Category Archives: Craps

Big Six and Big Eight craps bets explained

Casino Craps, Craps, Craps Betting, Gambling

Yesterday I talked about a bet that I started using at the table called the big six or big eight bet. This is actually one of the more common bets but the odds are not that spectacular. It is also a bet that is different than many people would assume and has some rules to it that I will explain next. I actually won with it and it wasn’t that bad of a bet.

Basically, you wager some chips on a spot on the table that has a Big 6 and 8 spot at the corner of the pass line. You are betting that the dice will land on a six or eight before a seven. Note that you are either betting on 6 or 8, but not both of them. You can also cancel your bet at any time if you start feeling too nervous about it. Remember not to confuse this bet with a Place 6 or Place 8 bet, in where you must roll a 6 or 8 on the very next roll or lose the bet.

So here are the odds and probabilities: If you win the bet, you are paid even money or 1:1 odds. The odds of the dice actually landing on these numbers is 5 in 36 on any given roll (whereas rolling a 7 has odds of 6 in 36). The actual odds are also 6:5 and the house edge is actually a whopping 9.09%. A house edge this high is actually terrible since the casino is majorly profiting on this bet. The fact that I actually won well with this bet the other day was only due to pure luck during the short term, otherwise I would be taking some huge losses in the long term as the casino takes a huge chunk of money over time.

Overall, I probably wouldn’t recommend this bet if you are a mathematical person looking for the best and most profitable odds in the game. Still, there are bets in craps that have an even worse and larger house edge than even this bet! I will try talk about each of these bets as time goes on. It is nice to know that the big 6 and big 8 bets have such bad odds because this is actually a popular wager to make and it is common among players for some strange reason. I am willing to bet that this one is popular because it is displayed in huge red letters on the table and many people just don’t know the game well enough to understand what this bet really is.

Getting more experience at the casino playing this game

Casino Craps, Craps, Gambling, Uncategorized

Last night I took a drive out to the local casino again to play some craps and get a better hold of the game and the rules. I also played some slots and roulette as well. This time my goal was to try getting better remembering which bets are which and some etiquette. That dictionary of terms would have been very helpful, especially in trying to talk to the dealers. It is helpful to brush up on the game when it is not so busy and you can ask the dealers questions without rushing around.

Like last time, I practiced with the pass line and don’t pass bets and included a few big six bets and big eight bets as well since these were displayed to catch the eye on the table layout. We all know that there is a 1 in 5 chance that the dice will land on 7. The 6 and 8 are the next most frequent dice roll and probabilities are the same for both of these numbers as well. I found that these two bets were different than what many people would assume as well.

All in all, I did come out about $50 and that was because I was playing conservatively with $5 minimum chip bets. As for etiquette observation, I did notice some people placing drinks on the table! Surprisingly, the dealers didn’t say anything, or else they didn’t see it since it was a small glass and the guy had a pile of chips around it. Other than that, it was pretty quiet and not much action. Still, it’s better than losing all of my money and going home with nothing.

The pass and don’t pass line bets explained

Casino Craps, Craps, Craps Betting, Gambling

The pass line and don’t pass line bets are the two most common and popular bets in craps. They are also some of the most important as well since there are other supplemental bets that go along with these two that will give you the best odds out of any casino game in the house! In fact, using these pass and don’t pass bets can actually help you reduce the house edge to nothing, nil, zero and maximize your odds as good as it gets.

First I will explain the pass line bet. This is a bet that wagers that the dice will land on a natural 7 or 11 and win. The player losses if the dice lands on one of the craps numbers: 2, 3 or 12. Notice that the odds of getting a 7 are greater than the combined probability of getting 2, 3 and 12. The round ends if the dice lands on any of these numbers and a new one starts. If you win on the come out throw, the house pays even odds or 1:1 on your dollar.

Now if the shooter throws anything else but these numbers, such as 4, 5, 6, 8, 9

Tips on how to follow good craps etiquette

Craps, Craps Tips, Gambling

I forgot to mention yesterday that before I wrote an article about superstition in craps, I wrote a good guide for craps etiquette as well. This is actually an integral part of the game and is almost as important as the rules and the betting as well. At least this is true at land based casinos when you are playing live craps, versus the online game. Obviously you do not have to worry about etiquette if you are playing over the internet in your home.

