To Consider at the Craps Table
There are more ways to bet in Craps besides picking bets. Some are good, and some are bad. You may accidentally leave money from a winning bet on the table, or you may want to bet with the dealers or the shooter. Here are some other Craps nuances you'll want to consider.
What Craps Bets Are Self Service?
A self-service bet is a bet that is taken care of by the player, not the dealers. You gotta keep an eye on your own bets and not forget to pick up your winnings. If you forget whether a bet is yours, don't be afraid to ask the player next to you. Normally they will tell the truth out of fear of being called out by the dealers if they lie. The self-service bets are the Pass Line and Odds, the Don't Pass and its Lay Odds, the Come Bet, the Don't Come, and the Field. All other bets on the table are taken care of by the dealers.
What Does "If it Lays it Plays" Mean in Craps?
When you hear a dealer say, “If it lays, it plays.” they are telling someone that they have won a self-service bet but haven’t picked up their winnings. If a roll goes by without that player picking up their money, then it will be added to the original bet regardless of whether the player wanted it or not.
What is String Betting at a Craps Table?
Imagine going to the bar and ordering a drink, and when they come back with your drink, you order another drink, and when they come back with that one, you order a third, and yes, when they come back with that drink, you order a fourth. I guarantee the next time the bartender sees you, they’ll walk right by you. String Betting is when you make one bet, then another, then another… etc. It's making the dealer go back and forth repeatedly. Learn Spread Bets so you can make multiple bets simultaneously or know what you want before you start handing the dealer money and tell them all at once.
What Is a Two Way Bet in Craps?
Since most players don’t bet for the dealers without making a bet themselves, we have a phrase “Two way.” When you make a Two Way bet, you are: betting for yourself and the dealer simultaneously, on the same bet, and is generally used for Proposition Bets.
You could throw in a couple of dollars and say, “Two-way Hard 10”, and the dealer would know you are betting one of those cheques for you and the other for the dealers. If you throw in two cheques that are a different amount, let’s say a nickel and a dollar, the dealer will know the larger amount is for you, and the lessor is for the dealers. You could also say “Five and one on the Hard 10”, five for you and one for them on the Hard 10.
No matter how much money you bet, the dealers will always be highly appreciative of the gesture.
What Is a Three Way Bet in Craps?
Sometimes a player would like to thank the shooter for having a good roll or possibly invoking them to roll a certain number. This is where the Three-Way bet comes into play. It is a bet for themselves, the dealers, and the shooter. It's unorthodox to bet only for yourself and the shooter because the dealer is the one servicing both people. E.g., if you throw $3 to the stickperson, you would say “Three-Way Aces”, meaning $1 on Aces for each the shooter, the dealers, and yourself.
What Does it Mean to Hedge Your Bets at the Craps Table?
Hedging is insurance. It's making a bet that wins when another bet loses. A common hedge bet is the Any Craps when you're betting the Pass Line. The Pass Line loses during the Comeout Roll when a 2, 3, or 12 is rolled, and the Any Craps wins when the 2, 3, or 12 rolls. To protect a $5 Pass Line bet, you would bet $1 on the Any Craps. If a crap rolls, the $5 Pass Line would lose but, you would win $7 for your $1 Any Craps, which covers your loss.
