Online Craps Games Variations

Craps is a very adaptable game, which has survived many changing cultures, situations, and environments and still interests both new and veteran gamblers. It's as enjoyable to the average group of guys rolling dice in their homes as it is to Las Vegas' expert craps players. Craps can be played anywhere, from casinos to alleyways; there are infinite options as for how and where to play it.

There are many variations to craps, which is one of the reasons it can be played just about anywhere, anytime, and by all kinds of people. There were countless versions of the game in the past. Some have vanished, some have changed, and some remain the same. The variations of the modern craps game which are most commonly played are New York Craps, Private Craps, Money Craps (open craps), Bank Craps, and Scarney Craps.

Bank Craps

Most of the casinos in the world play the Bank Craps, making it the most known and played version of the craps game. Since it's the most recognized variation of craps, it's also the one most written about. One of the characteristics of Bank Craps is betting against the house, rather than other players. In many variations of craps, a player may put a bet for or against another player who is rolling the dice. The betting, however, is never between the two players, but between the players and the house. Two more characteristics which make the Bank Craps so popular among casinos are the use of chips instead of cash, and the use of a specifically fixed table layout, which ensures an advantage for the house on each bet.

New York Craps

A less known variation of craps is the New York Craps. Many illegal casinos and gambling clubs in the eastern USA and different parts of Europe use this version of the game. There are many differences between the New-York Craps and the Bank Craps.

The table doesn't have spaces for Come & Don't Come bets, plus the players have to buy box numbers of 4-6 and 8-10, which, according to the odds, are paid back to them later.

The dealer charges 5% of the total amount of bets put on a player's pre-bought box numbers.

Scarney Craps

The Scarney version of craps seems to be similar both to Bank and New York Craps, both described above by craps777.com. Here there's no 5% dealer's charge of box numbers sets, but there still isn't a "come" or "don't come" betting space. The Scarney version normally pays one unit more than Bank Craps for proposition bets. This is due to the fact that Scarney Craps makes use of place craps betting.

Private Craps

When you see people sitting together in a street corner, holding dice in their hands and cash in their pockets, most likely, they're playing Private Craps. All that's needed for a Private Craps game, except for the usual dice and cash combination, is a suitable surface for playing, which is designed by the players themselves. The Private Craps players are gathered around an area which is the 'center'. Each player rolls the dice to decide who will be the 1st to bet, and the higher the number the dice show, the better. The player places his bet as a 'center bet', and the other players bet against him to 'fade' his bet. Once the betting stage is over, the player who put the center bet shoots the dice and the game begins, with the regular craps rules for immediate wins, losses and points.

When the dice rolled by the shooter indicate an immediate pass or a miss, the bets are settled on the spot between the players. If this is not the case, the other players may change their bets, for good or for bad, at any point of the game.

If there's a disagreement or an uncertainty as to the result of the dice, due to a crooked landing of the dice, or the dice missing the playing surface and landing outside it, there will be a re-roll of the dice in Private Craps.

Money Craps

As you may have guessed, Money Craps is yet another version of craps which is played with cash. Money Craps allows its players to wager for and against the other players, on point numbers. This game may be played wherever there's a suitable gaming surface, from gambling clubs to one's own house.

The tables in Money Craps only show the betting spaces which are entitled win line, lose line, and box numbers, similar to New York Craps. The craps book or house takes bets from the players, usually with high house limits for all the other point numbers and bets. The book only charges 5% if the player wishes to use him in order to place his bets. When the players decide to put down their own bets, the book won't charge them 5% of the bet for it.

Money Craps grants its players great amounts of freedom in the game, including one option which attracts many players - never placing their bets with the house.