Learn the art of dice gambling with our comprehensive guide. Discover the rules, strategies, and tips for your next roll of the dice!
What are Casino Dice Games?
Casino dice games involve one or more players, with or without a casino dealer, who roll the dice on a flat surface and bet on the outcome. Playing dice games relies exclusively on luck, and rules are easy to master, making them extremely popular worldwide.
This time, we will focus on Craps because it’s the most popular game, played in Las Vegas and (in most cases) illegally on street corners in every major city.
Physical vs. Virtual Dice Games
Casino dice games are broadly split into two categories: those played with physical dice and games played with virtual dice “rolled” by a computer.
For example, regular Sic, Craps, and other dice games are played with physical dice, and the casino dealer or the player rolls three dice (Sic Bo) or two physical dice (Craps) and tries to guess the outcome of the initial roll.
However, in the game First Person Craps, a player can be set at a virtual Craps table, where he or she places virtual chips and roll virtual dice. But have no worries, rolling dice this way has no impact on the outcome of your initial bet. All dice rolls are produced by a verified random number generator, producing random results no matter the betting amount.
Casino Dice Rules: How to Play Craps?
Craps are a simple game played with two dice. You will need a table, or a street corner, with a backstop that the dice bounce against and some people to play with.
In street craps, you only need two dice and two players minimum to get the game going. But don’t worry; anyone can join the fun and participate in the action! It all starts with a roll of the dice to determine who gets the honor of being the roller for that game. Once that’s settled, everyone can bet whether the roller will ‘pass’ (by rolling a 7 or 11) or ‘crap out’ (rolling a 2, 3, or 12) on their first roll. The game ends immediately if the roller hits one of those lucky numbers, and the bets are paid out accordingly.
But before we start rolling those dice, there’s a bit of betting to be done. The player shooting the dice gets to make the first bet, and the other players have to match that bet at least before the game can move forward. If someone can’t match the bet, the shooter has several options. They can either lower the bet to make it fair for everyone or change the odds to give themselves an advantage. Once the shooter’s bet matches, the other players can get in on the action and place their side bets.
The point rules are simple. If the shooter doesn’t pass or craps out on the first roll, the number rolled becomes the ‘point.’ From then on, only two values matter the point value and 7. The player keeps rolling until either the point or seven is reached. Bets that the shooter would ‘pass’ now become bets that the shooter will roll the point before rolling a 7. On the other hand, bets against that outcome are bets that seven will be rolled first. When the game reaches the point, as soon as the shooter rolls the point or 7, the game ends, and the bets are awarded accordingly.
Street Dice Rules
To play Street Craps first, you must learn the basic rules before the shooter rolls the dice. The rules are straightforward and almost identical to casino Craps: players roll two dice and bet on the result. Rolling a seven or eleven means a win while rolling a two, three, or twelve results in a loss. Any other total sets a point, and the player must roll that total again before rolling a seven to win.
The game can be played with any number of players, usually two to four. One player starts as the shooter, rolling the dice for everyone to bet on. If the shooter rolls a seven or eleven, they win, and others lose their bets. Rolling a two, three, or twelve means the shooter loses, and others win. The shooter establishes a point for any other total and must roll it again before a seven to win.
Players can bet on their rolls or the rolls of others. Usually, two six-sided dice are used, but some game variations involve four dice. And here’s the critical difference
Casino Craps vs. Street Craps
Street Craps and Casino Craps are the chase game with only minor differences. According to the Street Craps rules and betting options, players can bet against other players, while in land-based casinos, players bet against the banker or the casino.
Also, in the casino version, two six-sided dice are rolled on a Craps table, while in Street Craps, you can roll the dice wherever you please.
Casino Dice vs. Ordinary Board Game Dice
Dice used in casinos are often called precision dice because they are shaped like perfect cubes with perfectly square edges and corners. They combine precision, accuracy, and impeccable craftsmanship to avoid potential problems with cheaters.
On the other hand, regular table dice have rounder edges and smoother corners to roll more efficiently on every surface available. They are not designed with real-money bets and gambling in general in mind.
