How to Shoot Dice

Learning the Rules

Learn the basics. Regular street craps is played with two dice, which are used by a single player in each game, though the game can be played by any number of onlookers. Players will first roll the dice to determine who will roll for that particular game, and then all the participants will place bets on whether or not the person rolling will "pass" on the first roll (by rolling a 7 or 11), or "crap out" (by rolling a 2, 3, or a 12). If one of those values is reached on the first roll, the game is over and the bets are distributed accordingly. The player shooting the dice is the first to bet and the other players must at least match his bet before the game can continue. If the bet cannot be matched, the shooter can either lower the bet to accommodate the other players, or handicap the odds. Once the shooter's bet has been matched, the other players may place side bets.

Learn the rules of the point. If the shooter neither passes nor craps out on the first roll, then the number rolled becomes the "point." Now, the only two values that matter on the roll are that point value and 7. The player must continue rolling until either the point or 7 is reached. All bets that the shooter would "pass" are now bets that the shooter will re-roll the value of the point before rolling a 7, and all bets to the contrary are bets that 7 will be rolled first. If the game goes to point, as soon as the shooter rolls the point or 7, the game is over and the bets are awarded accordingly.

Learn the lingo. You'll make the learning curve a lot shorter if you don't have to ask for clarification every time someone says something about the "come-out" or the point. Learn the basic vocab and you'll be rolling soon enough: The shooter is the player who rolls the dice, and will be a different player for each game The come out is the initial roll To pass is to roll a 7 or 11 on the come out roll To crap is to roll a 2, 3, or 12 on the come out roll The point is any value between 4 and 10 rolled on the come out To seven out is to roll a seven before rolling the point

Learn the difference between street craps and casino craps. In casino craps, obviously, the biggest difference is that you've got an elaborate table on which to place bets, as well as a banker controlling both the money and the action, and James Bond lookalikes are wandering around ordering elaborate drinks. In street craps, the betting is less formalized, and you're probably rolling dice against a brick wall, though the principles of the game are basically the same. Because no one is watching the action, make sure that the piles stay even throughout the game and the tokens or money are distributed fairly. Tempers can flare if you don't take the game seriously and keep it clean.

Understand the legal issues. Unregulated gambling like street craps is illegal in every state in the US and in many places elsewhere. There's nothing wrong with playing for fun, and it's unlikely anyone would hassle you over a low-stakes penny game among friends, but it's still important to know that gambling for money outside of a licensed and regulated casino is always illegal.

Playing the Game

Start the game by anteing up. Like in most card games, if you want to play you've got to ante up by throwing a pre-determined value (usually small) in the pot. This will happen before you decide on the shooter and before you place any bets. What you're paying for is basically the right to be considered for shooting. You don't have to place a bet after you've anted up. Like in cards, if you want to sit out for a game but still watch and think about betting, you need to ante up first.

Roll to see who the shooter is. All players who anted will roll to determine the shooter. Whoever rolls the highest number shoots. Different games may have different rules--you could also roll until someone reaches 7, or whatever pre-determined way of choosing you desire. The point is, you must pick a shooter randomly.

Place your initial pass or no-pass bets. Once the shooter is selected, the shooter will bet first. The amount of the bet will be either "pass" or "crap," though in some games it's assumed that the shooter will always bet on himself (or will always bet pass, in other words). The other players must cumulatively come up with enough to at least match the shooter's bet before placing side bets or increasing the wager. To match the shooter's bet is to come up with the same amount of "money," in support of the opposite outcome. If you've anted up, you can throw in to match, or you can wait and bet on the side. Say the shooter makes a $10 pass bet. The other players must cumulatively come up with $10, but betting crap. So, if you throw in $2 on the initial bet toward the crap, the most you stand to win back is your $2 and $2 of the shooter's money. If the other players match the shooter's bet, you can place a side bet with other players who are willing to match more bets if you still want to play. This might include betting either pass or crap.

Roll the come-out. The shooter rolls the initial come out roll. If the shooter passes or craps, the game is over and the money is distributed evenly among the players, according to the bets placed. If the shooter rolls a point, all pass bets become point bets and all crap bets become bets that the shooter will 7 out.

Roll for point if necessary. Continue rolling until the shooter points up or goes 7 out. Depending on the game, if a point is reached, sometimes the betting goes into higher gear. A round of side betting when the game goes to point is not uncommon, just as in poker the betting may continue. Although folding is not a possibility in craps, so it's probably more often that the initial bets stand through until the end, because the games are relatively short.

Learning Strategy

Get statistical. Because you're using two dice, the probability of rolling any particular number is different depending on the number. Some values are more likely than other values, because there's more than one way to reach them. By learning a little bit about the statistical probability of rolling a particular number each time, you can make smarter bets. 7 is the most likely roll on any particular shot. There is a 17% chance of rolling a 7 each time, because there are a total of 6 ways to get that value between the two dice, out of 36 possible value combinations between the two. The probability of rolling the other values makes a pyramid. 6 and 8 are the next most likely rolls, with five different ways to get each value, making them 14% likely. 5 and 9 are the next most likely values, and so on. 2 and 12 are the least likely rolls because there is only one way to roll them, snake eyes and a double six, respectively.

