Online craps

If you’ve never played craps before, you probably know it as the dice game where everyone is having loads of fun but you haven’t the faintest idea what the rules are. Here we show you how to play and where online players can experience the best real money casino craps – it is a good idea to play on the Internet (for either free or real cash) if you’re new to the game, so you don’t feel intimidated at a land-based venue.

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The Best Online Casinos to Play Craps

When deciding where to play craps on the Web, there are three important questions to consider:

• Is the casino safe?
• Are the games fair?
• Does the site accept real money deposits using trusted payment methods?

All of our recommended Internet casinos fulfil these key criteria, and then some. Every last strand of data that goes into these certified gambling sites is fully protected by advanced SSL (Secure Socket Layer) encryption technology, meaning all real cash deposits are in the safest of hands. They also boast the seal of approval from eCOGRA (eCommerce Online Gaming Regulation and Assurance), which is only awarded to Web casinos with reliable, fair and honest gaming platforms. And best of all, every one of these trusted websites caters for the multiple currencies.

• Royal Vegas – Get up to $1200 free cash.
• Jackpot City – Register and receive up to $1600 free cash.
• All Slots – Sign up for $1600 bonus money.
• Platinum Play – Get up to 1500 free bets.
• Emu – Rake in up to $300 free credits.
• Casino-Mate – Pocket up to $1400 bonus chips.

Online Craps Software

Our top-ranked gambling websites all use casino software designed by Microgaming – perhaps the most trusted name in the online gaming industry. This includes the well-loved Vegas Craps title, which has become the benchmark for Internet-based dice games since its release nearly a decade ago.

Our Microgaming casinos offer two distinct platforms for online craps:

• Full download: A complete desktop suite for Windows PC, which allows us to install individual games directly to the casino lobby on our desktops.
• Instant play: Using Flash and other common scripting formats, this lets us play genuine real money casino games via our Internet browsers – with no downloads required.

Both methods offer certain advantages for different players. The downloadable software package is great for people who always gamble on the same computer, and who want the ability to tailor the casino settings and game selection to their liking. Other players, however, will enjoy the freedom and flexibility of the no-download Flash casino – especially Apple Mac users, because most online casino downloads are optimised for Microsoft Windows.

Safe Deposit & Withdrawal Options

Players can choose from a number of secure transaction methods when playing virtual craps at our trusted Internet casinos. Whether you use a credit card, debit card, e-wallet, or pre-paid online money voucher, all real money deposits are conducted under the watchful eye of the same 128-bit SSL digital encryptions used by leading financial institutions all over the world.

Below are the most common online cash transfer methods available

• Visa
• MasterCard
• POLi
• EntroPay
• Neteller
• Skrill (Moneybookers)
• Paysafecard (Ukash)
• Click2Pay
• Direct Bank Transfer

Using these methods, deposits will show up in your account immediately (wire transfers notwithstanding) – so you can roll them bones and win real money as soon as you confirm your transaction. Withdrawals can take up to 72 hours to process, and you may be asked to produce proof of identity (driver’s license, birth certificate, etc.) to ensure the highest legal and anti-fraud standards are met.

For more details on how to make secure deposits and withdrawals, check out the ‘Banking’ section at www.RoyalVegasCasino.com – our top-ranked casino for Internet craps.

How to Play Craps

Casino craps is a table game played with two standard six-sided dice and a large betting layout. Land-based craps games can accommodate a dozen or so players at once, although only one – the “shooter” – is charged with rolling the dice during any given round. (As the vast majority of online versions are single-player affairs, the distinction between shooter and other players becomes irrelevant.)

For each roll, the score is made up of the combined total of both dice. However, the exact numbers shown on each dice are important for certain bets. For example: a nine consisting of a four on one die and a five on the other (4, 5) can be different to a nine comprising a three and a six (3, 6).

The Pass Line

The most basic bet in craps is known as the pass line bet, which can be made at the start of each round. When the shooter rolls the dice for the first time, the pass line bet wins at even money if they roll a seven or an eleven. If the shooter rolls a two, three or twelve, then the pass line bet loses immediately.

If that roll results in any other number, that number becomes the “point”. From here on, the aim is to roll the point a second time before seven comes up again. If you do so, the pass line bet pays out at even money; if a seven is rolled first, the pass line bets lose.

The pass line wager dictates the basic structure of a craps game. In a brick and mortar casino, the shooter keeps rolling until they produce a seven; once that number comes up, the round is complete and a new player takes on the rolling duties.

