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104-595: Craps developed in the United States from a simplification of the western European game of Hazard , also spelled Hazzard or Hasard. The origins of Hazard are obscure and may date to the Crusades ; a detailed description of Hazard was provided by Edmond Hoyle in Hoyle's Games, Improved (1790). At approximately the same time (1788), "Krabs" was documented as a French variation on Hazard. In aristocratic London, crabs

208-400: A standard , expresses a dice roll as n d s or n D s , where n is the number of dice rolled and s is the number of sides on each die; if only one die is rolled, n is normally not shown. For example, d4 denotes one four-sided die; 6d8 means the player should roll six eight-sided dice and sum the results. The notation also allows for adding or subtracting a constant amount c to

312-520: A blanket as a shooting surface. Their military memories led to craps becoming the dominant casino game in postwar Las Vegas and the Caribbean. After 1960, a few casinos in Europe, Australia, and Macau began offering craps, and, after 2004, online casinos extended the game's spread globally. Bank craps or casino craps is played by one or more players betting against the casino rather than each other. Both

416-407: A core set of bets and payouts is typical. Players take turns rolling two dice and whoever is throwing the dice is called the "shooter". Players can bet on the various options by placing chips directly on the appropriately-marked sections of the layout, or asking the base dealer or stickman to do so, depending on which bet is being made. While acting as the shooter, a player must have a bet on either

520-415: A counting sequence starting at one. One variation on the standard die is known as the "average" die. These are six-sided dice with sides numbered 2, 3, 3, 4, 4, 5 , which have the same arithmetic mean as a standard die (3.5 for a single die, 7 for a pair of dice), but have a narrower range of possible values (2 through 5 for one, 4 through 10 for a pair). They are used in some table-top wargames , where

624-600: A different number of dots ( pips ) from one to six. When thrown or rolled, the die comes to rest showing a random integer from one to six on its upper surface, with each value being equally likely. Dice may also have polyhedral or irregular shapes, may have faces marked with numerals or symbols instead of pips and may have their numbers carved out from the material of the dice instead of marked on it. Loaded dice are specifically designed or modified to favor some results over others for cheating or entertainment. Dice have been used since before recorded history, and their origin

728-437: A different way. On some four-sided dice, each face features multiple numbers, with the same number printed near each vertex on all sides. In this case, the number around the vertex pointing up is used. Alternatively, the numbers on a tetrahedral die can be placed at the middle of the edges, in which case the numbers around the base are used. Normally, the faces on a die will be placed so opposite faces will add up to one more than

832-426: A layout which featured a space to wager on "Don't Pass" (i.e., for the shooter to lose) in addition to "Pass". Virtually all modern casinos use his innovation, which incentivizes casinos to use fair dice. Craps exploded in popularity during World War II , which brought most young American men of every social class into the military. The street version of craps was popular among service members who often played it using

936-448: A limit on how large the odds bet can be in relation to the line bet, with single, double, and five times odds common. Some casinos offer 3–4–5 odds, referring to the maximum multiple of the line bet a player can place in odds for the points of 4 and 10, 5 and 9, and 6 and 8, respectively. During promotional periods, a casino may even offer 100x odds bets, which reduces the house edge to almost nothing, but dramatically increases variance, as

1040-417: A main of 7 and a chance of 5 is main ⁄ chance which is 6 ⁄ 4 or, simplified, 3 ⁄ 2 . Assuming an odds stake of £10, a caster stands to win £15 ( 3 ⁄ 2 × £10) with a main of 7 and a chance of 5; with the same stake, a main of 5 and a chance of 6, they could win £8 ( 4 ⁄ 5 × £10). For each main the probability of winning can be calculated: In some reports on

1144-407: A method by which dice can be used to generate passphrases . Diceware is a method recommended for generating secure but memorable passphrases, by repeatedly rolling five dice and picking the corresponding word from a pre-generated list. In many gaming contexts, especially tabletop role-playing games, shorthand notations representing different dice rolls are used. A very common notation, considered

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1248-435: A narrower range of numbers is required. Other numbered variations include Sicherman dice and intransitive dice . A die can be constructed in the shape of a sphere, with the addition of an internal cavity in the shape of the dual polyhedron of the desired die shape and an internal weight. The weight will settle in one of the points of the internal cavity, causing it to settle with one of the numbers uppermost. For instance,

1352-475: A paint of the same density as the material used for the dice, such that the center of gravity of the dice is as close to the geometric center as possible. This mitigates concerns that the pips will cause a small bias. All such dice are stamped with a serial number to prevent potential cheaters from substituting a die. Precision backgammon dice are made the same way; they tend to be slightly smaller and have rounded corners and edges, to allow better movement inside

