Craps Casinos

Although roulette and blackjack are the main online casino games in today’s world, there was a time when craps ruled supreme. From humble beginnings in New Orleans to the glamour of 1950s Las Vegas, craps has enjoyed quite a success story. 

We’ll talk you through all the basics of this well-loved dice game. If you want to know which casinos you can play craps at, simply check out our recommended sites. If you’re a new player and you’d like to know the basics of the game, we’ll cover that too. We’ll even discuss some craps bonuses and demo games so you can improve your strategy for free.

As we mentioned, roulette and blackjack are the main table games you’ll find at online casinos today. Despite this, craps is still incredibly popular, and all the big name online casinos will have it available. 

Later in this article, we’ll talk about bonuses and free play modes. These are essential if you’re just learning the game, and are also very handy for experienced players to practice. The larger craps poker casinos are the ones to go for, as many of the smaller sites may not have many options available.

Craps is a table game played with a pair of dice. You wager on the outcome of a roll, or a series of rolls, against other players (known as street craps) or the dealer (known as casino craps, table craps, or just craps).

The real question of ‘what is craps poker’ has been lost to the passage of time. It is based on a game called Hazard, which may date back to the 1300s. We do know that Hazard was brought to America from London by Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville, a wealthy colonial landowner and gambler, in around 1807.

He simplified the game and taught it to the local underclass of New Orleans where he lived. Deckhands began playing Craps as they travelled up the Mississippi, and it grew in popularity. During World War Two the game reached a worldwide audience. Young American men played street craps with their military friends to pass the time, and so it became the game of choice in postwar Las Vegas.

Craps poker rules appear to be quite simple, but there are many intricacies to the game. In essence, players take turns rolling two dice. Whoever is throwing the dice is called the ‘shooter’. You can bet on various outcomes by placing chips directly onto the appropriately-marked sections of the Craps table, known as the ‘layout’. 

Each round has two phases, ‘come-out’ and ‘point’. To start a round, the shooter makes one or more come-out rolls. A come-out roll of 2, 3, or 12 is called ‘craps’ or ‘crapping out’, and anyone betting on the Pass line loses. Anyone betting on the Don't Pass line wins if the roll is 2 or 3 and ties (‘pushes’) on a 12. Shooters may keep rolling after crapping out; the dice are only required to be passed if the shooter rolls a seven after a point has been established. 

A come-out roll of 7 or 11 is a ‘natural’. This means the Pass line wins and Don't Pass loses. The other possible numbers, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10, are the ‘point’ numbers. If the shooter lands one of these on the come-out roll, this establishes the point. To ‘pass’ or ‘win’, the point number must be rolled again before a seven.

When a point number has been rolled, the dealer will flip a button to the ‘On’ side and move it to the point number. If the shooter hits the point value again before rolling a seven, the Pass line wins, the Don’t Pass line loses, and a new round begins. If the shooter rolls a seven before repeating the point number, then the Pass line loses, the Don't Pass line wins, and the dice move on to a new shooter for the next round. 

As long as a point has not been established, any player can make a bet on pass or don't pass. When a point has been established, any player can bet on come or don't come. All other bets, including an increase in odds behind the pass and don't pass lines, can be made at any time. All bets other than pass line and come may be removed or reduced any time before the bet loses.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to play craps, finding a craps poker bonus is a great way to get introduced to the game. 

You’ll often find that online casinos will offer bonuses and promotions to attract new players. The bonus credit accrued from these promotions can then be used on the craps table. This allows you to bet with real money, but you don’t have to worry about depleting your bankroll. 

There are always stipulations attached to these bonuses, such as wagering requirements and time restrictions. Because of these, you may not be able to extract any winnings, but you will be able to try the live dealer craps games that are available.

If you play craps poker online, another great way to get acquainted with the rules is to find a casino with a free demo mode. This enables to you play to your heart’s content without it ever costing you a penny. Obviously, you won’t win any cash either, but it is the best way to learn the game. 

Even if you’re an experienced player, the free demo mode is a good way to hone your strategy or try new techniques. The zero-risk environment allows you to experiment and find a playing style that suits you.

The only downside with the free demo mode is that you can’t play the live dealer games. But, as we mentioned above, you can always use your bonus credit for that.