Comparing Street Craps and Casino Craps
Craps is a widely played game that uses a pair of six-sided dice. It’s fast-paced, exciting and unpredictable, making it an excellent choice for anyone after an enjoyable gaming experience. There are two main versions of the game: street craps and casino craps.
A Summary of Craps and Its Gameplay
When playing craps, you’re betting on the outcome of dice rolls, and it’s the casino/house you’re betting against. The game uses two standard six-sided dice and can have multiple rounds.
There are lots of betting options, which can make the game seem quite intimidating for new players. However, the gameplay is fairly straightforward, and anyone shouldn’t take long to learn the ropes.
We’ll run through the basics of craps before looking at the street version and comparing it to the casino one. If you’re keen to play the game, we’ve put together a list of some of the best casinos to play online craps.
In a game of craps, someone is nominated as the shooter, and it’s their job to roll the dice. Before the dice are rolled, everyone places their bets. The main bets cover the shooter winning or losing.
Craps has one or sometimes two rounds. The shooter starts the first round by rolling the two dice, called the come-out roll. If the outcome is 7 or 11, the shooter wins; if it’s 2, 3 or 12, the shooter loses.
If the outcome is any other number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), this number becomes the point. Once the point has been established, the shooter keeps rolling until they get the point number or 7.
If the shooter gets the point number before getting a 7, they win. They lose if they roll a 7 before the point number. Whenever any other number is rolled, the shooter rolls again.
There are various betting options in craps, including the main Pass and Don’t Pass bets. The Pass bet wins if the shooter’s first roll is a 7 or 11, or if the shooter rolls the point before a 7.
As for the Don’t Pass bet, it wins if the first roll is a 2 or 3 (if it’s 12, the bet is returned as a push). The bet also wins if the shooter rolls a 7 before the point.
Street Craps Explained
When you play craps at a land-based casino or an online one, it’s the casino version of the game you’re playing. In casino craps, you’re betting against the house. Street craps works differently.
This is because in street craps, you’re betting against other players. This version of craps is so-called because it’s often played in informal settings, e.g. out in streets or in people’s homes.
It doesn’t usually involve the equipment you’ll see in land-based casinos. Instead, all that’s needed is a pair of dice and any sort of flat surface. Some people even roll the dice onto the ground.
Street craps is generally considered to be a more casual and less complicated version of craps. It doesn’t have as many betting options and can be seen as a more beginner-friendly option.
There are quite a few variants of street craps. The most common one simply involves establishing a point and having the shooter try to roll the point before a 7.
There are two ways of determining the point number: the shooter rolls the dice and uses the outcome as the point; players agree amongst themselves what the point should be.
When it comes to betting in street craps, the shooter needs to place the Pass or Don’t Pass bet. The former wins if the shooter rolls the point before 7; the latter wins if a 7 is rolled before the point.
Someone needs to cover the shooter. This means that another player has to bet against the shooter by placing the opposite bet. For example, if the shooter places the Pass bet, whoever covers them places the Don’t Pass bet.
If there are several other players (in addition to the shooter and whoever covers the shooter), they too can place bets, though in the same way. Groups of two players pair up and place opposite bets.
Street craps can use real money or chips, though money is the most common of the two. Both players put forward some money or chips, and whoever wins the bet takes everything that has been waged.
This makes street craps a lot easier than casino craps. There are no odds to think about. You simply decide on an amount to wager and win double that amount if your bet is successful.
In casino craps, there are nearly always limits on how much you can wager. This also restricts how much money you can win from your bets. With street craps, there are no limits.
Of course, you shouldn’t go crazy and wager huge sums of money. It’s recommended that if you play street craps, you and whoever you’re betting against agree to keep bet sizes reasonable.
Try Playing Craps
Now you know how to play street craps, why not give it a go? The beauty of the game is that you just need a pair of dice, a flat surface and just one other person to bet against.
Street craps is a good stepping stone to learning casino craps. Practise street craps then when you feel confident, join an online casino and play casino craps. Take advantage of demo versions of the game that offer free play.
At pretty much every online casino, you can access free demo versions of the games (except for live dealer games). Demos are great because they let you play as much as you like without having to spend a penny.
With demos, you can learn the rules of craps and develop a craps strategy with no risk to your budget. Every online craps game explains the rules and betting options in full.
You can find all of this information in the game’s paytable section. Consult it before playing if you’re unsure about the rules or want to check out the game’s bets again.
Street craps is a stripped-back version of casino craps. It’s much more straightforward and can be just as enjoyable to pay as its casino counterpart. Give it a try and see what you make of it.