1456-515: A pair of boxcars on a freight train. Many rolls have names in the game of craps . Using Unicode characters, the faces can be shown in text using the range U+2680 to U+2685 or using decimal ⚀ to ⚅ , and the emoji using U+1F3B2 or 🎲 from the Miscellaneous Symbols and Pictographs block. A loaded, weighted, cheat, or crooked die is one that has been tampered with so that it will land with

1560-460: A player is playing Don't Pass instead of pass, they may also lay odds by placing chips behind the Don't Pass line. If a 7 comes before the point is rolled, the odds pay at true odds of 1-to-2 if 4 or 10 is the point, 2-to-3 if 5 or 9 is the point, or 5-to-6 if 6 or 8 is the point. Typically the maximum lay bet will be expressed such that a player may win up to an amount equal to the maximum odds multiple at

1664-469: A point is established), most casinos allow Pass line players to take odds by placing up to some predetermined multiple of the Pass line bet, behind the Pass line. This additional bet wins if the point is rolled again before a 7 is rolled (the point is made) and pays at the true odds of 2-to-1 if 4 or 10 is the point, 3-to-2 if 5 or 9 is the point, or 6-to-5 if 6 or 8 is the point. Unlike the Pass line bet itself,

1768-572: A resurgence of popularity in the late 1830s, but was not played in gaming houses until the 1890s, eventually spreading throughout America by the 1910s, when it was described as "the gambling game of [the country]" in Foster's Complete Hoyle (1914). The central game Pass gradually has been supplemented over the decades by many companion games and wagers which can be played simultaneously with Pass; these are now collectively known as craps. The craps numbers of 2, 3, and 12 are similarly derived from Hazard. If

1872-623: A single six-sided die yields a uniform distribution, where each number from 1 to 6 has an equal chance of appearing. However, when rolling two dice and summing the results, the probability distribution shifts, as some sums (like 7) become more likely than others (like 2 or 12). These distributions can model real-world scenarios or mathematical constructs, making dice a practical tool for teaching and exploring concepts in probability theory. Common dice are small cubes , most often 1.6 cm (0.63 in) across, whose faces are numbered from one to six, usually by patterns of round dots called pips . (While

1976-454: A specific side facing upwards more often or less often than a fair die would. There are several methods for making loaded dice, including rounded faces, off-square faces, and weights. Casinos and gambling halls frequently use transparent cellulose acetate dice, as tampering is easier to detect than with opaque dice. Various shapes such as two-sided or four-sided dice are documented in archaeological findings; for example, from Ancient Egypt and

2080-405: A sphere with an octahedral cavity and a small internal weight will settle with one of the 6 points of the cavity held downwards by the weight. Many board games use dice to randomize how far pieces move or to settle conflicts. Typically, this has meant that rolling higher numbers is better. Some games, such as Axis & Allies , have inverted this system by making the lower values more potent. In

2184-403: A variety of probability distributions . For instance, 10-sided dice can be rolled in pairs to produce a uniform distribution of random percentages, and summing the values of multiple dice will produce approximations to normal distributions . Unlike other common dice, a four-sided (tetrahedral) die does not have a side that faces upward when it is at rest on a surface, so it must be read in

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2288-475: Is craps , where two dice are thrown simultaneously and wagers are made on the total value of the two dice. Dice are frequently used to introduce randomness into board games , where they are often used to decide the distance through which a piece will move along the board (as in backgammon and Monopoly ). Thrown or simulated dice are sometimes used to generate specific probability distributions, which are fundamental to probability theory . For example, rolling

2392-401: Is "3-4-5X Odds", where the maximum allowed odds bet depends on the point: three times if the point is 4 or 10; four times on points of 5 or 9; or five times on points of 6 or 8. This rule simplifies the calculation of winnings: a maximum Pass odds bet on a 3–4–5× table will always be paid at six times the Pass line bet regardless of the point. As odds bets are paid at true odds, in contrast with

2496-447: Is almost the opposite of the Pass line bet. Like the Pass bet, this bet must be at least the table minimum and at most the table maximum. The Don't Pass bet pays even money. The Don't Pass bet is a no-contract bet. After a point is established, a player may take down or reduce a Don't Pass bet and any corresponding odds at any time because odds of rolling a 7 before the point is in the player's favor. Once taken down or reduced, however,

2600-501: Is based on the maximum allowed win from a single roll. In all the above scenarios, whenever the Pass line wins, the Don't Pass line loses, and vice versa , with one exception: on the come-out roll, a roll of 12 will cause Pass Line bets to lose, but Don't Pass bets are pushed (or "barred"), neither winning nor losing; this is done to establish a house edge for Don't Pass bets. (The same applies to "Come" and "Don't Come" bets, discussed below.) A player wishing to play craps without being

2704-601: Is borrowed from Old French . The origin of the French word is unclear, but probably derives from Spanish azar ("an unfortunate card or dice roll"), with the final -d by analogy with the common French suffix -ard . The Spanish word has been supposed in turn to come from Arabic , either from the name of a castle in Palestine, or from the word az-zahr (الزهر) meaning "dice". However, early evidence for this word in Arabic

