PokerNews Ultimate Craps Guide

October 31, 2023

Craps is one of the most intriguing of casino games - often seen in a live casino, but sometimes never played online. It's time to change that right now with the PokerNews Guide to Craps!

We'll take you inside this classic dice game, to give you the lowdown on the rules, odds, and the best strategy to try out. We'll also point you in the direction of our recommended online casinos where you can play real money craps, and practice what you've learned.

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What is Craps?

Craps is one of the casino games with a long, and storied history. games with dice have been played for centuries, with most of the games that we'd recognise in some form, originating in Europe in the Middle Ages. After several developments of these games since then, French Aristocrats imported a version called 'crebs', to American society in the 18th century, and it was this game that spread across the United States of America, through much of the 19th and 20th centuries, eventually translating into the game of craps which is played today.

Modern-day craps can put off some casino players, due to a perception that it is overly-complex. many players look at a craps table and decide it must be a difficult game to learn, but as you'll see, this is far from the case, and once you've mastered the basics, craps is an engaging and thrilling casino game to play - online as well as in a casino.

How to Play Craps

Playing craps, whether online or in a live casino, largely comes down to the rolls of the dice and the bets you can make on the craps table. This is also where the layout of the table becomes important, so knowing what each of the symbols means is critical to understanding the game of craps.

When throwing the dice in craps, there are three outcomes to note:

• The Natural: A 7 or 11 is rolled - you win and get to throw again.
• Craps or 'Crapping Out': You roll a 2 ('Snake Eyes'), 3, or 12. You lose, but the round isn't over, and you roll again.
• The Point: You roll a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, and the dealer marks your Point (the number you rolled). You roll again and must match the same number to win.

When it comes to betting, the craps table layout comes into play. You have a few options on the table for your bets, including the 'Pass' and 'Don't Pass' bets which is where a bet is placed on either the 'Pass' or 'Don't Pass' lines on the craps table. The Pass Line means that you're betting that the 'shooter' (person throwing the dice) will roll a Natural, whereas 'Don't Pass' indicates betting on the opposite scenario.

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How to Win at Craps

Once you've learned about the different bets to play, make sure that an online casino says which bets are allowed for their craps games (not all online casinos will offer every possible craps bet). You can also look into different strategies for playing craps, to try out a way of betting that worked for you. You might find that the craps strategy you have learned may not be possible, so know all the rules up front, as well as the odds and payouts for specific bets before you decide on the best online casino to play with.

When researching where to play craps, make sure you look for the payout percentage offered by the casino for a game of craps. This determines how much of a wager you will get back once the casino has taken their profit. You can usually see this information listed with the game details, so look for casinos that offer the highest percentage.

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Play Online Craps

Just like Blackjack, Roulette and other casino games, the online version of craps uses your screen to simulate playing craps on a real table. Throwing the dice is done with either a mouse click or swipe of the hand, and betting options are usually down by clicking various buttons to represent the different options available (sometimes a drag-and-drop function exists to move bets onto different parts of the craps table).

There are probably fewer variations of online craps than there are for games like blackjack and roulette, but most casinos offer a decent version to play within their table game category.

Best Sites to Play Online Craps for Real Money

Luckily, most (if not all) of the online casinos we recommend from our casino reviews offer craps in one form or another. We've listed some of the top online casinos below, but you should read our full guide to find the best real money casinos to play craps as well.

All these casinos are licensed and regulated in the regions they operate in, so it goes without saying - please ensure any casino you choose to spend money with is a legit casino, is fully licensed, and has the necessary security measures in place to protect you and your money.

Read our Full Guide About Real Money Craps >

Play Live Dealer Craps

The live dealer version of craps works in much the same way as the pure online craps game, the main difference being the presence of an actual dealer to administer bets and oversee the table. This can be a good option if you're a fan of playing casino game in a real casino, but like the convenience of the online setting.

Once you join a game, you may find that you become the shooter for the next round as the newest player. Depending on the results of the rolls, you can remain as the shooter for several rounds.

To place a bet you can click on the 'virtual' table and place your chips on the appropriate part, as with all players in the game. The dice are then rolled automatically for you - so it's just down to luck!

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Best Sites for Live Dealer Craps

Most of the online casinos we review and list on our pages have live dealer craps available in some form, although there is less variety than you'll find for roulette, blackjack, and video poker. You can find our preferred online casinos for playing craps with a live dealer below:

Craps FAQs

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