For those who have never played craps before

As a person who makes regular trips to Las Vegas, you could imagine that playing Blackjack all the time can become slightly boring. Its not that the game is boring, on the contrary, it can be very exciting, simply after playing so many times, I craved something with a bit more excitement.

Slot machines were not an option for me, I wanted to experience gambling at its ultimate. In any case, the slot machines were filled with little old ladies, throwing away there their quarters into the machine, tirelessly.  Roulette is fun, to a certain degree and so is Pai Gow Poker.

On my search for something more I came upon the central floor of a Las Vegas Casino. – and there it was, craps!

I had never been drawn to craps. In fact, quite the opposite – and its name didn’t help! However, thanks to some good whisky I was up for anything. I decided, I should at least try to play once. I stepped up to the table and found myself next to some guy who held most of the chips.

In order to not look like a complete amateur, I made a decision to imitate his every move. It was a good choice and soon my hundred dollars had almost tripled – in less than an hour in fact.

By the time my friends had caught up with me, I was so enjoying myself that I refused their urges to move on to the club. I knew I was going no where else for at least the next two hours.

Maybe the drinks were slightly to blame, nevertheless, I still found sitting there at that table was a totally thrilling experience. It might have also been because I won so much. Whatever it was, since that night I have been in love with craps.

Several more visits were made to Las Vegas and some online games of craps on one of the many internet sites, and my pleasure of the game only increased. In the short time that I have been playing, I have noticed that my skills have dramatically improved.

Craps, isn’t the most complicated of games. Indeed, despite what it looks like when you initially step up to the table, craps is a very simple game which you can almost master once you know how to bet.

The following are some tips to those who are newly introduced to the game. They will help you in the beginning to get started. They can be used for both online playing as well as playing at the casino.

To master the fundamental foundations of the game is integral. If you understand these basic concepts the rest of the game will flow with ease.

The first signal that a round is beginning will be the announcement from one of the members of the table crew. He will call 'coming out to roll'. This is actually the shooter's first roll. The shooter is the participant who is throwing the dice.

The pass line bet

The pass line bet is the most simplest of bets.

The area on the table that is labeled PASS LINE, is where the money is placed in order to make this bet. The pass line bet has one of the best odds in the game. The bet has to be placed when the shooter calls the new round.

Once the bet is placed the shooter will roll. If a seven or eleven comes up the pass line bet automatically wins. Even when the result of the dice isn’t immediately seen, you will know by the reaction of the crowd when a 7 or 11 have been diced.

Alternatively, if a 2, 3 or 12 is rolled, your bet is lost. But in the cases where you don’t automatically win or lose the number that comes up is known as a POINT.

Many think of the point as a magic number. The shooter will continuously throw the dice until one of these magic numbers come up. If they come up before a 7 is rolled, you win your bet. if a seven comes up first you lose. This is known as crapping out. Once the POINT or a seven is rolled the round is over and the next 'coming out roll' will commence.

What's so great about craps?

All the numbers in between that could take place between the point or seven roll is next on the board. All the numbers that can be rolled in between also have their roll.

There is a large section of the table with the numbers 5, 6, 8, and 9 and 10. If you put money on one of these numbers and the number comes up, then you win. This can take place many times during the game. The money can remain on the initial numbers or you have the option of moving them around as you see fit. You may even remove it. This is what makes craps exciting. You can continually be placing several bets and moving them around throughout each round. It makes it very exciting.

The fun, and the round only ends when the shooter rolls his/ her seven. When this happens, all the bets on the table are lost. Following this, a new shooter is picked and the next round begins. If the shooter rolls a point, then all the bets continue over to the next round.

Step up to the table, purchase chips. Wait until the round is over and the new round begins and then place your chips on the pass line. If the shooter rolls a seven you are supposed to start cheering because you just won.

When the next round begins, leave the chips on the pass line. The shooter hits a 9. this is a point number. People will start placing all sorts of bets on the table, you too can choose. For example, you can place your bets on 6 and 8. Every time the shooter rolls a six or eight you win. The shooter rolls another point – again a nine. This allows you the option to stay on playing with the same bets into the next round or to collect them and your winnings.