Craps. It's the only casino game that sounds like a cuss word and bonds strangers faster than happy hour at Mardi Gras.

The craps pit in any casino is the one place guaranteed to cause a commotion. For outsiders, the screaming and shouting can be as intimidating as a Wall Street trading floor.

Conspiracy theorists suggest the casinos set it up this way intentionally, to keep potential winners away because some of the easiest bets in craps are the ones with the lowest house advantage. The truth is that by nature craps is fun, loud, and fast. The casino couldn't have invented a better game if they'd tried.

Once you learn the rules, you'll see that craps is much easier than you ever dreamed. Before you know it, you'll be able to march up to that craps table and scream, "Dont crap out!" with the best of ‘em.

What Is Craps?

Craps is a dice game played with two a large, sunken table in a craps pit.

Who's in Charge

There are four casino employees to each full-sized craps table. They are...

• The Boxman: This guy stands in the center, keeps an eye on everything, and has final say in disputes.
• Two Dealers: They deal with the money—collecting, placing, and paying off the bets.
• The Stickman: This guy is in charge of the dice. He announces whose turn it is, what's rolled, and what bets won.

Who Plays?

The shooter is the person who rolls the dice. The shooting order is clock-wise around the table.

• The Stickman will offer 5 dice—pick 2 to roll with.
• First shooter roll is called the "Come-Out." The dice must bounce off the opposite side of the table and bounce back. This establishes the winning point.
• Shooter rolls until they "crap out" – roll a 7.

What Should the Shooter Hope for in the Come-out Roll

The shooter wants to establish a winning point and roll it again before rolling a 7. If the shooter rolls a...

• 7 or 11 they keep control of the dice.
• 2, 3, or 12 they lose control of the dice.
• 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, they have established the winning point.