The General Rules of Craps

The first thing that you must know about craps is that it is a dice game and it is played with 2 dice. The number of gamblers that can play is up to 8. If you decide to play in a land based casino you must know that craps tables are the most crowded and noisiest of all casino games. This is due to the fact that craps is a very exciting game.

Craps is nothing more that several consecutive rolls of the dice. The player that rolls the dice is called the shooter. The first roll of the dice is known as a come out roll. The shooter will keep rolling the dice until he will lose. If he loses another player is asked to be the shooter. Usually the player to the shooter's left will be asked to be the new shooter.

If a 7 or an 11 is rolled out on a come out roll, the shooter wins.

If a 2, 3, or 12 are rolled out on a come out roll, the shooter loses. The 2, 3, and 12 are known as craps.

If the shooter rolls out a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on his come out roll, this number will become the point. After the point has been established the shooter will keep on rolling the dice. He will roll the dice until he will roll a 7 and loose, or until he will roll the point number and win. The outcome of the game depends on what number will come up first. He will win if the point number comes up first and he will lose if a 7 comes up first.

After the point number is established a puck will be placed on the table layout on the corresponding number. The puck is white and has the inscription "on" written on it. The puck will remain on the number until the outcome of the game is determined. After the player will win or lose, the puck will be placed on the 12 box. But this time the puck will be turned upside down. This side is black and has the inscription "off" written on it. The use of the puck makes the game a lot easier to follow. The game is still active when the puck is white side up, and the number it is placed on indicates the point. But when the puck is black side up this means a new shooter has been chosen and a come out roll will be the next roll.

A come out roll is the first roll of the dice. Each round begins with the new shooter making a come out roll. You can place a Pass line or a Don't pass line on the come out roll. You will win a Pass line bet if the shooter rolls out a 7 or an 11. But if he rolls a 2, 3, or 12 the Don't pass line bet will win.

If the shooter rolls out a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 on his come out roll, this number will become the point. A white colored puck with the inscription "on" will be placed on the corresponding number on the table layout. The shooter will continue to roll the dice until the outcome of the game is determined. If he rolls a 7 before the point number he will lose the Pass line bet. If he rolls the point number before a 7 he will win the Pass line bet. Either way the round will be over. A new round will begin. If he has won he will continue to be the shooter. If he has lost a new shooter will take his place and roll the dice.

Craps offers a large variety of bets that you can make. The shooter may be the only one rolling the dice, but he is not the only one making bets. All the other players at the table can make as many bets as they want and combine them as they see fit.

The rules presented here are the most important ones that you must know and follow when playing craps. There are a few more rules that we haven't mentioned, but as long as you are familiar with these main rules, you should not have any problems. You should be able to pick up on them as you play along.