How to Play Dice (2 Dice Gambling Games)
Designate a shooter., Hand the shooter the dice., Place the initial bets., Roll the dice., Place bets for the attempt to make the point., Roll to attempt to make the point.
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Designate a shooter.
This is the person who will roll or throw the dice for himself/herself and the other players to make bets on the outcome of the roll.
All players, including the shooter, are playing against the house when they make bets. -
Step 2: Hand the shooter the dice.
The stickman (the person who retrieves the dice using a long, curved stick) offers the shooter a selection of (usually) five dice from which two are chosen.
In street craps, usually only the two dice necessary are provided.
Dice used for casino craps typically feature sharp edges and carefully marked so that each face weighs the same as each of the other faces. , The shooter is required to bet on the outcome of the first roll before rolling the dice, while other players are allowed to bet as they see fit from the available betting options, provided they make their initial bets when a betting round starts.
Initial bets include the following:
Pass:
An even money bet that a “right” or winning number will be rolled before a “wrong” or losing number.
A pass bet is placed on the Pass Line when playing at a marked craps table.
This is one of the options for the shooter’s required bet.
Don’t Pass:
An even money bet that a “wrong” or losing number will be rolled before a “right” number. (This is sometimes called “playing the dark side” and considered by some to be in bad taste.) A don’t pass bet is placed on the Don’t Pass line when playing at a marked craps table.
This is the other option for the shooter’s required bet.
Some casinos also require the other players to make a pass or don’t pass bet before the first roll.
Odds (or Free Odds):
This is a bet that can supplement a pass, don’t pass, or come bet.
It is paid at the actual odds of rolling a given roll instead of whatever odds the house normally offers for one of the other bets.This bet is usually placed adjacent to or overlapping the bet it is supplementing instead of directly on top of it.Laying odds on a pass bet usually involves making a smaller bet to win big, while laying odds on a don’t pass bet usually involves making a larger bet to win small, although the casino can set a maximum of what multiple of a pass or don’t pass bet can be made as an odds bet.Proposition/service bets:
These are bets on a specific roll outcome, such as a specific total or range of totals, or a specific combination of face values on the two dice.
These are generally long-odds bets, as they are less likely to come up than the pass or don’t pass values., The first roll is known as a “come-out” roll.
The outcome of this roll determines which bets are paid, lost, or held over for subsequent rolls.
If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, pass bets win and don’t pass bets lose.
The next roll becomes a come-out roll for a new round of play.
If the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12, pass bets lose.
Don’t pass bets win if the roll is a 2 or 3, while they are returned to the player (“pushed”) without winning money if the roll is a
12. (In some casinos, a roll of 2 is the “push” number, while other casinos allow the player to choose which of the two numbers is the “push” number.)If the first roll is anything other than one of these results, the number rolled becomes a “point” that will win if rolled, and the round continues.
Pass and don’t pass bets are carried over.
In casino craps, the shooter is required to roll both dice with one hand and have them hit the far wall of the table for the roll to count.
If one of the dice flies out of the table, the shooter may either select one of the unchosen dice originally offered by the stickman or ask for the die back. (In such case, the boxman, the person who manages the table and its bets, will inspect the die to make sure it has not been milled or loaded.)In street craps, players may elect to use a backstop such as a curb, wall, or chair-edge, stretch a blanket to contain the dice, or do without a restraint. , Pass, don’t pass, odds, and service bets can be made prior to each roll where the shooter attempts to make the point the same as prior to the come-out roll.
In addition, two other bets are possible:
Come:
Betting that the shooter will make a 7 or 11 on the first point roll or will make the point before making a
7.
Don’t come:
Betting that the shooter won’t make a 7 or 11 on the first point roll or will roll a number other than the point and then roll a 7 before the point can be made.
As with the pass and don’t pass bets, players can supplement come and don’t come bets with odds bets.
These bets cannot be laid down until a come-out point has been established. , The shooter continues to roll until the point is made or a 7 is rolled.
If the shooter makes the point on the first roll, pass and come bets win, while don’t pass and don’t come bets lose.
The shooter does not have to make the point with same combination that was used to establish it: if a point of 4 was established by rolling a 1 and 3, the point can be made by rolling either 1 and 3 or 2 and
2.
If the shooter makes the point on any roll after the first, pass bets win and don’t pass bets lose.
If the shooter rolls an 11 on the first point roll, come bets win and don’t come bets lose.
Pass and don’t pass bets are carried over to the next roll. (Rolling an 11 after the first point roll has no effect on the outcome of pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bets.) If the shooter rolls a 7 on the first point roll, come bets and don’t pass bets win.
Pass bets and don’t come bets lose.
If the shooter rolls a 7 on any point roll after the first before rolling the point, don’t pass and don’t come bets win, while pass and come bets lose.
The shooter’s turn as shooter ends, and a new shooter is chosen.
If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the first point roll, come bets lose.
Don’t come bets win if the roll is a 2 or 3, while they are pushed if the roll is a
12. (Rolling any of these numbers after the first point roll has no effect on the outcome of pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bets.) If the shooter rolls anything else on the first point roll, a come point is established as the new point for the come and don’t come bets, while the original come-out point remains as the point for pass and don’t pass bets.
If the come point number is rolled before a 7 is rolled, the come bet wins and the don’t come bet loses.
If a 7 is rolled before the come point is rolled, the don’t come bet wins and the come bet loses.
If the original point is rolled before the come point is rolled, pass bets win, don’t pass bets lose, and the come and don’t come bets carry over while a new round of play starts to establish a new come-out point. -
Step 3: Place the initial bets.
