The dice are tumbling and there are plenty of high fives as the shooter hits yet another point number. Players scramble to place their bets for the next roll at the bustling, high-energy table. In a few minutes those dice will be moving again.
A craps table can be one of the most entertaining places to be at a casino. Players love the action as the dealers pay out winners with stacks of multi-colored casino chips – unless that dreaded seven shows up. While most are accustomed to playing the game in a live casino, craps also has a history beyond the gaming floor.
In fact, the game goes back to the streets – known as “street craps” by many who like shooting dice with friends and acquaintances. Here’s a quick look at this popular version of the game.
Quick History of Craps
Craps a unique history. Gambling and games involving dice date back to the Roman Empire when soldiers reportedly shaved pig knuckles into cubes. Numbers were added and soldiers tossed the cubes in their shields. This might have been the earliest version of some form of street craps and is believed to have brought about the saying “roll the bones.”
By the 13th century, dice games could be found in Spain and other European countries. Early versions included games like Hazard and Marlota, in which a player had to roll a certain number before rolling another number.
Dice as an addition to gambling proved popular – whether in a gambling house or in other scenarios and locations among friends. Fourteenth century scholar Francis Petrarch was a critic of this form of gambling and described gambling with dice as “an inexplicable, gaping cesspool leading to abject desperation.”
Despite those warnings, the game would grow in popularity in the years to come. By the 1700s, the game gamblers would recognize today had taken shape and was called “crabs” in France.
The French spread the game to North America, including New Orleans, where it eventually became known as “craps” and the new name stuck. The game could typically be found where workers or others might gather on a break or with a bit of downtime. Those with a few bucks in their pockets may have been willing to gamble with dice to kill some time.
“African-Americans were among the first players, and likely the inventors of American Craps,” author David Schwartz notes in Roll the Bones: The History of Gambling. “Black roustabouts and other river workers up and down the Mississippi were for years the most eager players of ‘American dominoes,’ which was played as a social game.”
Street Craps vs. Casino Craps
Craps can be confusing for new players entering a casino. There is seemingly an endless number of bets available. However, the best craps strategy involves bets on the Pass Line (and Don’t Pass is also available and a good bet). When betting with the shooter on the Pass Line, players win on the comeout roll when the shooter rolls 2, 3 , or 12.
If the shooter rolls a 7 or 11 during this period, the player wins on the bet. The numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10 are called point numbers. When the shooter rolls one of these, players are then hoping that number will be rolled again before a seven appears.
Players can also add odds to their Pass Line wagers and also put some money on other numbers via place bets and come bets. But overall this is the general idea – to roll a certain number before “sevening out.” As a casino, dealers take care of all the action – paying off wins, making certain bets on the table for players, and taking down bets when players lose.
In street craps, players take care of much of this themselves in what is a bit more of a simple game. The game is much more informal version and, as the name implies, got its name from those who rolled some bones outdoors – in the street.
With no table or felt, players place their bets on the ground usually using cash or coins. Players may act as the shooter, house, or simply bet on the shooter, depending on how those involved want the action to proceed. The game follows the same rules for the most part, but may be more simplified without all of the exotic bets and ability to back up Pass Line bets with odds.
Players are essentially playing the same type of Pass Line bets hoping to hit point numbers before sevening out to earn even money on those wagers. Some games may feature players simply betting against each other. Players can agree on a number to roll before rolling a seven or roll the dice to establish the point number.
More sophisticated street operations may have additional rules and payouts, but this varies by game. Street craps can be just as fun as entertaining for those involved as it might be in a real casino.
As Philadelphia magazine notes: “The craps table is the best gaming experience because it’s boisterous, it’s communal, it’s the cool kids’ table.” And that can go for the street version of the game as well.
Taking It to the Street
Craps became much more popular in the 20th century after soldiers began returning home following World War II. Many had taken to playing the game to pass time between battles. Because players basically only need a set of dice, soldiers rolling for point numbers could be found in barracks, in fields, on ships, and other locations throughout the European and Asian theaters of war.
These craps lovers brought the game back home and rolling dice became the most popular casino game, only to be passed by blackjack in later years. Street craps remained popular as well, and since Nevada was the only state in the U.S. with legalized gambling at the time, street craps could be played in other parts of the country – with players always mindful of the law.
Because of this, the game may have taken on a more unsavory reputation. Wise street hustlers may have realized that the house has an edge in the game and frequently separated unsuspecting players from their money.
A similar game known as “floating craps” refers to a more serious version of the game that can be easily moved to stay ahead of law enforcement. This version of the game plays a key role in the famous Broadway musical Guys & Dolls, which was also turned into a film in 1955 starring Frank Sinatra and Marlon Brando.
One of the main characters in the film regularly runs an underground craps game and the trailer below offers a look at some of the on-screen dice action.
Numerous other films have featured street craps through the years, often using the game to set the scene around a gritty location where characters may be a bit more down and out or running afoul of the law. But as more states and countries have legalized casino gaming, craps may have a better reputation than it once had.
Those who enjoy rolling some dice with a couple dollars on the line may want to give some street craps a try. With a little luck, you may win a few bucks and some bragging rights over your friends.
