Craps Rolling Techniques

• Craps Dice Rolling Techniques
• Craps Rolling Techniques

Big Fish Casino now includes a real-time social Craps game! Big Fish Casino is the first digital casino to offer synchronous play in a mobile Craps game, a feature many experienced digital casino players have been anticipating and the most requested game by Big Fish Casino players.

Manipulating the roll of the dice (Dice Control or Dice Setting) is one of the most common methods for cheating in Craps. Holding the dice in a particular grip or throwing it in a certain manner lets players can gain a crucial edge over the house and other players at the table.

Craps Bets with a Low House Edge. There are five bets with a shallow house edge in craps. These are: Pass and Don’t Pass. Pass and Don’t Pass are the most straightforward bets in craps. You make this bet before the shooter rolls the dice. Both of these bets pay 1:1. A Pass Line bet wins if the come out roll is 7 or 11. In craps, there is a 1 in 6 chance of rolling a 7 on the dice, or a 16.67% probability. The game uses two dice, which means there are 36 possible outcomes. Out of that 36, there are six different ways the dice could land on 7.

Whether you use this document as a reference when things get difficult or as a road map to get you from beginning to end, we’re pretty sure you’ll find what you’re looking for here.

We hope you find this information useful as you play your way through the game. Use the menu below to quickly jump to whatever stage of the game you need help with. Remember to visit the Big Fish Games Forums if you need more game help, or for technical trouble shooting on your iOS device, please see our FAQ.

Walkthrough Menu

Getting Started

• The game of Craps is centered on the outcome of rolling a pair of dice.
• Choose the Craps logo (A) in the lobby of the Big Fish Casino app, and then select the room of your choice (B). The minimum bet for each room is clearly stated (yellow) for each room.

• Players take turns rolling the dice. The person throwing the dice is called the ‘shooter.’ The shooter on the board is the person with the dice (C) next to their avatar.
• The color of the chip next to your avatar (D) will appear on the board once you’ve placed a bet.
• Each round has two phases: the Come Out Roll and the Point. When the puck on the table is ‘Off’ (E), it means that ‘no Point’ has been established.

• At the beginning of the round, players will place a bet on the Pass line (F) or the Don’t Pass line (G). The shooter will then roll the dice; this is called the Come Out Roll. If the Come Out Roll lands on 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, then a Point (the second phase) will be established and a Puck with the ‘On’ side (H) will appear on the table next to the number that was rolled.
• If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12, then the round is over and you lose your bet on the Pass line, but win if you bet on the Don’t Pass line. If the Come Out Roll is a 7 or 11, this is called a ‘Natural Win’. Players on the Pass line win and the ones on the Don’t Pass line lose.
• If you do not want to bet on the Pass and Don’t Pass lines, you can make bets that don’t require you to wait for a new round to begin. You can read more about these types of bets in the sections below (Come/Don’t Come/Field/Proposition bets).

General Tips

• The odds on each bet are shown at the time you place your bet. If the odds state 30 to 1 (I), it means that if you bet $100 and win, you will earn $3, 000. If the odds are 1:1 (J) on a $100 bet and you win, you’ll earn $100. If you’re a winner, you’ll see a sign like this (K) pop-up; it breaks down your exact winnings for that round.
• You can bet on several places on the table at a time, you’re not limited to one type of bet per round.
• The checkmark next to the player’s avatar (L) symbolizes that the player pressed Ready (M).
• There are 4 stages to the dice animations (N) to represent how ‘Hot’ a shooter is. They go from nothing, to glowing, to sparks, to flames, to red flames. It takes: 2, 4, 8, and 16 rolls respectively. If you crap out, the dice effect is removed immediately and in most all cases the dice are passed to the next shooter. The effect is updated at the end of a roll. So, if you have the dice and you’ve already rolled once. The next time you roll, assuming you don’t crap out, after the dice finish animating, they will begin to glow.

Pass and Don’t Pass

Pass

• The Pass line (O) is for players who are betting with the shooter (on the shooter’s side). You’re betting that the shooter is going to make a pass.
• If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the Come Out Roll (the first roll) everyone on the Pass line wins. If the Come Out Roll is 2, 3, or 12 (Craps), everyone on the Pass line loses.
• The point numbers on the table are: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. If the shooter rolls one of the point numbers, the point will be established. For this example we’ll use the number 5, so let’s say that the shooter threw a 5 on their first roll. The puck with the ‘On’ side (P) will be placed on the table above the 5. The shooter must roll another 5 before they roll a 7 for everyone on the Pass line to win. If the player rolls a 7 before they roll the next 5, then everyone on the Pass line loses and the dice goes to the next shooter (clockwise) at the table.
• You can’t remove your Pass line bet after the shooter has a Point.

