Learning how to play craps isn’t as difficult as you might think. People are often steer away from playing the game because they think its too complex, but the only particularly complicated aspect is all the different types of bets that can be placed.

You don’t actually need to learn all of them to start playing and you can just stick to the simplest ones if you like.

You do, however, need to understand how the game is played.

This article will help as we cover everything you need to know to play craps in a live casino or online.

There are many different bets you can make on the craps table. This often confuses new players but in actual fact craps is not that complicated. In this section we outline all of the possible betting options and show you where those bets go on the table. The Craps Table. Below is an example of a craps table. The any seven craps bet, also known as big red, is perhaps the most popular and well known wager in the game of craps. Basically all you are doing is betting that the shooter will roll a 7 on the next roll. Recall that the number 7 is the most frequent and probable number to appear when the dice are rolled so your odds of landing it are fairly.

We explain the main objective of the game, the craps table, the betting layout, and the basic rules. We also introduce the different types of bets.

Game Objective in Craps

The main objective in craps is really quite straightforward. Basically you are just betting on the outcome of the roll of two dice.

Craps is pure chance since you can’t affect the outcome in any way, but you do have the choice of several wagers. The majority of these wagers are ultimately based on what combination of dice will be rolled.

The goal in craps is therefore to try to correctly predict which numbers will come up on the next roll. This is, of course, guesswork, but it doesn’t stop the game being a lot of fun.

All Craps Bets Explained Against

Craps is played on a specially-designed table that features a betting layout where players can place their wagers. In a live casino, a table would look something like this.

The dice are rolled on the table by one of the participating players, referred to as the shooter. Typically, a new player will become the shooter at the end of each round, although one player may remain as the shooter for several in a row.

Anyone at the table, including the shooter, can make wagers by placing their chips in the appropriate spot on the betting layout.

A craps table requires the attention of several casino employees. You’ll usually find the following people running a table.

The boxman is in charge of the chips at the table. He (or she) will exchange cash into chips for players and swap them for different denominations if required. He’s also responsible for supervising the dealers and generally ensuring that the game runs smoothly.

The stickman is in charge of the dice. He moves them around the table with the use of a stick (hence the name), passing them to the shooter at the start of each roll. He will also announce the outcome of each roll.

A craps table usually features two base dealers, one standing on either side. They are responsible for collecting losing bets and paying out winners. When requested to do so, they can also place certain bets on behalf of players.

The Craps Table (Online Casino)

The rules of craps are the same regardless of whether you are playing in a live setting or online. However, things are a lot simpler online. There’s no allocated shooter, as technically you are the shooter every time you play.

The diced are rolled automatically when you press the relevant button, and you place your bets by clicking in the appropriate place on the betting layout.

The following is an example of what an online craps table looks like:

Basic Rules

Each round in craps starts with what is known as the come-out roll. Most casinos will require that the shooter place a bet before making this roll on either the pass line or the don’t pass line.

If the combined value of the two dice on a come-out roll equals 2, 3, or 12, then this is “crapping out” and the round is over. Players will lose pass line bets and win don’t pass bets. If the come-out roll is 7 or 11, the round is also over.

If any other value is rolled on the come-out roll i.e. 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10, then a point is established, equal to the value rolled, and the round continues into the next stage.

The shooter continues to roll with players betting on the outcome of each, until they roll either a 7 or the point value that has been established.

Following a roll of either 7 or the point value, the round is over and a new come-out roll is required. It’s standard practice for the shooter to pass the dice to another player if a round ends with a 7, and to stay as shooter if the round ends with the point value being rolled.

This is essentially all there is to the basic rules of craps. What makes the game more complex are all the different bets that can be placed.

The following is a list of the different wagers you can place when playing craps.

• Pass Line
• Don’t Pass
• Come
• Don’t Come
• Pass Line Odds
• Don’t Pass Odds
• Come Odds
• Don’t Come Odds
• Place Win
• Place Lose
• Buy
• Lay
• Big 6
• Big 8
• Hardways
• Field
• Any 7
• Any 11
• Any Craps
• Ace Deuce
• Aces
• Boxcar

As you can see, there are numerous different bets in craps. Please don’t let this steer you away from playing the game as you really don’t need to learn them all.

