Craps Tips

If you’ve read the previous pages on this site, you now know many basic and advanced aspects of craps (if you haven’t, check them out on the navigation bar to the left). However, there is more to the game than just the rules, the bets and the odds. The craps game brings with it many superstitions and beliefs from craps ages past. If you do not respect some of these superstitions and follow proper craps etiquette, you won’t exactly be the most popular player at the table. Therefore, this craps tips page is dedicated not to increasing your odds of winning, but on increasing your odds of making some friends at the craps table.

Craps Tip #1
Don’t throw the dice on the floor. A very common belief is that when one or both of the dice fall off the table, the next roll will seven out. Luckily, this outcome can be forestalled by making the dealer give the shooter the same fallen dice for the next roll. This explains why you might hear players around craps tables hollering “Same dice!” A dealer may be wary, however, of using the same dice if they suspect someone could have replaced them with crooked dice during their absence from the table.

Craps Tip #2
Another rather popular myth at the craps table is that when the dice touch someone's hand, that roll is also sure to seven out. For this reason, you can often hear players and casino staff shouting “Watch your hands!” You best heed this advice if you don’t want a whole lot of dirty looks cast in your direction.

Craps Tip #3
Wait for a break in the action to get your chips. Proper craps etiquette insists that players do not throw money on the table to cash in while a shooter is on a hot streak. If this is done, it is thought that the next throw will seven out if the dice hit this “new money”.

Craps Tip #4
Even in craps men and women are treated differently. A popular myth originating from the early days of the game suggests that a woman who is playing for the first time will be a hot shooter. This “virgin principle” will often attract quite a crowd for new female players. If you’re a lady playing for the first time, then, and want some company, make your virgin status known. However, if you’re a man, it’s best to keep your dice virginity to yourself. A new male player is said to be a cold roller.

Craps Tip #5
Wrong bettors are considered bad luck by many craps players. You may not be extremely popular if you continually bet against the shooter.

Craps Tip #6
It is not a good idea to speak to or touch a shooter who is having a good roll. This is considered bad luck. Likewise, do not walk between the shooter and someone else while they are on a hot streak.

Craps Tip #7
Never mention the number seven. If you do, it is thought that the next roll will be it. Craps players generally refer to the seven as “It”. For example, "If you say it, it will come!" Some players may also refer to the seven as the devil itself, as in "If that devil shows, we're in for a big loss."

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