How to Play Online Craps for Real Money

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How to Play Craps Online for Real Money

Craps is one of the most intriguing casino games that can trace back its origins to the Middle Ages and the Crusades. Now, it has grown into one of the most popular games on casino floors and the one that attracts the biggest crowd of onlookers and players. The action never stops at the craps table as everything unfolds at such a high pace that the atmosphere becomes heated in a matter of minutes.

The game itself is pretty straightforward and easy to understand, regardless of what various guides might say. The goal of the game is to guess the outcome of the dice roll on the craps table. There are two dice at play and the player throwing the dice and others around the table bet on the outcome of the throw.

The exciting experience of playing craps used to be reserved for the land-based casino floors. With the rise of online gaming and casinos, the online craps games powered by HTML and instant-play technology now offer that playing experience from brick-and-mortar casinos straight to your screens, no matter if you are using desktop computers or mobile devices.

Beginners might be overwhelmed by the lingo of craps and various strategies and types of bets, and some guides out there can’t do much to help. Luckily for you, we have come up with this in-depth guide that will show you all you need to know about playing online craps and the strategies you can use to maximize your chances.

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Craps Table Layout

The layout of the online craps table is pretty much the same as the one you can encounter in land-based casinos. The felt that covers the table usually is green, and that color is visible in both online and land-based craps tables. The table is dissected into many different parts and boundaries that correspond to the type of bets that players can place.

Namely, at the right-hand side of the table, you can find an area with One Roll bets and Hardways bets, while at the left side of the table, close to the edges, are the areas where Come, Place, Pass Line, Field and other types of bets are placed.

The main difference between the online and the land-based version of craps is that the craps table at brick-and-mortar casinos are run by a set of casino employees, whereas in the online versions, these functions are automatized.

Four casino employees monitor what goes on at the craps table. The ‘Boxman’ is the boss of the table and in charge of pretty much everything going on at the table. Next in line are the ‘Dealers.’ There are usually two dealers placed on either side of the ‘Boxman’, and their job is to pay the winners and withdraw the chips from the losers.

Last but not least is the ‘Stickman’. This person is in charge of the dice. The name is derived from a giant stick he uses to manipulate the dice on the table. After the initial bets have been placed, he directs the dice towards the player whose turn is to play.

The Course of the Game

Let’s simplify things and look into a step by step guide on the rules for playing craps online. The gameplay is relatively easy to comprehend, and what actually might be a bit more complicated are the types of bet. One of the best things about craps is a significant number of betting options that spice things up, but we’ll get there, don’t worry, just first things first.

Before the Roll

Before the first roll of dice, all players have to place their bets on either Pass or Don’t Pass lines. These bets are placed by players laying their chips on the designated areas, namely Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line. These bets can be seen as buy-in bets in poker, for example, and are mandatory for all players in the game.

After all players have placed their initial bets, the ‘shooter’, which is the name for the player throwing the dice, can roll the dice.

Come-Out Roll

The first roll of the dice or the first one after the previous betting round has finished is called a come-out roll. The ‘shooter’ takes two dice and throws them on the table. In the case of online craps, you throw the dice by pressing the ‘Roll’ button on the screen. There are three possible scenarios or outcomes of this throw.

Natural Numbers

If the come-out roll lands a 7 or 11 out of the range between 2 and 12 that comes with having two dice at play, any bets placed on the Pass Line will win, while all the bets placed on the Don’t Pass Line will lose. Whenever a natural is rolled, the shooter will get another chance at shooting the dice and increasing their win. The Pass Line bet is one of the simplest bets in craps and is a bet that pays even money.

Craps Numbers

Another possible outcome has to do with the dice landing on 2, 3 or 12 during a come-out roll. In this case, all bets placed on the Pass Line will lose while the ones placed on the Don’t Pass Line will win. Depending on the online craps game and the online casino, there is a chance that either a 2 or 12 will lead to a ‘Push’, a situation where you don’t lose anything and get your bet value back. It is also important to note that the round is not over and that, by landing craps numbers, you will get to roll the dice again.

Place Numbers

The third possible outcome of the come-out roll is one when the dice land on numbers that combine to give 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. This number is known as the ‘Point’ number, and the dealer marks it on the table usually by placing a black puck marker on top of the number which happens when you are playing ‘Live Craps’ in an online game. In your regular online game, a small white button that says ‘On’ will appear on the screen whenever a point is established, and players can start to make any other bet they wish to make.

