Placing a Craps Bet

Lately I have been interested in craps. I have gotten most of the basics down and understand the bets by playing for free online. I want to play at a casino soon, but my biggest fear is coming into a game and holding up the experienced players with my questions to dealers. I mainly just want to know what bets I place and what bets I have to ask the dealer to place. I have been searching online and can't seem to find it all in one place.

Pass
-Pass Odds
Come
-Come Odds
Don't Pass
-DP Odds
Don't Come
-DC Odds
Buy
Place
Lay
Big 6/8
Field
Seven
Eleven
Any Craps
Hard Way
Snake Eyes
Boxcars
(Anything else I left out)


If someone could just quote the above in the response and just write in "player" or "dealer" next to the bet, I would really appreciate it. Thank you for any help.

Quote: ChuckMcCluck

Lately I have been interested in craps. I have gotten most of the basics down and understand the bets by playing for free online. I want to play at a casino soon, but my biggest fear is coming into a game and holding up the experienced players with my questions to dealers. I mainly just want to know what bets I place and what bets I have to ask the dealer to place. I have been searching online and can't seem to find it all in one place.

Pass
-Pass Odds
Come
-Come Odds
Don't Pass
-DP Odds
Don't Come
-DC Odds
Buy
Place
Lay
Big 6/8
Field
Seven
Eleven
Any Craps
Hard Way
Snake Eyes
Boxcars
(Anything else I left out)


If someone could just quote the above in the response and just write in "player" or "dealer" next to the bet, I would really appreciate it. Thank you for any help.

You place Pass/Don't; Come/DC; and Field bets on your own. You take/lay your Pass/DP on your own. You ask the dealer to place pretty much anything else.

You can pl;ace Big 6/8 yourself as well but is is the stupidest bet in the casinio as no other bet I know pays less than the same bet on the same table at the same time.

Oh, and be sure to pick your self-serve winnings quickly. "If it lays it plays."

Just start with the pass or don't pass and then watch what happens at the table. I think that is the easiest way to learn. And KEEP YOUR HANDS UP during a roll!!! Have fun and welcome to the game!

>Lately I have been interested in craps.
Great. Good luck to you.
>I have gotten most of the basics down and understand the bets by playing for free online.
Wow. That is sensible of you. A great many people come to Vegas totally ignorant of the games.
>my biggest fear is coming into a game and holding up the experienced players with my questions to dealers.
You just let the dealers worry about that. If you play early in the morning, the table will likely be uncrowded and fairly relaxed. If you go to the casinos free lessons it might help too. If things are really hectic such as on a Friday or Saturday night, then the dealers will help you out as best they can.

>Pass
The Pass Line bet is made by you on the area marked Pass Line directly in front of where you are standing.
>Pass Odds
If you decide to take odds (which you should do) you position this bet about two inches behind your "flat" or line bet.
>Come
This bet is a virtual pass line bet and you position your chips in the COME area directly in front of where you are standing. If the next roll of the dice establishes a point for your come bet, then the dealer will move your chips to the point number area and position those chips in a manner that allows him to know where you are standing.
>Come Odds
You position your chips in the COME area directly in front of where you are standing announcing Odds on my 'X'. He picks up your chips when he is able to and positions them on top of your flat bet but slightly off-center.
Don't Pass
You position your chips in the DontPass area yourself directly in front of where you are standing.
>-DP Odds
If you decide to lay odds on your DontPass bet, which you should do, you position your chips near your DontPass wager but clearly separate from it. You position your odds so that the dealer will first encounter the odds bet and then the flat bet.
>Don't Come
You position your bet in the DontCome area. If a point is established the dealer will move your chipstack behind that number and position it in such a manner that he and his relief dealer will know where you are standing.
>-DC Odds
You position the chips and say "odds on my X". The dealer then moves those chips.
>Buy
You position the chips in the Come area directly in front of you and announce "Buying the X".
>Place
You position your chips in the Come area directly in front of you and announce "Placing the X" or "Placing the Inside Numbers" or the like. The Dealer will position the chips properly and either make change for you or suggest slightly more money be wagered so as to avoid breakage.
>Lay
You position your money in the Come area and announce your desired lay bet to the dealer.
>Big 6/8
You don't ever make this bet. Never.
>Field
You position your chips in the field directly in front of where you are standing. If you are a female wearing a low cut loose fitting dress the dealers will tell you to position your field bet in some unique manner but if you are a male they will expect all field bets to be positioned directly in front of where you are standing.
>Seven
You dont say Seven. You say "Big Red" but since its at some whopping house edge you really shouldn't make the bet.

>Eleven
>Any Craps
>Hard Way
>Snake Eyes
>Boxcars
All these proposition or center bets are handled by the stick man and some players toss the chips in his general direction but its more proper to let your dealer get the chips to the stickman. You really don't want to make many center bets if any at all. The reason the stick man is standing there constantly calling out to people to make the center bets is that they are bad bets for a player to make. Sure they can win from time to time but its a high house edge.

