Craps is a casino classic because it might be the most social of all the table games. The game is highly interactive and caters to multiple players simultaneously, enhancing the excitement.
When playing online casino games, the entertainment can be just as good as it is at any brick-and-mortar casino. The beauty of playing craps at BetMGM Casino is that you can have that experience anytime, in any of the four states where BetMGM Casino is active: Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and West Virginia.
This article will serve as a guide to online dice games, focusing on craps. You will gain a good grasp of the game and an in-depth understanding of the rules.
Basics of Craps
What is craps? If you’ve never played craps before, all the commotion from a crowd at the table, along with all the chips and the pace of the game can make it look intimidating. However, the game mechanics themselves are quite simple. You could even pick up a dice set for craps home games to practice.
With craps, what you’re essentially doing is trying to predict the result of a dice throw or the outcomes of multiple rolls in some cases. You win by betting on the right number(s) corresponding to what the dice show. This happens in two distinct phases: the come-out roll and the point phase.
Craps also has unique lingo and a variety of betting options. Millions of people have learned the jargon and become familiar with the wagering options, so you shouldn’t feel that you can’t pick these things up, too.
Understanding the Lingo
While you might find some regional differences, much of the craps lingo you need to know is pretty standard.
Some examples include calling the dice or table “cold” when several consecutive shooters have missed their points, and “seven out,” which refers to a shooter rolling a seven before the point. Crapping out is a term that means when a player loses, and the dice pass to the next shooter because they rolled craps. In some variants of the game, though, that isn’t a concern.
You may also hear about craps etiquette, which can be quite particular, as some players rely on etiquette to fuel their superstitions about the game. These rituals have their own lingo, like “hands high” for taking your hands off the table during a roll.
Crapless Craps vs Craps
What is craps without the craps? Well, still craps, just craps-less. In this variant, rolling a two, three, or a 12 is not rolling craps. Because there is no craps, you can’t lose on the Come Out roll. Rather, two, three, or 12 simply become point numbers.
Another twist is that the 11 is no longer an automatic win on the Come Out either, but is instead a point number. In crapless craps, only a seven produces that result on the Come Out.
Playing crapless craps can be a fun way to change things up if playing the standard game has gotten a little boring.
How To Play Craps
Craps asks players to do two things: place their wagers on the result of a roll or rolls of the dice and take their turns as the shooter, or to wager on the result of the person who throws the dice. Most of the time, you won’t begin a game as the shooter unless you’re among the first people to start a game.
Before the dice are rolled, you have an opportunity to place a number of bets. For example, if you want to place a Pass or Don’t Pass bet, this is the time to do so.
Once all the bets are in, the shooter will roll the come-out roll. If the player wins, they continue as the shooter. If they lose, the round ends.
With each round’s end, the dice pass to the next player, who becomes the new shooter. This creates another opportunity to place bets. While there are other ways to bet on craps that arise in certain situations, this is the basic flow of the game.
The primary goals and strategies for novice craps players should prioritize learning the game while laying safe bets to minimize losses. BetMGM is a great place to gain some experience playing craps, as you can play at your own pace and learn from your mistakes as you go.
Understanding Craps Bets
A broadly applicable rule of thumb when you gamble is that the lower a house edge on a bet, the less lucrative the payout will be if that wager hits. This principle is true in craps.
For example, in a standard game of craps, the Pass bet is among those with the lowest house edge at 1.41%. For that low house edge, you sacrifice your potential return, as most games pay even money (1 to 1) if you win with this wager. Other bets with a low house edge include Don’t Pass and Come bets in craps.
If the best bet to you means the bet with the biggest potential return, then you might consider other wagers like a One Roll bet. When you place such a bet, you’ll see a potential return of as much as 30 to 1, but you’re also facing a significantly higher house edge at 13.9% at those odds.
Craps Odds and Payouts
When it comes to craps odds, there are the payout odds that a casino sets for a wager, and then there are the true odds of a bet winning. Sometimes those are identical, but not always.
With true odds, you’re only concerned with how many possible combinations would give you a win compared to the number of losing combinations. Put another way, it’s the number of losing rolls you should expect for every winning roll.
As an example, suppose you want to place a Come Bet after a point of 10 has been established on a Come Out roll. With that bet and point, there are twice as many ways to lose as there are to win. Therefore, your true odds are 2 to 1 in this situation. Be careful not to think that means you have a one in three or 33% chance of winning. This merely means that for every winning roll in this circumstance, you can expect to lose twice.
