When it comes to exciting dice games in New Zealand, nothing beats online craps. Our complete guide of craps rules, craps odds and bets, and even craps payouts will set you on the right road to understanding and mastering this game when playing at leading online casinos in NZ.
Master the rules of Craps
Craps is one of those games that initially appears much more complicated than it actually is. This is regrettable because many potential players shy away from an incredible gambling experience as a result. The general craps rules are fairly basic and can be learned in a few minutes. Players bet on a potential outcome from a roll of the dice. The craps rules stipulate when and how. Learning a few of the popular bets puts players in the heart of one of the most thrilling games at an NZ online casino.
The objective
Craps is a dice game based on random chance and is only slightly more complicated than guessing a coin toss. Players bet on the outcome of a dice throw and hope the number predicted is the result.
The Craps Table
Casino regulars will confirm that the loudest section of a busy casino is where the Craps table is stationed. Players and spectators will be boisterously cheering the Dice Shooter on, clapping and hooting when their bets hit. Craps tables are specifically designed to accommodate standing players – it’s a large part of the social aspect of the game. The tabletop displays the variety of bets players can make and maps out the specific areas where chips are placed.
The Dice
- Craps is played with two dice. At the casino, the Craps Shooter can choose any two dice from a bowl of five kept at the table. If a die accidentally rolls off the table and lands on the floor, the Stickman will examine it for damage and optionally offer the Shooter a replacement die from the bowl of spares.
The Puck
- Craps pucks are discs with the words “ON” and “OFF” prominently displayed on them. The Craps dealers use the OFF button to signify that the round is about to begin. If a Shooter rolls a number that becomes the point number for future rolls, the ON button is placed on the table over the corresponding number and stays there until a 7 is rolled, which ends the Shooter’s turn.
The Stick
- The Craps stick is a tool used by the Stickman to recover thrown dice from the end of the Craps table and return them to the Shooter. Typically with a shallow hook on one end, it’s vaguely similar in shape to a shepherd’s staff.
The Shooter
- Craps players take turns holding the position of Shooter at either end of the Craps table. The Shooter rolls the dice after placing a bet on the number hoped to be rolled. Other players bet with the Shooter or can bet against them. Players may also skip being the Shooter when it is their turn and still continue to play the game.
The Box Person
- Typically the Craps table supervisor who is in overall charge of the game, the Box Person sits midway behind the table and dispenses chips to players. They also watch the game to ensure fairness and solve any potential disputes between players and dealers.
The Stick Person
- Usually situated across the table from the Box Person, the Stick Person is responsible for loudly calling out the dice rolls, retrieving the dice and returning them to the Shooter. The Stick Person also places and pays out any Proposition bets.
The Dealers
- A casino Craps table has three Dealers, two of which bookend the Box Person behind the table so as to face the players. They are responsible for paying out most bets, taking chips from lost bets and marking the point with the puck. The third Dealer is in fact the Stick Person who, as mentioned, places and settles proposition bets.
Possible Combinations
A six-sided Die is marked with pips that represent the numbers 1 through 6. There are six possible results when it is thrown. A pair of Dice, therefore, offers thirty-six (6 x 6) possible combinations when thrown together. Statistically, the number 7 has the highest odds of being rolled with a pair of dice. Craps players in NZ bet on the combination they predict will result from the dice roll and weigh their choice against the odds of that combination being thrown successfully.
Craps odds and payouts
New NZ players to this game probably find the craps odds and craps payouts the most challenging aspect of the game to learn. This is because there is such a wide variety of betting options to choose from, which in turn also vary depending on the craps variant being played! Most land-based and virtually all online casinos have charts of craps odds and craps payouts available for players to reference before deciding on a particular bet.
Craps house edge
The Craps House Edge is the advantage the casino maintains over players on bets placed at the Craps table. Typically expressed as a percentage, the House Edge is the statistical amount a player can expect to lose to the House calculated on thousands of bets, hands, or hours of a game played.
Understand all the bets
Craps bets range in complexity from the straightforward Pass Line bet – the most popular Craps bet in Casinos – to the 3 Point Molly, a betting strategy best left to the pros and high-rollers. Craps bets can be categorized as Proposition (Prop) Bets – which count for only one dice roll – and Multi-roll bets. Winning Craps players make an effort to understand how the craps bets work, when they might be successful and under what optimum game conditions they should be placed. Short of that, new Craps players in NZ will benefit from learning about the main craps bets, their odds and craps payouts.
1. Pass Line
This is the most popular Craps bet at the casino. Players bet on the Pass Line on the Come Out roll. With a 7 or 11 rolled, the bet wins and pays out at 1:1. The Low House Edge on this bet is 1.41%.
