The perfect place to start with - The Craps Table

When you stand at a craps table for the first time, you may feel overwhelmed by its size, by the noisy atmosphere and all those bets and the miniature bets in the middle of the table that you can't even see but have to know the nickname of ahead of time to bet. It seems so complicated! Really, it's not.


Like nicknames of bets, there are a lot of little things craps players don't want you to know unless you're already another craps player. Don't let that intimidate you, knowing different names for bets doesn't help you win more money, and as much as girls might like to see you act cool at the craps table, they'll like you making money more.


Casino craps is played on a big felt layout set inside a large table with high rails around the side so you can bounce the dice off 'em and still keep 'em on the table. Up to between 12 and 16 people can play at once, depending on the size of the table.


The layout looks something like:



As you can see, the layout has a right side area, a center area and a left side area. The right and the left side look exactly the same, being a simple mirror image of the other. The center area is unique and this area is shared for both ends. You will notice that a player needs only a little more than half the table to play. The reason for this split is simply so that the casinos can have players gathered around each end of the craps table, enabling more people to play.


Now, here is a list of the eight main betting areas on the layout:


-Pass line: a betting area from the end of the table represented as a long line in front of the players;

-Don't pass bar: this line runs parallel to, and just in front of the pass line;

-Field number location: this box is simply labeled Field and is located in front of the don't pass line;

-Come box : this area is located in front of the box and its labeled Come on the felt.

-Place numbers location: large numbers in individual boxes ( 4,5,6,8,9,10 ) located in the dealer's side of the table;

-Don't come box: a small box next to the box number 4 in the Place number location;

-Horn numbers location: a large box in the center of the table in front of the stickman for the numbers 2,3,11and12. Any 7, Any craps, C and E ( craps and eleven) have their own box in this area;

-Hardway numbers location: the individual numbers 4,10,6 and 8 are on the upper edge of the Horn location.


One of the most confusing aspects of the craps table, and the whole game of craps for that matter, is the appearance of these 'don't' bets. The don't PASS bet is the opposite of the PASS line bet, and wins when the other loses. There is also the 'don't come' bet. You can bet on the numbers on the table to win or to lose. In fact, you can counter almost any bet you make with a bet that will win when it loses.

How can the casino offer this without offering an exploitable game? Easy, the payoffs are slightly altered in each case so that, even if you win you don't get paid quite as much as you should have if the bet were fair. It's kind of like the casino offering a coin toss that cost five dollars to bet on.

If you lose, the casino takes the five bucks, but if you win, the casino only pays you $4.50. That's quite obviously not fair, but the same thing happens at every table in the casino. The only bet that is offered which is fair is the 'free odds' bet, which you'll notice, is never mentioned anywhere on the craps table layout.


Never be scared to ask the dealers what is going on or what to do. They are there to help you. When you win (or even lose), it's always considered the sporty thing to do to toss a chip or two to the dealers. They can be your best friends at the table, handling your bets and sharing their knowledge.