By Samantha Williams

It is so interesting to note that the roots of the game of craps – namely the dice, is not necessarily the root of all evil as some anti-gambling lobbyist might have you believe; the dice actually date way back in time to pre-history. While online craps and gambling in general may be new, taking a wager on the dice or bones as they are called is certainly not new. The idea of calling craps dice “bones” is also not new and they have been called this for millennia, chiefly because the first dice were made of bone. Perhaps even the bones of an enemy!

People love to take a wager on the outcome of a completely random act. It really doesn’t get more random, or more exciting than the roll of two dice, each marked with 6 numbers. Taking a wager on dice, or anything else for that matter is not limited to any one culture, it is a universal aspect of culture and no-one knows who placed the first bet. Perhaps cave men may have bet their buddies that their wife was faster than another’s when skinning a mammoth. The prize may have been the wife and the mammoth of the loser; who knows?

To think that Herotodus recorded dice as far back as the 5th century BC is quite mind boggling, but craps may date back further than that. He is known as the Greek Father of History. Archaeologists have found artefacts of a similar nature dating even further back in many cultures. The Egyptians even placed dice in tombs believing that dice games were played in the underworld and the spirits of the dead loved the odd game of craps or something similar.

All classical civilizations gamble on the outcome of random events and we still do this today, so we can quite safely assume that there is a genetic pre-disposition to gamble in all human nature. The fact that we still play craps and a myriad other gambling games online is therefore human nature!

Governments have tried to ban these games time and again as they really don’t like to see money or mammoths changing hands without getting a stake or steak for themselves. So excuses that gambling games are another of mans cause of downfall is really a load of craps, excuse the pun! It is all about money, and this is why sensible Governments take a regulatory stance, so that gambling is legal and they get their pound of flesh too.

Play craps online at any one of the many online casinos and while you play you will be safe in the knowledge that this game is genetically part of who we all are on a cultural level. Gambling commissions in Government bodies often fall under Arts and Culture, or Sports and Recreation ministries and rarely under Health and Safety, so learn to play craps, it is human nature.

By Samantha Williams

Casino craps may looks like an intimidating game to play, it actually isn’t. There are a lot of bets on a craps board and the important thing for beginners to learn is that there are only a handful of bets really worth placing. The balance of bets have got such high house advantages that they are only really useful to advanced players of this game who use advanced betting strategies.

The other vitally important thing to remember when you are a new player; is never use the word for the number “7”. Not online or offline, this is the quickest way to clear a craps table, and believe it or not, craps is absolutely no fun to play alone. You have two dealers, a stickman and a banker at the table and will be outnumber 4 to 1 by the casino staff.

Learn to play craps online, the same as you would in a casino, this way, the next time you walk into a casino and you hear the excitement coming from the noisiest table on the casino floor, you can go and join in the fun. Refer to the “7” as “that number” or “big red” and you will be safe to play and won’t be a pariah if you mention it. Bet with the shooter, not against him, this is not in the rules, but it is the best kind of casino craps etiquette.

Casino craps is not about how you throw the dice; it is about how they land and how you place your bets, and there are loads of bets. In the beginning stick to the simplest bets, Pass Line, Don’t Pass Line, Come Bets, Don’t Come Bets, Odds Bets, Pass Line Odds Bets, Don’t Pass Line Odds Bets and Come and Don’t Come Odds Bets. Later on when you have a better grasp of the game, you can move onto Field Bets, Big 6 and Big 8 Bets,
Place Bets, Buy Bets, Lay Bets and many more.

On the come out roll you don’t want to get craps because then you will be saying “oh craps, I crapped out!” You want to get points numbers, once you have establish the points, then you can go for your 7 and 11. If you get craps you are out and the dice passes onto the next shooter. If you don’t want to shoot when the stickman deems it is your turn for the dice, you don’t have to, you can still continue to play without shooting.

All in all casino craps is a fabulous game to play and it is easy for beginners to be winners as long as they stick to basic bets and basic strategy. Take a look at some “grind” strategies, they will keep you playing for hours, and learn more about this game – it is totally cool!