Essential Craps Terms to Know

Not many people know this, but Craps is actually derived from an earlier game in the 12th century called Hazard. So, it’s no surprise that this casino table game has been around for a while. But, even if it’s typically more popular amongst casino goers, Craps has evolved into iGaming and challenged more players to bring their best craps strategy to every game.

If you’re learning the ropes, trying to understand how to play craps for beginners, and finding out the words for certain moves, then you’re in the right place. Read on as we list the most used Craps terms to help you harness your skills and figure out how to win at Craps by simply mastering the basics.

A

Aces - Used when a player bets on the next roll to be a sum of two. This craps term is also referred to as Snake Eyes.

Any Craps - When a Craps player places a wager on the next roll’s total outcome as 2, 3, or 12. This is used in the context of Street Craps and its varying rules.

Ace Deuce - This basically means a roll of three.

Any Seven - This is a wager on the next roll being a seven.

Arm - Used to refer to a player on the table who is highly skilled at shooting the dice.

B

Base Dealers - In physical casinos, you’ll find two base dealers on opposite sides of the craps table layout.

Betting Right - In the rules of Craps, betting right is used when players bet on the pass line, with the shooter; also called pass-line bet in other Craps lingo.

Betting Wrong - When it comes to the craps odds, betting wrong is referred to a player who wagers against the person rolling the dice.

Big Red - A craps term pertaining to the number seven.

Bones - Another way to say dice.

Boxcars - Referred to the number 12.

Box Numbers - When a player tries to work against the craps odds, making a bet on 4,5,6, 9, and 10 is another Craps strategy to apply.

C

Cold Dice/Cold Table - A term used in varying degrees when no player is making a point at the table or rolling the dice.

Color in - This is used to describe a player leaving a Craps table and trading in chips with a smaller value.

Come bet / Come Line - This is a wager placed after rolling the dice.

Center Field - A slat term in craps when players roll a dice of nine.

Come Out - Used to refer to the first roll in a game of craps.

Crapless Craps - This is a version of the game that eliminates the possibility of losing instantly on the first roll, making it a little more approachable for novice players.

Craps dealer image

D

Don’t Come bet - A wager made after the point is established.

Don’t Pass bet - Used to describe a bet made on the shooter missing their point.

Double Odds - A part of the craps odds chart where the odds bet can double as the original pass or come bet.

Down - The act of lessening or removing a wager from the table.

E

Easy Way - The term used when rolling a 4,6,8, or 10 without having to roll a pair.

Even Monkey - This is a bet in the craps payout chart with a payout of 1:1.

F

Fever Five - A slang used in Craps when a player is rolling a five.

Free Odds - This is a wager made with no house edge but must be placed with an accompanying wager.

Front Line - This is a wager made on the pass line or that a shooter will win.

G

Garden - A slang term for field bet.

George - Someone referred to as a good tipper.

Green - This is dealer slang for taking $25 worth of gaming chips which happen to be green chips in most casinos.

H

Hard Way - Bets made on 4,6,8, or 10 that only win if the dice roll as a pair.

Hi-Lo - Wager on a roll bet on 2 and 12.

Hi-Lo-Yo - A one-roll bet on 2 and 12.

Horn Bet - A wager placed in multiples of four, with one unit on each of the numbers, that the following roll would result in 2, 3, 11, or 12.

Horn High Bet - A term used as part of a Craps strategy to describe a wager made in multiples of five with one unit on three of the horn numbers along with two units on 12, which is considered a high number.

I

Inside Numbers - Wagers on 5,6,-8, and -9.

L

Lay Bet - Betting on a 7 being rolled before the number you’re placing comes up.

Lay Odds - When an additional wager can be made once the point has been established.

Little Joe - A slang term describing a pair of twos or a hard four.

Low - This is a single roll wager for two.

Virtual craps image

M

Marker - This is a tool in Craps; a plastic disc used to mark a point with the labels ‘on’ and ‘off’ as indicators.

Midnight - Another term for Boxcars; referring to the number twelve.

N

Natural - When a 7 or 11 is thrown onto the come-out roll for a successful wager.

Nine - Short for the action of rolling a nine or betting a nine.

O

One Roll Bet/Single Roll Bet - This is when players bet on a single dice roll.

Odds Bet - The act of making extra bets to the pass-line bet.

Off - An indication when a player won’t be wagering on the next dice roll.

On - An indication of active betting amongst players. Outside numbers - Refers to the numbers 4,-10-,5, and -9.

P

Parlay - The act of enabling your winnings to ride on the next wager.

Pass Line Bet - This is a wager in which you predict the shooter will make the point on the come-out roll.

Place Bet - This is a bet where a specific number will be rolled before the seven.

Point - A common Craps term pertaining to the number established by a come-out roll.

Proposition Bet - This is a wager placed in the center of the layout.

R

Right Better - A term describing a player wagering on the pass line.

Rack - This is where players place their chips.

S

Seven Out - The term used to describe a shooter who rolls a seven before a point is made, leading to a loss in the pass line bet.

Shooter - There may be more than one craps dice combination when you or another player rolls the dice; this is known as the Shooter.

Snake Eyes - A popular slang term for the number two; also referred to as Aces.

Street Craps - A variation of Craps that is often played on the streets. Street Craps rules are also simplified compared to the standard casino game.

Stickman - This is when a dealer pushes the dice towards the shooter using a stick, while calling the rolls.

T

Toke - Another term for ‘tip.’

W

World Bet - The act of wagering on a horn number, plus the number seven.

Wrong Bettor - When a player bets against the shooter.

Y

Yo/Yo-leven - The term for rolling an eleven that distinguishes it from a "seven."

Crap-tastic Plays for the Win

So, there you have it, all the terms and slang words we could come up with to help first-time Craps players get to the bottom of ‘how do you play Craps?’ These days it’s not enough to know just the terms to succeed; you also have to do a deep dive into how the Craps strategies are best executed, understand how the craps payouts work, and practice, practice, practice! There’s a lot of fun to be had when playing Craps in a Las Vegas casino or even just through a live dealer game on your phone; the secret is to experiment and have fun with it, you know?

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