Don’t Pass

• The Don’t Pass line (Q) is the opposite of the Pass line. Players are betting for the shooter to lose; this is not usually a popular bet.
• When you bet on the Don’t Pass line, you are betting that the shooter will not win. You win on this line if the shooter rolls a 2 or a 3 on the first throw. You lose your bet on this line if the shooter throws a 7 or an 11 on the first roll.
• If the shooter rolls a 12, then it will result in a push.
• You can’t bet on the Don’t Pass line after the shooter has a Point.

Come and Don’t Come

Come

• When you place a bet on the Come line (R), your chip will go onto the next number that rolls. For example, if you place a chip on the Come line and the next number that rolls is a 9, your chip will automatically go from the Come line to the 9 (S). The chip will stay there until the player rolls a 7 or a 9.
• On the Come line you lose on a 2, 3, or 12, and win on a 7 or 11. Once you bet on the Come line and you also have a bet on the Pass line, you will lose if a 7 is rolled once the Point has been established. In this example, the Point established was the 9. Come bets lose on a winning 7.

Don’t Come

• On the Don’t Come line (T), you lose on a 7 or 11, win on a 2 or 3, and push on a 12.
• The Don’t Come bet can be made at any point in the game. Place your bet on the Don’t Come area to begin.
• The first roll after a Don’t Come bet has been placed, determines the point. You are betting that the 7 will be rolled before your point. In other words, you are wagering against the shooter rolling the Point number or tossing what is called a ‘Seven-out.’

Placing the Odds

• Pass Line odds: If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is thrown on the Come Out Roll (i.e., if a Point is established), most casinos allow pass line players to take odds by placing up to some predetermined multiple of the Pass line bet, behind the Pass line. This additional bet wins if the Point is rolled again before a 7 is rolled (the Point is made) and pays at the true odds.
• Don’t Pass odds: If a player is playing Don’t Pass instead of Pass, they may also lay odds, meaning they are betting that a 7 comes before the Point is rolled. Like the Pass Line, these bets are paid at true odds.
• Come and Don’t Come Odds: Odds bets can be made on the Come and Don’t Come bets as well and follows the same rules as the Pass and Don’t Pass odds.

Place, Buy, and Lay Bets

Place Bets

• Place bets (X) can be made on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. When you make a Place bet, you are betting that a particular number will be rolled before the 7 is rolled.
• These bets are considered working bets, and will continue to be paid out each time a shooter rolls the place Point number.
• Place bets are NOT working on the Come Out Roll. You can also remove, increase, or reduce Place bets at any time (unlike Come bets).

Buy Bets

• Buy bets (Y) function in the same way as place bets with one exception. Buy bets are paid at true odds, but a 5% commission is charged on the amount of the bet. Like Place bets, Buy bets are considered working bets, and will continue to be paid out each time a shooter rolls the Buy point number.
• Buy bets are NOT working on the Come Out Roll and you can also remove, increase, or reduce Buy bets at any time (unlike Come bets).

Lay Bets

• If you want to bet against a number coming up, you can lay the odds and hope a seven rolls and you win before the number rolls and you lose. Again, you will pay a 5 percent commission every time you win.
• Lay bets (Z) are NOT working on the Come Out Roll and you can also remove, increase, or reduce Lay bets at any time (unlike Come bets).

One-Roll Bets or Proposition Bets

• The Proposition area (one-roll bets) is the section of the table in which you will be betting on one specific roll of the dice. The odds of winning on this area of the table vary; check each combination to view the odds. In order to win in this area, the numbers have to appear exactly as shown, no other combinations will win. You can view all combinations here (A).
• The Field (B) is the section for one-roll bets in which you bet that one of seven numbers will occur (2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, 12) on the next roll of the dice. You don’t have to place your bet on any specific number, just place it on the Field. If one of those numbers comes up, you win, if it doesn’t, you lose.
• If you bet on the area marked Any Craps (C), you’ll win if the rolled number is 2, 3, or 12.
• Seven (D): you win in this section if the next number rolled is any combination of the dice that adds up to seven (4 and 3, 2 and 5, 6 and 1).
• C and E (E) on the table stand for Craps and Eleven (Yo). This is what’s called a combination bet. You are betting that the shooter will roll Any Craps (2, 3, 12) and 11. If any of those numbers come out, you will win.

