Just like other casino games, Craps has plenty of terms, slang and jargon that can be heard at the Craps table or around it. Knowing these terms makes the game a little easier to understand and play. Don’t be afraid to ask a fellow player or one of the casino employees about any slang terms you hear at the craps table.
- Blackjack, but can also apply to craps players who use dice control or players who know how to gain maximum value from bonuses and comps. Ante: An initial bet required (usually in card games) before a hand can start. Automatic Card Shuffler: A machine used in some land based venues to automatically shuffle one or more decks of cards.
- As silly as it might seem at first, craps is not just a game of cold probabilities and memory-less dice at all times with all shooters. Rather it is a game of ebbs and flows, and rhythms and repetitions. The Captain of Craps. Scobe's Tenth Law: In all endeavors, in all aspects of life, there are more horses' asses than horses! - Frank Scoblete.
Understanding the words and phrases of the game will help your play, and will save you money. So here are the best 10 phrases in Craps game that can help you understand what the crew is saying and also what you should say to help them assist you in having more fun and more importantly help you make more money.
Aces – Betting that the next roll will be the total sum of 2.
Any Craps – A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12.
Any Seven – A bet that the next roll will be 7.
Arm – Term used to describe a player who is skilled at throwing the dice, sometimes even suggesting that the player can alter the result by the way he throws.
Back Line – same as the Don’t Pass Line.
Betting Right – Pass Line and Come bets.
Betting Wrong – Don’t Pass Line and Don’t Come bets.
Big Eight – Even money bet that an 8 is rolled before a 7.
Big Six – Even money bet that a 6 is rolled before a 7.
Big Red – Betting on any 7 being rolled.
Boxcars – Two 6s.
Boxman – The casino employee who sits behind the table between the two dealers and is in charge of the houses’ chips and overseeing all activity on the table
Buffalo – Betting on all the Hard Ways and Any Seven.
Buy Bets- 5% commission paid to the house so that the correct odds are paid
C &E – One time bet that the next roll will be any craps (2, 3, or 12) or 11.
Capped Dice – non standard, crooked dice which are no longer playable.
Center Bets – Also known as proposition bets, they are placed in the center of the table.
Cold Table – Something every Craps player hates! This table is losing often because shooters are not making points.
Come Bet – wager that the shooter will roll his point
Common Craps Phrases List
Come Out Roll – The first roll by a shooter, either at the beginning of his turn or after he has made a point.
Craps Out – rolling a craps on the come out roll includes loss of pass line bets
Craps – The name of the game as well as a roll of 2, 3 or 12
Dealer 001f- the two casino employees on the sides of the Boxman who handle placing the bets and payouts
Don’t Come – Betting that the shooter will roll a 7 before he rolls his point.
Don’t Pass Bet – Making a bet against the dice before a Come Out roll.
Don’t Pass Bar – opposite of a Pass Line bet
Double Odds – Doubles the initial Pass Line, Don’t Pass Line, Come, Don’t Come bets.
Easy Way – A dice roll of 4, 6, 8, and 10 with each die having a different number.
Edge – The casino’s advantage over the player.
Even Money – 1:1 payout
Field Bet – A bet on 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12.
Floorman – casino employee who stands behind the craps table, dealers with players and credit
Free Odds Bet – Taken at true odds.
Front Line – Same as the Pass Line.
Hard Way- Betting on a 4, 6, 8 or 10 when both dice are the same number
Common Craps Phrases Examples
Hi-Lo – One roll bet that the next roll will be a 2 or 12
Hope Bet – Single time bet that the dice will land on specific numbers.
Horn Bet – A bet on 2, 3, 11 and 12 with the same amount.
Horn High Bet – bet amount is split into five parts. Two parts on the high number 12 and three units for the other numbers 2, 3 and 11.
Hot Table – The best kind to play on! A Hot Table will have shooters making points and lots of money for other players. You can always spot these tables by the crowds around them and the noise coming from them.
Inside Numbers – 5, 6, 8 and 9. Used mostly when placing bets dice
Line Bet – Bet on the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line.
Lay Bet – Betting that a point number will not be rolled before a 7 is thrown
Lay Odds – Additional odds bet against the dice
Layout – painted marks on the felt showing all bets that can be made
Little Joe – A Hard 4 or rolling 2 2s
Loaded dice – dice that are weighted, results in specific rolled numbers
Common Craps Phrases For Beginners
MarkerBuck/Puck- A Plastic disk that the dealers use to mark the point on the Craps table; ‘Off’ or ‘On’.