As you might have known, big table games like crap, roulette and blackjack all become “social” games. Because of that, they will have unspoken social rules known as etiquette and each game has different etiquette. You can read the full guide to craps etiquette in the link above but I will mention just a few of the important tips.

One of the most important rules is to at least get some background of the game before playing. The reason is this game can be very complicated for a new player who knows nothing about the game. Even people who are playing may not even understand the entire game and all of the bets as well. This will save a lot of time since the questions you will end up asking the dealers and other players may end up being long and complicated. Of course there is no problem asking about something simple or specific in he game. The best thing to do if you are a new player is to watch the game from the rail, or bring a friend with you and play when it’s not busy. Besides, many people will sit at the rail and watch the game as a spectator and never play.

Another tip is to be on your best behavior and do not be too loud. This usually applies to people who drink too much and get a little over excited. Speaking of drinks, never put your drink on the table or inside the padded area since they could spill all over. The same goes with cigars and cigarettes. Usually a table will have some sort of slot or a place to put your drinks and smokes.

One thing you should never do is walk away with the dice or conceal them. There is a risk that people can switch the dice with fixed ones and casinos do not like it when the dice go out of view even for a moment. This also goes for dice that fly out of the table. If they fly in your direction, the best thing to do is let them fall on the ground but do not go after them unless the dealer tells you to since this is just another opportunity for a cheating player to switch them for fixed dice.

Now with etiquette in respect to the dealers. If you want to play craps, place your money on the table and ask to have it changed to chips. Never hand the money to the dealer since they are actually not allowed to touch the money or the player. Instead, just lay it on the table and they will give you chips. When making bets, never throw the chips around the table since they tend to roll all over and it can become a hassle for the dealers and take up more time if your chips get mixed in with other people’s bets.

Superstitions, legends and voodoo magic in craps

Craps, Craps Tips, Gambling, Uncategorized

A few days ago I wrote an article on the main site about interesting superstitions and legends in the game of craps. Throughout this article, I wrote about a number of strange superstitions and actions that many people believe will change the luck of the game. Luck itself seems to be a mystery of sorts because you can see it and you can manipulate it, it just seems to happen at random, much like an act of God.

That’s where the voodoo and superstitious beliefs come in. People believe that oddball events can lead to arcane and divine intervention of the game and disrupt the “flow” of luck or the essence of Zen. For example, some people actually believe that if a shooter throws the dice down the table and those dice happen to hit someone’s hands, the luck of the game will change.

Another strange, yet silly legend has to do with the number seven. It is told that the luck will shift if you shout out the name “seven” while you are playing the game. In fact, the correct way to do it is to address “seven” as “it” or “the devil” in order to preserve the good luck on the craps table. There seems to be no logic to it since people are saying words and that shouldn’t affect the physics of rolling dice (unless there is voodoo magic in the works).

There are a number of strange things listed in this article I wrote, including the concept of “Lady Luck” that is known throughout the world and the gambling industry. Many of the superstitions revolve around the number seven and how frequently it will show up depending on what strange actions you take. Theoretically, by that same superstitious logic, you should be able to adjust your bet for or against the number seven whenever you see a luck changing action taking place such as the dice being tossed out of the table.

There is some science to it though, the number 7 on the dice actually is the most frequent number to be rolled because there are more combinations of the dice that can add up to 7 than any other number. The rarest numbers that show up most infrequently are 2 and 12 (snake eyes and box cars). There are some people that don’t understand this but the mathematics are fact in this respect if you look at the odds charts. For most people though, superstition is just a fun element to throw into the game and people will just play along with it because it makes the game more interesting. Either way, the casino is going to win in the long term! So enjoy some fun and go with the “essence” of luck in the short term.

Went to the casino to play craps and hung out

Casino Craps, Craps, Gambling

I usually head out to the casino on a regular basis and will write about it on the blog. I will try keeping the topics on craps on this blog and will write about the other games I play on my other blogs in order to keep things organized. I usually play all sorts of different games and stay for about 6 to 8 hours whenever I get the time off to go.