Multi-Roll Bets

Hard Way Bets

• A hard way bet (F) is when both dice turn up with the same number. The numbers to choose from are 4, 6, 8 or 10. The player loses if the shooter rolls a 7 or any combination of the chosen number that isn’t a double.
• If you place a bet on hard 6, you lose if the dice show 4 and 2 or 5 and 1. You will also lose if the dice show any combination that makes 7. The only way you win is if the dice show 3 and 3.

Big 6 and Big 8 Bets

• The Big 6 bet (G) is a wager that the 6 will be rolled before the 7 will. If any other number is rolled it does not affect the result and the dice are rolled again.
• Consequently, the Big 8 bet (H) is a wager that the 8 will be rolled before the 7 is.
• These two bets could be made at any stage of the game, including on the Come Out Roll.

Craps Lingo

• It can be confusing when players are throwing out terms you may not be familiar with. Please read below to see what some of the most common terms mean.
• Select the box (A) on the top for your keyboard to appear. Type a message for your fellow players and hit Send.
• Ace/Deuce: 1 and a 2.
• Any Craps: A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12.
• Any Seven: A bet that the next roll will be 7.
• Ballerina special: Two twos.
• Bones/Cubes/Boxes: Dice.
• Boxcars/Midnight: Two 6s.
• Center Field: 9.
• Cold Dice: used to describe the table when no one is making their point.
• Craps: 2, 3, or 12.
• Hot Dice or Hot Table: when players are winning or a player is rolling a lot of numbers.
• Jesse James: 9.
• Jimmy Hicks: 6.
• Lay Bet: betting that a 7 will be rolled before the Point.
• Little Joe, or Little Joe from Kokomo: 4, rolled as 1 and a 3.
• Natural Win: the Come Out Roll is 7 or 11.
• Point: the number that appears on the Come Out Roll.
• Puppy Paws: Two 5s or commonly known as Hard 10 or 10, the hard way.
• Right Bettor: A player with a bet on the Pass line.
• Seven-out: shooter rolls a 7 on a roll after the Come Out Roll.
• Skate and Donate: 8.
• Skinny Dugan: A loser 7.
• Snake Eyes/Rat’s Eyes: Two 1s.
• Wrong Bettor: A player betting against the shooter.
• Yo or Yo-leven, C and C-craps: 11.

For years, my favorite casino game was roulette, but then I went through a blackjack phase. Both games were fun, but I’ve left them behind in favor of my favorite casino game of all time – craps.

The game of craps doesn’t offer the best odds in the casino. That distinction belongs to blackjack (with video poker getting an honorable mention.)

Craps doesn’t have game-play decisions which challenge your mind, either. You also can’t win huge jackpots in a craps game.

What makes craps so special?

It’s the levels of excitement in the game.

If you want to improve in craps, here are seven tips that should take your game of dice to the next level.

1 – Stick With the Best Bets at the Craps Table

Craps has more bets available than most other games. And unlike many casino games, the house edge for those bets varies widely.

The house edge is just a way of measuring how much of an advantage the casino has over the player. The higher the house edge is, the more money you’ll lose on average over time.

The house edge for the most popular and easiest bet to play at the craps table is 1.41%, and that’s for the pass line bet.

The come bet works almost just like the pass line bet, and it also has a low 1.41% edge.

Wrong bettors – players who bet against the shooter – have slightly better odds. The house edge for the don’t pass and don’t come bets is 1.36%, which is marginally better.

Those are the four best bets at the table:

1. Pass
2. Don’t pass
3. Come
4. Don’t come

The other bet you must know about is the odds bet. This is the best bet in the casino because it has no edge. It’s a break-even bet in the long run because the odds bet pays off at the same odds as you have of winning it.

To place an odds bet (or take an odds bet, if you’re a wrong bettor), the shooter must first make a point. You place your odds bet in addition to the pass or don’t pass bet that you already have in action.

I won’t go into a lot of details about how those bets work. You can find other pages on the site that explain how craps works in detail.

Just know for now that those are the bets you want to stick with.

