Guide to Online Craps

Craps has become a classic at the casino. Gamblers love the excitement as they watch the dice roll down the craps table to find out if they’ll take home the big win. In brick and mortar casinos, you will likely hear loud cheering coming from the craps table when the shooter is on a hot streak. The same anticipation and excitement translates onto the web, where gamblers can roll the dice even more often and enjoy the same thrilling victories, special bonuses, and hot streaks from the comfort of their own homes.

Ready to experience the virtual roar firsthand? Start playing now by choosing one of the best casinos that offer real money craps and free craps flash games, from our recommended casino list below.

Best Craps Action

Why Play Craps Online

Great odds:  Some of the bets allowed in craps will have the lowest house edge of any table games. This means you’re more likely to win or break even in the long run, making craps one of the better choices of all the casino games.

Plenty of action: Craps is a very fast-paced game with lots of action. It gets the juices flowing and can be very exciting. Nothing tops the thrill of an extended hot streak, and players can win big sums of money in a short time when things go well.

The lowest house edges: As stated before, Craps has one of the lowest house edges of any game. Not all of the bets have the same the odds, though. The pass line bet will be your best bet, giving the player the lowest house edge at 1.4%.

The Basics of Online Craps

The basic setup in craps is that one player — dubbed the ‘shooter’ — rolls two dice, and all the players around the table bet on what that player will roll.

The first roll — the ‘come-out throw’ — sets the stage for the rest of the game. Prior to it, players can bet either on the Pass Line or the Don’t Pass Bar. On the first roll:

• If the dice sum to either 7 or 11, players who bet the pass line win.
• If the sum comes to 2, 3 or 12 (these combinations are known as ‘craps’), players who bet they don’t pass bar win.
• If a shooter rolls any other number, that number becomes the ‘Point.’

All bets placed on the pass line are now wagered on the ‘Point,’ and players can also wager on other bets available on the table, including certain sums or other combinations of his choosing.

The shooter then throws the dice — until either the point or a 7 is thrown:

• If a point is thrown, players are rewarded winnings on their pass line bet and the shooter starts over with another come-out throw.
• If the shooter throws a 7, all bets on the table are collected and the dice are passed to another player.

Online Craps Strategy

Craps is one of those games in which strategy pays. In fact, a good online craps strategy is a likely start towards a winning streak. For example, the best bet at the craps table, is the Pass Line bet, and then taking odds on the point.

If you’re just learning how to play online craps, then we suggest keeping the odds chart above open on your browser while you play for easy reference.  After a bit of time, you’ll start to memorize these odds so that you can develop a better online craps strategy.

It’s also a good idea for rookies to place bets with a lower house edge and payout because they have a higher likelihood of occurring. Perhaps, also place smaller bets to test out some of the bets with a higher payout and house edge. Then, when you feel more confident with the game, why not try risking a bit more to win bets with higher payouts.

And to get in some practice before playing real money craps games online, try our free demo online craps game below.

Craps strategies you shouldn’t use: Most of the other bets on the board are fairly safe, although there are a few bets players should avoid. The ‘Big Six’ and ‘Big Eight’ bets feature a terrible house edge at 9.1%, while the ‘Hard 4’ and ‘Hard 10’ odds are even worse, with a house edge of more than 11%.

Craps Odds Table

Knowing the odds for online casino craps real money games can greatly improve your chances of winning. By knowing the chances you have of winning a certain bet, you can make smarter bets. When it comes to craps, you have many betting options because the game consists of more than one roll. Therefore, the house edge can vary depending on the roll and the bet. In case you are not familiar, the house edge refers to the advantage that the casino has over the player. Below you can see the house edge and payouts for the most common craps bets so you can take advantage of the odds and put them in your favour:

 

The Best Bets in Craps

Winning in craps may be a matter of luck, but there’s always an element of skill. That’s why it’s important to make the right choices when placing your craps bet.