2808-492: Is called "left-handed". Western dice are normally right-handed, and Chinese dice are normally left-handed. The pips on standard six-sided dice are arranged in specific patterns as shown. Asian style dice bear similar patterns to Western ones, but the pips are closer to the center of the face; in addition, the pips are differently sized on Asian style dice, and the pips are colored red on the 1 and 4 sides. Red fours may be of Indian origin. Non-precision dice are manufactured via

2912-714: Is frequently used. Astrological dice are a specialized set of three 12-sided dice for divination; the first die represents the planets, the Sun, the Moon, and the nodes of the Moon, the second die represents the 12 zodiac signs , and the third represents the 12 houses . A specialized icosahedron die provides the answers of the Magic 8 Ball , conventionally used to provide answers to yes-or-no questions. Dice can be used to generate random numbers for use in passwords and cryptography applications. The Electronic Frontier Foundation describes

3016-562: Is lacking, as it is absent from Classical Arabic dictionaries, making the etymology doubtful (although any other source is unknown). Another possibility is Arabic yasara ("he played at dice"). According to William of Tyre , the game was invented by Crusaders during the siege of Hazart ( Azaz ), but this origin has been called into question. The game was popular in 17th century England, as described by Charles Cotton in The Compleat Gamester (1674): "Certainly Hazzard

3120-429: Is no correlation between die rolls, there is normally no possible long-term winning strategy in craps. There are occasional promotional variants that provide either no house edge or even a player edge. One example is a field bet that pays 3:1 on 12 and 2:1 on either 3 or 11. Overall, given the 5:4 true odds of this bet, and the weighted average paid odds of approximately 7:5, the player has a 5% advantage on this bet. This

3224-476: Is required to make either a Pass line bet or a Don't Pass bet if he wants to shoot. On the come out roll each player may only make one bet on the Pass or Don't Pass, but may bet both if desired. The Pass Line and Don't Pass bet is optional for any player not shooting. In rare cases, some casinos require all players to make a minimum Pass Line or Don't Pass bet (if they want to make any other bet), whether they are currently shooting or not. The fundamental bet in craps

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3328-459: Is similar to backgammon and dates to the Heian period (794–1185 CE), while e-sugoroku is a racing game . Dice are thrown onto a surface either from the hand or from a container designed for this (such as a cup, tray, or tower ). The face (or corner, in cases such as tetrahedral dice, or edge, for odd-numbered long dice ) of the die that is uppermost when it comes to rest provides the value of

3432-441: Is sometimes seen at casinos running limited-time incentives, in jurisdictions or gaming houses that require the game to be fair, or in layouts for use in informal settings using play money. No casino currently runs a craps table with a bet that yields a player edge full-time. Maximizing the size of the odds bet in relation to the line bet will reduce, but never eliminate the house edge, and will increase variance . Most casinos have

3536-437: Is the 10-sided die, a pentagonal trapezohedron die, whose faces are ten kites , each with two different edge lengths, three different angles, and two different kinds of vertices. Such sets frequently include a second 10-sided die either of contrasting color or numbered by tens, allowing the pair of 10-sided dice to be combined to generate numbers between 1 and 100. Using these dice in various ways, games can closely approximate

3640-442: Is the Pass line bet, which is a bet for the shooter to win. This bet must be at least the table minimum and at most the table maximum. The Pass line bet pays even money. The Pass line bet is a contract bet. Once a Pass line bet is made, it is always working and cannot be turned "Off", taken down, or reduced until a decision is reached – the point is made, or the shooter sevens out. A player may increase any corresponding odds (up to

3744-472: Is the casino's table bank: as many as two thousand casino chips in stacks of 20. The opposite long side is usually a long mirror. The U-shaped ends of the table have duplicate layouts and standing room for approximately eight players. In the center of the layout is an additional group of side bets which are used by players from both ends. The vertical walls at each end are usually covered with a rubberized target surface covered with small pyramid shapes to randomize

3848-595: Is the most bewitching Game that is plaid on the Dice; for when a man begins to play he knows not when to leave off; and having once accustom'd himself to play at Hazzard he hardly ever after minds anything else." By that time, the game had already been brought to the Colony of Virginia , as a law barring ministers from playing dice was passed in 1624. The rules including relative odds for side wagers were largely complete by 1790, as published in Hoyle's Games, Improved . It

3952-408: Is the shooter's first toss can be referred to as a come-out roll. Any player can make a bet on Pass or Don't Pass as long as a point has not been established, or Come or Don't Come as long as a point is established. All other bets, including an increase in odds behind the Pass and Don't Pass lines, may be made at any time. All bets other than Pass line and Come may be removed or reduced any time before

