Play Craps Basics w/ Betting Reference Table

by J. Phillip Vogel

Play Craps provides the basics of the game, history and a handy betting reference table. A lesson at Learn to Play Craps program.
Many gamblers think of playing craps as a relatively new game popularized by casinos early in the 20th century. But tracing its roots back through the ages reveals a surprisingly much longer history. In Roman times, soldiers tossed the cubed bones of animals for sport in an effort to pass the long hours of servitude, from which sprang the phrase roll the bones.
Centuries later, Arabian gamers devised their own interpretation, called az-zahr, which eventually spread through medieval Europe as Hazard. Over time, the game shifted again, becoming Crabs (referring to the lowest possible roll, a pair of ones) when played by the English aristocracy, and Crabes in France, until reaching the Americas and finally settling down in early 19th century as Craps.
Although playing craps is a relatively friendly game with a low house edge, because of its chaotic appearance gamblers unfamiliar with it often shy away. But once you get past its deceptive exterior, playing craps is actually one of the easiest games on the casino floor.
At its most basic level, craps play is comprised of two stages:

Stage 1: The Come Out Roll. Craps begins with the initial roll of the dice, called the come out roll. With the come out, the shooter throws the dice, determining whether the game will begin or end on that roll.
For example, if the shooter throws a 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12 the round ends there. If any other total is rolled—4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10—that number becomes the point, and the dealer places a small round puck on the table at that number’s location, announcing to all players the point for the round.