Playing Craps online if you are not Jiggaboo Jones
Let me first make it clear that this article does not have a racist motive. We are just going to present how the game of Craps is played if you can’t manipulate the outcome of the dice like Jiggaboo Jones can. He happens to be (probably) the number 1 dice cheater in the world, and his self-proclaimed nick name is “the Number 1 Nigger in America”.
On his less politically correct website there are more than one thing we do not approve of, but you will also find an astonishing video showing Jiggaboo throwing the dice with exactly the result he predicted.
One of his old friends explains:
“His IQ was like 178. And he was a gambler. The main thing that he did, he was the best cheat I have seen in my life. In other words everybody else was gambling except him, because he was a perfectionist at taking your money”.
So if you cannot do like Jiggaboo and choose the outcome of your dice roll, and since you probably will be playing online anyways, you may need some guidance before you hit the casino. We intend to give you exactly that, in our continued hunt for the Reversed House Edge.
How the beloved game of Craps is played
At a Craps table, players take turns rolling two dice. The players around the table may bet on the outcome of the dice thrown by the “shooter” (the player in turn) and all players including the shooter bets against the house.
The shooter must place a bet of at least the Craps table minimum on either on the “pass line” or the “don’t pass” line. Each shooter plays one round, and each round is divided into two sequences called “come out” and “point”.
If the shooter throws (a total sum of) 2, 3 or 12 he “craps out” and the round is finished. All players then lose their pass line bets. If the shooter rolls 7 or 11 players win their pass line bets (even money).
The shooter keeps throwing until his dice show 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 whereas the second phase (the point phase) starts. The dealer now places a button that says “ON” somewhere on the table, and whatever number the shooter gets (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10) becomes “the point”. For some reason this is usually when you hear outbursts like “Come on baby, mama needs a new pair of shoes”. At this point a seven usually means no new shoes as a seven will end the round. The pass line bets win if the shooter rolls the same number as the point.
Well worth noticing is also that the shooter and the players around may bet on all single or multi roll outcomes in both rounds, but what bets should you make? Jiggaboo says: “I have been a Dealer, Gambler, Jacker, Con-Artist and a Fool. Mostly today I am just a gambler and a Fool. I don’t Rap and I am not on Crack“.
You might not be as busy as Jiggaboo Jones, but you surely don’t have time to read about bets you shouldn’t make (there are a lot!), so we will just concentrate on the ones you should make. Basically you have four options:
- 1: The come bet. Even money. House edge: 1.414%.
- 2: The don’t come bet. Even money. House edge: 1.402%. Best bet but you should probably be carrying more protection than Jiggaboo Jones if you are going to stick to this bet only throughout the night at a land based casino, since most players will dislike a “negative” bet towards the shooter. No one is going to care when you play online though.
- 3: The pass line bet. Even money. House edge: 1.414%
- 4: The don’t pass bet. Even money. House edge: 1.402%. Best bet but like the don’t come bet you won’t get any girls.
So as a ground rule, I would recommend the come bet and the pass line bet for live casinos and the two others for online casinos. With any bets other than this be aware, you are facing a greater house edge which defeats the whole purpose of this guide.
Craps rules and craps strategies
If there’s one area in a casino where you’ll find many whooping and hollering players, it’s around the craps table! The game of craps has a long history and is still going strong. Some believe that craps is very difficult to learn, but the only truly complicated aspect of craps is the variety of different bets.
The game originated from luxurious English and French gambling houses in the 18th and 19th century, where it was called “hazard”. It was then brought to the new world by settlers, and in 1813 Bernard de Mandeville of New Orleans simplified “hazard” into the game craps.
The first roll of the dice in a craps round is called the “come out roll”. The basic opening bet in craps, placed just before the come out roll, is called the “pass line bet”. Pass line bets immediately win when the shooter’s come out roll is 7 or 11, and lose when the come out roll is 2 (snake eyes), 3 (cross eyes), or 12 (box cars). If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled on the come out roll, that number becomes “the point.” The puck labeled “ON” shows that the point has been established and is located on the craps table over the box for the number rolled as the point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. The shooter now keeps rolling the dice until he rolls the point or 7 to end the round. If the shooter rolls the point first, a pass line bet wins. If, however, the shooter rolls a 7 first (i.e. “sevens out”), a pass line bet loses.
