Beginner's Tips for Craps

The first tip is that as in other casino games beginners should set a stop loss amount. This means that the moment their losses reach this limit they should stop playing. The stop loss amount should be the equivalent of a splurge at a posh restaurant. If the player loses the stop loss amount he forgoes the splurge.

Beginners should understand the “press it” option in craps because it comes handy. If a player wins on the bet “6 or 8” then in the usual course the dealer pays out the winnings but leaves the bet on the table. The player should not ask for the bet to be returned but should let it ride. If the player wins a second time then he should ask the dealer to “press it”. This implies that the dealer to add the winnings to the wager instead of returning it to the player. The player has already recovered his wager and can afford to be a bit bold.

The most important tip for beginners in craps is to be judicious in the choice of bets. Some of the bets function with reasonable house edges but others are total rip offs. The pass line with odds is the best bet with a house edge of 1.5%. “6 or 8” and “4 or 10” are other bets that have a house edge of less than 4%. Beginners should realize that payouts vary from casino to casino and hence they should seek out this information before starting to play. Bets with house edge of greater than 10% are usually given exotic names to attract players. Some examples are Hard way 4, Whirl, Horn and Hi-lo. Beginners gravitate to the bet called “craps” because it is that bet which has given the game its name. It has a very high house edge and should not be played.

This tip is about tipping. It is common practice in craps to tip the dealer. Tipping the dealer keeps the environment friendly. The dealers are not directly handed out cash. The player places a bet for the dealer. If the bet loses the dealer gets nothing but if the bet wins the winnings go to the dealer.

Many beginners try to set the dice. They start with the dice in a particular way expecting it to land showing the required numbers. This just does not work. Once the dice hit the wall everything gets randomized. However if you are setting the dice for good luck then go ahead. It is not cheating and you have nothing to lose.