4056-459: Is then polished via a tumble finishing process similar to rock polishing . The abrasive agent scrapes off all of the paint except for the indents of the numbering. A finer abrasive is then used to polish the die. This process also produces the smoother, rounded edges on the dice. Precision casino dice may have a polished or sand finish, making them transparent or translucent respectively. Casino dice have their pips drilled, then filled flush with

4160-414: Is uncertain. It is hypothesized that dice developed from the practice of fortune-telling with the talus of hoofed animals, colloquially known as knucklebones . The Ancient Egyptian game of senet (played before 3000  BCE and up to the 2nd century CE) was played with flat two-sided throwsticks which indicated the number of squares a player could move, and thus functioned as a form of dice. Perhaps

4264-529: The ancient Indian Rigveda , Atharvaveda , Mahabharata and Buddhist games list . There are several biblical references to "casting lots" ( Hebrew : יפילו גורל yappîlū ḡōrāl ), as in Psalm 22 , indicating that dicing (or a related activity) was commonplace when the psalm was composed. Knucklebones was a game of skill played in ancient Greece ; a derivative form had the four sides of bones receive different values like modern dice. Although gambling

Craps - Misplaced Pages Continue

4368-413: The "Pass" or the "Don't Pass" line or both. "Pass" and "Don't Pass" are sometimes called "Win" and "Lose", "Do" and "Don't", or "Right" and "Wrong". The game is played in rounds and these "Pass" and "Don't Pass" bets are betting on the outcome of a single round. The shooter is presented with multiple dice (typically five) by the "stickman", and must choose two for the round. The remaining dice are returned to

4472-439: The "hard ways". Hard way rolls are so named because there is only one way to roll them (i.e., the value on each die is the same when the number is rolled). Consequently, it is more likely to roll the number in combinations (easy) rather than as a double (hard). The probability of dice combinations determine the odds of the payout. There are a total of 36 (6 × 6) possible combinations when rolling two dice. The following chart shows

4576-429: The 2, 3, 11, or 12; the only numbers which affect the round are the established point, any specific bet on a number, or any 7. Any single roll bet is always affected (win or lose) by the outcome of any roll. While the come-out roll may specifically refer to the first roll of a new shooter, any roll where no point is established may be referred to as a come-out. By this definition the start of any new round regardless if it

4680-524: The 2nd century BCE. Dominoes and playing cards originated in China as developments from dice. The transition from dice to playing cards occurred in China around the Tang dynasty (618–907 CE), and coincides with the technological transition from rolls of manuscripts to block printed books. In Japan, dice were used to play a popular game called sugoroku . There are two types of sugoroku. Ban-sugoroku

4784-400: The 3 and 12 win a Don't Pass bet. Shooters may keep rolling after crapping out; the dice are only required to be passed if a shooter sevens out (rolls a seven after a point has been established). A come-out roll of 7 or 11 is a " natural "; the Pass line wins and Don't Pass loses. The other possible numbers are the point numbers: 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, and 10. If the shooter rolls one of these numbers on

4888-424: The Don't Pass bet may not be restored or increased. Because the shooter must have a line bet the shooter generally may not reduce a Don't Pass bet below the table minimum. In Las Vegas , a majority of casinos will allow the shooter to move the bet to the Pass line in lieu of taking it down; however, in other areas such as Pennsylvania and Atlantic City , this is not allowed. Even though players are allowed to remove

4992-435: The Don't Pass line bet after a point has been established, the bet cannot be turned "Off" without being removed. If a player chooses to remove the Don't Pass line bet, he or she can no longer lay odds behind the Don't Pass line. The player can, however, still make standard lay bets on any of the point numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10). There are two different ways to calculate the odds and house edge of this bet. The table below gives

5096-571: The Middle East. While the cubical six-sided die became the most common type in many parts of the world, other shapes were always known, like 20-sided dice in Ptolemaic and Roman times. The modern tradition of using sets of polyhedral dice started around the end of the 1960s when non-cubical dice became popular among players of wargames , and since have been employed extensively in role-playing games and trading card games . Dice using both

5200-405: The Pass line odds bet can be turned "Off" (not working), removed or reduced anytime before it loses. In Las Vegas, generally odds bets are required to be the table minimum. In Atlantic City and Pennsylvania, the combine odds and Pass bet must be table minimum so players can bet the minimum single unit on odds depending on the point. If the point is a 4 or 10, players can bet as little as $ 1 on odds if

5304-407: The Pass line which is always even money, taking odds on a minimum Pass line bet lessens the house advantage compared with betting the same total amount on the Pass line only. A maximum odds bet on a minimum Pass line bet often gives the lowest house edge available in any game in the casino. However, the odds bet cannot be made independently, so the house retains an edge on the Pass line bet itself. If