Important Terminology and Vocabulary in Street Dice & Casino Dice
- The Shooter: This is the player who rolls the dice. For each game of Craps, another shooter rolls the dice.
- Come Out: This is the initial player’s result.
- “To crap” or To “Crap Out” means to roll a failure – 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll.
- “To pass” means to succeed and roll a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll.
- The point or Making the Point is any result between 4 and 10 on the come-out roll minus 7.
- “Seven out” is a failure – when the dice hit a seven before rolling the point.
- The side bet is an additional bet placed at the beginning of every round.
- Bounce is a physical barrier enabling the dice to bounce back and produce entirely random results.
- “Fingers” is used for restricting all body parts in the shooting zone, most commonly feet and hands or fingers.
Street Dice Tips and Tricks
- Learn the rules by heart: Join a table or a corner only when you are 100% ready
- Set a bankroll and stick to it no matter what: this is paramount, do not lay wagers once you broke the budget, do not chase your losses, or you will end up flat broke
- Play Street Craps with the people you can trust: scammers are everywhere; choose your street dice company very carefully
- Don’t play intoxicated and emotionally unstable: grab the dice only when you feel like it, and never join a table if not fully in control of your actions
- Place wagers with the lowest house edge: go for the bets with the highest probability, don’t get distracted by bets with the highest payout
Street Dice Game Bets and Odds
Pass (line) Bet – Wins on rolls of 7 and 11, loses on 2, 3, and 12. The house edge is 1,41%, and the payout odds are 1:1.
Don’t pass (line) bet – Wins on rolls 2, 3, and 12, loses on 7 and 11. The house edge is 1,36%, and the payout is 1:1, or even money.
Come Bet works like Pass Line bets, but the critical difference between the two is that you make a Pass Line bet before the shooter establishes a point, whereas you make a Come bet after the shooter establishes a point. The House edge is 1,41%, and the payout is 1:1.
Don’t Come Bet – After the point is set, players bet the shooter will land 2 and 3 before 7 or 11. The roll of 12 is a tie, and a seven is needed before payout. The house edge is 1,36%, and the payout is 1:1.
Any 7 – A player bets that a seven will emerge. The House edge is 16,67%, and the payout is 4:1.
Any Craps – A player places a wager on 2, 3, or 12. The House edge is 11,11%, and the payout is 7:1.
Field Bets – A player wins on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, and 12 rolls. The bet is lost on 5, 6, 7 and 8. Payout is 1:1, or 2:1 for the roll of 2, or 3:1 for the roll of 12. The house edge is 5,56%.
Laying the Odds Bet – A player can do this after a pass or come bet. Players wager that the shooter will score seven before a point number. House edge is 0%, payout odds 1:2 on rolls of 4 or 10, 2:3 on 5 or 9, 5:6 on 6 or 8.
Buy Bets – A player predicts the shooter will land a specific point number before scoring a 7. The casino pays true odds but imposes a 5% commission on each win. House edge is 4,76% or less if the casino claims a commission on winning wagers. Payouts are 2:1 on 4 and 10, 6:5 on 6 and 8, and 3:2 on 5 and 9.
Place Bets – Similar to Buy Bets, a player places a wager on a specific number rolled before 7. House edge is 1,52% on 6 or 8, 4% on 5 or 9, and 6,67% on 4 or 10. Payout odds are 9:5 for 4 or 10, 7:5 for 5 or 9, and 7:6 for 6 or 8.
Big Six, Big Eight – A player bets that 6 or 8 will be scored before a 7. The House edge is 9%, and payout odds are 1:1.
Hardways Bets – Both dice reveal the exact number before a shooter lands a 7. House edge is 9,09% on 6 or 8 and 11,11% on 4 or 10. Payout odds are 9:1 on 6 or 8 and 7:1 on 4 or 10.
2 or 12 – A player bets on 2 or 12. The House edge is 13,89%, and the payout is 30:1.
3 or 11 – A player places a wager on 3 or 11 before rolling a seven. House edge 11,11%, and payout odds are 15:1.