Beginner Craps Strategies
Probably the best of all the tips for beginner craps players is to realize that no strategy is sufficient to beat the house advantage in the game. While that can be relatively small depending on your bet, like 1.36% for a Don’t Pass bet, craps is a game of chance, and once you’ve made your wager, there’s nothing you can do to influence the odds.
Therefore, your best strategy is to manage your bankroll in a way that allows you to control your risk as the game unfolds. That way, you can mostly place wagers with smaller house edges but still have the room in your budget to make a riskier play when the time is right.
To do this, you should assess your budget and determine how long you want to play before you begin. Another way to approach this consideration is to set a loss or win limit for yourself.
After you’ve established those boundaries, you can decide exactly how much you want to risk on each bet and what type of wager you want to make in each situation. With a plan like this in place, you’ll avoid chasing losses or becoming a victim of common mistakes.
As you master craps odds and strategies, you’ll learn that the best bet for you at a given point in the game is a matter of adjusting to the rolls and timing. That’s why having a command of the various bet options is important, as that allows you to assess the situation and put yourself in the best position if luck is on your side.
Advanced Craps Strategy
Once you’ve become familiar with managing your bankroll in craps and the basic terminology, you could be ready to learn about advanced strategy in the game. This includes topics like hedging your bets in craps games and placing riskier wagers.
The best way to grasp these strategies is simply to gain experience and try them out as you play.
Suppose you get on a bit of a lucky streak, and you currently have some winnings on top of the bankroll you began with. That could be the moment to place a riskier wager, knowing that even if you lose, you’ll still have broken even for the larger playing session.
In this instance, you could place an Any Craps bet, which pays out if the next roll is a two, three, or 12. The standard payout on such bets is 7 to 1, which is a better return than a Come Bet would have given you in the same situation. If your luck holds out, you’ll quickly add to the value of your winnings.
Reacting to how you fare in the game like this can elevate the excitement and help you stay in the game longer. Even the best laid plans can go awry if the dice aren’t kind, though.
Using a Craps Odds Calculator
One of the best parts of playing craps online is that you don’t have to do the work of memorizing craps payout odds in BetMGM craps games. The game will tell you exactly how much you stand to win if luck is on your side with each potential wager.
When it comes to figuring out true odds, you can do it the manual way, mapping out every possible combination of the dice and then identifying the winning combinations versus the losing combos. However, there are easier ways.
There are multiple online resources that calculate craps odds for any possible bet you can place in standard versions of the game. They can be invaluable resources when you’re playing online, as you can refer to them often.
Variants of Craps at BetMGM
One benefit of online casinos like BetMGM is access to a wide selection of rules variants for any casino game. Craps is no exception, with many new and innovative variants available. Here are some of the best titles for playing craps at BetMGM Casino:
- Craps The Matrix: This game brings its own twist on the futuristic aesthetics of The Matrix film to craps. This variant keeps the base craps game rules but adds a new way to bet, spelling out letters in “MATRIX” using combinations of letters with additional craps payouts.
- First Person Craps: For an immersive experience while still playing solo, look no further. First Person Craps uses animated video for various dice rolls to create a realistic experience built on random number generators (RNGs).
- Craps Live: Check out the live casino at BetMGM to play craps with live croupiers streamed to your computer. Craps by Evolution lets you chat with other players and see how they bet, playing in real time. In terms of craps vs baccarat, the latter tends to have more live dealer tables, but craps is still widely played.
How To Win at Craps with a Small Bankroll
While the phrase “nothing ventured, nothing gained” is true to an extent when it comes to playing craps, that doesn’t mean it isn’t possible to win at craps with a small bankroll. Even the luckiest craps players can win by chance alone. That’s because your odds are the same regardless of how much you’re betting when you play craps.
Another thing to keep in mind is that winning a bet and making a profit aren’t necessarily the same thing. It’s possible for you to string some wins together and still be down compared to where your bankroll began. Be aware of your overall wins or losses and practice responsible betting by knowing when to accept a loss and walk away.
Your best path to winning at craps with a small bankroll is to place relatively safe bets, use casino bankroll management to avoid overspending, and build your bankroll over time if you’re lucky enough. That is a good time to become familiar with all the slang that craps players use during the game.
Playing Craps at BetMGM Casino
BetMGM is a fun way to play craps, regardless of your bankroll size or experience level. With BetMGM Casino, you’ll find traditional craps games, exciting variants, and all the action that craps lovers enjoy.
BetMGM offers craps players exclusive promotions, such as the fantastic casino welcome bonus for new players. Players who register for BetMGM can take advantage of perks like bonus funds and deposit matches.
