Craps Games - Types of Craps Games

There are some variations to be found in craps games, even though they all follow the same basic rules.

How to Play Basic Casino Craps

In basic craps games, you would place your bet, and the casino bank "covers" the bet. The game is run by four people. One of these is the boxman. The boxman sits behind the center of the craps table, and is the "boss". The boxman is constantly vigilant and watches over the whole game. There are two dealers. The dealers both pay the winners, and take in the losers' chips. There can be a large number of people playing in each craps game, so the dealers each deal for their own half of the table. On the players side of the table, in the center, stands the stickman. Once all the bets have been placed on the craps table, the stickman will push a few sets of dice to the shooter (the player that the stickman has selected to go first).

The shooter rolls a pair of dice, which should hit the wall on the opposite end. The numbers on the two dice are added together. The best initial roll you can throw is a seven, or an eleven. If you roll a seven or eleven, this is called a "natural", and you have doubled the value of the bet that you placed on the pass line.

Craps Games Found Outside of Casinos

Street Craps

The game is played in a similar way to land-based casino craps games. The main difference is that the casino is not the bank, and does not cover the bets. You may find that this game is sometimes played in a casino, but usually, it will be played in private gaming rooms, or "on the street", hence the name "street craps".

In this game, the players cover each others bets. This is called "fading" - the players fade each other. A bet is only accepted when someone else who is also playing the game fades the bet. It could be two or three people, or even all the other players, who will get together to fade the bet. If the shooter wins, he will take home all the money, and if he loses, he will lose the bet that he placed, which will go to, or be divided amongst, the player/s who faded or covered his bet. In many places, this game is illegal.

Open Craps Games

This is an illegal version of craps, with very high stakes. These craps games are usually found in private gaming locations. All bets are made in cash, and the stakes are extremely high. They usually exceed the house limits which are found in legal casinos.

The craps tables used in illegal versions of craps have more simple layouts than the craps tables found in real casinos.

Online Craps Games

While similar to land-based craps games, it is easier to play because the program will do most of the work for you.