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Craps can be an intimidating game for the beginner. The table seems to have about a hundred different kinds of bets, the players are barking out commands in what seems to be a foreign language, and the pace is too fast to ever ask a question. I can sympathize with the beginner because it wasn't that long ago that this was how craps appeared to me.
If this is how you view the game I have good news. There is one fundamental bet that almost all players make. You can easily get by knowing just this bet your first time. As you get more experienced you can add more bets to your repertoire. After just your first five minutes you should feel comfortable with the flow of the game and can start acting natural, like you've been a craps player for years.
Critical to the understanding of craps is that it is a game of rounds. The first roll in a round is called the come out roll. Sometimes the outcome of a round will be determined on the come out roll. In particular a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 on the come out roll immediately ends a round. If any other total is rolled (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) that number is called the point. The dealer will place a white puck on an area of the table to designate what the point is, in case you forget. If a point is rolled the dice will be rolled continuously until the same point is rolled again or a 7.
Basic Bets
These are among the best bets for the player.
Pass Line Bets / Come Bets have identical odds.
For the Come-out roll the odds are in favor of the shooter. He/she has a better chance of throwing a 7 or 11 than a 2, 3 or 12 (22.2% for a 7 or 11 vs. 11.1% for a 2, 3 or 12).
However, if the Come-out roll results in a Point being made the odds of winning go down. The shooter is more likely to throw a Seven than the Point number, and these are the only numbers that we are interested in, (8% to 14% for a Seven vs. 16.7% for the Point).
Don't Pass Bets / Don't Come Bets have identical odds, and are the opposite of the Pass Line and Come Bets as you are betting against the shooter.
For the Come-out roll the odds are in favor of the shooter. He/she has a better chance of throwing a 7 or 11 than a 2 or 3, (12 is considered a tie) so your chances of winning are lower (8.3% for a 2 or 3 vs. 22.2% for a 7 or 11).
However, if the Come-out roll results in a Point being made the odds of winning go up. The shooter is more likely to throw a Seven than the Point number, and these are the only numbers that we are interested in, (16.7% for a Seven vs. 8% to 14% for the Point).
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