They are pretty simple overall; it just takes a little time to familiarize yourself with each one.

You can read about all these bets in more detail here.

If you’re ready to put what you’ve learned here into action, you might want to consider trying out an online casino. You can play craps at most of the top online casinos that we recommend. If you want to play for real money, you’ll get a bonus for signing up and making your first deposit. And if you prefer to just play for fun, that’s an option at most places, too. Here are some of the online casinos we recommend playing at.

In my video Bellagio Craps, Part 3 of 3, I comment on the All, Tall, and Small bet. This is a breakdown of the ‘All, Tall, and Small’ bet.

THE PARLANCE

This bet is commonly written as the ‘ATS’ bet. First, understand that most gambling writers refer to the All, Tall, Small bet as the ‘ATS’ bet, when mentioned in written form (because it’s easier to write ‘ATS). If you go into a casino, no one calls it the ‘ATS’ bet. I was in Las Vegas this past weekend, and just being the curious cat that I am, I experimented by throwing out three red chips and said ‘A-T-S’ (as in the letters, said phonetically; I didn’t say the word ‘at’ with an ‘s’ at the end). Many dealers and boxmen – when there was a boxman – did know what I was betting. Some did, some didn’t.

In a casino, the bet is known as the ‘features’ bet, or just, ‘All, Tall, Small’. If you watch the video above, it’s mostly called the ‘features’.

If you’re confused, watch my videos and then come back and read the explanation above. Nothing is better for learning than witnessing the actual event.

One more thing. On the layout, the ‘All’ part of the bet is actually written as ‘Make ’em All’, however, no one refers to the All bet as the ‘Make ‘Em All’.

That’s the parlance of the ATS bet, which ironically, in an actual casino is not called the ‘ATS’ bet.

So that I don’t have to constantly write out ‘All, Tall, Small’, I am going to refer to it as the ‘ATS’.

THE MECHANICS OF THE BET AND HOW TO BET IT

On a pair of dice, the only numbers that can be rolled from lowest to highest, are 2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10,11, and 12. The most likely number to roll is the 7, which will roll once in six times. All other numbers have mirror counterparts, as far as their likelihood to roll. The 6 and 8 both have five ways to each roll. The 5 and 9 each have four ways to roll. The 4 and 10 each have 3 ways to roll. The 3 and 11 each have 2 ways to roll. The 2 and 12 each only have one way to roll.

So of the mirrored counterparts, the lower numbers are considered the Small, while the higher numbers are considered the Tall.

The ATS bet is actually three separate bets. It’s not one big bet. Most players bet all three because they fear missing out, but if you want, you can bet any combination of the ‘All’, the ‘Small’, or the ‘Tall’.

The player decides to make an ATS bet. He should then toss in, to either the dealer, the stick or the box (but usually to the dealer) the amount that he wants to bet. The player is not required to make all three bets, although, as stated, the vast majority of players make all three bets. The player then clarifies to the dealer how he wants to split up his bet.

All Craps Bets Explained Games

Another way of betting the ATS is throwing in a bet and saying three numbers that add up to the amount thrown in. For example, if you throw in $15 when the bet can be bet (more on that later), and you say ‘five, five, five’, the dealers will know that you are betting $5 on the Small, $5 on the All, and $5 on the Tall. Or throw in $20 and say ‘five, ten, five’. The middle number is always the ‘All’.

As the shooter rolls the numbers, you will see one of the employees covering the number that had just rolled. If the same number rolls again, the repeating number is not relevant. There is no penalty or bonus for rolling a number multiple times. The shooter only needs to roll the number at least once in order to progress the bet towards the win condition.

WHEN YOU CAN BET IT

The ATS bet is always available after a 7 has rolled. Always. (SPOILER WARNING!!!!) Notice in the video above at the 1:54 mark, the shooter rolls a 7 out. At the 2:00 mark, the stickman then leans over and moves the discs off the numbers. He is resetting the ATS bet. Now it can be bet because no numbers are covered.

The reason is that a 7 rolled will cause the bet to lose, thus wiping out the board and starting a new ATS series. Unlike the older FireBet, where the bet could only be made when a new shooter started, the ATS can be made several times with the same shooter, or it can be made in the middle of a shooter’s roll.