What you need to do next is roll the dice again and hope you will get the same number, regardless of the combination of the dice. If you get the same number before you hit a 7, any bets made on the Pass Line will win while the ones on the Don’t Pass Line lose, plus you will get an additional roll. If the roll turns out to be a 7 before Point is scored, the outcome is quite the opposite. This result is also known as ‘sevening out’. In case you get any number other than a 7 or Point, the game will keep going and the dice will continue to be rolled. At this point, you can make other bets between rounds/throws.

Types of Bets in Craps

The best way to master craps is by understanding how all kinds of bets work, not just the Pass Line and Don’t Pass Line mentioned earlier. With this knowledge of types of bets you can work towards maximizing your chances and the player experience craps table is known for. The following is a list of the most common craps bets players use.

Come Bet

A Come bet is a type of bet quite similar to the Pass Line bet but with a couple of differences. First, it is possible to place a Come bet only after the shooter has established a Point. Also, this type of bet is individual, not like the Pass Line or Don’t Pass line bet that is mandatory to the whole table. From the moment you make your Come bet, the shooter’s next role can be seen as your come-out roll. You stand to win if the shooter rolls a 7 or 11, or lose if the outcome is 2, 3, and 12. If any other number appears as an outcome, you can see it as your Point and place your bets accordingly.

Don’t Come Bet

Don’t Come bet functions much in the same way as the Don’t Pass Line bet, and like the opposite of the Come bet. It is made at any time after the initial come-out roll. To be victorious, the Don’t Come bet requires the shooter to roll either a 2, 3, or 12 (which might lead to a push). With a 7 or 11, the Don’t Come bet is a loser. If you score any other number, then this number becomes your Point, and this time your aim is not to land the Point before getting a 7. If you manage to land a 7 first, you can collect your winnings.

Proposition Bets

The Proposition bets are bets where all revolves around the shooter’s next move, so you can completely disregard the come-out rolls and Points. These bets are located in the right area of the craps table. The types of Proposition bets you can use are as follows:

  • Any Seven — You bet on the shooter rolling a 7
  • Any Craps/ Three Way — A wager where you think a shooter will roll a 2, 3, or 12
  • Ace Deuce — A bet that the shooter rolls 3
  • Snake Eyes/Aces — The shooter rolls a 2
  • Boxcars — A bet where the shooter rolls a 12
  • Horn — A bet where the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 11, or 12

Field Bets

The Field section on the table is an area with a set of numbers including 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12. If the roll comes up with these numbers, you win the bet.

Place Bets

Place bets are a type of bets where a player chooses a specific number he or she believes will get rolled before a 7 does. If successful, this win is called a Place Win. A Place Lose is the opposite of Place Win bet where you bet that a 7 will hit before a specified number. You can use these bets once you know the Point.

Buy and Lay Bets

Buy and Lay bets are located in the same place as Place bets and are similar, but with a different payout structure. The house pays out true odds, with the deducted 5% service charge cost. If you want to place a Buy bet, you will select one of the following numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. If any of the chosen numbers come up before a 7, you will win the bet. The Lay bet is the opposite. You bet that the 7 will come before these numbers.

Hard Way Bets

Among the Proposition bets, you can find the Hard Way bets; however, they are not the Proposition type of bets, they are simply placed among them on the table. With these, you win if you roll a 4, 6, 8, or 10, depending on the type of Hard Way bet you choose, with the pair of the same numbers (2 and 2, 3 and 3, and so on). You need to get that combination before any other combination that makes the equal sum, or a 7 is rolled.

Big 6 and Big 8

These bets can be placed at any time, and they pay even money. With Big 6 or Big 8, you bet that these two or one of these numbers will be rolled before 7. It is worth noting that the house edge with these bets is over 9%.

Online Craps Payouts and House Edge

It is always good to know what payouts you might expect from specific bets and what is the house edge on them as well. Online craps are one of the most intriguing online casino games precisely because they offer a low house edge and high payouts. Of course, the best strategy for online craps would be to find the right balance between the two, but that is not always possible. Wikipedia.com enlists these bets and their odds, and we have highlighted the more common ones as follows:

Name of Bet Odds Paid House Advantage
Pass / Come 1:1 1.41
Yo (11) and 3      Craps / Any 7 15:1   7:1 / 4:1 11.11%   11.11%
Don’t Pass / Don’t Come 1:1 1.36%
2 and 12 30:1 13.89%
Field 1:1 on 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11   2:1 on 2 and 12 5.56%
Hard way 4 / Hard way 10 7:1 11.11%
Hard way 6 / Hard way 9:1 9.09%
Big 6 and 8 1:1 9.09%
Place 4 / Place 10 9:5 6.67%

Online Craps Strategies

When it comes to choosing the best playing strategy, you need to be careful and take a lot of things into consideration. First, the beauty of the game is that it has so many betting varieties. If you want to play it safe, you should opt for Pass/Come/Don’t Pass/Don’t Come. The house edge is very low, and the odds paid are substantial. For example, the Pass Line/Come, and the Don’t Pass/Don’t Come bets are the simplest in craps and have the lowest house edge, only 1.41% and 1.36%, respectively. Start with these, build your skill level, and gradually take greater risks with riskier bets that have more significant outcomes.

