Craps Variations
Are you a devoted fan of craps? If so, there are probably a few aspects of your personality that can be easily dissected, even from a great distance. You are the sort of Dick or Jane who likes to live on the edge, thriving on risk and the possibility of total devastation. The razor’s edge is your comfort zone, which makes you a pretty exciting cat to be around. It also makes you deeply dangerous, which is why smarter and more grounded individuals will tend to avoid you like the plague.
Well, it’s no surprise that craps has so many avid fans around the globe. This game is just too much fun to ignore, especially for congenital risk-takers. But are you familiar with the vast range of variations which are available to a serious craps player? The list is long and impressive, to say the least. Let’s just take a look at some of the more established variations which you should try if you have not already.
Crapless Craps.
Sounds like a contradiction in terms, I know. It’s also known as Bastard Craps. This is a simplified version of craps which can be found in some casinos. In this version craps (2, 3 or 12) and the natural 11 on the Come out throw are taken to be point numbers. Thus, a throw of 7 on the Come out throw wins, any other number becomes the point and the shooter wins if he throws it again before throwing a 7.
High Point Craps
In this version of the game, an initial roll of 2 or 3 is ignored and the player must roll again until another total is made. A roll of 11 or 12 wins automatically. Any other total becomes the point and the player rolls again and must throw a total higher than the point to win. Payoffs are even money, which isn’t so bad. Remember that the house edge on this game is 2.35 percent.
Scarney Craps
This version of the game was the brainchild of noted gambling stud John Scarne. Some nerve this guy had, making up his own game. The Come and Don’t Come bets are eliminated from play and the house doesn’t make a percentage charge on correct bets. The game was designed to increase casinos profits in places like the Caribbean that don’t have the large amount of traffic enjoyed by the big Vegas casinos, so I’m told.
New York Craps
This version of the game offers a different table and layout. A New York craps table is known as a double-end-dealer. The main difference is that it doesn’t have a Come or Don’t Come betting space and Place bets are not allowed. Players must bet on the box numbers 4, 5, 6, 8, 9 or 10. Two dealers work at either end of the table. The stickman stands at the middle of the table. Two boxmen sit opposite the stickman. A Lookout, or Ladderman, will sit on a stand raised above the table. Just like in the Big Apple.