If you’re new to online Craps it’s easy to get lost in the lingo and feel like you have no idea what’s going on around you. No need to panic! To help you out we have explained all the craps terms in this glossary for you so you can play the game at ease and with confidence. You’ll be able to understand what is happening at the table and why once you’re more familiar with the language used. If you find you want a more in-depth explanation of particular bets, read our Craps Rules and Craps Strategy articles. Whenever you wish to test out your craps knowledge without putting your money on the line, you can check out our free craps online page and play craps for free! Once you have the gift of the gab you can choose from one of the best online craps casinos found in our toplist below.
Best Craps Casinos Online
1 | Welcome Package up to 500% | Ybets Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
2 | 100% up to $500 + 200 Free Spins | Casombie Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
3 | 100% Match Bonus of up to €600 | Thunderpick Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
4 | 200% up to CA$2,000 + 200 Free Spins | Wildz Casino review | Sign-Up | UK 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
5 | 120% up to $500 +20 $ FREE | 888 Casino New Jersey review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
6 | 100% up to $500 + $10 Free | Unibet review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
7 | Exclusive Offer Deposit $25 and Get $125 Free! | Sloto Cash Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
8 | 100% match bonus up to $1000 + 200 Free Spins | Golden Nugget review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
9 | $500 Risk-Free Play + 250 Free Spins | Twinspires Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
10 | $7500 Bonus + 30 Free Spins | Lucky Creek Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
11 | 325% Match Up To 5 BTC + 250 Free Spins | 7Bit Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
12 | Match Bonus of up to $7000 + 30 Free Spins | Black Lotus Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
13 | 100% up to $500 +$10 Free | Unibet NJ Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
14 | 100% up to $600 | PokerStars Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
15 | 100% up to $1000 +25 $ FREE | BetMGM review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
16 | 100% up to $250 | SugarHouse Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
17 | Match Bonus of 250% up to $5,000 | Jumba Bet Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
18 | 7,777 Gold Coins + 10 Free Sweeps Coins | Luckyland review | Sign-Up | UK 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
19 | 100% up to $250 | BetRivers MI Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Play Responsibly | T&C Apply | |
20 | Match Bonus up to $6000 + 50 Free Spins | Big Dollar Casino review | Sign-Up | 18+ | Gamble Responsibly | T&C Apply |
A
Ace Deuce: A one roll proposition bet wagering that the next roll will be a 3 (a two and a one on the dice).
Aces: A one roll proposition bet wagering that the next roll of the dice will have an outcome of a 2 (two ones). This bet is also called Snake eyes.
Action: Wagers that are currently active on the table.
Advantage: The percentage the casino has on a bet – the same as the edge.
Against the Dice: When you bet on the don’t pass and don’t come bets you are betting for a 7 to be rolled before the point number, hence against the dice.
Any Craps: A one roll proposition bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3 or 12. This bet pays 7 to 1 and has a house edge of 11.1%.
Any Seven: A one-roll bet that the next roll is a 7. This bet pays 4 to 1.
Apron: The outer perimeter of the craps table in a live casino, normally made of felt.
B
Back Line: Another name for the don’t pass line.
Bank Craps: The official name of the game of craps. ‘Craps’ is a shortening of this, although it is much more widely used than ‘bank craps’.
Bar 12: When the outcome of the roll of the dice of a 12 results in a push on the don’t pass and don’t come bets.
Behind the Line: Placing odds on your pass/come/don’t pass/don’t come bets. It’s called betting behind the line as there is no place marked on the table for the odds bet, you place the chips directly behind your original bet on the table.
Big 8: A bet that an 8 will be rolled before a 7. This bet pays even money and has a house edge of 9.1%. Identical to the place 8 bet, but a place bet pays 7 to 6 and has a house edge of only 1.5%, making the place a far more favorable betting option.
Big 6: A bet that a 6 will be rolled before a 7. This bet pays even money but a place bet pays 7 to 6, but otherwise, these bets are identical. The place 6 bet is more advantageous as the house edge is only 1.5%, whilst the big 6 has a house edge of 9.1%.
Big Red: Another term for placing a bet on any seven.
Black: Table lingo for the $100 chips that are black in most casinos.
Bones: Table lingo for dice.
Bowl: The container, made out of either plastic, metal, or wood, depending on the casino, that holds the dice. It’s placed next to the stickman at the table.
Boxcars: Betting that two sixes (a total of 12) will be rolled on the next roll of the dice.
Boxman: The casino ‘dealer’ who sits in the middle of the table in charge of the betting action, all the chips, and manages the players. The boxman sits opposite the stickman.
