Craps FAQ

Question #1:

What does the point number refer to? How will we know when it is set?

The come-out roll is the first throw of the dice. If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, 7 or 11 he will either win or lose the pass line bet. But if he rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then this number becomes the point number. The game will continue until the shooter will either roll the point number and win or until he will roll a 7 and lose.

Question #2:

What is a hardway bet? Are they really that popular?

You will win a hardway bet if the shooter will roll a "hard total" before a "soft total" or a 7. A 6 hard total for example means that you will get a dice total of 6, but this dice total is made up of two 3's. A 6 soft total means that you have rolled a 4 and a 2, or a 5 and a 1. These dice also add up to a six, but this is known as a soft total. In conclusion you will have a hard total if two identical numbers come up.

There are 2 reasons why these bets are popular amongst craps players. First of all they are some of the more exotic bets that you can make, and exotic bets always make the game for exciting. The second reason is the large payouts. For a winning hardway bet on a hard 6 of only $5 you will get a payout as large as $45.

Question #3:

Leaving a tip is always a good idea, but how do we go about it?

Usually in order to tip the dealer all you have to do is place a bet for them. Just add the word "dealer" or "for the dealer" after the name of the bet. For example if you want to place a "Yo" bet for the dealer just say "Yo dealer". He will take the chips and place them on the bet that you specified. If the bet wins then the winnings will be his tip.

Question #4:

Should I hedge my Pass line bet by placing an Any craps bet? Is this advisable?

This is not unheard of when playing craps. As a matter of fact it is the most common ways of hedging your bet. The benefit of this action is that your bankroll will not fluctuate wildly. But if you decide to hedge your Pass line bet by placing an Any craps bet you will also negatively influence how much money you can win. You will not make as much money when you will be winning.

Question #5:

Is there a limit to how many players can gamble at a craps table?

The casino does not specify how many players can gamble at a certain craps table. The number is not set, so any number of gamblers can play. There are no rule limitations, but there is one impediment. There are only so many people that can fit around the craps table. If a table is very crowded you may not even get to see the table, let alone play at it. So when you see a free craps table do not hesitate to play at that table. If a table is crowded and you must gamble, then squeeze your way to the front. Some players may be polite enough to let you through, while other will not appreciate you taking up their personal space.

Question #6:

Does the Big 6/8 bet have to be displayed in such large letters?

A Big 6/8 bet is very similar to making a Place bet on a 6 or an 8. The catch is that it offers worse payouts. The casinos want you to make such bets and that is why they wrote it on the table in big red letters. As a rule of thumb you should never place a Big 6/8 bet.

Question #7:

Is there a reason why the 2 and the 12 in the field area are circled?

When placing a Field bet you are actually betting that the shooter will get a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on his next roll. Usually the game only lasts about one roll, and your Field bet applies to the next roll. Chances are that the next roll may not even occur. If you are lucky enough to win a Field bet then you will be paid even money for the central numbers and sometimes the payout ratio is 2-to-1 if 2 or 12 come up. You will even get a 3-to-1 payout ratio for 2 and 12, but you will not be paid even money for the central numbers. That is why the casinos separate the 2 and the 12 with circles. They offer better payouts, but have less chances of occurring.

Question #8:

Why is there a don't version for approximately all the bets?

When playing craps you can bet on pretty much everything that happens on the table. For every type of bet there is a don't counterpart. The player thus has a feeling that he can bet on every roll and make money of every roll. Most of the times though the casinos charge a commission on all winning don't bets. This is the price the players must pay if they want to be able to place such a large variety of bets.

Question #9:

Why is there a large gap in the middle of the field numbers?

When placing a Field bet you are actually betting that the shooter will get a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 on his next roll. Sometimes instead of a 9 you will find the number 5. The thing that you must remember about a field bet is that it is a next roll bet. That is why the casinos have removed the 6, 7 and 8. These numbers have the highest chances of coming out. By removing these numbers the casinos are ensuring that they have the edge.

Question #10:

What are you supposed to do if you want to place a bet but you cannot see that betting area or you cannot reach it?

The only bets that you should be placing yourself are the pass line bets, don't pass, the field, come bets and your odds bets. All other bets should be handled by the dealers. If you want to place a bet and you cannot reach the betting area just toss you chips in the direction of the betting area and then tell the dealer on what bet to place those chips. Let's say that you want to put $5 on a hard 6 bet. Just toss the chip in direction of the betting area, which in this case is the middle of the board, and say "Five on hard six". The dealer should hear you and place the bet for you.

If you also have a general craps question feel free to E-mail us and we'll do our best to offer you an answer in this page.

Good Luck!