As for craps, I tried a little bit of all of the bets and tried getting used to the terms I was writing about the other day. To be honest, I haven’t been playing this game in quite awhile and I used to be extremely good at the game. Now I am actually getting the time to head out to the casino and play this game again so hopefully I can get my edge back!

I do recall my favorite bet that I used to win a lot at. I usually played the don’t pass line bet, which means I win when the shooter rolls a 2, or 3 and lose when the shooter rolls a 7 or 11. If a 12 is rolled, the bet usually results in a “push” or tie bet where my money is returned to me and a new round starts.

Since I was playing at a land based casino, there were many other people playing there as well and they all gather around the table. You will quickly find that craps is a social game much like roulette. Only this time the players are usually cheering for the shooter. Typically the pass line bet is for “right” bettors where you cheer for the dealer to pass. When you bet on the don’t pass line like myself, you would be known as a “wrong” bettor because you don’t want the shooter to pass on the come out roll. Many times I would be the one cheering when everyone loses, but of course I used good etiquette and did not do this. Although, I was not the only one wagering on the for the dice thrower to not pass.

There is some logic for what I’m doing though. The don’t pass line actually has a slightly lower house edge than the pass line. This means my mathematical odds increase, I lose less money and less frequently over the long run and I tend to win more often in the long run than I would on the pass line. I actually came out about $50 ahead when playing craps with $5 chips. Other than that, I also played roulette and slots throughout the night as well.

I did not try out the free odds bets, but I know this is related to the don’t pass line and it is the best bet in the house. I will try to write about this later on because it is extremely important for all players to know.

Learn what different words mean in craps games

Craps, Craps Tips, Gambling

You may have heard strange phrases and words being used in craps. For instance, you may have heard players shouting out “snake eyes” or “boxcars”. Usually these terms are announced by the more experienced players who have been playing for awhile. Actually, snake eyes is a slang word for rolling a 2 and boxcars is jargon for rolling a 12. Even with integral parts of the game, such as the dealers, there are different terms for each one.

A couple of days ago I wrote up a small dictionary with definitions of terms for craps. So far there is a fairly nice sized list but I know that this doesn’t include all of the common terms yet since the game is so huge. If I forgot one, please add it to the comment and it’s definition and I’ll try adding it to the main dictionary.

The type of words you will normally hear when playing craps will be related to a type of bet, some specific dice outcome or an announcement that dealers and players will make. It is actually a good idea to read up on some of the common terms since they will frequently be part of the game. For example, the pass line bets and the don’t pass bets are very common in the game and there are a lot of different terms used for specific times of betting in a round.

Some basic betting rules in craps

Casino Craps, Craps, Craps Betting, Gambling

Players can bet on just about anything in this game. All you are doing is throwing a pair of six-sided dice, so there are only 12 numbers you can bet on. The thing about craps though is there are special bets where you can bet on a range of numbers, or even just a single straight up number like 7 for example. There are a few major concepts that players should learn about the game before getting into specific bets though.

First of all, one of the most common bets in craps is the pass line bet. Here you are betting for the shooter or whoever is throwing the dice. If the dice land on a 2, 3, or 12, then the player will automatically lose the bet. If the dice lands on a 7 or 11, the player will automatically win and the round instantly ends. The payout odds are 1 to 1 on this kind of bet. Players can also make a don’t pass bet, which is basically the opposite of the pass line bet. As a matter of fact, this bet has better odds for the players and cuts the house edge down a notch. These bets are explained on other pages on this site and will be explained more throughout this blog. When the dice lands on a 2, 3, or 12, this is known as a craps.

So what if the dice doesn’t roll out to be 2, 3, 12 and 7, 11? Then any other number will become known as the point. Basically a marker will be placed on the table by the number that was rolled. For instance, these numbers could only be 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. The only way that the round can end is when the dice lands on the point number once again or the 7. Theoretically, the round could last indefinitely if the dice never lands on these two numbers. Something to note is that the number 7 has the most favorable odds of being rolled, so the odds are in favor of the 7 being rolled before the point number. Take a look at our probability charts to understand which numbers on the dice will be rolled and how frequently.

