Craps can be an intimidating
game for the beginner. The table seems to have about a hundred different
kinds of bets, the players are barking out commands in what seems
to be a foreign language, and the pace is too fast to ever ask a
question. I can sympathize with the beginner because it wasn't that
long ago that this was how craps appeared to me.
If this is how you view the game I have good news. There is one fundamental
bet that almost all players make. You can easily get by knowing just
this bet your first time. As you get more experienced you can add
more bets to your repertoire. After just your first five minutes you
should feel comfortable with the flow of the game and can start acting
natural, like you've been a craps player for years.
Critical to the understanding of craps is that it is a game of
rounds. The first roll in a round is called the come out roll. Sometimes
the outcome of a round will be determined on the come out roll. In
particular a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately
ends a round. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10)
that number is called the point. The dealer will place a white puck
on an area of the table to designate what the point is, in case you
forget. If a point is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously
until the same point is rolled again or a 7.
Basic Bets
These are among the best bets for the player.
Pass Line Bets / Come Bets have identical odds.
For the Come-out roll the odds are in favor of the shooter. He/she
has a better chance of throwing a 7 or 11 than a 2, 3 or 12 (22.2%
for a 7 or 11 vs. 11.1% for a 2, 3 or 12).
However, if the Come-out roll results in a Point being made the odds
of winning go down. The shooter is more likely to throw a Seven than
the Point number, and these are the only numbers that we are interested
in, (8% to 14% for a Seven vs. 16.7% for the Point).
Don't Pass Bets / Don't Come Bets have identical odds, and are the
opposite of the Pass Line and Come Bets as you are betting against
the shooter.
For the Come-out roll the odds are in favor of the shooter. He/she
has a better chance of throwing a 7 or 11 than a 2 or 3, (12 is considered
a tie) so your chances of winning are lower (8.3% for a 2 or 3 vs.
22.2% for a 7 or 11).
However, if the Come-out roll results in a Point being made the odds
of winning go up. The shooter is more likely to throw a Seven than
the Point number, and these are the only numbers that we are interested
in, (16.7% for a Seven vs. 8% to 14% for the Point).
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