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5408-401: The back wall. Both dice must be tossed in one throw. If only one die is thrown the shot is invalid. A come-out roll of 2, 3, or 12 is called "craps" or "crapping out", and anyone betting the Pass line loses. On the other hand, anyone betting the Don't Pass line on come out wins with a roll of 2 or 3 and ties (pushes) if a 12 is rolled; in some rules, the 2 pushes instead of the 12, in which case

5512-401: The bet loses. This is known as "taking it down" in craps. The maximum bet for Place, Buy, Lay, Pass, and Come bets are generally equal to table maximum. Lay bet maximum are equal to the table maximum win, so players wishing to lay the 4 or 10 may bet twice at amount of the table maximum for the win to be table maximum. Odds behind Pass, Come, Don't Pass, and Don't Come may be however larger than

5616-418: The center area, a single set of major bets is presented, split by the center bets. Responsibility of the dealers is adjusted: while the stickman continues to handle the center bets, it is the base dealer who handles all other bets (as well as cash and chip exchanges). By contrast, in "street craps", there is no marked table and often the game is played with no back-stop against which the dice are to hit. Despite

5720-416: The chance will come before the main. These bets are made at odds determined by the relative proportions of the main and the chance. For example, there are six possible rolls (out of 36 total combinations with two dice) that add up to 7: 1-6, 2-5, 3-4, 4-3, 5-2, and 6-1; in comparison, there are only four possible rolls that add up to 5: 1-4, 2-3, 3-2, and 4-1. The relative proportion of the probabilities with

5824-412: The chips at a table); two base dealers who stand to either side of the boxman and collect and pay bets to players around their half of the table; and a stickman who stands directly across the table from the boxman, takes and pays (or directs the base dealers to do so) the bets in the center of the table, announces the results of each roll (usually with a distinctive patter), and moves the dice across

5928-498: The choice with the lowest disadvantage for the shooter. However, more recent research indicates that de Marigny played an unmodified version of Hazard, which had been played in America since at least the 1600s. Instead, John Scarne credits anonymous Black American inventors with simplifying and streamlining Hazard, increasing the pace of the game and adding a variety of wagers. Regardless of who deserves credit for simplifying Hazard,

6032-412: The come-out roll) before rolling a seven, the Pass line wins and a new round starts. If the shooter rolls any seven before repeating the point number (a "seven-out"), the Pass line loses, the Don't Pass line wins, and the dice pass clockwise to the next new shooter for the next round. Once a point has been established, any multi-roll bet (including Pass and/or Don't Pass line bets and odds) are unaffected by

6136-410: The come-out roll, this establishes the "point" – to "pass" or "win", the point number must be rolled again before a seven. The dealer flips a button to the "On" side and moves it to the point number signifying the second phase of the round. If the shooter "hits" the point value again (any value of the dice that sum to the point will do; the shooter does not have to exactly repeat the exact combination of

6240-399: The dice combinations needed to roll each number. The two and twelve are the hardest to roll since only one combination of dice is possible. The game of craps is built around the dice roll of seven, since it is the most easily rolled dice combination. Viewed another way: The expected value of all bets is usually negative, such that the average player will always lose money. This is because

6344-400: The dice cup and stop forceful rolls from damaging the playing surface. The word die comes from Old French dé ; from Latin datum "something which is given or played". While the terms ace , deuce , trey , cater , cinque and sice are generally obsolete, with the names of the numbers preferred, they are still used by some professional gamblers to designate different sides of

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6448-440: The dice which strike them. The top edges of the table walls have one or two horizontal grooves in which players may store their reserve chips. The table is run by up to four casino employees: a boxman seated (usually the only seated employee) behind the casino's bank, who manages the chips, supervises the dealers, and handles "coloring up" players (exchanging small chip denominations for larger denominations in order to preserve

6552-526: The dice. Ace is from the Latin as , meaning "a unit"; the others are 2 to 6 in Old French . When rolling two dice, certain combinations have slang names. The term snake eyes is a roll of one pip on each die. The Online Etymology Dictionary traces use of the term as far back as 1919. The US term boxcars , also known as midnight , is a roll of six pips on each die. The pair of six pips resembles

6656-499: The game fair and reduce the chance of loaded dice . There are many local variants of the calls made by the stickman for rolls during a craps game. These frequently incorporate a reminder to the dealers as to which bets to pay or collect. Rolls of 4, 6, 8, and 10 are called "hard" or "easy" (e.g. "six the hard way", "easy eight", "hard ten") depending on whether they were rolled as a "double" or as any other combination of values, because of their significance in center table bets known as

6760-599: The game initially was called Pass from the French word pas (meaning "pace" or "step"), and was popularized by the underclass starting in the early 19th century. Field hands taught their friends and deckhands, who carried the new game up the Mississippi River and its tributaries, although the game was never popular amongst the riverboat gamblers. De Marigny gave the name Rue de Craps to a street in his new subdivision in New Orleans; in that city, craps experienced

