Craps

Origin of Craps

The origins of craps are just as fascinating because they go far back in history. Some archaeologists claim that the origins of the game date back to long before Christ. The origin of the game cannot be proven, even though Julius Caesar’s famous saying “the die is cast” is said to go back to the dice game.

Everyone just agrees that the dice game is very old. In the past centuries, it has inspired many generations. The first records of the rules date back to the 18th century. The game then made its way to the USA via French colonies and their inhabitants. There, in the middle of the 19th century, the name craps was established, which has prevailed until today.

The game was even played frequently by soldiers during World War II and served as a distraction. Street craps became more popular there, as there was no bank to play against. In street craps, one player always plays against another one. In casino craps, the player always plays against the bank which is the casino.

Popularity of Craps

The game was not only popular among soldiers in the 20th century. Games were often played on the streets. The game is not only easy and quick to understand. Another advantage is that apart from the two dice you don’t need anything else for the game. At least not for the simple street variant. In the casino, of course, things look a little different. There are a multitude of betting options that are reflected on the playing table. This is not to be forgotten, because when you start casino craps for the first time, you should not be surprised by the different options on the table.

If you have never played craps at the casino before, then you should always watch first. You’ll soon realise why so many players are so enthusiastic about it. As already mentioned, Craps is one of the most well-known dice games. If you haven’t heard of it yourself, you may remember seeing it in a movie. It is a popular game of chance for casino scenes.

Craps game variants

Besides the casino and street versions of Craps, there are other distinctions. Variations of the game can be found again and again. To give you a better overview, we have compiled some of them for you.

• New York Craps
  This version is mainly found in the east of the USA and is very popular there. The betting options Come, Don’t Come and Place bets are excluded. Therefore, there are fewer betting options available. There is also a 5% commission on all winning odds.
• Simplified Craps
  This version is the simple variant of Craps. The game is decided in just one round. You roll the dice and win with a 3, 4, 11 or 12. If you roll other numbers, you unfortunately lose.
• Crapless Craps
  In this variant there is no “craps” in the first round, i.e. you cannot lose directly. However, the house edge is higher and 11 is not a winning number. Therefore, you must consider whether you still want to play.
• High Point Craps
  Here the basic rules are slightly changed, because if you roll a 2 or 3, you have to roll again. If you roll an 11 or 12, you have already won. All other numbers become the target for the next round. Then your next roll must be higher than the target.
• The Rich Craps
  A very special version because it is played with only one die instead of two. A 6 makes you win the game, a 1 makes you lose. All other numbers become the target. This means that on the next roll you have to roll the same number to win.

There are a variety of betting options in the game of craps, which are described even more clearly in our guide. Here you will learn all the details if you want to try betting at craps.

Craps Game Guide

Besides the many versions, there are two key differences in Craps. These are Street Craps and Casino Craps, which differ from each other. In Casino Craps, there is much more to consider and you are always playing against the bank. Since we are concentrating on the dice game in online casinos, we will only deal with this in the game instructions.

There is always one player whose turn it is to roll the dice, he is called the “shooter”. Before he rolls the dice, all players involved can place their bets. The individual bets are all printed on the playing table. Therefore, you can simply place your chips there and don’t have to communicate specifically for what you want. This simplifies the game process and also the overview for the croupier who has to pay out winnings later. There are exceptions for special bets, but the usual bets can be found on the table.

The shooter rolls the dice until he loses because he rolls a 7 or his game round is over. If other players are playing at the table, the dice are passed onto the next shooter in a clockwise direction after a round of play. Don’t be surprised if the croupier in this game is called Stickman. He collects the chips with his stick and passes the dice on. If you play in a real casino, you will be offered several dice. You choose two and give the others back.

Betting options in Craps

You have a variety of different betting options in Craps. We will only go into the most important ones. The most important bet is probably “Pass” or “Don’t Pass”. If you bet on Pass, you bet that the shooter will win. The Don’t Pass is logically the opposite of this.

Once all players have placed their bets, the shooter gets to roll the two dice. The first roll is also called the “come out roll”. If the dice show a roll of 7 or 11, the shooter wins immediately. If the dice show a 2, 3 or 12, the game round is over and the shooter has lost. With all other numbers, the number becomes the target. In this case also called “point”. The shooter rolls the dice again.

If he rolls the same number again before a 7 comes, he wins. If the 7 comes first, he has lost.

Play Craps in the online casino

Of course, the game sounds fascinating in a real casino simply because of the atmosphere. But you can also play Craps in a relaxed way in the online casino. Sometimes there is even the possibility to play the game with some other players. Then the excitement is just as high as at the big table. Of course, you don’t really roll the dice; the dice are rolled digitally. A random number generator determines the numbers that appear. But you have the same chances of winning as if you threw the dice yourself. There are also different versions in the online casino. The big advantage is that you can start a game round anytime around the clock, regardless of your location. You save time waiting for your turn because there aren’t too many players at a table.

Sometimes you can even take advantage of a bonus. Since table games are often excluded, this does not apply to all free spins and bonus credits. Always find out beforehand whether the bonus can also be used for a dice game such as craps. Otherwise, you can play with your regular balance at any time and hopefully win.