Here it is. There is no better way to begin feeling
comfortable at this game than to understand the vocabulary
and jargon that accompanies this fascinating game.
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.
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. 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%.
Backline: same as Don't Pass Line
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%
Big Red: placing a bet on Any Seven
Bones: another name for dice.
Boxcars: a pair of sixes or 12.
Box man: table supervisor who sits between the
stickman and directly behind the thousands of dollars
worth of chips that the casino keeps on hand at each
craps table.
Broke Money: transportation money given to the
broke player by the casino.
Buffalo: placing a bet on each of the Hard way
and Any Seven.
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.
Capped Dice: crooked dice
Cold Table: when shooters are not making their
Points.
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).
Crap: the numbers 2,3 and 12
Craps: the game or the dice.
Crap Out: the numbers 2,3 or 12 on the first
roll.
Dealer: is responsible for all the bets made on
his half of the table. Whenever you want to make free
odds, place, or lay bet in a casino, you should give the
money to the dealer at your end of the table and he will
make the bet for you.
Don't come bet: A "virtual don't pass bet"; a bet
made after the come out roll.
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.
Double odds: an odd 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.
Field bet: a bet that the next roll would 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.
Floor men: are the people who are responsible for
the games in the casino. Floor men spent their time
behind the tables watching over the games.
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.
Hop bet: a bet that the next roll will result in
one particular combination of the dice, such as 2-2
(called a "hopping hard way") 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 bet: a bet that the next roll will be 2, 3,
11, or 12, made in multiples of 4, with one unit on each
of the numbers.
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 (number 12). "$5 horn high eleven": $1
each on 2, 3, 12, and $2 on the 11.
Insurance bet: Two or more wagers made at a crap
table in an attempt to insure one or the other.
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.
Little Joe: a pair of twos or Hard 4.
Marker Puck: plastic disks that the dealers use
to mark the point on the Craps table. When the buck is
turned so that the side inscribed with 'off' is face up,
then all free odds bets have no action on the following
roll of the dice.
Midnight: betting on the number 12 to appear on
the next roll.
Odds off: an odd 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.
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%.
Parley: leaving your winnings in action.
Place bet: 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.
Pit: is the area enclosed by all of the craps
tables in a casino. Floor men walk around in the pit and
keep an eye on the craps games in progress and the
casino employees.
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.
Right bettor: a player who bets that the dice
will pass.
Single odds: an odd bet that is about as large as
the original pass/come bet. Some casinos allow "double
odds", or even larger odds bets.
Snake Eyes: betting on the number 2.
Stickman: the casino employee who calls out the
dice rolls and returns the dice to the shooter. The
stickman also is responsible for the placing and paying
the proposition bets.
Vig (vigorish): house commission taken on a
particular bet (like the IRS).
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., Hard way)
work unless you call them "off" (i.e., tell the dealers
you do not want them to "work").
Whirl (or 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.
Here's some of the colorful jargon used to
describe the various dice combinations:
2 - Craps
Two aces
Snake eyes
3 - Craps
Ace-deuce
Ace caught a deuce
Winner on the dark side
Three craps three, the indicator
Small ace deuce, can't produce
The other side of eleven's tummy
4 - Little Joe
Little Joe from Kokomo
5 - After five, the field's alive
Thirty-two juice roll
Little Phoebe
7 - Seven out
Line away
Six ace
End of the race
Front line winner
Back line skinner
Six one, you're all done
Seven's a bruiser, the front line's a loser
Up pops the devil
Benny Blue, you're all through
8 - A square pair
Like mom and dad
Ozzie and Harriet
The Windows
Eight-er from Decatur
9 - Center field
Nina from Pasadena
What shot Jesse James? A forty-five
10 - Puppy paws
Pair-a-roses
Pair of sunflowers
The big one on the end
11 - Yo eleven
Six five, no jive
12 - Craps
Boxcars
Atomic craps
All the spots we got
Outstanding in your field
Triple dipple, in the lucky ducky
Double saw on boxcars
Back to Home Page
Copyright © 2004 The Craps
Teacher
Craps Vocabulary