To end a round of craps and resolve pass line bets, the shooter must roll either the point or 7 after the come out roll. There’s always the possibility that a craps game will go on all night if the shooter fails to roll the point or 7. Pass line bets can’t win until the point is rolled, and can’t lose until 7 is rolled. Because unresolved pass line bets may not be removed, players must wait for a roll of the point or 7 to determine the fate of their pass line bets. If you need to leave the game, your bet will be lost.
HOW TO PLAY CRAPS
Before the dice are rolled, bets can be placed in the various areas of the craps table. First, click on the value of the chip you wish to wager with your left mouse button. Next, place the chip in the desired betting area on the craps table by clicking in the area with your left mouse button. If you wish to alter or remove a bet, click on your wagered chips with your right mouse button. When you are finished placing your bets, click on the ROLL button to roll the dice.
PASS LINE BETS
A pass line bet is placed on the field labeled “PASS LINE” on the craps table before the come out roll (i.e. the first roll of the dice in a new craps round). A wager on the pass line wins if the come out roll is 7 or 11, and loses if 2, 3 or 12 is rolled. If 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled, that number becomes “the point”. To win a pass line bet, the shooter must roll the point again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again, your pass line bet loses. A winning pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Once the point has been established, unresolved pass line bets may not be increased, reduced or removed. They must be resolved by rolling the point or 7.
DON’T PASS LINE BETS
A don’t pass line bet is essentially the reverse of a pass line bet and is placed on the craps table in the “Don’t Pass line” before the come out roll. If the shooter rolls 3 or 12 in the come out roll, a don’t pass line bet wins. If, however, the come out roll is 7 or 11, don’t pass line bets lose. If the come out roll is 2, a don’t pass line bet is returned to the player in a push. If the come out roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, don’t pass line bets win if the shooter rolls a 7 before rolling the point again. If the shooter rolls the point again before rolling a 7, don’t pass line bets lose. A winning don’t pass line bet pays even money (1 to 1). Unlike pass line bets, unresolved don’t pass line bets may be removed or reduced, but not increased.
COME BETS
A come bet is placed in the “COME” bar on the craps table before any roll of the dice, once the point has been established by the come out roll. The rules for come bets are essentially the same as for pass line bets. Come bets win if the shooter’s next roll is 7 or 11, and lose if the roll is 2, 3, or 12. If the shooter rolls 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes “the come point,” and the dealer will move the come bet from the “COME” bar on the craps table to the box corresponding to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. If the shooter rolls the come point again before rolling a 7, the come bet pays even money. The come bet will stay in place until the come point or a 7 is rolled. Just as with the pass line bet, unresolved come bets may not be increased, reduced or removed. They must be resolved by a roll of the come point or 7.
DON’T COME BETS
A don’t come bet is essentially the opposite of a come bet. A don’t come bet is placed after the come out roll in the “Don’t Come Bar” on the craps table. Don’t come bets win when the shooter’s next roll is 3 or 12, and lose if the roll is 7 or 11. If the shooter rolls a 2, the bet will be returned to the player in a push. If the roll is 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, that number becomes “the don’t come point,” and the dealer will move the don’t come bet from the “Don’t Come Bar” to the left corner of the narrow, uppermost bar over the box corresponding to the don’t come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. After the don’t come point has been established, don’t come bets win even money if 7 is rolled and lose if the don’t come point is rolled. Don’t come bets will stay in place until the don’t come point or a 7 is rolled. However, unresolved don’t come bets may be removed or reduced at any time, but not increased.
ODDS BET
An odds bet is a “back up” bet on an original pass line bet, don’t pass line bet, come bet, or don’t come bet. The maximum odds bet is 2 times your original bet on the pass line and come bets. You are allowed to lay full odds on don’t pass and don’t come up to the amount you could win if these bets were on the pass line or come.
PASS LINE ODDS BETS
After the point has been established, a pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the craps table beneath the “PASS LINE”, under your original pass line bet. A winning pass line odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original pass line bet, an unresolved pass line odds bet may, at any time, be increased, reduced or removed.
