Pass Line Bet
You must place your bet on the pass line before a new shooter begins his roll or after a shooter makes his point. This craps bet must meet the table minimum. You win if the shooter makes a 7 or 11 on the come out roll. You lose if the shooter rolls one of the “craps numbers,” i.e. 2,3, or 12. If you’re the shooter, you get to keep rolling after a craps number comes up, but you lose your bet.
Don’t Pass Line Bet in Online Craps
The craps don’t pass line bet is made when you wish to lay a wager that the shooter in a craps game will lose. This bet must be made before the shooter’s first roll. The rules are opposite to the pass line bet: if the shooter makes 7 or 11 on the come out roll, you lose, and if he rolls a craps number, you win. You should be aware that these craps bets wouldn’t make you very popular. This is basic superstition and you won’t find it in any official craps guide, but “don’t” bettors are thought to bring long periods of bad luck to the table.
Come/Don’t Come
The craps guide will tell you that these are the same as pass/don’t pass, except that they are placed on rolls other than the come-out. You bet by placing your chip in the area marked “come,” and if for example 5 is established as the point on the come-out, you win if the next number rolled is 7 or 11. The come bet loses if a craps number comes up on the next roll.
Single Roll Bets
These include “Snake Eyes,” if the shooter rolls a 2, “Ace-Deuce” for a 3 and “Yo” for an 11. There’s also “Boxcars,” “Midnight” or “Cornrows” when the shooter rolls a 12. Then there’s “Hi-Lo,” which wins if the shooter rolls a 2 or a 12. “Any Craps” wins if the shooter rolls 2, 3 or 12. These are also known as proposition or service bets, and only the stickman or dealer can place them for players.
Big Six and Big Eight
These are bets that a 6 or an 8 will be rolled before a 7. They offer terrible odds: a 9.1% house edge, and should be avoided as much as possible. Even worse crap bets are available – for example “Hard 4” and “Hard 10,” which both offer a house edge of 11%. Although these odds look pretty bleak, single roll bets are even worse, giving the house a 13.9% advantage.
Casino and Online Craps Etiquette
Never throw your wager at the dealer: set it down on the table and clearly state the wager. Don’t fiddle around with the dice before your throw, and don’t throw it too hard. Do not throw it into the dealers’ working stacks, or into the mirror on the players’ side of the table. Finally, do not use two hands, and never try to conceal or take the dice beyond the edge of the table.