6864-419: The house always sets the paid odds to below the actual odds. The only exception is the "odds" bet that the player is allowed to make after a point is established on a pass/come Don't Pass/Don't Come bet (the odds portion of the bet has a long-term expected value of 0). However, this "free odds" bet cannot be made independently, so the expected value of the entire bet, including odds, is still negative. Since there

6968-801: The infinite set of prisms . All the rectangular faces are mutually face-transitive, so they are equally probable. The two ends of the prism may be rounded or capped with a pyramid, designed so that the die cannot rest on those faces. 4-sided long dice are easier to roll than tetrahedra and are used in the traditional board games dayakattai and daldøs . The faces of most dice are labelled using sequences of whole numbers, usually starting at one, expressed with either pips or digits. However, there are some applications that require results other than numbers. Examples include letters for Boggle , directions for Warhammer Fantasy Battle , Fudge dice , playing card symbols for poker dice , and instructions for sexual acts using sex dice . Dice may have numbers that do not form

7072-500: The layout with an elongated wooden stick. Each employee also watches for mistakes by the others because of the sometimes large number of bets and frantic pace of the game. In smaller casinos or at quiet times of day, one or more of these employees may be missing, and have their job covered by another, or cause player capacity to be reduced. Some smaller casinos have introduced "mini-craps" tables which are operated with only two dealers; rather than being two essentially identical sides and

7176-489: The main is seven, then the two-dice sum of twelve is added to the crabs as a losing number on the first dice roll. This condition is retained in the simplified game called Pass. All three losing numbers (2, 3, and 12) on the first roll of Pass are jointly called the craps numbers. For a century after its invention, casinos used unfair dice. In approximately 1907, a dicemaker named John H. Winn in Philadelphia introduced

7280-475: The modern age, a few games and game designers have approached dice in a different way by making each side of the die similarly valuable. In Castles of Burgundy , players spend their dice to take actions based on the die's value. In this game, a six is not better than a one, or vice versa. In Quarriors (and its descendant, Dice Masters ), different sides of the dice can offer completely different abilities. Several sides often give resources while others grant

7384-410: The modern terms: Dice A die ( sg. : die or dice ; pl. : dice ) is a small, throwable object with marked sides that can rest in multiple positions. Dice are used for generating random values , commonly as part of tabletop games , including dice games , board games , role-playing games , and games of chance . A traditional die is a cube with each of its six faces marked with

7488-481: The name "street craps", this game is often played in houses, usually on an un-carpeted garage or kitchen floor. The wagers are made in cash, never in chips, and are usually thrown down onto the ground or floor by the players. There are no attendants, and so the progress of the game, fairness of the throws, and the way that the payouts are made for winning bets are self-policed by the players. Each casino may set which bets are offered and different payouts for them, though

7592-403: The new caster. Bets are between the caster and the bank (the setter ), which may be the remaining players acting as a group. If the caster nicks on the first throw, they win an amount equal to their stake. After the first throw, the caster wins their stake if they get their chance before their main. After the first throw, the caster (and others, via side bets) may wager an additional sum that

7696-516: The number of faces. (This is not possible with 4-sided dice and dice with an odd number of faces.) Some dice, such as those with 10 sides, are usually numbered sequentially beginning with 0, in which case the opposite faces will add to one less than the number of faces. Some twenty-sided dice have a different arrangement used for the purpose of keeping track of an integer that counts down, such as health points. These spindown dice are arranged such that adjacent integers appear on adjacent faces, allowing

7800-401: The numbers considering that the game ends in a push when a 12 is rolled, rather than being undetermined. Betting on Don't Pass is often called "playing the dark side", and it is considered by some players to be in poor taste, or even taboo, because it goes directly against conventional play, winning when most of the players lose. If a 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10 is thrown on the come-out roll (i.e., if

7904-515: The numerals 6 and 9, which are reciprocally symmetric through rotation, typically distinguish them with a dot or underline. Dice are often sold in sets, matching in color, of six different shapes. Five of the dice are shaped like the Platonic solids , whose faces are regular polygons . Aside from the cube, the other four Platonic solids have 4, 8, 12, and 20 faces, allowing for those number ranges to be generated. The only other common non-cubical die

8008-439: The odds can be removed or reduced. Unlike the Don't Pass bet itself, the Don't Pass odds can be turned "Off" (not working). In Las Vegas generally odds bets are required to be the table minimum. In Atlantic City and Pennsylvania, the combine lay odds and Don't Pass bet must be table minimum so players may bet as little as the minimum two units on odds depending on the point. If the point is a 4 or 10 players can bet as little as $ 2 if