Odds Bets: The best bet on the table is the Odds bet, which you make by placing money behind your Pass Line wager. Essentially, with the Odds bet, you’re playing for a re-roll of the point. The good news here is that these wagers are exactly fair — the house edge is a tidy zero percent!

Keep in mind, there are often restrictions on how much you can wager on Odds bets.  You’ll usually find the following max bet limits:

Point is 4 or 10 — Max Odds bet is three times the Pass Line bet
Point is 5 or 9 — Max Odds bet is four times the Pass Line bet
Point is 6 or 8 — Max Odds bet is five times the Pass Line bet

If you’re looking for a way to play aggressively, betting up to the max on the Odds bet after the come out roll is the way to go.

Place Bets: You can put wagers on rolls of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 — these are known as Place numbers. Wagering on these outcomes is similar to placing an Odds bet, except you don’t have to wager on the pass line. That, however, means Place bets carry slightly lower odds. The house edge for these wagers is as follows:

Place 6 and 8 — 0.46 percent
Place 5 and 9 — 1.11 percent
Place 4 and 10 — 1.67 percent

Don’t Pass Bets: Almost to a fault, everybody decides to bet the Pass Line when they gamble in brick and mortar casinos, both because it’s a smart bet, and because the odds are quite friendly. Here’s a little secret for you though — if you aren’t afraid to go against the grain and upset some table mates, the Don’t Pass bet is actually a slightly better bet to make, dropping the house edge from 0.42 percent to 0.40.

The Worst Bets in Craps

There’s no real such thing as “the worst bet in craps”.  Some bets just have lower odds of paying out.  Still, just because they’re less of a sure thing, doesn’t mean they’re not worth making. Just think twice before placing these bets.

Hard Ways Bets: Craps tables almost always lure you into making Hard Way bets, as they list the payouts for each right there on the table and advertise that those are among the biggest lottery tickets in the game. The problem with Hard Way bets are the poor odds – here’s the house edge for the various types of Hard Way bets:

Hard 6 or 8 — 2.78%
Hard 4 or 10 — 3.40%

These percentages are double or triple the house edge of most standard Place Bets. It’s tempting to get fancy at the craps table, but trust me, you’re better off staying away from the Hard Ways.

Put Bets: Technically, craps players have the option to skip the initial Pass or Come bets and wait until after the come out roll to wager on a Pass or Come. I would highly advise against it. Skipping the come out roll and then placing a Put bet on the Pass Line results in a huge house edge — 33.3 percent on 4 or 10, 20 percent on 5 or 9, and 9.1 percent on 6 and 10. Avoid these at all costs.

Proposition Bets: And here we have the Holy Grail of horrible craps betting. Like I said before, it’s tempting to get fancy and show off how well you know the rules of the craps table, but these bets simply aren’t worth it.

Here’s how Prop bets work: Unlike most other wagers, these are one-off bets that are determined by the results of the forthcoming throw. Tables might feature a number of varying Prop bets, which might include the following, listed with expected house edges (note, some casinos vary the payouts, which is why there’s a range of edges listed for some):

2, 12 and all “hard” hop bets — 5.56 to 16.67 percent
3, 11 and all “easy” hop bets — 5.56 to 16.67 percent
Any craps (2, 3 or 12) — 5.56 to 11.11 percent
Any 7 — 16.67 percent

Playing Craps Online

• More Rolls: Craps translates surprisingly well online, considering you generally lose the social aspect of the game. It’s a great way to play, though, because, since it’s always your turn, you can roll more turns and generally play more craps.
• More bonuses: You can also take advantage of the numerous bonuses given by online casinos. These bonuses will further increase the value of playing online craps.
• Better odds: Perhaps more important than bonuses is the fact that online casinos often offer significantly better odds (up to 5X) than land-based casinos.
• Mobile Craps: The game is fun and easy to play on mobile devices, including smartphones and tablets – providing entertainment and the chance at some nice winnings anywhere you go. Take one of the industry’s biggest software providers, Microgaming. This popular software has their online craps games available at many of the most popular mobile casino apps. Royal Vegas Casino, for example, has a mobile casino that functions on Android, iPhone, Blackberry, and iPad so you can play online casino craps real money by Microgaming software on-the-go from your mobile devices. Meanwhile, Casino.com offers mobile online craps Canada games offered by another reputable software, Playtech.