DON’T PASS LINE ODDS BETS
Once the point has been established, a don’t pass line odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button on the right side of your original bet in the “Don’t Pass Bar”. A winning don’t pass line odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don’t pass line odds bet may be removed. However, if you click with your right mouse button to remove your don’t pass line odds bet, your original don’t pass line bet will also be removed.
COME ODDS BETS
Once the come point has been established, a come odds bet is placed by clicking with your left mouse button directly under your come bet within the box that corresponds to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A winning come odds bet pays true odds: 2 to 1 on a roll of 4 or 10, 3 to 2 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 6 to 5 on a roll of 6 or 8. Unlike the original come bet, an unresolved come odds bet may, at any time, be increased, reduced or removed.
In the Craps game, come odds bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your come odds bets active during the come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. In the menu, click on the box next to “Come odds bets”. Check the box to activate come odds bets during come out rolls. Then click OK.
DON’T COME ODDS BETS
Once the come point has been established, an odds bet is placed on your don’t come bet by clicking in the tiny space directly under your don’t come bet within the narrow, uppermost bar over the box that corresponds to the come point: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A winning don’t come odds bet pays true odds: 1 to 2 on a roll of 4 or 10, 2 to 3 on a roll of 5 or 9, and 5 to 6 on a roll of 6 or 8. An unresolved don’t come odds bet may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.
FIELD BETS
A field bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. It is placed in the “FIELD” bar on the craps table before any one roll of the dice. If the next roll is 3, 4, 9, 10 or 11, the field bet wins even money. If 2 or 12 is rolled, the field bet wins 2 to 1. If 5, 6, 7, or 8 is rolled, the field bet is lost.
BIG 6 AND BIG 8 BETS
A big 6 bet is a bet that 6 will be rolled before 7. Likewise, a big 8 bet is a bet that 8 will be rolled before 7. A big 6 or a big 8 bet is placed in either the “6” or “8” box located in the left corner of the craps table. A big 6 or big 8 bet wins even money if the shooter rolls a 6 or 8 before rolling 7. Unresolved big 6 and big 8 bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.
PLACE BETS
There are two types of place bets:
A place win bet is a bet that either 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before a seven. A place win bet is placed in the narrow, unlabeled bar located just under the box with the corresponding number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. Winning place win bets are paid according to the following ratios: 7 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 7 to 5 on numbers 5 and 9, and 9 to 5 on numbers 4 and 10.
In the Craps game, place bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your place bets active during come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. Click on the box next to “Place bets” in the menu. Check the box to activate place bets in come out rolls. Then click OK.
If the box next to “Use On/Off marker” is checked in the Options menu, an “ON” marker will cover your place bet to indicate that it is active, or an “OFF” marker will cover your place bet to indicate that it is inactive during a come out roll. The markers will be removed from your place bets after the come out roll, since all place bets will be active. Unresolved place bets may be removed.
BUY BETS
A buy bet is a bet that either 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10 will be rolled before 7. A buy bet is placed in the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. The buy bet will be covered by a “BUY” marker to distinguish it from a come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when the buy bet is placed. Buy bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 6 to 5 on numbers 6 and 8, 3 to 2 on numbers 5 and 9, and 2 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10. If a buy bet is lost or removed, the 5% vig. is returned. Buy bets may be placed at any time during the crap game, and you may increase, reduce or remove a buy bet at any time.
LAY BETS
A lay bet is essentially the reverse of a buy bet. A lay bet is a bet that 7 will be rolled before 4, 6, 8, 9, or 10. The lay bet is placed in the top, unlabeled bar above the box corresponding to the number on the craps table: “4, 5, SIX, 8, NINE, or 10”. A lay bet will be covered by a “LAY” marker to distinguish it from a don’t come bet. A vigorish (vig.) of 5% is charged when the lay bet is placed. Lay bet winnings are then paid at true odds: 5 to 6 on numbers 6 and 8, 2 to 3 on numbers 5 and 9, and 1 to 2 on numbers 4 and 10. Lay bets are active also during the come out roll, and unresolved lay bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.
ANY 7 BETS
An “any 7” bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be a seven. This bet is placed in the betting area called &quo6t;any seven” on the craps table. If a seven is rolled, you win 4 to 1 on your bet.
