Craps Gambling

Craps Etiquette and Superstitions

Craps has developed a ridiculous number of superstitions over the years. One of the more interesting results of this is that widespread superstitions have led to the development of a complex etiquette for playing live craps.

It is important to learn the finer points of this etiquette if you want to remain welcome at the table. While not paying attention to some of these pieces of etiquette might not bother everyone, some of your fellow players and the casino may take quite unkindly to persistent unlucky actions.

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Basic Etiquette

Let's take a look at some of the most basic rules of craps etiquette first:

Tip the dealers

If the dealers are helpful, friendly, and try their best to give you an enjoyable experience, be sure to tip them. Many players do so by placing a bet and announcing it is for the dealers, but you may also just place some chips in front of yourself and say they are for the dealers. If you do decide to place a bet for the dealers, choose one of the better bets. Placing sucker bets as a tip just doesn't seem all that appreciative. Tipping the dealers will keep you on good terms with them and it will help to make accidental indiscretions of other rules of etiquette less of an issue when they inevitably come up.

Place your bets at the right time

Do not place bets just as the shooter is about to throw the dice. "Hands high!" will be called just before the throw, so make sure your hands are nowhere on the table. Optimally, place your bet before the dice have left the center of the table, never after. Be sure to choose the right times to place bets. Don't continuously slow down the action by making a proposition bet on every roll, as this will really annoy the players betting on the Pass Line.

Place your bets in a polite way

Some bets you place yourself, and other bets you have placed for you. For those bets that you have placed for you, be polite about it. Put your chips in front of you, get the attention of a dealer, and tell them the bets you would like to place. The bets you can place yourself are Pass Line and Don't Pass bets and their respective Odds bets, as well as Come bets and Field Bets. All other bets should be made by placing chips on the layout, and then asking for the dealer to place the bets for you.

Be a considerate shooter

Obviously you can't control the dice all the time, but there is such a thing as good dice etiquette. You should aim to hit the far wall of the craps table when shooting, but don't go overboard. A gentle lob over the middle of the table will normally do it. You want to avoid bouncing the dice off the table or into stacks of chips if possible. Be sure to only handle the dice with one hand, as well, and do not waste time with overly elaborate lucky shooting rituals. Keep the game moving, and don't try to show off.

Don't give advice, take advice, or ask for advice at the table

This just helps to avoid trouble all round. When someone gives you advice, you may start thinking that they are responsible for any losses you incur. Soon enough, that sort of thinking will lead to game slowing arguments. The same applies if you are the one giving advice. You could be blamed for someone else's losses, and have to go through a very boring argument.

Especially avoid asking for advice from casino staff at the table. You are almost certain to make them uncomfortable if you do. They will have put up with pointless arguments over having been given bad advice 'on purpose' many times before you've asked them for a hint. Remember that the dealers want players to win so that they are more generous with tips, but they have to deal with irritable players everyday. Besides, there really isn't much better advice they can give you other than betting on the Pass Line or Don't Pass bets, and then Taking the Odds or Laying the odds as is appropriate.

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Craps Superstitions

Now, let's take a look at the craps superstitions that could see you copping a stink eye for ignoring them:

Never say 7 (seven)

Some think that the rule is not to say 7 after the come out roll, but play it safe and don't mention it. If you have to talk about 7, say "it" instead, or "Big Red", or "the devil." While 7 is widely thought of as a lucky number, it is one of the unluckiest numbers in craps as soon as a point has been established. Many players practice shooting craps at home, and almost all training focuses on rolling points only rather than 7s.

Don't bet against the shooter

Bettors placing Don't Pass bets, also known as "wrong" bettors, should not expect to see any love from fellow players. The thinking is that the more wrong bettors at the table, the more likely a 7 will come up. If you decide to bet against the shooter, be sure to keep quiet. A better option for wrong bettors is to play craps online, as you can celebrate as much as you like at home while benefiting from the slightly lower house edge of the Don't Pass bet.

Don't hit anything with the dice when you shoot

Well, you can hit the far wall, but that's it. Someone at the table is sure to be superstitious about the dice hitting anything else when you shoot, so aim away from big chip stacks and be merciless in scolding bettors who try to place late bets just as you are about to shoot, as they the dice might hit their hands.

Don't interfere with the shooter

If you are trying to get to the table, don't nudge yourself in front of the shooter. In fact, try not to touch the shooter, look at the shooter funny or anything else. Don't even talk to the shooter. Many players are superstitious about things happening to the shooter, and if they are regulars they may have even come up with incredibly unique trespasses that you will have no knowledge of. Your ignorance will be no excuse, however, and you could get an earful.

When the dice leave the table, the next roll will be a 7

The only defense against this is for the shooter to shout "Same dice!" as soon as the dice roll off the table. To be safe, make sure not to put too much power into your throw when you toss the dice, and shout "Same dice!" as soon as physically possibly if you see one of your dice leaving the table.

First time players are either lucky or incredibly unlucky

If you are a female player shooting craps for the first time, congratulations! The table will love you when you step up to shoot, and may even place bets for you. If you are a male shooting for the first time... Just make sure no one can tell. Female craps virgins are considered plenty lucky, but males are bound to crap out or roll a 7 right after establishing a point. Is there anything in this? Hey, it's all about luck, baby, who knows?

Don't be the first or only player at a table

The dice are cold at a new table, so being the first at the table is sure to be unlucky. Once some new player who doesn't know the superstitions has warmed up the dice you can jump in and get lucky. If there's any superstition you can ignore without rancor from other players, it's this one, as there are no other players yet! That isn't to say you might not be warned by a superstitious and kindly crapper, but it's unlikely any other craps player will work to hard to warn you off opening up the table.

A last piece of advice...

If you are playing craps, understand that superstitions and etiquette are part of the fun for long time players. You may not believe every craps superstition, but play it for long enough and you are bound to pick up a few. Don't ruin someone else's fun by telling them a superstition is foolish. They probably know that logically, but they suspend their disbelief for a while for entertainment value. Like athletes wearing a lucky piece of clothing, craps superstitions are just another part of the experience for players to enjoy.

If you don't feel like going through the trouble of etiquette and superstitions, then play online craps instead. It's the most convenient way to play craps for money, as you can play it right in your home and nothing will ever interfere with the dice. Most online casinos feature craps, and Online Vegas Casino in particular has an excellent version of online craps.