Internet craps has the same game mechanics as live craps games, which means new dice betters have a good way to play from the comfort and anonymity of their homes, learning the game at home on the own computer, instead of learn dice gambling in front of a bunch of impatient strangers at the brick-and-mortar casino.
If you’re brand new to craps, then online dice gambling is probably the way you want to learn the game. You can play free Internet craps at one of a hundred different craps simulator, read up on the rules of the game, and browse through an online craps glossary to figure out what the heck all those crazy bet names are and what bets they imply.
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Online Craps Bets
The betting is the exact same as in live craps gaming, so immersing yourself in a simulated game for free or electronic game for money lets you learn in the quickest fashion. I suggest you place bets on every proposition in your virtual play, even though I don’t suggest that in normal craps game play, because the odds are bad on certain craps propositions.
With that tease, let’s look at the various craps bets. One thing so confusing about craps betting is that the numbers you want to hit on the first roll are the numbers you want to avoid on the second roll, so this always causes confusion with newbies.
Pass Line Bet – The basic bet. If your come-out roll is a “7” or “11”, you win automatically, as all the other gamblers who bet the pass line bet do. But if you roll a “2”, “3”, or a “12”, you automatically lose. If this happens, you’ve crapped out. Any other number establishes a point. You’ll have to roll that number again before you roll a “7”, or else you lose. Since the 7 is the most common combination in craps (1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, 6-1), the odds are not in your favor if you don’t win on the pass line bet.
Don’t Pass Line Bet – This is betting against the dice thrower, and is almost the exact opposite of the pass line bet. You lose on a 7 or 11 and win on a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out roll. Once a point is set, you win if a 7 hits before the point again, but lose if the point number is hit. In either case, 12 is a draw, which helps set up the house edge. Making this bet is frowned upon by some players, because you are betting against the table. It’s called by some “playing on the dark side”.
Come Bet – Quite similar to the Pass Line bet. This one can be made at any time during the sequence of rolls, usually after a point has been established.
Don’t Come Bet – Quite similar to the Don’t Pass Line bet. Once again, virtually the opposite of the Come Bet, usually made after a point has been established.
Place Bet – This is an odds-bet made on whether a particular number is going to come up before a 7. You get 9-to-5 betting on either the “4” or “10”, 7-to-5 betting on either the “5” or “9”, and 7-to-6 betting on either the “6” or “8”. Again, this bet can be made at any time, but usually is made after a point number has been established.
Hardway Bet – You’re betting a certain number is hit the hard way, by doubling up a number. You bet on a 4 (two 2s), 6 (two 3s), 8 (two 4s), and 10 (two 5s). If these same numbers come up the easy way–for example a 5/3 for an “8”–you still lose. This is a heartbreaker of a bet, but you get 8-to-1 on a 4 or 10, and 10-to-1 on a 6 or 8.
There are other bets, the proposition bets, you can make at any time during the betting sequence. These tend to be long-shots that pay off in big amounts. While the odds below are not standard, they are a fairly common version of the payouts. If you live near a casino-rich city and you love long odds in craps, shop around to find the best odds on the proposition bets.
- Any Seven – Pays 5 to 1
- Any Craps (2,3,12) – Pays 8 to 1
- Eleven – Pays 16 to 1
- Ace-Deuce – Pays 16 to 1
- Aces – Pays 31 to 1
- Twelve – Pays 31 to 1
Playing Internet Craps
Now that you know the various craps bets, I suggest you play some free online craps to learn them backwards and forwards. Many of the bets in craps aren’t worth playing, so you could play a long time by learning only a few basic good wagers, but you want to be able to follow the conversation, so play through some simulations to get familiar with the entire game.
To play online craps, your computer has to interface with an online craps casino. To do that, casino websites license software programs that can be downloaded with a few clicks. The download process takes a few minutes and should make for smooth play, if you use late edition Windows operating systems. Even if you don’t, there are browser based versions of most casino games, including craps, that casinos offer for people who has Mac computer, Linux operating systems, or who don’t want to use the download for any other reason.
Internet Craps Bankroll
Next, you’ll need to download some money into an account at your electronic casino of choice. Credit cards like Visa and Mastercard work on most gambling websites, and you can also use a prepaid gift card, which is something these sites offer promotions to encourage people to use. Also, you can use an Internet money transfer company like NETELLER or Moneybookers. There are a seemingly endless number of these companies online, and each casino has around 3 to 8 they allow to transfer money to their site.
Online Craps Gambling
Once you’ve downloaded the software and made an initial deposit, you can start playing Internet craps for money. Free Internet craps can be played at many online casinos without registration or even giving out an email address, so you only have to navigate to a gambling website to play for free. At the very least, use the free version of online craps to learn the game, then see whether the Internet version of craps is enough like the live game to warrant your time. Good luck at the online craps table.
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