Craps

Craps game at military camp in 1918

Truants, "Red St. Clair," and chum shooting craps in front of Murphy's Branch at 11-00 A.M. a school day. Red is boss... - NARA - 523289

Craps

Craps

Imperial Palace, Las Vegas (3192388546)

Craps is a popular dice game typically played in a casino as well as informal settings. It is played with a pair of dice in which players bet on dice rolls. When one is playing Craps, money is then wagered against either the casino or the other players in the game. When someone plays against the other players outside of a casino setting, it is called street craps.

Gameplay

The game is played in rounds and these rounds are divided into two phases: "come-out" and "point". To start a round, the shooter (the player who is throwing the dice) makes one or more "come-out" rolls. A come-out roll of 2, 3, or 12 is called "craps" (which is also the name of the game), and anyone betting on the "Pass line" loses. A come-out roll of 7 or 11 is a "natural", resulting in a win for Pass line bettors. If the roll is any other value, it establishes a point; if that point is rolled again before a 7, the Pass line wins. If a 7 is rolled before the point, the Pass line loses, and the round ends. The shooter continues to make come-out rolls until he rolls a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, which establishes the point. The dealer then moves an on-marker to the point number signifying the second phase of the round.

Betting

Craps is a game of rounds and the right to roll the dice moves clockwise around the craps table. Players can bet on the outcome of the roll or a series of rolls. Popular bets include:

• Pass Line Bet: A bet that the shooter will roll the point or a 7 before rolling the number bet on.
• Don't Pass Bet: A bet against the shooter, winning if the come-out roll is 2 or 3, and tying if it is 12.
• Come Bet: Similar to the Pass Line bet, but made after the come-out roll.
• Don't Come Bet: Similar to the Don't Pass bet, but made after the come-out roll.
• Odds Bet: An additional bet that can be made in conjunction with Pass, Don't Pass, Come, and Don't Come bets. It pays at true odds and has no house edge.

Strategy

While Craps is a game of chance, some strategies can minimize the house edge. The most common strategy is to stick with Pass line and Come bets, and to make the maximum allowable odds bet.

Variants

There are many variations of Craps, including street craps, where players compete against each other without a casino environment, often using a makeshift table and employing a variation of the formal game rules.

History

The origins of Craps go back to a British game called Hazard which dates back to the Crusades. The game was brought to New Orleans in the early 19th century by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, a wealthy landowner. The modern version of Craps was developed as a simplification of the Old English game.

In Popular Culture

Craps has been featured in numerous movies and TV shows, often highlighted in scenes set in Las Vegas or other casino-centric locations, showcasing the excitement and tension of the game.