Midnight – One time roll bet on 12.
Natural – 7 or 11 on the come out roll.
Odds – ratio of an event occurring, generally the amount paid out per winning bet
Off – bets will not be active on the next dice roll.
On – active
One Roll Bets – betting on a single dice roll
Outside Numbers – 4, 5 9, and 10.
Parlay – Using winnings to increase a bet, usually double (let it ride/ press the bet).
Pass Line (Bet) – Betting the dice will win or pass.
Payoff – winnings on a wager
Pit Boss – Casino employee responsible for all craps tables in one area of casino
Place Bet – betting a point number will be thrown before a 7 comes out.
Place Numbers – 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10.
Common Craps Phrases Cheat
Point – number established on Come Out roll 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10
Point Number – One of the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10 determined on the come out roll.
Press (a Bet) – use winnings to double a bet.
Proposition Bets – Prop Bets – single roll bets and the hardway bet.
Rail – The grooved area along the top of the craps table where chips are kept
Right Bettor – A player who bets that the shooter will make the Point.
Roll- single throw of the dice
Rounding – Payout rounding. Rounding up or down the amount.
Seven Out – When a 7 is thrown after a point has been established and before the point number is rolled again thus ending the shooters turn.
Shooter - The player who is currently rolling the dice.
Snake Eyes – When you roll a two in craps. Each die looks like a snake’s eye
Stickman – A casino employee standing opposite the Boxman who calls out the dice rolls and returns the dice to the shooter, also responsible for the placing and paying the proposition bets.
Toke – A tip given to the dealer usually made on a line or prop bet
The Point – The number established on the come-out roll. Only place numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10) can become the point. The shooter attempts to roll the point number again before throwing a 7 in order to win that round of pass line or come betting.
Three-way Craps – A bet made in units of 3 with one unit on 2, one unit on 3, and one unit on 12.
True Odds- odds a particular number will be rolled on any single dice roll
Unit – bet size used as standard of measurement
Vigorish – or Vig. The casino edge or commission taken by the house.
Working – Bets that are active on any given roll
Whirl Bet – Betting on 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12 with the same amount.
Wrong Bettor – A player betting the dice will not pass. A player who bets the shooter will not make the point and instead he will Seven-Out.
Yo – The number 11. Also called Yo-leven
| The following glossary is a listing of commonly used craps terms: |
| 3-Way Craps | A bet made in units of 3 with one unit on 2, one unit on 3, and one unit on 12. This is a horn bet without the bet on 11. | | Advantage | The edge a casino has over a player on a particular bet. | | Any Craps | A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, or 12. This bet pays 7:1 and has a house edge of 11.1%. | | Any Seven | A bet that the next roll will be 7. This bet pays 4:1 and has a house edge of 16.7%. | | Bar the 12 | Shown on the craps layout in the Don’t Pass Line and Don’t Come Box areas. A 12 is a standoff in these areas to ensure the casino has an advantage over the wrong bettors. | | Behind the Line | A bet on the free-odds after a point has been established on the come out roll. | | Betting Right | Betting that the dice will pass – with the dice. | | Betting Wrong | Betting that the dice won’t pass – against the dice. | | Big 6 | A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7 comes up. This bet pays even money, and has a house edge of 9.1%. A place bet on 6 pays 7:6 but is identical otherwise. The place bet is preferred, having a house edge of 1.5%. | | Big 8 | A bet that an 8 will be rolled before a 7 comes up. This bet pays even money, and has a house edge of 9.1%. A place bet on 8 pays 7:6 but is identical otherwise. The place bet is preferred, having a house edge of 1.5%. | | Box Numbers | The box areas around the numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 and 10, which is used to mark the point, and to put place, come and buy bets. | | Boxcars | A slang term for the roll of the 12. | | Boxman | A casino employee who supervises the game of craps, and remains seated behind all the casino chips during the play. | | Bring Out | A term used by dealers and players when betting on the hardway of a point, to “bring out” the point. | | Buy Bet | Giving the house a 5% commission in order to be paid correct odds for a place bet. The buy bets on 4 and 10 allow the player to reduce the house edge from 6.67% to 4% on these bets. Some casinos collect the commission only on winning bets, while others collect it at the time the bet is made. | | Center Bets | The bets located in the center of the layout; also called Proposition Bets. | | Chips | The common term for tokens, issued by a casino