Thank you very much for all the help. At first craps looked very complicated and intimidating. Learning the rules made it simple. And all these responses make it much less intimidating for a newcomer. It is nice to add a new game instead of just playing blackjack all the time.

Quote: ChuckMcCluck

Thank you very much for all the help. At first craps looked very complicated and intimidating. Learning the rules made it simple. And all these responses make it much less intimidating for a newcomer. It is nice to add a new game instead of just playing blackjack all the time.

I like craps the most of any table game that I play. You have all the info, now just go to the table and take the game one or two pieces at a time. MOST dealers will be helpful and remind you if you miss one of your normal bets. I usually do pass line with odds and at least two come bets with odds. Whatever you decide to bet, have fun with it!!

The one suggestion especially worth considering is the time you play the initial session or two...early morning will usually find uncrowded tables with low minimums. A session playing like that and you won't feel intimidated at all going into a crowded table with an opening. Those early sessions are often the most enjoyable ones I have--relaxed play with low limits and the opportunity to bump the odds, etc. when a good roll comes. Higher mins sometimes push my limit and make adding too much to bets uncomfortable for my level of play.

to avoid embarrassment, check out the wizard's etiquette section. A long time ago I started playing Craps at a Casino without any help and made these mistakes in particular:

*hands hanging down
*rolled the dice without betting
*cupped the dice in both hands
*I didnt withdraw the dice up to the rail, but that was a wonder

A male gets a Scarlet Letter for these blunders, the Letter is V for Virgin [g]

also I recommend you do not pick up any bets. Some bets can be picked up, but it is very embarrassing to pick them up when you aren't supposed to, and if you aren't in the habit of doing that when legal, you shouldnt have it happen when it ain't [such as picking up your free odds after a 7-out]

Chuck -

I hope you're not planning on trying ALL of those bets.

Typically, and particularly new players, stay away from the Donts until you're very comfortable.

Just bet a couple bets. Perhaps a pass and a come, both with odds. Or, as I usually do when I'm not shooting, just a few place bets.

You must have a pass (or don't pass) bet when it's your turn to shoot, otherwise, they are optional.

As others have said, proper procedure is to drop the bets in the come/field area, and tell the dealer what you want. This include the stuff in the middle, that the stickman handles. However, most players do toss the chips towards the stickman.

Personally, if I'm betting something in the middle, I DO toss the chips to the stickman, but I try to wait until I have his attention, so he can catch the chips.

For my place bets, I'll either drop a stack of chips on a line. Because it's on a line, the dealer has to find out what it's for before the next throw. The other way I'll drop them is to have them leaning against each other, like fallen dominos. Dealers know that suck chips need to be straightened up, so they'll also ask if it was a sloppy come bet, or if it's something else.

The truth is, with the knowledge you've already got, just watch for a roll or two and you should figure it out. Just don't emulate the arrogant high-rollers. They tend to be assholes, expecting the dealers to almost read their minds.


The other thing that nobody mentioned is the position that the dealers will put your bets.

The place boxes are sized so that four stacks will line up across the front, representing the four players at the front of the table, and four in back of the box for the four on the side of the table. Place bets are on the line, while come bets are in the box.

Similarly, the hardway boxes can handle two rows of 8 chips across, representing the maximum of 16 players at the table.

Armed with this knowledge, it shouldn't be too hard to keep track of which bets are yours.

Note that other middle bets have smaller boxes. That's because they are not as popular, and up for only one roll, so it's easier for the dealer to remember whose bet is whose.

I would also advice an empty or near-empty table early in the day. An empty one is ideal, as you'd ahve the full attention of both dealers and the stickman. In any case I'd also advise yuo to wait for a spot near or opposite one of the dealers in order to amke interaction easier.

Quote: DJTeddyBear

I hope you're not planning on trying ALL of those bets.

I'm going to be contrary to DJ, just because I can, and because it's fun, and recommend that you do indeed try all of the bets, or at least as many as you are comfortable with. The only reason I say this is so that you experience it, and see how the bet gets made, how it's positioned within the appropriate boxes, how the dealer/stick confirms your bet, etc, etc, etc. Then, after you've tried it, don't make the stupid bets every again.

As for which bets to place yourself and which ones to tell the dealer/stick, it's already been explained to you, but I usually tell people that the boxes you can reach comfortably without stretching are the bets you place yourself. Everything else is done by the dealer or stick. Obviously, if you're extraordinarily tall, then this doesn't apply to you. But in general, it works. Heck, if you're short and/or in a wheelchair, the dealer or stick will make even a field bet for you if you need it.

Finally, I hope that you will recognize that you are going to lose your money, and just go into it for the sake of having a bunch of fun. Craps is fun! I, of course, have a system that guarantees that I win all the time, but for you, you should just accept that you will most likely lose, but have some fun doing it. Then, if you win, it's like an extra bonus: you enjoyed yourself and walked away with some money!