. When the puck is flipped to OFF and moved back to the upper left-hand corner of the table, you know the round has ended and the next roll will be a Come Out roll.
 |
Don't Pass Bar — Also known as the Back Line, the Don't Pass is the opposite of Pass: it wins if the shooter rolls a 7 before the Point, and loses when the Point comes up before a 7. To qualify, it must be placed in the Don't Pass bar prior to the Come Out roll. On Come Out, Don't Pass wins on 2 or 3, loses on 7 or 11 and is a push on 12 - any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10) establishes the point. Winning bet pays 1-to-1.
