Your Guide to Online Craps in 2023 Plus Top Casinos for Craps

Online craps can trace its roots back to a 12^th-century game called "Hazard". It was a popular gambling game among English knights during the Crusades in the 12^th century, with the game revolving around throwing dice and betting on their outcome. Its name is said to derive from the Arabic word “azzahr”, which means “dice”.

The English upper class fell in love with Hazard, which propagated its spread throughout Europe. This step in its evolution occurred over centuries, in which time the game evolved and began taking its modern shape.

European settlers brought Hazard, which was at this point boating elaborate rules and terminology, to America. This is also where our modern naming of the game comes from, as the French word for "toad" is "crapaud", which evolved into "craps". Note that the term is used to describe the squatting position from which punters would play the game on the streets.

What we now know as craps appeared in the 19^th century courtesy of John H. Winn, a dice maker from New York. He introduced the concept of betting against the shooter, which we now know as the Don’t Pass bets. Moreover, he modified rules and made cheating very difficult.

The 20^th century saw an explosion in craps’s popularity in Las Vegas. It became a permanent resident of various casinos, with modern craps tables and betting options evolving throughout the century.

The end of the 20^th century saw the appearance of the first online casinos, which were readily accessible to anyone with a stable internet connection and a PC. Craps became an incredibly accessible and approachable game, with countless variants appearing as a result.

The most important steps that the craps community has taken over the last few years are its segue into mobile gaming, live craps tables, and VR. The latter, alongside its AR cousin, appears to be the new frontier of online craps gaming.

Craps was molded by thousands of punters and croupiers over the course of almost a millennium. This has naturally resulted in a rich linguistic background, which permeates the popular terms. Check out this breakdown of the most popular craps terms and achieve a deeper understanding of them.

• Aces - A roll of the dice that total 2, with one landing on each die. Some bets win or lose based on whether Aces appear.
• Any Craps - A bet where the player wagers that the next roll will be a 2, 3, or 12. If any of those numbers appear, the bet wins.
• Any Seven - This bet says that the next roll will result in a 7. If a 7 is rolled, the bet wins.
• Boxcars - A roll of the dice where both dice show a 6, totaling 12. You will sometimes see it referred to as the “12” bet.
• C and E - A combined bet that covers both the Craps (2, 3, 12) and Eleven (11) outcomes. You essentially bet on both these numbers.
• Come Out Roll - The initial dice roll in a betting round. It determines whether a point is established, which affects the outcomes of various bets.
• Don’t Come Roll - A roll that follows the Come Out Roll. It wins if a 2 or 3 appear, and loses if a 7 or 11 are rolled.
• Don’t Pass Bet - A bet that the shooter will not make their point, which is essentially just betting against the shooter’s success.
• Pass Line Bet - A bet that the shooter will make their point, which is essentially just betting on the shooter’s success.
• Easy Way - A roll of the dice where both dice have different numbers. It is the exact opposite of a Hardway roll.
• Hardway - A roll of the dice where both dice have the same number. Note that you can sometimes even bet on specific combinations.
• Field Bet - A wager on the next roll resulting in one of 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12 appearing. It pays out even money unless 2 or 12 are rolled. The latter two result in higher payouts.
• Hi-Lo - A bet on the next roll resulting in a 2 or 12, which essentially covers the high and low options as it says on the tin.
• Natural - A craps roll of 7 or 11 on the Come Out Roll. It results in an immediate win for the Pass Line bets and a loss for the Don’t Pass bets.
• Odds Bet - An additional wager made after a point is established. It is placed after a Pass Line or Don't Pass bet and pays out true odds.
• Off - When the dealer says “off”, it means that a specific bet is not active for the net roll. The typical victims are the Come or Don’t Come bets.
• On - When the dealer says “on”, it means that a specific bet is active and can be used during the next roll.
• Place Bet - A bet on one of the point numbers, so 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 being rolled before a 7. The payout varies depending on the chosen number.
• Point - A number established on the Come Out Roll, so a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10. Players need to roll this number again before rolling a 7 to win Pass Line Bets

Craps can be a bit daunting if you are playing it for the first time. What is more, if you have not played it in a while, you are probably a bit rusty and need a reminder of the rules. The following simple breakdown of craps rules will help you do just that!

• The Come Out Roll - Every round of craps starts with this phase, which sees the shooter rolling dice. The outcome of this initial roll determines the entire game.
• Pass Line Bet - Before the Come Out Roll happens, players can wager on the Pass line. If the Come Out Roll results in a 7 or 11, the Pass Line bets win even money, so 1:1. If a 2, 3, or 12 appear, the Pass Line bets lose. Other numbers produce a “Point”.
• Establishing the Point - If a point is established, the shooter continues rolling until they roll the Point number again or a 7. Rolling the Point produces a win for Pass Line bets while rolling a 7 produces a loss. Rolling 7 is known as "sevening out".
• Don’t Pass Bet - This bet essentially bet against the shooter, which means that a 2 or 3 on the Come Out Roll results in a win. If a 7 or 11 is rolled, backers of this bet lose. Rolling a 12 results in a push or tie.
• Come and Don’t Come Bets - Players can make these bets after a Point is established, so they are quite similar to Pass Line and Don’t Pass bets. Note that they apply to the rolls after the Come Out Roll.
• Odds Bets - After a point is established, players can place these bets behind their Pass Line, Don’t pass, Come, or Don’t Come bets. They pay true odds if the Point is rolled before a 7. Note that there is no house edge.
• Field Bet - This bet wins if the next roll is a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. Winning bets pay 1:1, except for 2 and 12, which tend to pay more.
• Place Bets - Bets on specific numbers that have to be rolled before a 7. The payout depends on your chosen number.
• Proposition Bets - These bets focus on specific outcomes, such as rolling a 7, 11, or a particular combination. They tend to have higher payouts while also boasting a higher house edge.
• Roll Continuation - The shooter continues to roll until they roll the Point or a 7.
• Seven Out - If a 7 is rolled before the Point, it is referred to as “sevening out” and the Pass Line and Come bets lose. Note that the Don’t Pass and Don’t Come bets win.
• Winning and Losing - After bets are settled and payouts dispersed, a new round with a new shooter begins.

You will inevitably come across various strategies and systems when exploring the world of online craps. Some of you might already have a particular strategy in mind, which is completely fine. We want you to ground your expectations and always remember that a strategy does not mean a guaranteed win. Check out the following craps strategies, see what they bring to the table, and decide whether they align with your needs and wants.

• Taking and Laying Odds - After a Point is established, a player can make Odds bets to increase their potential winnings. These do not have a house edge and pay true odds. However, they rely on the Point being rolled before a 7.
• Come Out Roll Strategy - One approach to craps betting is focusing on the outcome of the Come Out Roll. All you do is bet on the Pass Line or Don't Pass Line, depending on whether the shooter is considered "hot" or “cold”.
• Hedging Bets - This concept involves placing bets on both sides, which minimizes potential losses. A great example would be a Pass Line bet combined with a Pass Bet. Mitigating losses is counterbalanced by smaller potential profits.
• Regression Betting - It revolves around increasing your bets after a win and reducing them after a loss. The idea is to maximize winning streaks and minimize losing ones.
• The 5-Count Method - It is based on waiting until the shooter rolls a specific number of times without hitting a Point. Your goal is to recognize whether the shooter is on a hot streak.
• Iron Cross - The basic idea is that you place multiple bets on each roll, thus covering most of the numbers on the table.
• Dice Control - The idea of "dice control" is more prominent in real-life craps, but it is something that you should know about. The idea is that you throw dice in a consistent manner and thus influence the outcome.