Craps is a dice game in which players place wagers  on the outcome of the roll, or a series of rolls, of a pair of dice. Players may wager money against each other (street craps) or a bank (casino craps). Because it requires little equipment, street craps can be played in informal settings.

Craps developed from a simplification of the Old English game hazard. Its origins are complex and may date to the Crusades, later being influenced by French gamblers. What was to become the modern American version of the game was brought to New Orleans by Bernard Xavier Philippe de marigny de Mandeville, scion of wealthy Louisiana landowners and a gambler and politician. There was a flaw in Bernard’s version of the game in which players could exploit the casino using fixed dice and taking advantage of the way players can bet with or against the dice thrower. A man named John H. Winn introduced the “don’t pass” betting option in order to fix this problem and it is this version of craps that still exists today.The game, first known as crapaud (a French word meaning “toad”) reportedly owes its modern popularity to it being spread through the African-American community.

Bank craps is a game played by one or more players against a casino or online casino. The casino covers all player bets at a table and sets the odds on its payout. Players take turns rolling two dice. The player rolling the dice is called the “shooter”. Other players at the table bet on the shooter’s rolls by placing chips on various different areas on the table that pay out according to numbers rolled.

To begin, a player wishing to play as the shooter must bet at least the table minimum on either the “Pass” line or the “Don’t Pass” line (pass and don’t pass are sometimes called “Win” or “Right” and “Don’t Win” or “Wrong” bets for the outcome of a shooter’s round). The game is played in rounds, with the right to roll the dice moving clockwise around the craps table at the end of each round. A player may choose not to roll (but can continue to bet); the dice then pass to the next player willing to become the shooter. The shooter is presented with multiple dice (typically five) by the “stickman”, and must choose two to roll with. The remaining dice are returned to the stickman’s bowl and are not used. Online poker.

468 ad