Box Numbers: Place bet numbers of 4,5,6,8,9 and 10.
Boys (or The Boys): A slang term for the craps dealers. Not used as much anymore due to more female dealers.
Buffalo: When you place a 5-unit bet on each hardways number and any seven.
Buffalo Yo: A 5-unit bet on each hardways number and an eleven.
Bump: The term used to describe the break a dealer takes when the craps table is overstaffed and the table has few players.
Buy Bet: The same as a place bet, you wager on the 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 but you give the house a 5% commission on the bet to be given true odds. Most casinos ask for commission regardless of the outcome of the bet, and others will allow players to keep the commission until a bet is actually won.
C
C&E: This is a one-roll bet on both any craps (C) and the eleven (E). This is a two-part bet where one unit is placed on any craps outcome of 2,3 or 12 and another unit is placed on the eleven. If any craps bet wins, the eleven bet loses, and if the eleven wins, the any craps part of the bet loses.
Capped Dice: Crooked dice. Can be identified when you scratch a nail or coin and a mark is left.
Center Bets: All bets in the middle of the table– the one-roll and proposition bets. Also called center field.
Charting a Table: When a player keeps track of the outcomes of the roll of the dice to play with a particular strategy.
Cocked Dice: Dice that end up at an angle, for example against the table, instead of ending up flat against the table. The final number is determined by looking at the natural angle of the die/dice and if the object it’s leaning against were to be removed and the die would fall flat, then the number on the top of the dice is the final number called. This is determined by the stickman.
Cold Dice: A term for when all the shooters are sevening out before a point number is made.
Cold Table: When all the shooters at a table are sevening out before the point is made.
Color In: When you cash out smaller chips for chips of greater value when leaving the table.
Come Bet: Same as a pass-line bet but made after the come-out roll once the point has already been made.
Come Out Roll: The term used for the very first roll of the game. All pass and don’t pass bets have to be placed before the come-out roll. If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 the shooter wins with the pass bet, and loses with the don’t pass bet. If the shooter rolls a 2,3 or 12 the shooter loses, and the don’t pass bets win with the 2 and 3. A 12 results in a push. The game continues with the roll of a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10 and the point number is established.
Comp.: Complimentary services offered by the casino to players for their action at the table. Comps could include hotel accommodation, meals, or tickets to events.
Corner Red: The corner section of the craps table layout which has the big 6 and big 8 bets written in red.
Crapless Craps: This is a very uncommon variant of craps where the 2,3,11 and 12 are all point numbers. This makes it impossible to lose on the come-out roll, and you can’t win with the 11, leaving only one way to win on the come-out roll which is by rolling a 7. This increases the house edge for the pass bet to a much higher 5.4%. If you take odds behind this bet, this is reduced to 2.9%, and if you double the odds it goes down to 2.1%. It reduces down to 1% if you can lay odds 5 times your original bet, but this is only if the casino allows it to be multiplied this much. There is no don’t pass bet in crapless craps. You can wager on place bets for the 2,3,11 and 12 with a house edge of 7.1% and a payout of 11 to 2 on the place 2 and place 12. Place 3 and place 11 have a slightly lower house edge of 6.2% and a payout of 11 to 4. Buy bets also work in the same way with the same odds as regular craps. This version of craps is only played in a couple of casinos in Las Vegas, most famously at the Stratosphere, and rarely found in online casinos.
Crap Out: When a shooter rolls a 2, 3 or 12 and the round finishes and the shooter changes. Also called ‘seven out’.
Craps: When the shooter throws 2, 3 or 12 on the come-out roll. Also the name of the game.
Craps Numbers: The numbers 2,3 and 12.
Crew: The dealers at the craps table. Also referred to as ‘the boys’.
D
Dead: A craps table with no players.
Dealer: The casino employees on each side of the boxman who are in control of the payouts for each side of the table and who assist players in placing their bets. In a live casino, you give your money to the dealer on your side of the table, and he/she will place the bet on the table for you.
Dice Bowl (also ‘bowl’): Metal, plastic or wooden bowl used to store the dice at the table.
Dice in the Middle: When the stickman places the dice above the proposition bets in front of the boxman, indicating when players should place their bets.
Don’t Come Bet: A bet which is made after the come-out roll and works like a don’t pass-line bet after the point is made. This bet pays even money.
Don’t Pass Bet: A bet that the come-out roll will be a 12, 3 or 2 and which loses if it’s 7 or 11, and it’s a push if a 12 is rolled. Any other number rolled becomes the point number. This bet has a house edge of 1.36%, which is reduced further if you decide to lay odds on the don’t pass bet.
