Online forms of craps are everywhere, don’t force you to put on a suit, and might leave you scratching your head over the types of craps bets there are if you’ve never rolled dice in this game before. Never fear, because you’ve clicked on the right article. Read on to get caught up on online craps variations, including the basic rules of how to play each kind.

Craps: a crash course

Every newcomer to craps must start somewhere. All of today’s forms of online, or bank, craps share the same basic foundation, but if you don’t know these basics, you’re going to feel a little lost and confused at your first game. Classic craps isn’t nearly as complicated as it looks once you know the rules. The game isn’t like Dungeons and Dragons, although it very well might be played around the same table as your monthly club D&D meetup.

Obviously craps isn’t just about rolling some dice around willy-nilly. The numbers of the two, and there’s usually only ever two, dice offered up once rolled have meaning, depending on which kind of bet you place. There’s two main kinds of bets, known as the pass-line bet and the come bet. With a pass-line bet, the bettor will win if the dice rolls a 7 or an 11. Now before explaining the come bet, it makes sense to go over some gameplay.

If it’s your turn to roll the dice in an online game, you’ll be known to all as the shooter. The role might switch hands throughout a game, so everyone will get a chance to shoot, or roll the dice. Once everyone is ready to play classic craps, the shooter will roll the dice for the first time. This is called the come-out roll. The two dice will eventually settle and reveal two numbers. When added up, this is what they mean:

• If the dice faces add up to 7 or 11, pass-line and come bets placed win and the round is over.
• If the dice faces add up to 2, 3 or 12, pass-line and come bets lose and a new round can start.
• For any other numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10), this total is noted because it’s now the shooter’s point.

Okay, so what happens now? If the shooter rolls anything other than a 2, 3, 7, 11 or 12, the game isn’t over. They must roll again. This time, the shooter is aiming to roll that same point number again before they roll a 7. If they manage this, all those winning bets get paid out and the round is now over. If they roll that unlucky 7, both come bets and pass-line bets lose and the round is over.

With a come bet it’s all about timing. The winning numbers of 7 and 11 are the same, but you can choose to place your bet whenever you like during a game. So, to win, the shooter has to roll your point number before they roll a 7. Simple, right? There is a bit more to it, like odds bets and bets where you can win if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 on that round’s starting roll.

Online variations spicing up play

To keep crabs fresh and interesting online, more variations and forms have come around over the years. Obviously you can still play the classic. Bank craps, which is most popular in Nevada casinos, uses the rules explained above. The dice are no more, replaced by RNG and computers, but if you can get over this fact the game can have exactly the same vibe as the original, real dice game.

There’s also crapless craps, where it’s not possible to “crap out” on the first round. If you roll a 7 here you still win, but if you roll literally anything else, that number is now the shooter’s point, and the game continues a little longer. Take note if this version interests you: if the shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 in crapless craps, that bet that lets you win here doesn’t exist. If you’re just starting out, crapless craps is a great version to start with because it keeps most of the normal rules intact.

For absolute newbies, simplified craps is also a worthy entry point into this fun game of dice. Rounds are the same with simplified craps, but there are far less betting options and no point numbers to remember. By removing a handful of complexities, games become more fast-paced and so straightforward it’s far less likely that any newcomer will be overwhelmed. Because the rules are quite different in simplified craps, it’s not easy to switch over to bank craps without a little guidance, so keep that in mind.

Online, some forms of craps might not be very easy to find and play. Not every online casino will offer up every kind of version, but may offer other interesting elements like live dealer games or a variation of the game known as “Die Rich Craps”. There’s loads to explore and many different ways to get involved.