Before the round ends, the dice can be thrown numerous times and players can continue making all sorts of different bets at any time. Eventually if the point is rolled, the dealer will take the marker back again and players will be allowed to make new pass line bets again. The same thing happens if a seven is rolled. These are really the basic rules of the game, but there are tons of other side bets and even some that will improve your odds greatly and cut the house edge to zero!

A history of the casino game of craps

Casino Craps, Craps, Gambling

I just wrote a detailed article about the history of craps on our website. Check out the link to read the details about it. I will post a short summary of the article below because this game is so interesting and the history is quite fascinating.

The history of craps may seem like a mystery because of how complicated the game looks and all of the different colorful betting options available to players. In fact, most dice games originated thousands of years ago during the times ancient Rome when Roman Legions used to play dice as a form of entertainment. Dice is actually the foundational element of craps.

A game called Hazard was invented in Europe centuries later in the 1500s and become popular among the Royalty in the 1700s and 1800s. Eventually this game came overseas to the Americas around 1813. Like roulette, this game also seems to have been based in the French Quarters area of New Orleans during this time before it transformed into the US and modern version of craps that we see today.

Hazard happens to have many of the same rules as modern craps, but many new features and betting options were added and the game transformed into craps. It stayed like that for nearly 200 years as the game become gradually more popular throughout the world. It wasn’t until World War II that the game really peaked in popularity. In fact, many older people from this generation would probably know this game and had played it at one time or another.

In fact, craps is actually the best game in the casino in terms of odds. The catch is that many people avoid this game because it seems too complicated to learn and they stray off to slot machine games. This is exactly what happened in the 1980s and 1990s when the electronic slot machines overtook craps as the most popular game at the casino, even though the odds were worse with these games and you lost money more frequently and quickly except for a few million dollar jackpots here and there!

Still, craps is an extremely exciting “social” game where everyone gathers around the table and players are allowed to throw the dice. This game will remain greatly popular in the future and at online casinos. What is great about online casinos is the fact that players can practice the game online for free without risking money. You can actually visit our free flash craps page and practice the game in your browser in full screen and see why this game has been exciting throughout the history between ancient days and modern times.

A little bit about craps – What is craps?

Casino Craps, Craps, Craps Betting, Gambling

If you didn’t already know, craps is a type of gambling game found in many casinos, both online and off line. In fact, craps is one of the most popular casino games in the world. One reason why this game is so popular is because the house edge is extremely small. This means that your odds of winning are much greater and the casino won’t take as much money from you over time.

Craps is also a social game like roulette. The game consists of a large table with high padded rims and a pair of dice that are to be thrown. There are a few important people involved in managing the game as well. First, there are two dealers known as base dealers. These dealers are responsible for moving the chips around and paying off bets. Normally a craps table will have two large betting areas to allow for more people to play. As you may guess, this is actually a very large table.

That is not all, there is also a stickman who stands between the base dealers and they are responsible for the bets that are placed in the center area of the table. They also announce the results and collect the dice with a long stick. Across from the stickman is the boxman, who is responsible for protecting and guarding the chips on the table. All in all, there are 4 people or “dealers” running a craps table.

I have included a picture of a craps table below, which should illustrate the basic setup and where the dealers would be located:

a basic craps table

Note that not all casinos have the same rules so there may not be all of these dealers present at a table, especially if it’s not busy. Another neat thing about craps is players can actually throw the dice themselves. The person who throws the dice is known as the shooter.

This game might appear complicated, but it really isn’t. Of course the table has interesting and arcane looking symbols and bets available, but once you realize what they all mean, you will be able to easily see which bets are best and which are not. In fact, there are some bets that are just pure highway robbery with massive house edges. There are also “secret” bets not even displayed on the table and these have some of the best odds in any game in the casino! Read some of our blog posts or explore the links on the sidebar to learn the more intermediate and advanced details of the game. Once you understand this game, you’ll have some massive advantages. In fact, there is a certain bet with zero house edge and it pays out fair even odds!