Top Tips for Playing Craps

Craps is one of the most popular games in the casino for several reasons. It’s a relatively simple game, it’s a lot of fun, and it’s possible to keep the house edge very low if you make the right bets. As a game of chance, there’s no real strategy involved, although you can decide on the level of risk you want to take and this does affect your chances of winning.

We have provided some tips below that will show you how to get the most out of playing craps. They include some advice on how to behave when playing in a live casino, which is useful as there’s a certain etiquette expected at the craps table. These tips are targeted primarily at beginners to the game, but there’s plenty of useful advice for more experienced players too.

1. Focus on the Fun

This is perhaps the most important craps tip we can offer. Craps can be a very enjoyable game, win or lose, providing you view it primarily as a form of entertainment. There’s nothing at all wrong with wanting to win, and of course you will, but you have to be prepared to lose too.

Once you have exchanged your cash for chips, or made a deposit at an online casino, you should consider that money spent. You will then really appreciate it if you do win. On the other hand, if you hit the tables expecting to win, then there’s a good possibility that you’ll leave disappointed.

If you focus on the fun and only play with money you can afford to lose, then you should have a positive experience regardless of the results. Obviously you’ll enjoy it more when you win, but you can still have fun when you lose if you have the right mindset.

2. Use Online Casinos to Learn the Game

The basic rules of craps are quite straightforward, but the game is complicated somewhat by all the different types of bets available. Although it’s not particularly difficult to learn how to play, a busy craps table can be somewhat intimidating if you don’t really know what you are doing.

The best way to learn craps if you’re new to the game is to use an online casino. You can then pick everything up as you go along, from the comfort of your own home. You won’t have to worry about annoying people if you make a mistake or take a long time to make a decision. Once you’re familiar with how everything works, you can then play in a live casino with confidence.

There are a few other advantages to playing online too. You can play whenever you want for one thing, and the game is much quicker. Most online casinos provide a play for free option, which is great for learning the game, and they generally offer valuable bonuses and rewards for depositing and playing with real money.

3. Familiarize Yourself With the Different Bets

You can easily enjoy craps just by sticking to the simple bets, so it isn’t by any means essential to learn all the betting options in the game. However, we suggest that it’s a good idea to do so. By familiarizing yourself with all the different wagers available you can make a more informed judgment about which ones you want to use.

4. Choose an Approach That Suits You

Craps is a game of pure chance, which means the strategy involved is very limited. There’s nothing you can do to affect the outcome of the roll of a dice, so you are basically just relying on luck. You can, however, decide how you approach the game in terms of the risks you are prepared to take. This will affect how likely you are to win and how much you can win.

Conventional advice is that you should take a low risk approach and only play the bets that have a very low house edge. This makes a lot of sense, as you are maximizing your chances of winning this way. Pass line bets, don’t pass bets, come bets, don’t come bets, and odds bets are the best bets to place when using this approach.

Despite the conventional advice, we don’t believe there’s anything wrong with taking a high risk approach if that’s what you prefer. Placing bets which have a high house edge, such as the proposition bets, might not be widely considered a good way to go, but it can make things more exciting. It can work out very well if you happen to have luck on your side while playing.

As long as you’re aware of the risks involved and are playing with money you can afford to lose, there’s no right or wrong way to play in our opinion. Playing it safe is certainly the most sensible approach, but you shouldn’t be afraid to take bigger risks in exchange for potentially bigger payouts if you want to.

5. Learn the Possible Dice Combinations

Another thing you should learn before playing craps is the chances of each value being rolled. There are two dice being rolled, which means some values are more likely than others. This is because some values have more possible combinations than others.

The only way to make a two, for example, is for both dice to land on one. A three can be made with a one on the first die and a two on the second die, or a two on the first die and a one on the second die.

You need to know the chances of each value being rolled as this affects the chances of any particular bet winning. For example, you are more likely to win a bet on six being rolled than you are to win a bet on two being rolled.  The following table shows the total number of possible combinations for each value, and the chance of that value being rolled.

6. Keep Your Discipline

This tip applies to any game in the casino and it’s one you should follow regardless of whether you are winning or losing. Craps can be a lot of fun, which is a good thing, but it’s all too easy to get carried away and start betting like crazy. You really need to try and stay in control otherwise you might lose all of your bankroll and not have any fun at  all.

First of all, you should never chase your losses when things aren’t going your way. It might be very tempting to increase your stakes in the hope that your luck will turn around soon, but you are just as likely to increase your losses as you are to make a recovery. It’s much better to just accept your loss, and either reduce your stakes or walk away.

It can also be tempting to go after big wins during a losing streak and start placing wagers which have bigger payouts. While such wagers don’t have to be ignored completely, placing them purely because you’re trying to recover losses is a horrible strategy.

Keeping your discipline is just as important when you’re winning too. When luck is on your side, it can feel like you are unbeatable, but no winning streak lasts forever. If you increase your stakes, or start placing higher risk wagers, you might end up giving back everything you’ve won. That, in turn, can lead to taking even more risks to try and get those winnings back.

Basically you should always try and keep your stakes at a level you are comfortable with, and try to avoid taking big risks just for the sake of it. If you are having a bad run, then consider walking away and keeping some of your bankroll intact for another time. If you are having a good run, then make sure you hang on to some of your winnings.

7. Take Full Advantage of Bonuses and Comps

Whether you are playing craps online or in a live casino, you should always try and take advantage of any extra value you may be entitled to. Online you’ll have the opportunity to claim bonuses on some of your deposits, and you may be able to earn additional rewards based on your play. In most live casinos you will be able to earn “comps” based on the time and money you spend at the craps table.

This extra value is just what you need after a bad session of losing money, and even if you win you’ll still appreciate the extra boost to your funds. It’s well worth finding out what you may be entitled to, and making sure you claim it.

8. Learn Proper Table Etiquette

When playing craps in a live casino there are certain things you are expected to do, and some things you should never do. If you want to avoid being unpopular at the table it’s a good idea to learn how to behave in the “correct” manner. The following points are all established as good craps etiquette.

  • Place your chips on the table, don’t toss them. The exception is proposition bets.
  • When placing proposition bets, toss your chips in the center of the table and ask the stickman to place them on your chosen bet(s).
  • Use the highest denomination chips you can. For example, use a $100 chip rather than four $25 chips.
  • Keep your hands away from the table while the dice are being rolled.
  • When you are the shooter, don’t take too long to roll the dice.
  • It’s good to tip the dealers, or place bets on their behalf, when winning.
  • If you are betting on the don’t pass or don’t come, don’t celebrate when you win. Most players will be playing the opposite bets.
  • Craps is a social game, so try and join in. Cheer at the appropriate points, and congratulate the shooter after a good roll.
  • It’s considered bad luck to say the word “seven” following a come out roll.
  • It’s considered bad luck to change dice during a roll.
  • It’s considered bad luck for a shooter to leave the table following a successful come out roll.
  • Remember to “color up” when leaving the table (exchange your small denomination chips for larger ones).

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