in place of money, and having the equivalent of cash. | | Cold Dice | Dice which consistently don’t pass. | | Color Change | The changing of chips to a higher or lower denomination. | | Come Bet | A “virtual pass line bet”; a bet made after the come out roll but in other respects exactly like a pass line bet. | | Come Box | The area on the layout where a come bet is made. | | Come Out Roll | The first roll of the dice in a betting round is called the “come out” roll. Pass bets win when the come out roll is 7 or 11, while pass bets lose when the come out roll is 2, 3, or 12. Don’t bets lose when the come out roll is 7 or 11, and don’t bets win when the come out roll is 2 or 3. Don’t bets tie when the come out roll is 12 (2 in some casinos; the “bar” roll on the layout indicates which roll is treated as a tie). | | Coming Out | A term to designate that a new come out roll is about to happen. | | Correct Odds | The mathematical likelihood, or probability, that a bet will be made a winner (usually the odds a point will be made prior to a 7 rolled). | | Craps | The term for a roll of a 2, 3 or 12. Also the name of the game. | | Craps Out | To throw a craps on the come out roll, an automatic loser for Pass Line bettors. | | Crew | Four casino employees that staff a craps table, includes a boxman, a stickman, and two dealers. | | Dealer | A casino employee who works directly with the player and handles the monetary transactions, bets and payoffs. | | Dice Pass | The dice are said to “pass” when the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 on the come-out roll. The dice “don’t pass” when the shooter rolls a 2, 3, or 12 on the come-out. If the come-out roll is a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10, this roll sets the “point”, and the shooter continues to roll until the point is rolled again or a 7 is rolled (see “seven out”). If the shooter rolls the point before rolling a seven, the dice pass. If the shooter sevens out, the dice don’t pass and the shooter loses control of the dice. | | Don’t Come Bet | A “virtual don’t pass bet”; a bet made after the come out roll but in other respects exactly like a don’t pass bet. | | Don’t Come Box | The area on the layout where a Don’t Come bet is made. | | Don’t Pass Bet | A bet that the dice will not pass. This bet can be placed only immediately before a “come out” roll. One result (either the 2 or the 12, depending on the casino) will result in a push. House edge on these bets is 1.40%. A don’t pass bet can be taken down, but not increased, after the come-out roll. | | Don’t Pass Line | The area on the layout where a Don’t Pass bet is made. | | Double Odds | An odds bet that is about twice as large as the original pass/come bet. Some casinos offer higher odds, such as 5X or even 10X odds. | | Easy Way | The roll of a 4, 6, 8 or 10 where the dice are not matched as a pair (i.e. the hardway), such as 5-5, but other combinations. | | Even-Money | A payoff at 1 to 1. | | Field Bet | A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11, or 12. This bet pays even money for 3, 4, 9, 10, and 11, and usually pays 2:1 for 2 or 12. Some casinos pay 3:1 for either the 2 or 12 (but not both), and some casinos may make the 5 instead of the 9 a field roll. | | Floorman | A casino employee who stands behind the craps table, checking on the players and authorizing credit for players. | | Free-Odds Bet | Another term for any odds bet where the house has no advantage. Either taken (or laid) on a Pass, Don’t Pass, Come or Don’t Come bet after the point is established. | | Front Line | Refers to the Pass Line | | Hard Way | A bet on 4, 6, 8, or 10 that wins only if the dice show the same face; e.g., “hard 8” occurs when each die shows a four. | | High Roller | A player (bettor) who wages large sums of money at a craps table. | | Hop Bet | A bet that the next roll will result in one particular combination of the dice, such as 2-2 (called a “hopping hardway”) or 3-5. 2-2, 3-3, 4-4, and 5-5 are paid the same as a one-roll 2; other hop bets are paid the same as a one-roll 11. | | Horn High Bet | A bet made in multiples of 5 with one unit on 3 of the horn numbers, and two units on the “high” number; e.g., “$5 horn high eleven”: $1 each on 2, 3, 12, and $2 on the 11. | | Hot Roll | Dice that are continually passing, and that are held by a shooter for a long time before a seven-out. | | House Edge | The advantage a casino has over a player on a particular bet. | | Inside Numbers | The numbers 5, 6, 8 and 9. Usually designated as inside numbers when making a place bet on these numbers. | | Lay Bet | A bet that a particular number (4,5,6,8,9, or 10) will NOT be rolled before a 7 comes up. The casino takes 5% of the winnings on these bets. The 5% commission is usually taken up front, but some casinos take the commission after the bet wins. | | Lay Odds | After a point has been established, the don’t pass bettor can place an additional odds bet that will win if the original don’t pass bet wins. The odds bet is paid at the correct odds for the point, and