2. Don’t Pass (Line Bet)
Placed against the Shooter, players win on a 2 or 3 roll while a 7 or 11 loses. This is not traditionally a popular wager because it bets fellow gamblers at the Craps table will lose. The House Edge is 1.36%
3. Come Bet
After the Shooter has thrown a Come point, this wager bets the Shooter will throw a 7 or 11 before throwing the Come point again. The House Edge is 1.41%
4. Don’t Come Bet
The opposite of a Come bet. After the point has been set, players bet the Shooter will hit a 2 or 3 before a 7 or 11. A 12 is a tie in which case a 7 needs to be thrown for the bet to payout. The House Edge is 1.36%
5. Field Bets
Think of this bet as Playing the Field and is wagered on a single roll. The bet wins on a 3, 4, 9, 10, or 11. It pays out double for a 2, and triple for a 12. It’s a tasty bet but is offset by losing on 5, 6, 7, or 8. For this reason, the House Edge is 5.5%
6. Place Bets
Place Bets are a multi-roll wager that can be made at any time but are usually wagered after the Point number has been decided. Players bet on a number that must land before a 7 is rolled. The House Edge varies between 1.52% on 6 or 8, 4% on 5 or 9 and 6.67% for a 4 or 10.
7. Hardways Bets
When the dice come up as a pair, the total number is known as a Hardway i.e. a pair of fours gets eight the Hardway, or a ‘Hard” 8. This bet only wins if the number comes up before a 7. The numbers 2 and 12 are excluded because they form another type of bet. The House Edge is 9.09% for a 6 or 8 and 11.11% for a 4 or 10.
8. One Roll Bets
This dice game is often fast-moving, with craps payouts being equally high – features that make it thrilling to play. One Roll bets are settled with a single dice throw and can offer big rewards. Here are some interested one roll bets that players in New Zealand can test out:
- Any 7
The dice land on the 7 the most frequently, but it’s still one number among twelve. The House Edge is 16.67%
- Any Craps
In the game of Craps, the 2, 3 and 12 are known as the ‘Craps numbers.’ An Any Craps bet wagers, the Shooter will roll one of those three numbers. The House Edge is 11.11%
- 2 or 12 Bets
These two numbers are the hardest to throw because they contain so few dice combinations. Therefore the bet is high-risk but potentially rewarding at a 30:1 payout. The House Edge is 13.89%.
- 3 or 11 Bets
Paying out at 15:1, this potentially lucrative bet needs the Shooter to roll a 3 or 11 before a 7 is thrown. The House Edge is 11.11%
- Horn Bets
Found in the middle of the Craps table with the Prop bets, the Horn bet is split over the numbers 2, 3, 11, or 12. The 2 and 12 pay out at 30:1 and the 3 and 11 pay out at 15:1. It’s a single roll bet with a House Edge ranging above 12% that gives the Horn bet a reputation among Craps players as a Sucker bet.
- Big Six, Big Eight Bets
A bet that can be placed any time during the game, this wager pays out even money (1:1) if the Shooter throws a 6 or 8 before rolling a 7. The House Edge on this bet is 9%
- Free Odds/Laying the Odds Bets
Far less complicated than they sound, this group of bets sees players ‘Laying the Odds’ after a Pass or Come bet. This is a wager where players bet that the Shooter will land a 7 before a specific point number is thrown. Because these bets are statistically fair, the House Edge is 0%, making them some of the most popular Craps bets.
- Buy Bets
Slightly more complicated but only a little, Buy bets wager that the Shooter will roll a specific Point number before landing a 7. With a win, the casino pays out at true odds but takes a 5% commission on the winnings. While some casinos calculate the commission on the bet either way, others only apply it to winnings. This prevents a standardized House Edge from being calculated for this bet.
How to play Craps – Breakdown of a round
Playing Craps at a land-based or online casino is fundamentally the same in terms of how the game operates. Craps games accept up to twenty players, and the social engagement around the table is well-replicated online when players join a Live casino game. Craps begins and ends with a roll of the dice!
1. Placing the Pass/Don’t Pass bets
To start the game players bet on whether the Shooter will throw a 7 or 11 to win (pass the line) or lose by rolling a 2, 3, or 12. The dealers will take the bets and distribute them on a designated area of the Craps table.
2. The ‘Come Out’ Roll
The Shooter’s first throw is the Come Out roll. A 7 or 11 is a win for Pass Line bets, while a 2, 3, or 12 is a win for Don’t Pass bets. Any other number combination sets a ‘Point’ on the Craps table. If this is the case, a Dealer will place a puck on the Point number.
3. After the Point
When a Point has been set (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10), players can bet on the next throw landing the point number, landing on different numbers, or automatically losing by rolling a 7. The Shooter continues to roll the dice and bets are placed prior to each throw until the Shooter lands the point number, or throws a 7.
4. Hitting the Point/Sevening Out
If the Shooter throws and lands the point number before rolling a 7, they remain the Shooter for the next round of Craps. If the Shooter rolls a 7 (sevens out), the dice are transferred to another player who becomes the new Shooter and a new round begins.
Make sure that you visit your favourite online casino NZ today so that you too can test out your preferred craps strategy, and enjoy some great craps payouts! We also suggest that you visit our bonus page to see which casinos online NZ currently offer promotions for this exciting game!