Monday, June 30, 2008

A Brief History Lesson

Craps can trace it's origins as far back as 600 BC in ancient Egypt. Famous Roman emperors Augustus, Caligula, and Nero were known dice aficionados. Traces of dice usage were found in various parts of the world, in the Americas where American Indians used knucklebones to create dice. Even in the Arab world, the Arab term for dice and knucklebones were the same.

The earliest users of the dice were fortunetellers and shamans. They used the dice, then sacred devices like sticks, stones and bones, to predict the future. Of course, the features of the dice changed and evolved through the years.

Though the history of dice dates thousands of years ago, the game of craps is only a few hundred years old. The craps game is said to have come from and a direct descendant of the English game Hazard. Hazard was played during the Third Crusades when leaders such as Richard the Lion-hearted, Frederick Barbossa, and Philip Augustus of France led legions of armies to reclaim the Holy Land. It is said that soldiers at camp would play the game with dice and their shields as tables.

The French took elements of Hazard and formed the game crapaud (a French word meaning "toad"), when it came to the US in the 1800's it was eventually shortened it to craps.

Craps as a game changed and evolved since then. The casino craps table layout has developed through the years. It took sometime before the game of craps was revolutionized by John H. Winn. He enabled craps players to bet right or wrong. He also improved the craps table layout by placing a space for Don't Pass bets. In 1931, the game of craps and other gambling games were legalized in Nevada. Since then craps flourished to different parts of the world making craps, Las Vegas style, a casino favorite in all parts of the globe.

Variations of the game have been developed, the most popular being street craps, and other dice games such as Cee-lo can find origins in the craps game.

Well, I hope you enjoyed this brief history. Thanks for stopping by.

Sunday, June 29, 2008

Movie Time!!!

Well, as you read in my last blog, craps has a few rules and can get confusing, especially if you don't know how the game works. I came across this video a while back that is a pretty good start for teaching people about craps. Definitely pay attention to what he says NOT to do. This is aimed at beginners, so if if you are starting out, he dropping some pearls here ladies and gentlemen. Enjoy and thanks for stopping by!

Friday, June 27, 2008

Three Dice Craps????

So I went to a friends party the other day and he (knowing I was a gambler) wanted to show me his new craps table that he had just bought for his game room. So we went there (with other a few other guests) and he asked if we wanted to break it in. Well, always up for a game among friends, I agreed as did most of the others and we were about to start. He handed me 3 dice and said I was the banker...which puzzled me. I asked why I got the 3rd die and he said he always played 3 dice craps. I asked him to explain the rules, just to see what he was talking about and after a few minutes, I realized he was describing Cee-lo.

So, I explained a bit about Cee-lo and the differences between that and actual craps. Essentially in Cee-lo a player is established as the Banker, he puts up an initial stake known as the "Bank," or "Center Bet." Once he has placed his stake, and announced the amount, the other players have a chance to cover or "fade" his bet. Starting with the player to the Banker's left, and proceeding clockwise around the circle, each player in turn can fade a portion of the bank, as much as he likes, until the entire bank is covered or every player has had a chance to make a bet.


After all the bets are settled according to the roll of the dice, if the same player maintains control of the bank, he may add as much money as he wishes to his stake, or let the bank stand at whatever amount remains after all the bets are settled. A new round begins, the players fade again just as above, and so the game continues.

Control of the bank can change under certain circumstances. If all the players beat the Banker in one round, they break the bank, and control of the bank then passes to the next player to the Banker's left, who establishes his own initial stake as above. Otherwise, the first player to beat the banker by rolling 4-5-6 or triples will become the new Banker (after the existing Banker settles the remaining bets and pockets whatever remains of his bank).

When all the bets have been established, the Banker then rolls the dice. If he rolls 4-5-6, or "triples" (all three dice show the same number), then he instantly wins all bets. If he rolls 1-2-3 he instantly loses all bets and breaks the bank. If he rolls a pair and a singleton, then the singleton becomes his "point." E.g. a roll of 2-2-4 gives the dealer a point of "4." A point of "6" instantly wins all bets. This is called a "Two Alike Six High." In a game of multiple players, If dealer rolls a pair and an ace, dealer continues to roll until other point is reached. Some variants also allow the dealer to "push" on triple aces. Any other point stands and then players roll to try to beat the Banker's point. In a two player game, the dealer or player who rolls a "1" on the odd die is considered to have been "aced out", losing automatically. If the odd die is a "6," or "head crack", the player wins automatically. If the dice don't show any of the above combinations, then the Banker rolls again and keeps rolling until he gets an instant win, instant loss, or makes a point.

Now there are some situations when the player rolls. In the case of the Banker rolled a point of 2, 3, 4, or 5, each player then rolls the dice to settle his individual bet against the Banker. He wins with a 4-5-6, triple, or any point higher than the Banker's. He loses with a 1-2-3, or any point lower than the Banker's. If he ties the Banker's point, then it's a "push," no winner or loser, and the player pockets his stake. If he doesn't roll a meaningful combination, then he continues to roll the dice until he wins, loses, or pushes. Also, that the first player to win with a 4-5-6 or triple gets the privilege of being the next banker after all the bets of this round are settled.

Well, we all had fun that night and I won about $300. Now theres another game my friends won't play with me again.

Thanks for stopping by!

Thursday, June 19, 2008

Welcome

Hi, my name is Tony "Dub" Stevens and I'm a gambler. I play all types of casino games and been to major casinos in the US and abroad. I will be using this as a forum to discuss the game of craps. I encourage you to read, comment and especially enjoy this new venture I am undertaking.

Today, I will be reviewing and article from the SouthtownStar.com by John G. Brokopp, Gaming columnist for the newspaper, asserts first, that craps can be learned in one article, and second that it is a losing venture.

I take great umbrage with these assertions. First and foremost, any game has rules, tricks, nuances, and requires skill, at least in a casino. It takes a long time to develop these skills and to know when and how to bet. By studying websites, books, and writings from high profile players, some of this can be learned in time. Practice is the other key to this equation. The easiest and most convenient way to practice nowadays is the internet. There are hundreds of reputable online casinos that accept US customers, as well as from around the world. To trivialize learning the game is a will cost any player in the long run.

And as far as craps being a losing venture for players, I must disagree. It is a game of skill, and the casinos are in the business of making money, but if it were not a way to win big, then it would not be as popular as it is. I mean, heck, how many people get into street games all the time? A lot.

His article does give some interesting basics and statistics and I encourage you to read that, but it you want to learn the game, study it. I have placed some useful links on this blog to check out and will add more as time goes on.

Well, that's all for now. Thanks for stopping by!