Roll the Bones: A Guide to Playing Craps
The game of craps is actually quite simple to understand… despite the fancy tables and fanfare that usually surround it in casinos, all that’s really required to play craps are a few players and a pair of dice. Of course, casino rules may vary slightly, since the casino is going to make sure that no one tries to cheat, but the basic game remains the same no matter where you might be.
Let’s start by looking at the shooter. The shooter takes the dice in his or her hand, shakes them around a bit (and maybe has someone blow on them for luck), and then throws them onto the playing area. If there’s an edge or wall to the area (as is the case in a casino), then the rule is usually that the dice have to hit this wall and come off of it before they stop moving… this way, it’s much harder to control the throw to get a certain outcome. The numbers on top of the dice are added together, and the total determines whether money is won, lost, or whether a new shooter is required. Of course, a shooter may stop at any time before this point, at their own discretion.
The first throw that a new shooter makes is called the “come out” throw, and a new come out throw is made whenever the dice win or lose. If the shooter throws a “natural” throw, which means that they roll a 7 or 11 on their come out, then the dice “pass” (which means that they win). The shooter may then step out and let a new shooter roll, or they may keep the dice for another come out throw.
Of course, the shooter can also lose on their come out throw… this is called rolling “craps”, which is of course the name of the game (and the roll that the casinos are wanting the big money players to make.) The dice “crap out” (which obviously means that they lose) whenever a player rolls a 2 (“Snake Eyes”), a 3, or a 12 (which is a double-6 throw, or “Boxcars”). If the dice crap out, the shooter may keep them for another come out, or can hand them off for the next shooter to step up.
Once the two naturals and the three craps are out of the way, this still leaves six possible totals that can be rolled on a come out throw. The remaining possibilities (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10) are called “points”, and the shooter must “make a point” in order to win. In order to make a point, the same number must be rolled again before the shooter rolls a 7; while trying to make a point, the original point number and the 7 are the only ones that count. Of course, the shooter can stop at any time before rolling either of these two if they roll a “decision” (which means that they roll a craps, a natural, or a pass on a point). If the 7 is rolled first, then the dice “seven out” (meaning that they lose) and must be passed to the next shooter; if the point is rolled, then the dice can be kept for another come out roll, or can be handed off to the next shooter.
In the end, though, it’s important to remember that it’s just a game… the “high rollers” (or the people who play at tables for a lot of money) might make it out to be more than that, but as long as you don’t get in over your head you’ll usually be allright. Just remember that gambling can become an addiction, and that if you think you might need help there’s plenty of it available.
