5 Ways to Avoid Embarrassing Yourself While Playing Craps

I don’t play craps much anymore, but I do play the game every once in a while, just for a change of pace.

When I first started playing the game, I remember how terrified I was that I was going to embarrass myself. Considering all of the available bets and throwing the dice, it just seems like there are so many ways to make a mistake.

Of course, none of the mistakes you can make in craps is that big of a deal, but that doesn’t mean they can’t be embarrassing.

Here are five things that you can do to avoid embarrassing yourself when you play craps.

1 – Throwing the Dice

Most new players are concerned about throwing the dice in craps. In fact, most people think the craps table can be quite intimidating if it’s busy because of all of the players and the noise. But the basic game of craps itself is rather simple.

You really don’t have to worry about throwing the dice, because if there’s at least one other player willing to throw them at the table, you don’t have to throw them. You can always pass the dice to the next shooter if you don’t want to throw them.

But I recommend throwing the dice. It can be fun, and it’s not hard to do. The table is fairly large, but you just need to follow a few simple rules.

The main things you need to do are make sure the dice don’t bounce off the table, and you need to make sure the dice hit the back wall. You can hit the back wall on the fly or bounce the dice into it. The only thing the casino doesn’t like is if the dice slide into the back wall.

Some casinos offer craps lessons, usually in the morning before they get busy. This is a great way to learn more about the game and get some practice rolls in.

When it’s your first time to throw the dice in a casino, tell the casino personnel running the table that you’ve never thrown the dice before. They’ll quickly tell you what to do and if you make a mistake, they’re happy to help you. The important thing is to be honest with them and just try to relax.

2 – Understanding Your Wagering Options

The first time I looked at a craps table, I was walking around the casino floor and looking at the games. The craps table didn’t have many players, but they acted like they were having a great time. I walked up to the table to see if it was something I could play, and walked away confused.

I’d heard of craps but didn’t know the rules or how to play. And when I looked at the table and all of the wagers, I had no idea what to do. And other than seeing that a player was throwing dice, I had no idea how to even determine if you won or lost on a roll.

This is exactly how most craps players feel the first time they see a game. And even if you’ve done your research and know the basic rules, it can still be confusing when you play the first time.

Some craps players use all of the wagering options from time to time, but the smartest players only use two wagers. This might seem strange because there are so many wagering options, but almost all of them have a high house edge. You want to avoid making these types of wagers.

Here’s all you need to do to avoid embarrassing yourself at the craps table when it comes to choosing a wager: Wait for a come-out roll. When you get to the table, explain to one of the casino personnel running the game that you’re a new player and to let you know when you can place a wager on a come-out roll.

When you can place a wager, place the table minimum bet amount on either the pass line or the don’t pass line. The don’t pass line wager has a slightly lower edge, but most players use the pass line. You can choose either wager without much difference in your long-term results.

When the bet resolves on the first roll of the dice, place another pass line or don’t pass line wager. When a point is set, place an odds wager. Ask the casino person how to place an odds wager. The odds wager is one of the best wagers in the casino because it has a 0% edge.

These are the only two wagers you should ever place at the craps table.

3 – Playing Live Craps With Other Players

It’s exciting to play craps with other players. Usually, everyone is rooting for each other and winning or losing together. I mentioned that the don’t pass line wager is slightly better than the pass line, yet most craps players make the pass line wager.

Many craps players feel that players who make don’t pass line wagers are rooting or working against the rest of the players. Of course, the way you bet on craps doesn’t have anything to do with the other players, but you need to be aware that if you bet don’t pass, you might be treated differently by the other players at the table.

Also, expect other players to give you unsolicited advice. You should be polite, but any advice you get outside of what you learn on this page is wrong. You should avoid using random people’s advice, because it’s going to cost you money in the long run.

4 – Learning How Much You Need to Risk

For almost every casino game, I recommend risking the smallest amount possible. This is especially true for first-time players and inexperienced gamblers. But craps is unique because of the odds wager that you learned about in the second section.

Here’s the complete betting strategy for craps: Bet the smallest amount the table allows on either the don’t pass line or pass line. When a point is set, follow up the minimum bet amount with a maximum allowed on the odds.

The only thing that you need to make sure of is that you have a big enough bankroll to safely make the maximum odds wager. Even though the odds wager has a 0% house edge, it doesn’t mean that you’re going to break even on it in every craps session.

You’re going to have stretches of time when you lose more than you win on the odds wager. And you’re going to have stretches of time when you win more than you lose on the odds wager. Your craps bankroll needs to be large enough to ride out the ups and downs of short-term volatility.

If you’re making a $10 wager on the pass line and the maximum odds are $100, this means you’re going to be risking $110 at a time. You need a large bankroll to ride the ups and downs of a playing session. I recommend at least $2,000 at these stakes.

And this is just for your bankroll for the playing session. You need a larger overall bankroll to continue playing craps.

5 – Playing Craps Online

Real money online craps is useful for many different reasons. The first reason why online craps is useful is when you have a small bankroll. The minimum wager amounts are much smaller at most online casinos than in land-based casinos.

If you make a minimum bet of $1 and back it with a $10 odds wager, you’re only risking $11. Compare this to the example in the previous section of $110.

The second reason why playing craps online is a good plan is so you can learn how all of the wagering options work and how the game plays. You can play online craps for free to practice and learn. And if you decide to make a deposit and play real money craps, you might be able to get a bonus.

The odds and edge are the same whether you play live craps or online craps. If you’re worried about throwing the dice, you never have to worry about it when you play online. The dice are rolled with a click of a button.

If you play craps online for real money, there is one thing you need to be aware of. Playing craps in a land-based casino is relatively slow. It takes time for the dice to be gathered and given to the shooter and thrown. Then, the losing wagers are collected and the winning wagers are paid.

But when you play craps online, all of these things are done quickly. This means that you can make 10 or more rolls when you play online in the time it takes to make one roll in a live casino. This is fine if you want to play at a fast pace. But if your goal is to risk less, then you need to slow down when playing craps online.

Conclusion

You don’t have to worry about embarrassing yourself playing craps if you simply follow the five steps on this page. If you don’t want to throw the dice, simply pass when it’s your turn.

Ignore all of the betting options other than the pass line bets and the odds wager. This way, you play with a low edge and you don’t have to track any other wagers.

When you play craps online, you don’t have to worry about rolling the dice or playing with other players. Also, you can play with lower stakes and get a bonus at some top-rated online casinos.