Online Craps Games for Real Money

After signing up at one of our recommended online casinos, you’ll have the option to play demo games for free or play online casino craps real money games. The best part about real money games is that, as you probably guessed it, you can win real money! Talk about easy money when you make smart bets and end up with a lot of cold hard cash from playing an entertaining game like craps right from your computer desktop or mobile device. When you want to play real money games, you’ll need to first make a deposit at the casino. Also check whether or not the casino has a no deposit bonus valid for craps games. In this way, you can use the bonus to try out craps riskee using the bonus money credited by the casino. Otherwise, once you deposit your money, you are ready to play online casino craps real money games! Good luck!

Online Craps Live Dealer

Online craps live dealer games bring the action of the real game into your living room. This astounding technology streams beautiful croupiers from a casino in real-time during the game. You can view and interact with the croupier as you make and win bets. Betway Casino stands out as a great gaming option for Canadian gamblers looking to enjoy the excitement of online craps live.

Online Craps Bonuses

Online craps bonus offers mean you can play using credits given by the casino and still win real money riskee. Our favourite online craps bonus is the no deposit bonus which gambling sites use to attract new players to their casino. With a no deposit bonus, you receive casino credits just for signing up with no deposit required. Meanwhile, new players can also cash in enormous match bonuses on their first few deposits with signup bonuses like the Royal Vegas Casino welcome bonus rewarding up to $1,200. Casinos also host ongoing promotions, some specifically to use at an online craps game. In our reviews on this site, we highlight the available bonuses at each site so you can take advantage of these great offers.

Tips for Playing Craps Online

I totally get the temptation to show off with all sorts of fancy bets, especially if you hop off the web and take your crap talents to a brick and mortar betting palace. Believe you me, I spend my free time writing about online gambling — I love knowing more than everyone else. But here’s the thing — you need to know very little to play craps ideally, because the best craps strategy is the simplest almost the same as online slots…

Play the Don’t Pass and add odds. But if you’re not, and I’m assuming you’re not, you’ll do nearly as well playing the Pass with odds. Sprinkle in a Place bet or two if you must — I usually stick with the 6 and 8 — and THAT’S IT.

A few other bits of housekeeping — things can swing rapidly in craps, and it helps to have a bankroll to ride out those waves. You should come to the table with a set amount of cash you’re ready to lose, and that bankroll should give you the wiggle room to ride out a few quick 7s before the table hits a long roll.  I usually try to have 15 to 20 times my anticipated Pass Line bets with me when I start out.

I also recommend taking at least a few practice runs with play money before you dive in with your own cash. You can practice at most of our recommended casinos. If you’re just starting out, I recommend heading over to Royal Vegas to try this out.

Craps Glossary

The following craps terms are the basics you should remember when playing. Keep in mind, this is only a sampling. Craps has a fair bit of game specific lingo. Knowing the different terms can make the game more fun if you familiarize yourself first.

Shooter –The player charged with tossing the dice. Online, players may not share a table with other actual players, so there may not be an actual shooter, but instead the dice may roll when the player determines.
Come-out roll – The shooter’s first roll is the come-out roll, and dictates the rest of the game.
Craps – A two-dice combination that sums either 2, 3 or 12.
Crap out – When the players hits the 2, 3 or 12 on their come out roll.
Hot dice – Or a hot table (depending where you put the emphasis) is essentially a winning streak.
Hard Way – Players can wager that hands will land the hard way, in which both dice are the same – e.g. two 3s or two 4s.

A Few Last Words on Craps

Craps really is a beautiful game, with its unbelievably fair odds and remarkably simple game play. Don’t let the massive felt table and all its various bets intimidate you. Once you get the hang of it – and you will sooner than you believe – you’ll love this game, dice, felt table, betting options, and all.