Variants of the Classic Craps Game

While it seems impossible to know the exact origin of the game of craps, we like what it has turned into. Naturally, over time, certain variants have appeared, and they are widely popular in online casinos worldwide. These variants have their own rules, odds, and betting options. So, without further ado, let’s dive into different versions of craps.

Bank Craps

Today, in most casinos, this is known simply as a game of “Craps”. It’s an adapted version created especially for casinos and accepted worldwide as the standard game. In the beginning, craps was a game of player vs player, but when casinos entered the scene and made certain modifications, it became a game of player vs casino.

In this version, there are two dice, a stickman, a dealer, and all the rules we accept as the industry standard.

Crapless Craps

Even though the name sounds like a paradox, this craps variant actually exists. In this version, the Don’t Pass bet doesn’t exist, and the rules of the Pass bet are different. Essentially, you end up losing one winner and gain three losers. But the biggest issue we have with this version is that the house edge is five times higher.

Luckily, you can’t find this game easily — only a small number of casinos will choose to include it in their game selections.

Simplified Craps

The name says it — it’s a game for beginners. However, since the rules are different, you might end up not understanding the classic game of craps at all. In this variant, the rules are simple — throw 2, 3, 4, 10, 11 or 12, and you win. If you throw 5, 6, 7, 8 or 9, you lose. Statistically speaking, the odds of you throwing the losing numbers are higher, which raises the house edge. So, even if you’re a beginner, you might not want to play this variant.

Die Rich Craps

Compared to other variants, this one uses only one standard die. If you’re a newbie, this variant might help you understand the rules better. Essentially, if you throw a six on a come-out roll, you win. However, you will immediately lose if the roll is 1. Other numbers that are rolled will help create the point. Afterwards, the shooter has three more rolls to try and get the point number. If 1 is rolled again within the three following roles, the shooter fails, the die goes to another player, and a new round starts.

New York Craps

This variant requires a different type of table than other craps games. Despite the name, its origins can be traced back to Yugoslavia, and today it’s usually played in the UK and on the US East Coast. This version doesn’t allow Come/Don’t Come bets. Here, you can bet directly on the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, and if you get it right, you win.

How to Find a Safe Craps Online Casino

There are a couple of ways to determine whether an online casino is safe and fair. Safety should always be your number one priority. Therefore, we’ll tell you what to look out for when choosing an online casino to play craps.

What usually guarantees a casino’s safety is its licensing information. Often, you can find it at the bottom of the casino’s homepage — it would be suspicious if that information weren’t there. Unfortunately, not all regulatory bodies can ensure a safe gambling experience. You should always choose casinos licensed by trustworthy regulatory authorities, such as the UKGC and the MGA.

Furthermore, you should try and find information pertaining to the safety of your data.
Every secure platform employs modern encryption technology that keeps all your information safe and firewalls that help these platforms resist any possible security breaches or cyberattacks.

Additionally, there are ways to see if the games offered on a particular site are safe — you can look for a seal of approval from third-party companies that audit casinos for fairness, ensuring that games are fair and outcomes completely random.

Conclusion

If you make the right calls and place the right bets, you can make the house edge play to your advantage in craps. Even though the game itself might seem confusing due to the number of bets available, once you get the hang of the rules, you’ll be coming back for more.

Take baby steps, don’t rush into making big bets if you’re not familiar with the game. Hopefully, this guide has helped you understand the basics of craps. As you gain more experience, you will be more confident to try out other craps variants. Until then, gamble responsibly and good luck!

FAQ

If you ever tried playing craps at a land based casino you’ll notice that dealers and players use various slang when playing the game. Have a look here for a glossary and explanation of terms used.

Regular online craps is single player only, however multiplayer craps has recently become available in live format where you can stream with dealers and interact with other players as if you were at the table.

Author:

Chief editor and creator, Tom drives the direction of CanadianCasinos.ca with the goal to provide the best and most honest resource for online gambling enthusiasts in Canada