CRAPS: it's all in the roll of the dice!
If you love dice games, then Craps is likely to be the casino game for you! At its most basic, the game involves players in betting on the outcome of the roll of a pair of dice, or indeed the outcome of a series of rolls for the pair.
Traditionally, there are two versions: Casino Craps, where players wager money against the casino 'house' or Street Craps (which is often called 'shooting' dice), where players bet against each other. The street version certainly came first, evolved from dice games played around the Middle Ages and times of the Crusades, then later adopted by French gamblers, probably because of the ease of setting up and playing the game in any kind of setting - all that's really needed is any flat surface and the pair of dice! Similarly, the game has remained popular in military circles for its minimal set up and play. Casino versions came later, developing from the original street game into a more formalized setting so that professional gambler could enjoy the game with higher stakes and the casinos could benefit from its popularity!
Although in English "crap" means something entirely different, the game's name "Craps" is thought to originate from the time of its French, street influence: crapaud is the French word for "toad", and it's thought that this name stuck because players on the street resembled toads as they crouched to play.
Playing craps in a casino can be a multi-player game, with all players betting against the banker, or "house" and the payouts per bet may vary according to the house or table rules. Payouts should be shown on the betting table, or grid, which is also where players place chips to make their bets. Each player has a turn at throwing the dice, with turns moving clockwise around the table, and is known as the "shooter" when making the throw. Traditionally:
- The shooter should be allowed to choose two from five possible dice to make the throw (which is a response to attempts to reduce the possibility of "loaded" dice, which was a problem in the early days of some casino craps games).
- Once the shooter has the dice, no more betting is allowed.
- The shooter should place their own bet on specific areas of the betting table:, the "Pass" or "Don't Pass" lines.
- The shooter is replaced at the end of a round or when the round is lost with a seven.
In a casino, the Craps table appears to have a lot of staff working it! Traditionally you would expect to see a boxman, whose role is to guard the chips and manage chip exchanges; two base dealers who stand on each side of the box man and whose roles involve collecting and paying out bets; and the stickman whose role is to take the bets in the centre of the table, announce results and to oversee base dealers and to offer the dice and oversee the dice choice by the shooter. In on-line craps, it's just the player and the game!