How To Shoot Dice – Beginners Guide To Shooting Dice


by James Smith |
Date of Publishing: 13/07/2021


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If you are going to play craps, it is good to learn how to shoot dice. This is not necessary to learn and you always have the option to pass when you are offered the role of shooting dice but it brings more excitement to the game if you know how to do it. The shooter in craps is the person who decides whether players win or lose and plays a significant role in the game.

It can be daunting at first trying to learn how to shoot dice, but there is no need to fret as we have all the information you need right here in an easy to understand format. Carry on reading to find out more about how to shoot dice in a game of craps today!

Know the Rules of Shooting Dice

Shooting dice is a game of craps, also known as street craps. This is a more simplified game and a great option for both new and expert players. The first thing that you need to know when shooting dice is the basic rules of playing, the rules of point, and the lingo used. Once you have mastered these, you can then move on to playing the game.

Shooting Dice Lingo

An essential aspect of learning how to shoot dice that many players forget about is learning the associated lingo with the game. This will make your gaming experience much more enjoyable as you will understand the game better, rather than having to get the lingo clarified each time.

  • Shooter – this is the player who ‘shoots’ or rolls the dice, and this changes for each game played
  • Come out – the first roll of the dice
  • Pass – on the first roll, a 7 or 11 lands
  • Craps – on the first roll, a 2, 3 or 12 lands
  • Point – this is any number from 4 to 10 that is not a pass or craps
  • Seven out – landing a 7 on the dice before rolling the point

The Basics of Shooting Dice

There are two dice used in a game of street craps, and each player will roll the dice to decide who will be the shooter. Players can then place a bet on whether the dice roller will pass or crap out. To pass, the dice must land on a 7 or 11, but if it lands on 2, 3 or 12, it is a crap out. Land on this, and the game ends with the bets distributed.

If you are the person chosen to shoot the dice, you will be the first to place a bet. The other players in the game must then place their bet. This bet has to, at the very least, match the bet placed by the dice shooter. If they do not match this bet, the odds may be handicapped or the shooter may even decide to lower their bet. Once the bet matches have been placed, side bets can be introduced.

Rules of the Point

After the first roll, it will either be a pass, crap, or the number rolled will be the point. If it becomes the point, then this becomes the new focus of the game. The shooter will continue to roll the dice, and this ends when they either hit the number 7 or the point number that landed. As soon as this happens, the game ends and players are awarded their bets.

If a player placed a bet that the shooter would pass, these bets transform and become a bet on the shooter rolling the point number before they roll a 7. All other bets transform into a bet that a 7 will be the first number rolled.

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The Difference Between Street Craps and Casino Craps

There is a difference between learning how to play street craps vs how to play casino craps, even though both games are very similar and the rules are virtually the same. The biggest difference that you will instantly notice between these two games is that in a game of casino craps you will be playing on a proper casino table and can enjoy the luxuries that this brings such as great drinks and someone controlling the money on the game. When you are playing street craps, it is far less formal, which makes it a much more exciting game for some players. You can expect to play the street version against a brick wall and it is much more important to keep an eye on the game as there is no one there to regulate this officially.

Playing the Game

Now that you are familiar with the rules of how to shoot dice and the lingo used in the game, you are ready to get started playing!

1. Ante Up

The first step of shooting dice is anteing up which is done before any bets or placed, or the shooter is decided. Here, a predetermined value is placed into the pot and this will make you eligible to be the shooter.

2. Decide the Shooter

Players who are eligible will then roll the dice to decide who will be the game’s shooter and this is usually the player who rolls the highest number of shoots. This is not always the case and there are games with different rules. It is always a predetermined method of choosing the shooter so you will know before you get started playing.

3.Place Your Bet

The next step is to place your bet, which the shooter does first. The two options are to either place a bet on pass or a bet on craps. The other players can then bet against you with a matched bet or more, and there is the opportunity to place side bets if other players want to bet higher.

4.First Come Out Roll

The first roll is the come out, and as we previously mentioned, if a pass or craps lands, then the game ends and bets are distributed. If neither of these lands, then it goes to the point and the bets change.

Decide Your Strategy

If you want to become a great craps player, then you will need to implement the right strategy. There are a few different strategies for players to choose from, including considering statistics, rolling the dice correctly as the shooter and betting big when you are the shooter.

  1. Consider statistics – a popular strategy used by players is to consider the statistics of the game and the probability of rolling specific numbers with the two dice. Each number has a different probability of being rolled, so it makes sense to place bets on the highest probability numbers. For example, there is a 17% chance that a 7 will be rolled as there are different ways that this number can be formed, giving it the highest probability of being rolled. The numbers with the lowest chance of being rolled are 2 and 12 as you can only roll these numbers in one way.
  2. Rolling the dice – when you roll the dice as the shooter, the correct strategy is to do so with the number 3 facing upwards as this is the set position for the game and lets other players know that you are not going to play unfairly.
  3. Placing big bets as the shooter – if you want to implement a winning strategy, do not just enter the game and place big bets from the get-go. Wait until it is your turn to be the shooter to place your biggest bets, which will then be the benchmark for the rest of the players. This is a good strategy as you can then bet for a pass, and the probability for this is higher, while the rest of the players have to take the lower probability craps bet.

Other Dice Variations

As part of learning how to shoot dice, it is also important to try and learn about other dice game variations too. There are lots of exciting dice games available to play, and you can usually pick up the rules quite easy to get started.

  • Cee-Lo – this is a popular dice game that can also be referred to as lo dice. Three dice are awarded to every player in a cup, and after a betting round, the dice are rolled. The goal of this dice game is to try and get the highest score, and the scoring system is similar to that of poker with a royal flush as the top score, then triples and pair and a spare. If it’s a tie, the dice is thrown again.
  • Drinking dice – this game can be referred to as Mexican dice and, as the name suggests, is a dice game combined with a drinking game. Two dice in one cup are used in this game and the players have to try and guess the value of the dice. The first player who rolls the dice will be able to see the value and can either choose to say aloud the correct value or bluff other players with the wrong value. The drinking element comes in where losing players have to take a drink.
  • Roll bones – this is a more complex dice game that expert gamblers will enjoy. This game involves rolling dice and collecting points, with the aim of the game to try and collect as many points as possible over the series of rounds.

Conclusion

While dice games are not as popular as card and table casino games such as blackjack, roulette and poker, they are still enjoyed by millions of players around the world and have a rich history. Craps is a fantastic game, and once players know the rules and have a strategy in place, there is not only lots of fun to be had, but you can also potentially take home big cash prizes. Players can enjoy craps online if they don’t want to play street craps or are nervous about trying it out at a land-based casino. Online craps games are exciting to play and you can enjoy them from the comfort of your own home.

Here at Fruity King, we offer a range of exciting online craps and casino games for you to play today, so don’t miss out and join now!

About the Author

Author: James Smith.

James Smith has been writing about casino games and strategies for over a decade. He is an expert in the industry and loves to help people get started with online gambling. In his free time, James enjoys reading books by other successful authors, cycling around town, or playing poker.