Trying to get your head around this game can be tricky, especially if you follow a description that isn’t particularly clear! The best way to start thinking about this unique game is in two parts: the initial ‘qualifying’ part, and the main part of the game, both of which make up a single round.
Traditional craps that are played at a land-based casino can involve up to 20 players at a time, with players taking turns to be the shooter – that is, the one who throws the dice – until their turn is over, while the other non-shooting players can place bets based on what they think the shooter will or won’t shoot.
Online craps vary slightly from the land-based casino game in that you are always the shooter since it’s a one-player game (except in live dealer craps).
Before we get into what a round of online craps looks like, let’s take a look at the craps table itself, as well as the various bets that you can choose from and when they are available.
An online craps table typically consists of a green felted area that features a grid containing various dice combinations, usually to one side, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 along the top, a Pass Line along the bottom that extends around to one side, a Don’t Pass section that’s just above the Pass Line, a Field rectangle above that, a Come rectangle above that, and a smaller Don’t Come square above that to the left of the numbers along the top.
Also visible on online craps tables is the puck or button, which has an On and an Off-side. This is used to indicate what stage of the round is active and which number is the Point (we’ll define this later).
Sounds complicated, right? It’s at this stage, having looked at the table, that most people decide this game isn’t for them! However, stick with it and you’ll see that online craps is actually pretty straight forward once you know the rules.
Central to the game is the pair of dice that are used to determine the outcomes that you can bet on, which we’ll look at in a bit more detail next.
Each section of the table represents a different bet that you can make during gameplay, though it’s important to note that not all bets are available all the time, since there are two parts to a round of craps, each with its own collection of bets.
To help you understand this, let’s look at the different bets as they apply to each part of the game.
Initial ‘qualifying’ bets (active when button/puck is Off):
Main game bets (active when button/puck is On):
If you’re keen to learn some tips for potentially boosting your chances of winning, you’ll be pleased to know that there are a few things you can try. Although the game is all about dice outcomes, which are pretty much impossible to predict (and even more so when it comes to the RNG determined outcomes of online craps games), you can still get a bit of an edge by choosing your bets wisely and maybe trying a strategy or two.
Check out a few online craps strategies and tips below.
The best online craps strategy when you’re just starting out is to stick with a simple bet that you can follow and that is the Pass Line bet. Place a chip on this area of the table during the qualifying stage and if you roll a 7 or 11, you win. This bet has a low house edge, making it perfect for introductory play.
While the Don’t Pass bet effectively reverses the rule for Pass Line bets, with a 2, 3 or 12 resulting in a win at the qualifying stage of the round, the Don’t Come bet allows you to carry that strategy through to the main stage too, betting that the point won’t be rolled. If a 12 comes up, your bet is a push and you get it back.
Involving the Place bets, the idea here is to use winnings to keep winning, with minimal bankroll investment. Players will choose the Place bet on a specific number, and if it wins, they will double their bet on it using the winnings and a small input from their bankroll as necessary. The strategy calls for this action until you win four times in a row, then you take your profits. Obviously, the odds against rolling the same number four times in a row are pretty high, but you might have fun trying this strategy all the same.
This progression strategy involves the Place numbers of 6 and 8, as the name suggests. Players will choose the Place bet on 6 and 8 and if either comes up, they take their profits. If neither come up, they double their stake for the next roll. Why 6 and 8? These are statistically the most commonly rolled numbers after 7.