Use statistics to know the best bets. Pass bets are always more likely. Betting on 7 is generally a smart bet, because the odds of rolling a 2, 3, or 12 are fairly unlikely when compared to the odds of rolling a 7 or 11. When you know about the likelihood of reaching any particular value on a given roll, you can place smarter bets. Say you're in a game and you've betted crap, and the shooter rolls a 4. Now the likelihood is reversed, and the shooter's in the corner. It's more likely on the next roll he'll roll a 7, so your initial bet paid off. Now your odds are better.

When you're the shooter, roll the dice correctly. Set the dice so that on the top of each die the 3 is facing up in a V shape. This is traditionally the "set" for the dice, so all players know you're not cheating or doing something unfair to the game. Usually, there's a designated surface the dice have to hit. In casino craps, the dice must go all the way to the back wall of the table for it to count. This is why most street craps games are played against walls. Generally, you'll be a few feet away and roll against the wall, or some other kind of backdrop.

Bet big when you're the shooter. Most times when you shoot crap, the game involves the shooter making the biggest bet that he will pass and all the other players betting smaller amounts that he will crap out. Because, as you've seen from the probability, it's most likely that the first roll will be a 7. So, don't jump into the game making huge foolish bets on crap outs that are unlikely. Wait until you're the shooter if you want to win.

Learning Variations

Learn other dice games. Dice are super simple, but have a whole load of possibilities for games, some of which have unfortunately fallen out of style. You don't need an elaborate game board or an Xbox to play fun games, and there are plenty of games that don't require complex series of bets to enjoy. Learn a few and mix it up. It's also important to distinguish between playing street craps and playing other kinds of dice games, some of which involve betting and some of which don't. If someone asks if you want to "shoot dice," they could be referring to some other game, though craps is the most likely.

Try cee-lo. Sometimes called lo dice, in this popular game, each player has three dice, usually in some kind of cup, and each player rolls simultaneously after a round of betting. The object is to get the highest possible score, though the scoring works somewhat like poker. The highest possible combination is to roll a 4, 5, and a 6. This is like a royal flush in poker. The next highest combination would be triples. Even if you rolled all ones, rolling three ones would be the next highest category of score, only beaten by triples of any other number, or the 4, 5, 6 combo. The next highest combination is called a "pair and a spare," which is sort of like a full house. This would be a matched pair, plus some other value. In the event two players rolled double 4's, the higher value of the other die would be the winner. If a player rolled two twos with an extra six, while another player rolled two sixes with an extra two, the first player would win. Ties are awarded to the highest value on the extra die, the pair doesn't matter. If two players roll exactly the same thing, generally a re-roll is performed.

Play drinking dice. Also sometimes called Mexican dice or liar's dice, this is a game of deception that can get fun and rowdy, especially when somewhat, uh, lubricated. In drinking dice, players pass around a single cup with two dice in it and take turns guessing at the value under them, either challenging or accepting the value as reported by the previous player. The first player rolls the dice and carefully looks at the value so the other players can't see, then says aloud the value, either choosing to bluff by reporting the wrong value, or telling the truth. The player then passes the cup carefully so as not to tip over the dice to the player to his right. The next player can either challenge or accept the value as reported by the previous player, or can up the ante by making a guess of their own. Eventually, the game must continue until someone challenges. If, upon challenging, the initial report was correct, the challenger and all other players lose, unless a subsequent player had reported or guessed correctly. If a challenge is upheld, the liars are the losers, and usually have to take a drink. The point values vary from game to game, though generally a 1-2 combo is considered the highest possible value. It's also possible to play the game "blind," meaning that no one ever looks at the value until someone challenges.

Roll bones. While "rolling bones" is sometimes slang for shooting craps, bones is actually a distinct and complex game that's similar to Yahtzee, and is also sometimes called hot dice or "Farkle," though each game has a somewhat distinct scoring system in place. It's played with five or six dice and a cup passed between the players. The goal is to accumulate the most points in the round, or to accumulate the most points over a given number of rounds. The first player rolls all six dice, keeping some by setting them aside, and returning the rest to the cup. Keepable dice include any that show 1, which are worth 100 points, and any that show 5, which are worth 50 points. If you roll 3 of a kind (say, three 2s) you'll also keep those, worth that many hundred points. In other words, three 2s would be worth 200 points, while three 6s would be worth 600. Return all dice that can't be counted back into the cup and roll again. The player continues rolling until he's either "kept" all the dice, or has rolled something that can't be counted (like a 2, 4 and 4). On subsequent rolls, you can improve previous 3 of a kinds that you've kept. Say you rolled three 3s on your first roll and returned the other three dice back to the cup. If you rolled a 3 on your subsequent roll, the value of your 3 of a kind would be doubled.