Double Odds: Placing the odds bet behind pass, don’t pass, come, or don’t come bet at twice the amount of the original bet.
Down (or Take me Down): The phrase used by bettors to indicate to the dealer that they wish for the bet to be removed and returned.
Down Behind: The phrase called by the dealer to indicate to a don’t bettor that the bet has been lost.
Duker: A reference to large amounts of money being played all of a sudden on one or both sides of the craps table. This alerts the table staff that the action will be increasing as all colors of chips will be played. The term comes from the word ‘duke’, indicating that a player has a lot of money.
E
Easy Way: This is a term used to describe when either a 4,6,8 and 10 is rolled and the dice have different numbers on them. For example a 2 and 6 for an outcome of an 8.
Edge: The advantage that a casino has on any bets made by the players. Also called a house edge.
Even Money: When a bet pays 1 to 1. A bettor loses or wins the same amount of money they placed on the bet.
Eyeballs: Table lingo for a roll of the dice of 2, as the two dots resemble eyes.
Eye in the Sky: The surveillance cameras in casinos that monitor the action of the players and dealers.
F
Fade: This is a term used in street craps, not in the casino against the dealer. It refers to the action of betting against the shooter up to the amount of his wager. The shooter has to remove any part of the wager that is not faded by other players. If the shooter loses the bet the players take double the faded amount.
Field Bet: A bet that the next roll will be a 2, 3, 4, 9, 10, 11 or 12. This bet pays even money for the 3,4,9,10 and 11, and either 2 to 1 or 3 to 1 in some casinos for the 2 and the 12.
Front Line Bet: Same as the pass line bet.
G
Garden: A slang term for the field bets.
George: A slang term for a player who tips very well in a live casino.
Green: The name for the $25 chips used during a game.
H
Hard Way: When you roll the hard way of a 4,6,8, or 10 the number has been rolled in pairs: 2-2, 3-3, 4-4 and 5-5. It is called the hard way as it’s less common than rolling the number with different numbers on the dice.
Hardway Bet: This bet is found in the center of the table alongside the one-roll proposition bets. When you wager that the hard way of a 4,6,8, or 10 will be rolled you are betting that the outcome of the roll of the dice will be rolled as pairs (2-2, 3-3, 4-4, 5-5).
Hi-Lo: A one-roll bet that the next roll will be either a 12 or a 2.
Hi-Lo-Yo: A one-roll bet that the next roll of the dice will be either a 2,11 or 12.
Hit a Brick: When the dice hits a stack of chips and doesn’t roll the length of the craps table.
Hop Bet: A one-time roll bet that the next roll will be a combination of the dice of your choosing, as 4-1, or 2-3, it can be any combination. Once you bet on the one combination, you will lose on all other combinations rolled on the next roll.
Horn Bet: A one-time roll bet that the next roll will be 2, 3, 11 or 12. The player will have one unit bet on each number. The 2 and 12 pay 30 to1, and the 3 and 11 pay 15 to1.
Horn High Bet: A bet made in units of 5 with one unit each on the 2,3,11 and 12, plus another unit placed on one of these numbers, making it the ‘high horn’ number. It doesn’t have to be played in units of 5, but it’s easier to play this way and casinos prefer it.
Hot Table: A craps table where all shooters are playing for a while without sevening out, normally referring to the pass line bettors.
House Edge: Same as ‘edge’.
I
Inside Bet: When you wager on a 5,6,8 and 9.
Inside Numbers: Place numbers 5, 6, 8 and 9.
Insurance Bet: When you make two or more bets in an attempt to cover one another if one loses.
J
Juice: A colloquial term for vigorish (vig.); the commission taken by the casino on certain bets.
L
Late Bet: When a player tries to place a bet when the dice are in the air. The dealer or boxman will decide on the validity of the late bet by calling out bet or no bet.
Lay Bet: A bet by a wrong-way bettor that the shooter will roll a 7 before point numbers 4,5,6,8,9, and 10. You pay a commission of 5% to get true odds on the bet. Most casinos require this regardless of whether the bettor wins or loses the bet, whilst others require payment only upon winning a bet.
Lay Odds: An extra bet placed on the don’t come and don’t pass bet made by wrong-way bettors which offers true odds and no house edge. It’s placed behind the original bet at the table and can be placed up to 2 or 3 times the original bet.
Layout: The felt covering the craps table where all the bets are marked and where the bets are made.
Line Bet: Another term for the Pass Line or Don’t Pass Line bets.
Little Joe: Table slang for a hard-way 4, or 2-2.
