Online Craps

Main Advantages of Playing Craps Online

It’s possible that you might think that certain games don’t translate particularly well into a virtual medium; this is no doubt true for some activities, but not for craps. To be honest, the main advantages to playing craps online are the same as other casino-related games. 

First, there’s the convenience of playing live craps online. Instead of having to find a real-world casino that hosts games, you can sign up to any number of reputable gambling sites and play from the comfort of your sofa or chair.

Secondly, the biggest advantage to playing craps online is that it means you can use various online casino bonuses. Almost every gambling site offers a welcome promotion, usually as a deposit match. This means you could potentially have more money to bet with, if you play live craps online.

How to Play Craps

Craps can be considered a classic example of a game that’s easy to play but hard to master. This is in part due to the fact you’re using dice, so there’s always going to be a random element at work. However, it’s also due to the rules, and types of bets, which we’ll look at now.

Rules

The basic gist of live craps is that two dice are rolled, and bets are placed on the outcome. However, it becomes more complex quite quickly. Here’s how a typical game of live craps works:

1. Online craps, like real-world casino craps, uses a specific table layout, which presents the various number totals, combinations, and respective bets. Players place bets on the pass line, by placing their virtual chips on the table. 
2. The shooter ‘rolls’ the dice (i.e. clicks a button to roll, at which point a random number generator creates a dice roll with a total anywhere between 2 and 12).
3. Any players wagering on the Passline win if the roll totals 7 or 11, but lose if the total is 2, 3 or 12.
4. If the shooter rolls a point number (ie. 4,5,6,8,9 or 10), then they keep rolling until they get the same number (in which case it’s a win), or a 7 (which is a loss, and also known as ‘sevens out’).
5. However, if the shooter does roll the same number again, then gets to roll another come out, and the steps 2-4 repeat.

Since craps, at its most fundamental layer, involves betting on specific numbers, it’s possible to win or lose with each roll. However, it can also be as involved as making a bet, then waiting to see if the shooter rolls a particular point number. 

It’s possible to find craps online with different rules and bets, such as ‘hardways’. This refers to when both dice show the same number, so a hard 6 means the shooter rolled two 3s, hard 8 is two 4s, and so on.

There are multiple variations of craps that incorporate different bets, including hardway, field, big 6, and proposition bets, so it’s always worth checking which wagers are allowed before you play live craps online.

Terms

Every sport has its own unique vocabulary and craps is no different. Here’s a rundown of the main terms you’ll encounter when playing craps online.

Shooter: this is the person who rolls the dice. When playing craps online, although the dice are rolled virtually, you’re still referred to as the shooter since you’re the one playing.

Passline: one of the most common wager types, it means that what you bet is what you stand to win.

Don’t Passline: This the reverse of a passline, so bets are made against the dice rolls.

Come out: Also referred to as a ‘come out roll’, this is the first roll a shooter makes.

A natural: the name of a come out roll if it lands on a 7 or 11.

Craps: the name of the game itself applies to rolls that total 2,3 or 12.

Point number: Any other number if the come out is craps, ie. 4,5,6,8,9,10.

Craps, perhaps more than any other casino game, has a frankly insane litany of terms that you may or may not encounter. Often, they’re popular like ‘snake eyes’ (for two 1s) but just as easily known by a different name (eg. ‘two craps two’), or specific to playing in a particular state (two 5s is a hard 10, but in Pittsburgh it’s a ‘moose head’).

Odds

It might be unusual to think of a game that relies solely on dice rolls as having odds, but it does, and they can be affected by the house edge and type of bet.

To give an example, a popular bet to make when playing craps online is a hop. For instance, “4-2 hopping” means you’re betting that the dice land on a 4 and a 2. In this case, the odds are generally 30-1 and ‘hard’ hops and 15-1 on ‘easy’ hops. 

A hard hop also references hard numbers, as noted above (ie. hard 6, hard 8, etc). An easy hop means two different numbers (so “4-2 hopping” is an easy hop).

As another example, it’s possible to ‘Take the Odds’. This is unusual among casino games as it typically means there’s no house edge involved. The casino makes up for this by limiting wager amounts.

In any case, you’re wagering on a number before a 7 is rolled. The odds generally work out like this:

Roll a 4 or 10, odds are 2 – 1.

Roll a 5 or 9, odds are 3 – 2.

Roll a 6 or 8, odds are 6 – 5.

Variations of the game

As mentioned above, it’s possible to find different versions of craps online. Here are a few of the most common:

Ruse Craps: This removes the chance of losing by rolling a 2,3, or 12. It has perhaps the best odds out of all live craps.

High Point Craps: This ruleset makes it possible to win outright if you roll an 11 or 12, with come out rolls that result in a 2 or 3 being ignored so the shooter can roll again. 

Simplified Craps: As the name suggests, this version is perhaps the best for newcomers to live craps as the shooter only gets one roll of the dice.

Playing Live Craps in Online Casinos: Final Tips

There are plenty of casinos that let you play live craps online, so it’s really just a matter of familiarizing yourself with whichever rules they use, and whether or not it’s possible to spectate live craps games. That way, you can get a feel for the game before placing bets with real money.