ANY 11 BETS
An “any 11” bet, sometimes referred to as a “YO” bet, is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 11. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice that add up to 11. If 11 is rolled, you win 15 to 1 on your bet.
ANY CRAPS BETS
An “any craps” bet is a bet that the next roll of the dice will be 2, 3, or 12. It is placed on any one roll of the dice in the “any craps” betting area on the craps table. If 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, you win 7 to 1 on your bet.
C & E BETS
On the craps table layout, you will see a vertical row of the letters “C” and “E”. These letters represents two bets.
The letter C represents the “any Craps” bet. By using your left mouse button, place a wager on letter C; your chips will appear in the “any Craps” betting area of the craps table. This bet is exactly the same as placing a wager directly on the “any Craps” bet.
The letter “E” represents the “any 11” bet or “YO” bet. Just like the any Craps bet, the “YO” bet will be placed in the “any 11” betting area. This bet is exactly the same as placing the wager directly in the “any 11” betting area.
C & E SPLIT BET
On the craps table layout, you will see a vertical row of the letters “C” and “E”. These letters represents the two bets above, and now you can wager on both of these popular bets with just one chip!
The letter C represents the “any Craps” bet. The letter “E” represents the “any 11” bet or “YO” bet. By using your left mouse button, place a wager between the letters C & E; your chips will appear between the two letters indicating that you have a spilt bet.
If 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, you win 3 to 1.
If 11 is rolled, you win 7 to 1.
7 & 11 SPLIT BET
This split bet pays 7 to 1 if the 11 is rolled and 3 to 2 if the 7 is rolled. This bet is placed by straddling the very top line of the any seven bet near the chip rack.
HORN BET
The “horn” bet is one roll bet by which you are betting that 2, 3, 11 or 12 will appear on the next roll of the dice. This bet box is placed in the center of the layout and is a one roll bet.
If 3 or 11 is rolled, the bet pays 3 to 1.
If 2 or 12 is rolled, the bet pays 7 to 1 minus one fourth of the bet.
For example. If you bet a $4 horn and a 2 is rolled, you will win $4 X 7 = $28 - (1/4 of $4) $1 = $27.00. To put in another way: Let’s assume you bet $1 on the 2, 3, 11 and 12 prop bets. If you win on the roll of a 2, you will be paid $30. However, you also lost $3 on the 2, 3, 12 and thus your net win will be $27.
HARDWAY BETS
This is a bet on the shooter rolling a 4, 6, 8, or 10 as doubles (2+2, 3+3, 4+4, or 5+5) before rolling a 7. The hardway bet is placed in the box on the craps table containing the two illustrated dice corresponding to the number. Rolling a number by doubles is said to be rolling the number “the hard way”. For example, a roll of 4+4 is a called a “hard 8”, while a roll of 5+3 or 6+2 is called an “easy 8”. A winning hardway bet pays 7 to 1 on numbers 4 and 10 and 9 to 1 on numbers 6 and 8. Unresolved hardway bets may be increased, reduced or removed at any time.
In the Craps game, hardway bets are inactive during come out rolls by default. However, if you wish to change the default setting to make your hardway bets active during come out rolls, click on the OPTIONS button. In the menu, click on the box next to “Hardway bets”. Check the box to activate hardway bets in come out rolls. Then click OK.
The best signup bonus for online Craps players
It’s conclusion time. Now you know who Jiggaboo Jones is. You know the rules of Craps and you know what bets you should make. But in what casino should you play Craps and how much should you bet each time? We are getting close to the source of the reversed house edge.
The casinos are of course aware of the fact that the four bets described above gives them a very little edge over the player, but they are still willing to give you a welcome bonus if you make a deposit on their site. Obviously they have made precautions. Some casinos don’t give bonuses at all if you are only playing Craps, other casinos require that you play other bets than the even money bets in order to get the bonus. You will also find some casinos with very high wagering requirements, or those casinos that gives you a rather short period in which you can meet the wagering requirements.
The online casino where you have the best chance of finding the Reversed House Edge while playing Craps is Roxy Palace. We recommend that you deposit €/£/$100 which will give you a bonus of €/£/$100. Start playing €/£/$10 at a time on the ‘don’t come bet’ or the ‘don’t pass bet’. Luck will not necessarily have been an important factor when you cash out.