8112-414: The odds offered allows and can be greater than the table maximum in some casinos. Don't odds are capped on the maximum allowed win some casino allow the odds bet itself to be larger than the maximum bet allowed as long as the win is capped at maximum odds. Single rolls bets can be lower than the table minimum, but the maximum bet allowed is also lower than the table maximum. The maximum allowed single roll bet

8216-609: The oldest known dice were excavated as part of a backgammon -like game set at the Burnt City , an archeological site in south-eastern Iran , estimated to be from between 2800 and 2500 BCE. Bone dice from Skara Brae , Scotland have been dated to 3100–2400 BCE. Excavations from graves at Mohenjo-daro , an Indus Valley civilization settlement, unearthed terracotta dice dating to 2500–1900 BCE, including at least one die whose opposite sides all add up to seven, as in modern dice. Games involving dice are mentioned in

8320-411: The outcome of events. Games typically determine results either as a total on one or more dice above or below a fixed number, or a certain number of rolls above a certain number on one or more dice. Due to circumstances or character skill, the initial roll may have a number added to or subtracted from the final result, or have the player roll extra or fewer dice. To keep track of rolls easily, dice notation

8424-411: The plastic injection molding process, often made of polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) . The pips or numbers on the die are a part of the mold. Different pigments can be added to the dice to make them opaque or transparent, or multiple pigments may be added to make the dice speckled or marbled. The coloring for numbering is achieved by submerging the die entirely in paint, which is allowed to dry. The die

8528-482: The player useful actions. Dice can be used for divination and using dice for such a purpose is called cleromancy . A pair of common dice is usual, though other forms of polyhedra can be used. Tibetan Buddhists sometimes use this method of divination . It is highly likely that the Pythagoreans used the Platonic solids as dice. They referred to such dice as "the dice of the gods" and they sought to understand

8632-474: The player will be betting in large betting units. Since several of the multiple roll bets pay off in ratios of fractions on the dollar, it is important that the player bets in multiples that will allow a correct payoff in complete dollars. Normally, payoffs will be rounded down to the nearest dollar, resulting in a higher house advantage. These bets include all place bets, taking odds, and buying on numbers 6, 8, 5, and 9, as well as laying all numbers. The shooter

8736-620: The players and the dealers stand around a large rectangular craps table. Sitting is discouraged by most casinos unless a player has medical reasons for requiring a seat. The basic flow of a single game is: Players use casino chips rather than cash to bet on the Craps "layout", a fabric surface which displays the various bets. The bets vary somewhat among casinos in availability, locations, and payouts. The tables roughly resemble bathtubs and come in various sizes. In some locations, chips may be called checks, tokens, or plaques. Against one long side

8840-407: The rest of the world. Any number may play, but only one player – the caster  – has the dice at any one time. In each round, the caster specifies a number between 5 and 9 inclusive: this is the main . They then throw two dice. The caster keeps their role until losing three times in succession. After the third loss, they must pass the dice to the left, that player becoming

8944-420: The returning Bernard Xavier Philippe de Marigny de Mandeville , the young gambler and scion of a family of wealthy landowners in colonial Louisiana . Hazard allows the dice shooter to choose any number from five to nine as their "main" number; in a pamphlet published in 1933, Edward Tinker claimed that de Marigny simplified the game by making the main always seven, which is the mathematically optimal choice, i.e.,

9048-414: The roll. When an amount is added, the notation is n d s + c or n D s + c ; for example, 3d6+4 instructs the player to roll three six-sided dice, calculate the total, and add four to it. When an amount is to be subtracted, the notation is n d s - c or n D s - c; so 3d6-4 instructs the player to subtract four from the result of rolling 3d6 . If the result of a modified dice roll is negative, it

9152-428: The rules of the game, the main is determined randomly by tossing the dice until a valid main appears. In this case, the overall player disadvantage is 1.84%. If the caster can choose a main , they should always choose 7 (resulting in the lowest disadvantage, with 1.41%). This is the origin of a similar dice game, craps , since if 7 is always chosen, the game is played under the rules of craps. The name "hazard"

9256-434: The shooter roll with one hand and that the dice bounce off the far wall surrounding the table. These requirements are meant to keep the game fair (preventing switching the dice or making a "controlled shot"). If a die leaves the table, the shooter will usually be asked to select another die from the remaining three but can request permission to use the same die if it passes the boxman's inspection. This requirement exists to keep

9360-431: The shooter should approach the craps table and first check to see if the dealer's "On" button is on any of the point numbers. In either case, all single or multi-roll proposition bets may be placed in either of the two rounds. Between dice rolls there is a period for dealers to make payouts and collect losing bets, after which players can place new bets. The stickman monitors the action at a table and decides when to give

9464-434: The shooter the dice, after which no more betting is allowed. When joining the game, one should place money on the table rather than passing it directly to a dealer. The dealer's exaggerated movements during the process of "making change" or "change only" (converting currency to an equivalent in casino cheques) are required so that any disputes can be later reviewed against security camera footage. The dealers will insist that

