how to play craps

The question on how to play craps is one that contributors to the various forums where gaming-related matters are discussed find themselves having to answer very frequently.

Many of the people who seek to understand how to play craps tend to folks who have just learnt that craps is one of the few casino games where players have a realistic chance of winning.

These also tend to be folks who have just come to learn that craps is pretty much the only casino game where players can, through skill and proper application of strategy, enhance their chances of winning.

In other words, it is not a game where your luck is the only determinant of whether or not you actually stand any chance of winning something.

This is an important fact to folks who desire to remain in control of things.

There are several important things that people seeking to know how to play craps need to understand.

Firstly, such people need to understand the general concept of craps. Secondly, such folks need to understand the major craps rules.

And finally, the people seeking to understand how to play craps need to understand some of the key tricks through which craps winning odds can be realistically and substantially enhanced.

A general concept of craps

At the most general level, craps can be best described as a betting game.

It is one where the actual placement of bets is based on dice rolls: that is, where people confidently place bets on dice roll outcomes prior to the actual dice rolls.

The people who are 'vindicated' after the dice rolls are the winners: and their specific winnings tend to be dependant on the dice roll outcomes they had betted on, and the 'stakes' being played for.

Understanding craps rules

There are many resources through which you can learn craps rules.

Craps is a very popular game: hence the abundance of resources touching on its rules.

It is also worth noting that craps rules are very simple, straightforward and common sense conventions.

They are designed to enhance fairness in the betting process (so that some players don't end up with overdue advantage over others, or undue advantage over the casino).

To be sure, where the game is played in casinos, the rules tend to be somewhat skewed in the casino's favor (giving rise to what is referred to as 'house edge').

But even then, the rules are designed to give the players a clear idea of what to expect, in terms of the house edge: thus ensuring that the house doesn't have undue unexpected advantage over the players.

The craps rules are also designed to ensure that there is objectivity in the award of winnings. Thus, upon placing bets before the rolling of the dice, the participants know what to expect, in case the dice roll outcomes turn out to be congruent with those that they had betted on.

That is important, unless one is playing free craps (the variety of craps played in various informal setups for fun, as opposed to that which is played with hard cash, for real cash winnings).

The said rules also apply for people playing online craps: with minor adjustments to accommodate the unique Internet-based interface.

Tricks to enhance chances of winning at craps

Most of the tricks through which chances of winning at craps are somehow enhanced revolve around the whole issue of placing bets in ways that reduce the house's (casino's) edge over the individual player.

There are numerous articles and even e-books written on the subject.

What is important is to go beyond simply reading the tricks, and see to it that you actually test and then apply them, so as to increase the odds of winning.