Taking the Odds

Once a point has been determined, any player that has made a pass line bet can back that bet up with additional money. This is known as “taking the odds”. This bet pays out at different odds depending on the point: 2-1 on a point of four or ten, 3-2 on a point of five or nine, and 6-5 on a point of six or eight. These odds are equivalent to the probabilities of rolling a seven before the point; in other words, these bets are completely fair and have no house edge. In most cases, players are only allowed to bet a maximum of between three and five times their pass line bet when taking the odds, though some casinos do allow for even higher bets.

Betting the Wrong Way

Players also have the option of making bets that are essentially the opposite of those described above. If you make a “don’t pass” bet, it will win even money if the come out roll is a two or three, and lose on a seven or eleven (twelve is considered a push). If a point is determined, the don’t pass bet now wins if a seven is rolled before that point.

In addition, you can also place bets behind a don’t pass bet if a point is rolled. This is known as laying the odds, and once again comes with no house edge. However, since you’re now taking the more likely outcome, you’ll get the opposite of the odds you get when taking the odds.

Basic Strategy and Odds

The best basic strategy to use when playing craps is to stick to either the pass line bet or the don’t pass bet. The pass line bet has a house edge of 1.41%, while the don’t pass bet comes in a little better at 1.36%. However, that tiny difference may not make up for the fact that when making don’t pass bets in live casino craps, you’ll be playing against most of the rest of the table, which might be a little uncomfortable.

Regardless of which way you want to bet, you should always try to back up those bets by placing as much money as is allowed on the odds. Since this bet has no house edge at all, it’s one of the best bets in the entire casino, and shouldn’t be ignored. For instance, if you want to bet $50 at a time, it is much better to put $10 on the pass line and $40 on the odds than putting all $50 on the pass line in the first place.

Why Play Real Money Craps Online?

What’s the difference between shooting dice at a b&m casino and playing on the Web? While the gameplay is more or less the same, there are several advantages to Internet craps.

• Play at your own pace – For first-timers and novices, craps is one of the most intimidating table games on the casino floor. The play is often very fast, the crowds can be raucous, and the sheer number of wagers on offer (combined with the unique language of the craps betting layout) makes it nigh-on impossible to keep up if you’ve never played before. There is no such issue in Web-based interactive craps games, because we play one-on-one with the house. This means there is no need to keep pace with the masses, and we can take our time over each decision and get a feel for the game on our own terms.
• No pressure to play the pass line – One of the curious aspects of live craps is that more often than not, the majority of players at any given table will play the pass line or come bets (house edge 1.41%) rather than the don’t pass and don’t come bets (house edge 1.36%). Now, while every player is entirely within their rights to play “the wrong way”, it is often frowned upon by one’s fellow punters – because when everyone else is betting on the pass line, you are effectively wagering against them. This problem is eliminated in digital craps, as there are no grumpy punters scowling at you for playing what is undoubtedly the smartest bet on the layout.
• Play anywhere, anytime – The biggest plus for shooting dice on the Net is the sheer convenience of it. We don’t have to brave the weekend crowds at the local land-based casino, and we don’t have to watch our hard-earned bankroll get eaten up by taxi fares, public transport fees, or petrol costs. Just find the cosiest spot in the house, log in to Royal Vegas Casino on your laptop, and roll away.

Other Craps Bets

The wagers we’ve covered so far are all you need to play real cash craps; but once you’re comfortable with the basic craps bets, you might want to branch out into some other areas. Below are the other bets we can make when shooting dice.

• Come/Don’t Come: These bets are essentially the same as pass and don’t pass bets, but can be made on any roll rather than just the come out roll.
• Place Bets: These bets allow you to take the odds on any point number at any time. However, they pay out at slightly lower odds than when you “take the odds,” and as such have a house edge of between 1.52% and 6.67%, depending on the number chosen.
• Buy Bets: These bets are equivalent to taking the odds, but can be made at any time and come with a 5% commission.
• Hard Way Bets: These bets are wagers that a four, six, eight or ten will be rolled using doubles before they are rolled any other way (or a seven is rolled). These bets are especially popular here in Australia, where they generally offer better odds than in the rest of the world, lowering the house edge on hard way bets significantly.
• Prop Bets: These are bets that can be made on any single roll and are resolved immediately. For instance, you can bet that a seven will be rolled, that an exact combination of dice will be rolled, or that any craps (2, 3 or 12) will be rolled.
• Field Bet: This popular bet wins if a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12 is rolled on the next roll. A two will pay 2-1 odds as a bonus, and a 12 is even better, paying 3-1 odds.

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See also:

• Craps Strategy
• No Download Craps