Craps Dice Rolling Techniques

2 – Avoid the Worst Bets at the Craps Table

Craps Rolling Techniques

In some games, like roulette, all the bets at the table have the same edge. It doesn’t matter if you bet on red or black or on a single number, the house’s advantage is the same.

But in craps, some bets are much worse than others.

I recommend staying away from all the bets besides the ones in the previous bullet points, but if you are going to branch out, at least stay away from the bets that the stickman is trying to convince you to place.

In many cases, the house edge on those bets is well into the double digits. You’d almost be better off playing keno than placing those bets.

These bets are called the “proposition bets,” and they’re all terrible. Most of the time, they’re one-roll bets, which means they’re resolved based on the outcome of the next roll of the dice.

For your own good, just skip those bets.

3 – Try to Keep Your Head

Craps is an exciting game that stimulates a lot of action, and it’s easy to wind up with a lot of action on the table at any time. You can also see huge winning streaks when a shooter gets hot.

The downside to this streakiness is that you can also see all those bets washed away with a single roll of the dice.

A lot of craps gamblers like to place a new bet every time the dice are rolled. Others like to have multiple numbers working at a given time, but they limit themselves to having three or four numbers working at once.

My favorite technique, though, and the one I recommend to you, is this:

• Bet the pass line every time there’s a new come-out roll.
• Place the odds bet when the shooter sets a point.
• Wait until that series of rolls is completed before placing any additional bets.

Think of the house edge in a casino as being similar to compound interest. The more money you save in a bank account, the faster it grows.

Only the house edge in the casino is like compound interest in reverse. The more money you put into action, the more you lose – and faster.

It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement and put too much money into action.

Keep your head, though, and keep your action reasonable even when it seems like you can’t lose.

4 – Don’t Bother With Foolish Betting Systems

Betting systems aren’t as popular in craps as in games like roulette, but they do get used sometimes.

What’s a betting system?

It’s a set of rules for raising and lowering the size of your bets based on what happened on your previous bets.

The classic example is the Martingale System, which is used on even-money bets. The idea with the Martingale is that you double the size of your bet after a losing bet. Eventually, with the bigger bets, you’ll win back what you’ve lost along with a profit.

The problem with these betting systems is that they don’t really change the math behind the game. The house still has a 1.41% edge, regardless of whether you bet $5, $10, or $20.

It can be fun to use some kind of betting system, and if it makes the game more interesting, indulge yourself.

Just don’t make the mistake of thinking that any betting system can overcome the house edge in the long run.

5 – Don’t Worry About “Rhythmic Rolling” or “Dice Control”

You’ll see people selling books and videos about how to control the dice, or set the dice, or how to roll the dice “rhythmically.”

You should save your money, and here’s why:

If such techniques really worked, the casino would institute countermeasures to stop them. Most casinos are comfortable with their existing countermeasures, which should tell you something right there.

Even if it were a possibility, most people aren’t talented enough to pull it off. And sometimes it doesn’t matter how much you practice. If you lack the talent for something, you just can’t make it happen.

Imagine being 5’1” and hoping to play professional basketball?

I don’t care how much you practice, your odds of succeeding in that quest are slim to none.

Most people just aren’t dedicated enough to pull that off, but even if you are – even if you’re willing to build a craps table in your basement and practice for 10,000 hours – there’s no guarantee that you’ll succeed.

You’re better off learning to count cards in blackjack.

Or try poker.

Stick with craps for recreational play and look for other advantage play opportunities.

6 – Use Sound Money Management Techniques

You’ll see varying opinions about money management techniques in gambling. I’m a believer in money management, but not from the perspective that it will improve your odds of winning money. No amount of money management can help you with that.

But the principles behind money management are crucial for craps players. Yes, you should have a bankroll set aside specifically for playing craps.

You should have a clear goal for how much money you hope to win during a session.

You should also have a limit to how much you’re willing to lose when playing.

That might sound like common sense, but why is it so uncommon?

7 – Don’t Forget to Join the Player’s Club

Some people think that the player’s club is just for slots players. They don’t realize that your player’s club should also be used at the table games, too.

All you have to do is present your card to the dealer, and he’ll make a note of how much you’re betting and how many bets per hour you’re placing.

Your card will be credited accordingly, and you’ll get the comps that you’ve earned this way.

Conclusion

Those are my seven best tips for improving your craps game, but maybe I left something out? Or maybe you disagree with one of these tips?

If so, let’s talk about it. Leave a comment with your suggestions about how to win more often shooting dice.