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Craps Glossary (How Craps Works & How to Play)

ACTION  1. The activity during a game of craps.  2. Term that indicates a wager is involved in the craps game. A craps bet that has "action" is "ON," meaning it can be affected by the next roll of the dice during the craps game.

BANK CRAPS (also called LAS VEGAS CRAPS)  The variant of "Craps" most played in Nevada casinos. A special table and craps layout are used, and all bets are made against the house. A bettor signifies a bet by placing "chips," "checks," or cash, on the appropriate part of the craps layout before any roll. It is invariably required that the dice be thrown to strike a wall of the craps table and bounce back.

BAR  This term is inscribed on the craps layout to signify that a possibility (or way) is disqualified from winning the SUBGAME-CRAPS contest "FOR" the "craps numbers" side of the contest on that table. The term is also being used as the title of a craps game technique that protects casino owners. The casinos only need a one-possibility "craps" advantage to affect this technique, thus, either #2 or #12 can be used since each has only one possibility to roll. When the specified craps "BAR" number appears during any SUBGAME-CRAPS contest, all SUBGAME-CRAPS wagers "FOR" the group of craps numbers 2, 3 & 12 are DISQUALIFIED. This means that, when the craps "BAR" number appears, any wager "FOR" the #2, #3 & #12 side of the contest culminates as a "PUSH" (tie) in which neither the bettor nor the casino win or lose. For example, tables that "BAR" craps #12 from the "craps numbers" side of the SUBGAME-CRAPS contest can only WIN if #2 or #3 roll.

BOOK A BET  The process of confirming that a wager is entering the overall craps game’s "action."

BREAKAGE  Casino term that identifies an amount that is not paid to a craps player when a bet does not correspond to the denomination of that table’s minimum "check." For example, when the smallest "check" denomination is $1.00, and the craps player’s wager won $4.75, the casino rounds-down to the nearest dollar. The casino will only pay out $4.00 on the winning bet, and the extra 75 cents is the "breakage." The term can also refer to excessive vigorish charged on a craps game wager. For example, if a $5.00 vigorish is the minimum charge on a "BUY" bet, a player waging a "BUY" bet of $80 will incur a fee of $5 instead of $4 (the normal 5% of the waged amount). The "breakage" is $1.00. NOTE: Breakage in craps is not relative to any pre-calculated costs to craps players, it only involves wager amounts that are incompatible with proper pay out increments or fees (vigs).

BUY BET  This is a "DO" bet waged "FOR" any individual neutral numbers (4, 5, 6, 8, 9, or 10) "AGAINST" #7. Casinos pay out 6:5 on these winning bets "FOR" #6 or #8; 6:4 on winning bets "FOR" #5 or #9; and 6:3 on winning bets "FOR" #4 or #10. There is a 5% fee on these bets. The charge (vigorish) is 5% of the craps game wager’s amount.

CASINO CRAPS  The broad title of any variance of the overall game of "Craps" played on craps tables around the world. 

CHANGE ONLY  These words are announced by casino personnel who are supervising the craps table. The phrase indicates that "checks," money, or any other monetary representations a craps player may deposit onto the craps table, are NOT in "action."

COMBINATION  The dot-patterns on the top face of each die in a pair of craps dice comprise two individual sums that each produce a digit in a unique two-digit reversible code. The two-digit code is known as a combination. A pair of sums on the craps dice-faces that are equal to each other, comprise a combination that produces one possibility. A pair of sums on the craps dice-faces that are unequal to each other, comprise a combination that produces two possibilities. In the game of casino craps, there are 6 one-possibility combinations and 15 two-possibility combinations.

COME (COME SECTION)  This is the area of the craps layout in which NONLINE SUBGAME-CRAPS wagers "FOR" the group of natural numbers 7 & 11 ("AGAINST" the group of natural numbers 2, 3 & 12) are waged. The "COME" section also serves as the BASE craps dealers’ multipurpose work area in which pay outs are validated and other miscellaneous transactions occur between the craps players and casino personnel.

COME BET  This is a NONLINE SUBGAME-CRAPS contest wager "FOR" the group of natural numbers 7 & 11 and "AGAINST" the group of natural numbers 2, 3 & 12. 

COME-OUT ROLL  This phrase specifies the roll of a LINE SUBGAME-CRAPS contest.

CONTRACT "FLAT" BET  This is a (DO) "FLAT" bet "FOR" its assigned neutral number and "AGAINST" #7. This bet may NOT be removed from the overall game of craps until after its decision roll occurs. Craps players may increase the amount in an existing CONTRACT "FLAT" bet, or add new ones at any time. These bets are paid only "even-money" if they win.

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