M
Marker Puck: A plastic disc used in live casinos that dealers use to show which points are ‘on’ and ‘off’ on the table.
Mark the Point: The action by the dealer of indicating the point number by putting the puck on the table. The dealer is ‘marking the point’.
Midnight: The name for a single roll proposition bet on the 12. Also called Any Twelve.
Multi-roll Bet: These are all bets that can’t be settled on the next roll of the dice. It could take a few rolls of the dice to determine the outcome of the bet. Some multi-roll bets are the place and buy bets, hardway, big 6 and 8, come and don’t come bets.
N
Natural: When the shooter rolls a 7 or an 11 on the come-out roll.
No Roll: The dealer or stickman will call a no roll when the shooter doesn’t roll the dice to the other end of the table, or if the dice slip from the shooter’s hand, or rolls of the table. This indicates that the roll is invalid.
O
Odds Bet: An additional bet placed behind the pass/come/don’t pass/don’t come bets which have no house edge and is paid at true odds. Can be placed up to 2 or 3 times the original bet.
Off: Bets which are not working on the next roll of the dice.
On: Bets which are in action on the next roll of the dice.
One Roll Bet: A bet on the outcome of only the next roll of the dice, and which is no longer active throughout the game afterwards. You will win or lose on the next roll and will have to place a new bet each time if you want it to be active for more than one roll.
Outside Dealer: The stickman who stands outside of the pit.
Outside Numbers: Numbers 4, 5, 9 and 10.
P
Parlay: Increasing your bet amount by adding your winnings to your original bet.
Pass Line Bet: This is the most common bet in craps. This bet wins if the come-out roll is a 7 or an 11, and loses with a 2, 3 or 12, while all other numbers establish the point.
Pips: The dots found on the dice that indicate the number.
Pit: The section of a live casino that has the craps table.
Place Bet: A bet that a place number of 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10 will be rolled before a 7. This bet pays 9 to 5 for the 4 and 10, 7 to 5 for the 5 and 9, and or 7 to 6 for the 6 and 8.
Place Numbers: The numbers 4,5,6,8,9 and 10.
Point: The point is the betting number established for the rest of the round when the come-out roll is either a 4,5,6,8,9 or 10. Right-way bettors will place bets for the point to be rolled before a 7, and wrong-way bettors for a 7 to be rolled before the point.
Press a Bet: Increasing the amount of your bet, typically by doubling the amount of your wager.
Proposition Bets: All hardway and one-roll bets in the center of the table layout.
Puck: A marker shaped like a hockey puck used to indicate the point number for the round of action.
R
Rail (or Rack): The grooved section on top of the craps table perimeter where players can store their chips used in the game.
Right-way Bettor: A player who is betting with the shooter for the point number to be rolled before the 7.
S
Seven Out: When a 7 is rolled before the point number after a point has been established. This ends the round and the shooter changes.
Shooter: The player who rolls the dice.
Skinny Dugan: A slang term for the number seven. Many alternatives exist as it’s considered very bad luck to say the number seven at the craps table.
Snake Eyes: Another term for rolling a 2 on the proposition bet ‘any 2’.
Stickman: The casino employee in charge of handling and calling the dice number.
T
Take Odds: An additional bet on the pass and come bets that offers true odds and no house edge. It’s placed directly behind their original bet on the table. Bettors can normally bet up to 2 or 3 times their original bet.
Three-way Craps: A one-roll proposition bet on the 2,3, and 12 made in units of three; one unit on the 2, one unit and the 3, and one unit on the 12.
Two-way: A bet that is made by a player and split between the player and the dealers, normally made on one-roll bets.
V
Vigorish (abbreviated to vig): This refers to the house commission on particular bets.
W
With the Dice: When you play with the dice you are playing for the point number to be rolled before a 7. A right-way bettor plays with the dice.
Working Bet: A bet that is currently active or ‘on’ for the next roll of the dice.
World Bet: When you bet on the 2,3,7,11, and 12 all at once, made in units of 5. For example, if you place $15 on the world bet, $3 would go on each number.
Wrong-way Bettor: A player who bets that a 7 will be rolled before the point number once the point number has been established. A wrong-way bettor plays against the dice.
Y
Yo: The number 11, also called yo-leven, to avoid confusion with the number 7 as they sound very similar.
Play Craps Online at CasinoTop10 Today!
Now that you’re comfortable with all the different terminology, you can start playing at the craps table by signing up at an online or mobile casino equipped with all the lingo to make you a seasoned pro. Best of all, you can even play with an online casino bonus to help you stay in the game for longer. Have a few minutes to spare? Read our renowned article about Street Craps and Hip Hop Legends.