Even though craps is a game of chance, you might not think it makes much sense to learn how to throw the dice at first. But really, you couldn’t be more wrong. It’s not about guessing where the dice will land exactly, but about making it harder for them to go in a different direction than you planned.
In addition to mastering the physical aspects of rolling dice, like where your hand is on the table, how tight your grip is, etc., trying to hit a certain spot on the table with dice that have traveled most of their path together can help you keep control of the roll and reduce randomness.
We’ll show you 8 things that make for a great dice toss, from where to sit at the craps table to how to make your landing zone better.
Let’s go!
How Not to Get a 7
By putting the dice in a certain order, you can stop them from rolling in any direction. This is because each set of dice faces is linked to a different set of craps odds, which you can learn more about later.
To avoid sevens, you can arrange the dice in different ways and put the points on each side in different places. For example, if you want to avoid sevens, the Hardway and 3V sets are the best. We’ll talk more about these sets below, where we talk about other dice sets.
How to Throw the Dice in Craps
Before we talk about tips and tricks, let’s go over the rules of how to throw dice in craps.
The dice must hit the back wall of the table before falling on the felt. It’s also fine if they touch the felt on their way to the back of the table. This is Rule No. 1 in the book “How to Play Craps.”
Rule 2 says not to throw the dice too far. This could cause the croupier to call it a “no-roll” and move on to the next shot.
That’s how to roll dice in basic craps. Once you know not to make these mistakes, you will only get better at throwing dice: you will be able to handle the dice better and feel more confident in your hand.
#1 How to Choose the Best Seat at the Table
A lot of expert craps players say that being in the right place at the table can have a big effect on how each roll turns out. Most of the people who say this think that it’s best to sit close to the dealer.
Why? The stickman, which is what the dealer is called in craps, is on the shorter side of the table, closer to the back, which is where the dice should hit. As you move toward the back of the table, you gain more control over the dice, which lets you make easier rolls.
Ask to be seated close to the dealer the next time you’re in a casino!
#2: Make sure your fingers aren’t wet and sticky.
Okay, so this should always be the case. It’s not okay to have dirty hands. When you throw dice in craps, it’s the same thing.
Try it at home: roll some dice while your hands are still wet and then again after you wash and dry them. Smooth surfaces let dice slide off of them more easily. It’s the same on your hands.
You should bring a napkin or paper with you to dry your fingers before each throw when you’re playing live craps.
#3: Rolling the Dice
In craps, there are different ways to set the dice based on your goal.
Set of 7
If this is your first time playing craps, start with the All 7 Set. This set is the easiest. All you have to do is put a seven on the front, sides, and top of each die. You can put these dice together in three different ways: 2:5, 5:2, 4:3, and 5:2.
Set hard way
Many people also use the “Hardway” set to set the dice. Putting the dice in this order makes the one on the left show a 6 to the left and the one on the right shows a 1 to the right. This is also a great game for beginners. With the hardways set, you can put hardway numbers on the sides of the dice (2:2, 3:3, 4:4, 5:5), which makes it less likely that you’ll roll a 7.
3V set
Some players like the 3V set or setting the three sides up in the shape of a V. In this set, the hard six is on top (two threes) and the six is on the front (5+1). On the back, there is an eight (6+2) and the hard eight is on the bottom (4+4). You can hit inside numbers, sixes, or eights with this medium-level dice set.
2V Set
The 2V set is the best way to hit fours, tens, and other odd numbers. The two sides of both dice are on top, and the faces show either a four, a ten, a five, or a nine.
Two Sixes crossed
Want to get points on the come-out roll? A cross of sixes could help. You put your dice’s six sides in a way that doesn’t line up their points. As long as you roll the dice end over end, this set might help you get any of the odds.
Sixes in a row
In this case, the sixes on both dice are lined up, with the fives on the back. This is the opposite of crossed sixes. This approach can also help lower the number of sevens that happen.
#4 Pay Attention to Your Grip
You can work on your grip on the dice once your hands are dry and clean. It should be tight, but not too tight.
You don’t want to squeeze them too hard, though, or they might pop off in your hand. Keep your grip on them tight enough to keep them together and not let them go their separate ways. You can make the dice shoot together over a longer stretch of the trajectory by stopping them from moving around. This will help you get the look you want.
Remember that letting the dice land where you want them to is all about reducing chance. To avoid a random result as much as possible, make them travel in the same pattern for longer.
#5: How to Throw the Dice in Craps
Have you ever played golf? Your body has to move in a certain way when you swing a club so that the final hit on the ball goes in the right direction. The way you pick up and hold the dice can have a big effect on how they roll.
It’s best to practice this move: put your hand over the dice and handle and throw them from the side. Using the side of your thumb and middle finger to hold the pair of dice will help you keep the set you want and keep the dice moving together through the air and onto the back of the table.
This will help you get better at throwing over time and make sure the dice don’t hit too hard, which will help you with the next part of the dice roll:
#6: Your place to land
The landing zone is the area around your dice that you want to land. Since every table is different, look around the table on the come-out roll to see how soft or hard the surface is and where you are. Then, change your landing zone to match.
If your dice hit the table wall together, make a baby bounce, and then land together gently, you know you have a good landing zone. Of course, if the back of the table bounces more than normal, you will need to change how hard you throw to account for it.
Also, make sure there are no chips near where you want to fall. They could ruin a great roll right away!
#7: Don’t hit the wall with the dice.
As the person sitting at the front of the table, you have the longest path the dice have to take to get to the back of the table. You should use as much force as you need to, but don’t throw them like you’re mad.
To hit the back of the wall, you should figure out how far away the wall is and make sure the dice don’t fall in different directions. Making sure the dice don’t hit the back of the table too hard is related to practicing your grip on them. These parts of the roll must work together so the dice don’t twist and turn as they hit the wall.
#8: Being Regular
In any job, being consistent is key to success, so practicing it in different roll segments will be key to avoiding bad dice results.
Each part of the dice roll should be practiced on its own. This will help you learn how to shoot dice by putting each part of the roll on top of the other, which will also boost your confidence in your rolls.
Of course, this only applies to craps played in real life. If you play craps online, you can trust RNG to pick a random result and hope for the best.