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Step 4: Roll the dice.
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Step 5: Place bets for the attempt to make the point.
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Step 6: Roll to attempt to make the point.
Detailed Guide
This is the person who will roll or throw the dice for himself/herself and the other players to make bets on the outcome of the roll.
All players, including the shooter, are playing against the house when they make bets.
The stickman (the person who retrieves the dice using a long, curved stick) offers the shooter a selection of (usually) five dice from which two are chosen.
In street craps, usually only the two dice necessary are provided.
Dice used for casino craps typically feature sharp edges and carefully marked so that each face weighs the same as each of the other faces. , The shooter is required to bet on the outcome of the first roll before rolling the dice, while other players are allowed to bet as they see fit from the available betting options, provided they make their initial bets when a betting round starts.
Initial bets include the following:
Pass:
An even money bet that a “right” or winning number will be rolled before a “wrong” or losing number.
A pass bet is placed on the Pass Line when playing at a marked craps table.
This is one of the options for the shooter’s required bet.
Don’t Pass:
An even money bet that a “wrong” or losing number will be rolled before a “right” number. (This is sometimes called “playing the dark side” and considered by some to be in bad taste.) A don’t pass bet is placed on the Don’t Pass line when playing at a marked craps table.
This is the other option for the shooter’s required bet.
Some casinos also require the other players to make a pass or don’t pass bet before the first roll.
Odds (or Free Odds):
This is a bet that can supplement a pass, don’t pass, or come bet.
It is paid at the actual odds of rolling a given roll instead of whatever odds the house normally offers for one of the other bets.This bet is usually placed adjacent to or overlapping the bet it is supplementing instead of directly on top of it.Laying odds on a pass bet usually involves making a smaller bet to win big, while laying odds on a don’t pass bet usually involves making a larger bet to win small, although the casino can set a maximum of what multiple of a pass or don’t pass bet can be made as an odds bet.Proposition/service bets:
These are bets on a specific roll outcome, such as a specific total or range of totals, or a specific combination of face values on the two dice.
These are generally long-odds bets, as they are less likely to come up than the pass or don’t pass values., The first roll is known as a “come-out” roll.
The outcome of this roll determines which bets are paid, lost, or held over for subsequent rolls.
If the come-out roll is a 7 or 11, pass bets win and don’t pass bets lose.
The next roll becomes a come-out roll for a new round of play.
If the come-out roll is a 2, 3, or 12, pass bets lose.
Don’t pass bets win if the roll is a 2 or 3, while they are returned to the player (“pushed”) without winning money if the roll is a
12. (In some casinos, a roll of 2 is the “push” number, while other casinos allow the player to choose which of the two numbers is the “push” number.)If the first roll is anything other than one of these results, the number rolled becomes a “point” that will win if rolled, and the round continues.
Pass and don’t pass bets are carried over.
In casino craps, the shooter is required to roll both dice with one hand and have them hit the far wall of the table for the roll to count.
If one of the dice flies out of the table, the shooter may either select one of the unchosen dice originally offered by the stickman or ask for the die back. (In such case, the boxman, the person who manages the table and its bets, will inspect the die to make sure it has not been milled or loaded.)In street craps, players may elect to use a backstop such as a curb, wall, or chair-edge, stretch a blanket to contain the dice, or do without a restraint. , Pass, don’t pass, odds, and service bets can be made prior to each roll where the shooter attempts to make the point the same as prior to the come-out roll.
In addition, two other bets are possible:
Come:
Betting that the shooter will make a 7 or 11 on the first point roll or will make the point before making a
7.
Don’t come:
Betting that the shooter won’t make a 7 or 11 on the first point roll or will roll a number other than the point and then roll a 7 before the point can be made.
As with the pass and don’t pass bets, players can supplement come and don’t come bets with odds bets.
These bets cannot be laid down until a come-out point has been established. , The shooter continues to roll until the point is made or a 7 is rolled.
If the shooter makes the point on the first roll, pass and come bets win, while don’t pass and don’t come bets lose.
The shooter does not have to make the point with same combination that was used to establish it: if a point of 4 was established by rolling a 1 and 3, the point can be made by rolling either 1 and 3 or 2 and
2.
If the shooter makes the point on any roll after the first, pass bets win and don’t pass bets lose.
If the shooter rolls an 11 on the first point roll, come bets win and don’t come bets lose.
Pass and don’t pass bets are carried over to the next roll. (Rolling an 11 after the first point roll has no effect on the outcome of pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bets.) If the shooter rolls a 7 on the first point roll, come bets and don’t pass bets win.
Pass bets and don’t come bets lose.
If the shooter rolls a 7 on any point roll after the first before rolling the point, don’t pass and don’t come bets win, while pass and come bets lose.
The shooter’s turn as shooter ends, and a new shooter is chosen.
If the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the first point roll, come bets lose.
Don’t come bets win if the roll is a 2 or 3, while they are pushed if the roll is a
12. (Rolling any of these numbers after the first point roll has no effect on the outcome of pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bets.) If the shooter rolls anything else on the first point roll, a come point is established as the new point for the come and don’t come bets, while the original come-out point remains as the point for pass and don’t pass bets.
If the come point number is rolled before a 7 is rolled, the come bet wins and the don’t come bet loses.
If a 7 is rolled before the come point is rolled, the don’t come bet wins and the come bet loses.
If the original point is rolled before the come point is rolled, pass bets win, don’t pass bets lose, and the come and don’t come bets carry over while a new round of play starts to establish a new come-out point.
About the Author
Jose King
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