is a fair bet with no house edge. This also applies to a don’t come bet. Making this bets is referred to “laying the odds” for your don’t bet. | | Line Bet | A bet on the “pass line” or the “don’t pass line” is called a “line” bet. These bets are placed at the beginning of the game, before the “come out” roll. The shooter is required to make a line bet in order to shoot the dice. | | Loaded Dice | Dice that have been weighted to tamper with their roll. | | Marker Buck (Puck) | Plastic round disk used to mark either the point or to indicate that no point is yet established; “OFF” on one side, “ON” on the other side. | | Natural | Another term for a 7 or 11 rolled on the come out roll. | | Odds Off | Odds bets that are “not working”. Odds bets can be called “off” by the player at any time, but are left on the felt until the bet is resolved. Also, come odds bets are usually “off” during the come out roll, unless the bettor asks to have the odds bets “working”. Come odd bets that are “off” will be returned to the player if the line bet loses on the come out roll. Don’t come odds generally work on the come-out roll. | | On Base | The term for a standing dealers who is not the stickman. | | On the Stick | The term to signify that a dealers is now working the stick, and is the stickman for a designated time. | | Outside Numbers | The numbers 4, 5, 9 and 10. Usually designated as outside numbers when making a place bet on these numbers. | | Parlay | To increase a bet, usually by double; same as “Press”. | | Pass Bet | A bet that the dice will pass, also known as a “pass line” bet. This bet is generally placed immediately before a “come out” roll, although you can make or increase this bet at any time. House edge on this bets is 1.41%. | | Payoff | The casino pays and the player collects a winning bet. | | Pit Boss | A casino employee in charge of all the craps tables in one area of the casino. | | Place Bet (To Lose) | A bet that a 7 will be rolled before the number you are placing (4,5,6,8,9, or 10) comes up. The casino requires you to lay slightly more than the correct odds, giving the house an edge of 3.03% on 4/10, 2.5% on 5/9, and 1.82% on 6/8. | | Place Bet (To Win) | A bet that a particular number (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) will be rolled before a 7 comes up. These bets are paid at slightly less than correct odds, giving the house an edge of 1.52% on 6/8, 4% on 5/9, and 6.67% on 4/10. | | Point | If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is rolled on the come out roll, then this number becomes the “point”. The shooter must roll the point again, before rolling a seven, in order for the dice to “pass”. A “come point” is just the number that is serving as a point for a come bet. | | Press | To increase a bet, usually by doubling; same as “Parlay”. | | Put Bet | A bet made on the pass line after the come out roller a bet made directly onto a come point number. | | Rails | A grooved area at the craps table where players place their chips when they aren’t being bet. | | Right Bettor | A player who bets that the dice will pass. | | Roll | A single throw of the dice. Also, a complete series of throws until the shooter sevens-out. | | Sequence Bet | A bet whose outcome is not necessarily determined on the following roll but may take a succession of rolls to be determined. | | Seven Out | When the shooter rolls seven after a point has been established. Control of the dice is transferred to the next shooter. Another term for this is “miss out.” This is often incorrectly called “crap out.” | | Shooter | The player who is rolling the dice. The shooter must place a “line” bet (“pass” or “don’t pass”) in order to be eligible to roll the dice. | | Snake Eyes | A slang term for the number 2. | | Standoff | A situation where no decision results from a throw of the dice on certain bets. | | Stickman | A casino employee who calls the game and handles the stick at a craps table. | | Take Odds | After a point has been established, the pass/come bettor can place an additional odds bet that will win if the original pass/come bet wins. The odds bet is paid at the correct odds for the point, and is a fair bet with no house edge. | | True Odds | The odds a particular number will be rolled on any single roll of the dice. | | Two Ways | A phrase appended to a hardway or proposition bet to indicate that the player is betting one chip for the dealers along with his own bet. | | Working | Bets that are “live” (i.e., can be resolved with the next roll) are said to be working. Generally, place bets, buy/lay bets, and come odds bets do not work on the come-out unless you tell the dealers to “make them work.” All other bets (e.g., hardways) work unless you call them “off” (i.e., tell the dealers you do not want them to “work”). | | World Bet | A bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 7, 11, or 12, made in multiples of 5, with one unit on each of the numbers. | | Wrong Bettor | A player who bets that the dice will not pass. | | Yo-leven | A slang term for the 11. |
|