Unlike some bets, where the bet is not live on the come out roll, the ATS bet is always live. At the 2:00 mark, you hear the player say, ‘I go back up’. He’s saying that because the 7 winner (on the come out) caused his ATS to lose. The ATS bet is always live, even on the come out roll.

Every Craps Bet Explained

Depending on the casino, the ATS bet can also be made if no one has bet the ATS on any one of the bets, even if numbers have been rolled. For example, let’s say shooter rolls a 2,3,4, requiring the dealer to cover the 2,3 and 4, but no one has made any bets on the ATS. In that case, the house will reset the discs and allow you to bet the ATS because there is no action and no one is affected by your new bet. Some casinos want you to wait until the 7 naturally resets the ATS board, so this rule varies from casino to casino.

If in doubt, just look at the board. If there are no numbers covered by the disc, you can bet it. Alternatively, if there are no bets made on the ATS, then you can probably bet it. Just ask the casino because they may have different procedures in the second scenario.

THE WIN/LOSS CONDITIONS (HOW TO WIN)

Remember that the ATS is comprised of three separate bets. Here is the win condition for each bet…

The All Small bet wins if the player rolls a 2,3,4,5, and 6 before the player rolls a 7. The 7 will cause the Small bet to lose.

The All Tall bet wins if the 8,9,10,11, and 12 roll before the shooter rolls a 7. The 7 will cause the Tall bet to lose.

The All bet (actually written on the felt as ‘Make ’em All’) wins if the player rolls a 2,3,4,5,6,8,9,10,11, and 12 before the shooter rolls a 7. If that list is too long for you to memorize, then have no fear. Just know that it is every number EXCEPT THE 7 (because the 7 always causes you to lose).

THE PAY OFF FOR WINS AND THE HOUSE EDGE

There are two pay tables for the ATS bet. I refer to them personally as the ‘stingy’ and the ‘better’ table.

Stingy pay table:

All pays 150 – 1, resulting in a house edge of 20.61%.

Tall pays 30-1, resulting in a house edge of 18.30%.

Small pays 30-1, resulting in a house edge of 18.30%.

Better pay table:

All pays 175-1, resulting in a house edge of 7.47%.

Tall pays 34-1, resulting in a house edge of 7.76%.

Small pays 34-1, resulting in a house edge of 7.76%.

The above house edge numbers are from the Wizard of Odds website. If you don’t know about Michael Shackleford, you should know about the man, especially if you want to be a smart gambler.

Almost every Las Vegas casino that offers the ATS bet (and most do), uses the stingier pay table.

Most casinos outside of Las Vegas use the better paytable.

FINAL THOUGHTS ON THE ATS

Personally, I never bet the ATS when I’m in Las Vegas. 20% house edge is just a hammer to the toes.

I love the ATS bet outside of Las Vegas. Unlike the FireBet of old, the ATS hits on a regular basis. Considering that I’m usually betting only very minuscule amounts on it, it’s a cheap thrill. My record on the ATS was when I hit the All bet, then hit the Small bet again during the same roll. On that roll, I won $20,000+ and won $277 on the ATS bet. It’s a fun bet, and if you’re looking to hit a jackpot, you should bet bigger on the ATS. That’s just not my goal.

The ATS can also be a frustrating bet. Usually, if all three components of the ATS hits, it means that the shooter had a very long roll. But I once had an ATS hit where I actually lost a lot of money because the shooter did not repeat any of his points. Granted, that’s very rare.

I see the ATS bet staying around for a long time. It’s great for the house because it now is a way for the boxman to actually do something, other than watch the game. With the ATS bet, the boxman can watch and mark all the numbers and play for himself.

It’s good for players because it’s a relatively low house edge side bet that hits frequently. I was never a fan of the FireBet, which hits once or twice a year if you’re lucky. The ATS bet can hit several times a day.

Give that ATS bet a try next time you’re at the casino.

Let me know if you have any questions. Leave them in the comment below, and I’ll be happy to answer them.

Good luck at the tables.

Posted in: Casino, Craps, Gambling