9568-440: The stickman's bowl and are not used. Each round has two phases: "come-out" and "point". Dice are passed to the left. To start a round, the shooter makes one or more "come-out" rolls. The shooter must shoot toward the farther back wall and is generally required to hit the farther back wall with both dice. Casinos may allow a few warnings before enforcing the dice to hit the back wall and are generally lenient if at least one die hits

9672-437: The table limit) behind the Pass line at any time after a point is established. Players may only bet the Pass line on the come out roll when no point has been established, unless the casino allows put betting where the player can bet Pass line or increase an existing Pass line bet whenever desired and may take odds immediately if the point is already on. A Don't Pass bet is a bet for the shooter to lose ("seven out, line away") and

9776-444: The table minimum is low such as $ 5, $ 10 or $ 15 tables. If the player requests the Don't Pass odds to be not working ("Off") and the shooter hits the point or sevens-out, the Don't Pass bet will be lost or doubled and the Don't Pass odds returned. Unlike a standard lay bet on a point, lay odds behind the Don't Pass line does not charge commission (vig). Hazard (game) Hazard is an early English game played with two dice ; it

9880-455: The table minimum is low such as is $ 5, $ 10 or $ 15. If the player requests the Pass odds be not working ("Off") and the shooter sevens-out or hits the point, the Pass line bet will be lost or doubled and the Pass odds returned. Individual casinos (and sometimes tables within a casino) vary greatly in the maximum odds they offer, from single or double odds (one or two times the Pass line bet) up to 100x or even unlimited odds. A variation often seen

9984-400: The table. If a player lays maximum odds with a point of 4 or 10 on a table offering five-times odds, he would be able to lay a maximum of ten times the amount of his Don't Pass bet. At 5x odds table, the maximum amount the combined bet can win will always be 6x the amount of the Don't Pass bet. Players can bet table minimum odds if desired and win less than table minimum. Like the Don't Pass bet

10088-398: The throw. The result of a die roll is determined by the way it is thrown, according to the laws of classical mechanics (although luck is often credited for the results of a roll). A die roll is made random by uncertainty in minor factors such as tiny movements in the thrower's hand; they are thus a crude form of hardware random number generator . One typical contemporary dice game

10192-481: The universe through an understanding of geometry in polyhedra. Polyhedral dice are commonly used in role-playing games. The fantasy role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) is largely credited with popularizing dice in such games. Some games use only one type, like Exalted which uses only ten-sided dice. Others use numerous types for different game purposes, such as D&D, which makes use of all common polyhedral dice. Dice are usually used to determine

10296-399: The use of Arabic numerals is occasionally seen, such dice are less common.) Opposite sides of a modern die traditionally add up to seven, requiring the 1, 2, and 3 faces to share a vertex . The faces of a die may be placed clockwise or counterclockwise about this vertex. If the 1, 2, and 3 faces run counterclockwise, the die is called "right-handed". If those faces run clockwise, the die

10400-603: The user to easily find the next lower number. They are commonly used with collectible card games . "Uniform fair dice" are dice where all faces have an equal probability of outcome due to the symmetry of the die as it is face-transitive . In addition to the Platonic solids, these theoretically include: Two other types of polyhedra are technically not face-transitive but are still fair dice due to symmetry: Long dice and teetotums can, in principle, be made with any number of faces, including odd numbers. Long dice are based on

10504-606: Was brought to France some time before 1792, when it was described in the Encyclopédie Méthodique as Krabs , after the English term crabs, referring to the roll combination of 2 or 3. This was corrupted to craps by 1818, as it was named in Bibliothèque Historique , although the rules of that game described at that time were identical to those of Hazard. From the game of Hazard came

10608-403: Was illegal, many Romans were passionate gamblers who enjoyed dicing, which was known as aleam ludere ("to play at dice"). There were two sizes of Roman dice. Tali were large dice inscribed with one, three, four, and six on four sides. Tesserae were smaller dice with sides numbered from one to six. Twenty-sided dice date back to the 2nd century CE and from Ptolemaic Egypt as early as

10712-622: Was mentioned in Geoffrey Chaucer 's Canterbury Tales in the 14th century. Despite its complicated rules, hazard was very popular in the 17th and 18th centuries and was often played for money. At Crockford's Club in London, hazard was especially popular. In the 19th century, the game craps developed from hazard through a simplification of the rules. Craps is now popular in North America but neither game remains popular within

10816-455: Was the epithet for the sum combinations of two and three for two rolled dice, which in Hazard are instant-losing numbers for the first dice roll, regardless of the shooter's selected main number. The name craps is derived from the corruption of this term crabs (or Krabs) to creps and then craps. According to some accounts, Hazard was brought from London to New Orleans in approximately 1805 by

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