The Brick bet is set before the point is set. The wager is a push on rolls of 7 or 11 and loses if the result is 2, 3, 5, 9, or 12. In all other cases (4, 6, 8, and 10), the roll becomes the point, and the goal is to roll the point again the hard way (two dice with identical results) within three rolls before rolling a seven or the point “the easy way” (2+6, 4+6). The House edge is 6,27%, and the payout is 25:1.
Shooting Dice Step by Step
If you want to shoot dice correctly and be good at it, follow these step-by-step instructions. Fortunately, unlike other games, you can play street or casino Craps with few resources. All you need is a pair of dice and a flat surface to roll them on, provided it has a blocking part designed to bounce the dice back.
The Goal of The Game
The game aims to predict the winning dice combinations and bet on them. The shooter throws two dice and tries to score 7 or 11 or to re-roll a point before throwing a 7.
Other players place bets accordingly and can bet on the shooter or against him or her.
Playing One Round of Street Craps
The Street Craps rules are very straightforward. Now we’ll play a round of fictional craps and see how it goes.
Choosing a Shooter
Selecting the first shooter is up to the players; they can select a shooter among themselves. But more frequently, players prefer to roll for it. A dice is rolled, and the player with the lowest or highest value is the first shooter.
Setting the Bet
The next step is setting the bet value. Players often agree upon a fixed wager, for example, $5. However, it is not unusual to introduce the rule where players match the shooter’s wager, provided it is limited to a predetermined value.
For instance, a player decides that the maximum bet is $10, and a regular bet is $5. The shooter can opt between $5 bets and up to $10 whenever he or she pleases.
Placing Bets
Before the dice are rolled, each player places a bet. The bet value is agreed upon before the rolling, or you can use the optional rule of allowing the shooter to set the wager limit within the maximum bet range.
Pass bets and don’t pass bets are the most commonly played, but you can set the house rules to include additional side bets – it’s all up to the players involved.
Shooting the Dice
After the betting round is over, the shooter rolls the dice. As a rule of thumb, the dice should hit the back wall, or a table barrier, to avoid cheating and produce genuinely random results.
The Outcome of The Dice Roll
One round of Craps can end immediately after the first roll if the score is 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12. Let’s say that 7 or 11 are rolled; in this scenario, the player wins the pass bet, and the player loses on don’t pass bets. Scores of 2 and 3 wins don’t pass bets, and 12 is a push.
If any other number is involved, it sets a point for the remainder of the turn.
What is a Set Point?
When a shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that particular number becomes “the point” number. The shooter wins a pass bet if he or she rolls the point before a 7. Likewise, if the shooter bets on a don’t pass line wager, he or she must roll seven before the point number. The same rule applies to all players.
Bets Get Resolved After The Next Round
Street Craps payouts are based on true odds, and there’s no house edge – players lose the same amount of money as winners. Once the turn ends and the final score is established, losers give money to winners, and the game continues with another shooter.
Moving the Dice to the Next Shooter
In most instances, a winning shooter will throw dice until he or she loses, but this is optional. In other games, when the round is over, the shooter has to pass the dice to the right (or left, it depends on the players), and another player becomes the shooter.
Should I Play Craps and Dice Games in Online Casinos?
The answer is “yes,” provided you’ve met the following criteria. You should play casino Craps in licensed and regulated online casinos with fair terms and conditions. Avoid playing street craps with strangers or entirely if the game is illegal in your country.
Playing Craps with your friends in your private home is legal in most countries, but most countries prohibit gambling for money in public spaces.
As for casinos, pick a casino that offers the best deal overall. Focus on reliability and trust it has in the gambling community, but don’t overlook bonuses and other lucrative incentives.
Find a reputable casino with few unresolved complaints that allow you to use bonus assets in a table and live games paired with low wagering requirements and a high wagering contribution for dice games like Craps.
If you are combating addiction or just want to be on the safe side, opt for a casino with good support and a bevy of responsible gambling tools.
To conclude, playing Craps and other dice games in legit online casinos is entertaining and potentially rewarding. Such games offer decent odds and chances but maximize your time, money, and casino bonuses.
Please, gamble responsibly.